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Apr 27, 2024

B&A Trail Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.3

Organization 4.7

Spectators 3.2

Number of comments: 93 [displaying comments 61 to 71]

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Finn Ahlberg from Ashburn, VA (3/19/2007) "The Best Marathon in the Wash. D.C. Metro Area" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 B&A Trail Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my tenth marathon and my third B&A Trail Marathon. I came back a third time because I truly feel that it is the flattest marathon in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (95% flat for sure!). The "new" course cuts out the hill at the beginning of the race (I believe it used to be at mile 2 or 3) and you only have the Maryland Route 100 overpass bridge at mile markers 18 (going) and 21 (coming back). A smaller trail bridge in the race could be counted as a "hill" and there is a gradual incline towards mile marker 7, but these are nothing to be worried about. Other than what I have just mentioned, the B&A Trail Marathon is flat, flat, flat! With a little help from the "new" course, I managed to get my PR here - finally breaking under 4 hours... thanks! I really enjoyed the organization of the Annapolis Striders Running Club once again and this year the shirt premium and medal were an improvement over past years. For the $40 registration fee, it was a great bargain, no doubt. Surely, there are very few spectators along many points of this race; however, I believe that most runners that choose to do a "small" marathon race like this should expect that. Yes, it was cold and windy in the beginning, but the sun was out and it was dry! My closing thoughts are that most runners pick marathon races that they enjoy running; the B&A Trail Marathon is an enjoyable marathon to experience as I saw some of the same runners this year as I did in '05 and '06. Overall, a small and very well organized and enjoyable marathon that is sure to please those runners looking for a PR - you won't be disappointed!
T. M. from Kansas City, MO (3/11/2007) "Very Enjoyable Small Race" (about: 2007) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 B&A Trail Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 The other runners have said it all.... This was a very nicely organized race. The volunteers were great and the mini-expo provided all my last-minute items. I will recommend it!
W. D. from Gaithersburg, MD (3/6/2007) "Great Marathon" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 B&A Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was one of the best organized marathons I have run in. The aid stations were some of the best I have ever experienced. There was water, Gatorade, fruit, coke, cookies, hard candy, aspirin and petroleum jelly at almost every one! However, this isn't a marathon for those that need large crowds to cheer and support them. The spectators were those the runners brought with them. Since I'm a back-of-the-pack runner, I'd rather not have large crowds watching me struggle through a run. :) Great race!
Suzy Holt from Washington DC (3/4/2007) "Great things come in small packages" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 B&A Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This race made me wonder WHY I've been avoiding small races all this time! B&A offers inexpensive registration (which includes a moisture wicking shirt - kind of hideous design, but at least I can USE it!), convenient expo/packet pick up (day of option), smooth start, flat and scenic course, and a post-race "feast" with pizza, pb&j, bagels, bananas, oranges, pretzels, trail mix, cookies, and bars. Yes, B&A is a small race. But for that reason, they provide things the large races cannot: they provide 2 water stops on the course that collect your clothes and return them to you at the end. The 6 massage tables set up post-race required only a 15-minute (max) wait time. Gu was offered on the course 3 different times, as were Snickers Marathon bars, fresh oranges, and pretzels. The Annapolis Striders do an excellent job with this event. Not only did I get the best "Maryland" in my quest for 50 states, but I cut my PR (set in Chicago) by 9 minutes!
Happy Runner from Washington, DC (3/4/2007) "New 2007 course is an improvement!" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 4-5 B&A Trail Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The new 2007 course is a major improvement. They removed the huge hill at the beginning and one of the hills around mile 7, making this a MUCH flatter course. It means more of the trail, however, and almost no neighborhoods. But it terms of pure running, it is a major improvement. Unfortunately, the new course was not posted on the website, so if you were close to a time goal and had made your pacing strategy based on the old course, you were majorly surprized during the run, which is never a good thing. But kudos for the guts to change the long established course. Keep it the same now, guys, so that we can compare times year-to-year.
