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☰
Clearwater Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Clearwater Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 3.8 
Spectators 3.1
Number of comments: 170 [displaying comments 81 to 91]
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James Bystrom from Oldsmar, Florida USA
(2/23/2004)
 "My First Race at 26.2" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon! Normally a 5 and 10k runner and new triathalete! While running 13 miles straight, the turn-around came fast! Aid stations were awesome sites! The people manning them especially at 20, get the best of aid stations! Real motivators at the right time! I wanted to finish, wanted to be under 5hrs - I made 4:22! Good course! | |
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R. B. from Orlando, Florida
(2/23/2004)
 "Hot day--no Gatorade!" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 How do you run out of Gatorade at the second aid station in a marathon (especially when you are spacing them at two and three mile intervals) -- in Florida, in late February? Sounds impossible, but this marathon found a way to do it. In fairness some of the later ones had it, but some also had neither water nor Gatorade. The volunteers were GREAT, however! Race management needs to be as good. | |
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Joseph sanders from jacksonville florida
(2/22/2004)
"Race potential for a half or 14-miler" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Great course, plenty of water stops, and the only negative is not enough porta-johns at the start. When you have women taking to the bushes 10-15 minutes before race due to long lines, things are surely wrong. I very rarely run a marathon more than once, but I will run this one again. Also race has great potential to expand by adding a half or 14-miler to race without too much more effort. | |
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s. b. from Florida
(2/22/2004)
"Need more rest rooms and Gatorade" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 There were not enough portalets for all the runners prior to the start of the race. Most water/Gatorade stations ran out of Gatorade. The course was great. The volunteers and fans were super. | |
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V. N. from OHIO
(5/12/2003)
 "BEAUTIFUL COURSE BUT HOT AND HUMID" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Course was nice with two long bridges to cross ? a strong wind coming right at us most of the way. Luckily it helped to keep the heat down. The sun wasn?t shining, but it got very humid. It was a hard race to run, with a few more hills than I expected. The water stops were at points that were much needed. Workers at the stations were also very friendly and looked like they were having more fun than the runners. Is that possible? All the runners were encouraging and it was a great race, but not for someone who trained in Ohio all winter. Too humid. Food at the end was good ? especially the beans and rice. I was expecting some water or fluids at the expo, but all that was there was low carb beer. I thought that runners needed carbs and water. It was a hot day and a bottle of water would have tasted great. | |
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Brian Forde from CHICAGO
(5/6/2003)
 "Great way to break up the COLD " (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my very first marathon which I selected at random because it was exactly 18 weeks out from the day I began training - in the cold winter of Chicago. The race was well organized, fun and the scenery was fantastic. Nobody is really thinking about scenery the second half anyway, and reaching the pond was a perfect mental break. It gave me a second wind to finish. My friend was able to jump in at mile 16 with no hassles to run with me and the after race crowd was fantastic. Chris deserves accolades for putting on a superior event, in a tropical setting, at the perfect time of year. Well done Chris! | |
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S. F. from Richmond Hill, Ontario Canada
(3/17/2003)
"I love this race, it keeps getting better!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is the 4th year for me running this race and I have seen it grow every year. Each year the organization gets better and this year it seemed that there were more volunteers along the course and at the water stops. The route is great. I enjoy the first half along the road, past the hotels and residences. There are not many spectators, but those that are there cheer everyone along. The route gets better for the second half as we get away from it all and go along the pathway. I don't get the opportunity to run off streets in my training so this is a real treat for me. There is a fast downhill finish and I seem to fly to the finish with so much energy that I didn't know I had left. And finally there is a great park setting to recover in. What more could anyone one want? | |
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Jakson Badenhoop from Ponte Vedra Beach, FL USA
(3/11/2003)
"Congratulations to the Race Director!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Just want to THANK Chris Lauber again for all he does to make the Florida Gulf Beaches Marathon as good as it can be. Race day turned out to be a test of my recovery from bronchitis and four other marathons since Christmas -- and my lack of proper, consistent training. It turned out that I am not fully recovered yet. Though I may have run my personal worst time in a marathon, I had a great time being part of the participant field and really appreciate all that Chris and the volunteers do. When the weather turns bad, I know it was not an easy day for the race staff, either. | |
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S. A. from Lakeland, FL
(3/8/2003)
"Great 'small' marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 First time at the Gulf Beaches marathon, and seventh marathon overall. I thought that overall the marathon was well done. There were some areas that could be improved, but nothing serious, and most marathons I've done have their pros and cons. I liked the course. It isn't the place to come for a PR, but I loved the change in courses from the ocean to the trail and the path around the lake also. Registering and packet pickup was a breeze and I loved parking at the start/finish (big benefit of a small marathon). I met some great people along the way who took my mind off the heat, and as someone mentioned before: this is FL, what did you expect? I think the finishers medal is awesome. Great design! | |
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Susanne De Zordi Bernkopf from Switzerland, Jona
(3/7/2003)
"Journey from cold Switzerland REALLY worthwile" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I picked this marathon for my first marathon because our home country gets really wet and cold in February and so a stay-over in Clearwater became an additional motivator. The course was fantastic for me, I thought it pretty and the rectangular course was a help, because I could tell myself 'long stretch done, short crossover, back home'. Sounds stupid, but really helped me. I thought the organisation was really good. People who had bad times etc. should not blame this on the organizers or the weather etc... The pasta party would certainly have been more fun outside or on the beach though. O.k. there were not many spectators, but quality goes before quantity! They were so supportive and such fun. My time was awful (just under 5 hrs). I had planned a lot of training, but - to be honest - did next to none. I told everyone including myself I would run the first half with my legs and would master the second half mentally. The awful thing was that the mental work had to start at mile 6 already and the rest got really really tough. If it had not been for my wonderful husband (who is more interested in long-distance ironman and the like, and has never ever taken soooo long for a marathon), who accompanied me step for step I would have ended up on one of the park benches around the lake on the home stretch. This was such a fantastic event, that we vowed to come back for another. Thanks for a lovely time and thanks very much to all the people who organised and the volunteers! |
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