S. S. from St. Louis, MO (3/24/2006) "Very enjoyable" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 B&A Trail Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a very enjoyable hassle-free small race. The Striders have done a great job in organizing this. The trail is nice and flat, and the odd "dangerous" road crossing was well manned. An extra water-stop or two would not have been out of place, but on the cool day that it turned out to be, this wasn't sorely missed. No crowds but I don't mind that - if you need a crowd to egg you on, you are in the wrong sport. The trail does not provide spectacular scenery, but it was neat to note the little station markers along the way. Seeing the whole field of runners twice is very interesting. And the Korean group team spirit was inspiring. Shower in the school gym was icy cold, but if you believe in a cold-soak after running to hasten recovery, this was just as it should be! Eminently run-able and a good change from the mega races.
d. w. from corning, ny (3/12/2006) "excellent, well-run marathon" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 B&A Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This year, 2006, was my first time at B&A and I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the marathon. It is run mostly on a paved rails-to-trails course with room for all runners, especially in the first half with marathoners and half-marathoners running together. I had to be careful early not to get carried away with the pace of nearby half-marathoners. Dial in the self-control in the first half or you could burn out. The course has some hills and slight grades, enough to keep you alert, but nothing extreme. Water stops were well-spaced for the fairly cool day. Volunteers at each stop were supportive and skilled at getting the drinks to the runners. Pick-up, start and finish were efficiently run. There were no real "crowds" on the course, which is a fine with me, so I gave a "4" for this category. If you want large crowds, B&A does not have them. I enjoy running marathons and talking to others while running. B&A is perfect for that and has a good course if you want to run a fast time. Overall, I rate this marathon highly as a well-organized runner's event. I plan to return.
V. C. from Ohio (3/6/2006) "This race was good, not great" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 B&A Trail Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This marathon was just okay for me. Packet pick-up was hassle-free, love the technical shirt and you cannot beat the $40 price. HOWEVER... there are not enough water stops in the beginning and the course is not at all memorable. They did use the chip this year but it would have been nice to get a split time or two. Only things they recorded were the start and finish. But they do allow you to change from full to half after you have already started running and you do get an official half finish time and medal. I thought that was nice (although, I'm happy to say I did not do that). I finished in just over 4 hours and they were already tearing things down. I thought that was much too soon. This was not a bad race; I just didn't feel like there was anything special about it.
Vanessa Reiter from York, PA (3/6/2006) "Great Course!!! Great Organization" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 B&A Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really enjoyed this event. It was on a beautiful suburban bike trail. The water and porta-potty stations were abundant and well-placed. I loved the "bunny" mile markers. I enjoyed 2 additional elements of the race. First: the Naval Academy marathon team was represented and it was great to see them in action. I also loved the "esprit de corps" of the Asian busload of marathoners from NYC. Great group of marathoners. Lastly, the non-competitive early start time was appreciated. I loved, too, the performance short-sleeve shirt.
Finn Ahlberg from Ashburn, VA (3/10/2005) "Great Marathon!!!" (about: 2005) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 B&A Trail Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was the first time that I ran in the B&A Trail Marathon and it was a great experience! Having previously run in the 'big city' races before (USMC & Baltimore), I really enjoyed the fact that I did not have to fight for running space along the race route and I really appreciated the serenity of the trail over the smog and loud noise of previous races. I did not mind not having the thousands of spectators along the race route because it actually gave me more time to focus on the run itself. As far as the water stops go, there could have been 1 or 2 more water stops along the race route, but due to the small size of this marathon race (roughly 250 marathoners), I think the organizers did a great job working with their running club's resources and volunteers (thank you Annapolis Striders!). A pleasant surprise was the fact that after the race there was still hot pizza left! A nice t-shirt and multi-colored finisher's medal all added as nice touches for a low cost registration fee of $40.00 - you can't beat that. A huge thanks to the race organizers, especially Lisa Fontaine, who kept the runners posted on the weather developments prior to the race date. I will be back in 2006!

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