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Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona Runner Comments
Back to Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 86 [displaying comments 51 to 61]
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F. L. from hamburg, germany
(3/5/2008)
 "A real nice sight-seeing marathon" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Compliments to the organizing team and a great thanks to all of the volunteers making the run possible; I only experienced nice and friendly people on the course and after the finish. | |
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J. J. from England
(3/4/2008)
 "Painful but interesting." (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Like one of the previous commentators, my Garmin 305 registered a substantially-greater course-length than the correct one - 43.03 KM. I'd put this down to GPS inaccuracies, but 2% is quite a lot over this distance, so I'm not sure now. The distance measurements did generally seem a bit messed up at sometimes. Good smaller marathon - not as frenetic or crowded as Paris or London. Nice features: good free (wicking) T-shirt, great crowd, friendly staff, brilliant free massage afterwards, good water stops, and welcome-home snog from the medal-lady at the finish. My gripes: rubbish KM markers (some missing entirely), dodgy distance measurements, hopeless pacemaker-planning (the 3:15 guys started behind the 3:30 guys, and changed style/costume/runner/balloon mid-run. I mean, what?), and finally, whatever those rice-cracker things in the goody-bag were, I couldn't eat them. Recommended? Yes. Take a clothes-peg for your nose if the sewers are acting up though. | |
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Forest 78 from England
(3/4/2008)
"Great route and organization - exceeded expectatio" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I'd heard horror stories from previous years about 2-hour waits at registration - but it was straight in and out for me. Someone has a sense of humor, making us climb those steps to retrieve our bags afterwards though! Hardly anyone was around 1 hour before the start, so obviously the Spanish are very laid-back in their preparations. Very disappointed that there was no beer at the end, as at Madrid! | |
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c. d. from dublin ireland
(3/4/2008)
 "first marathon - loved it" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My first marathon, and my comment to my wife at the finish (she was there to support me - not to shop!!) was "NEVER AGAIN." However it is only two days later and I can't wait to do another marathon. The course was great, the spectators supportive and the organization faultless. And Barcelona is a beautiful city, full of life and love. This is one to do. | |
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Robert de Bock from Spain, Sitges
(3/3/2008)
"Distance was not correct." (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Based on my Garmin 305, it seems to be longer than it should've been: 42.93 kilometers. Anyone with the same experience? Race was great anyway. | |
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S. H. from Minneapolis, MN USA
(2/22/2008)
 "1997 Marathon" (about: 1999)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I ran in the 1997 edition of the Catalunya-Barcelona Marathon. I'm shocked they keep the same name, since it's now only run in Barcelona. The previous course was a beautiful point-to-point, which followed most of the 1992 Olympic Marathon Course. The only difference in 1997 is that it finished on the steep hill, just below Olympic Stadium. Overall I thought the race was a great experience despite very warm conditions. They had plenty of fluids, great spectator support and plenty of post-race refreshments. If you have a chance to run Barcelona, do it. | |
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G. M. from Cork, Ireland.
(5/4/2007)
"Great Run" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 While the organization at the expo left a lot to be desired (1.5-hour queue to collect bib) the race itself more that made up for it. Great way to see the city, great spectator support, especially through the old city, and well organized water and sponge stations. The key was to keep hydrated by taking on plenty of fluids and carrying them between stations. | |
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J. A. from California USA
(4/14/2007)
"Barcelona, Oh Barcelona!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Make no mistake: this is a flat, fast course. The fabulous supporters cheer and chant at all the major intersections. The water/refreshment stops had plenty of small bottles of waters that were ideal for running, and the course is the most scenic I have run (and I have run 15 in the States and Europe). The 3:15 pacer was like a metronome; the man never missed a split. What a beautiful race and city: the residents are warm and friendly and always willing to guide lost runners on their training runs in the city. This event takes you through so much of this dynamic city and its key landmarks. Brace yourself for a memorable marathon; you start at the magical Montjuic fountains and the Palau Nacional, and over the course of the next three hours or so, you will run by the Sagrada Familia, Park Guel, the harbor, La Pedrera, Las Ramblas and the Gothic quarter. If this sounds like travelogue, rest assured, it is. The only drawback I found was that in the shared start with the 10K, the streets are too narrow. Please start the 10K folks after the main race. The expo and race information were not very informative. Right up to the start folks were wondering if there was a drop-bag area: c'mon, folks, having a drop-bag area at a marathon is basic. Back to the pluses: the mass transit system in Barcelona is a model. It was so easy to get from our vacation sublet to the start line that we had time to spare. To the race director's credit, and very important to marathon folks, there were plenty of porto-potties at the start. All in all, a winner! A "must do" marathon that will go on my great races list on both sides of the "pond"! | |
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Chris Day from London
(3/28/2007)
"Great day - tough it out in the heat!" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I had a great experience running this marathon. Coming from training in freezing London down to the 25-degree, smoggy sun of Barcelona was a real challenge. The toughest thing I've ever done. The last 4K slow climb was a killer. I was saved by the magic Catalan fans and the fruit at the water stations. Thank God for the humble banana! The sense of achievement at the finish was immense. A real spring challenge for a British runner. At the end of the day, there is no option than to tough it out.... That is what marathon running is all about - not what T-shirt you get! | |
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J. B. from Houston, USA
(3/18/2007)
"Worth crossing the Atlantic for" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marathon Catalunya - Barcelona
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and I had a great experience. The expo crowd was very light on the first day when I went, so I didn't have any problem picking up my bib. My sister ran the 10K and they sorted out a problem with her bib number and chip efficiently. "Hot" and "flat" seem to be relative terms. Coming from Houston I found the temperatures just fine (high in the low 20's C/70's F), but the hills were much longer (not really steep) than anything around here. The course profile on the website was accurate so I was prepared and they didn't end up being a problem. The water stations every 5KM were well stocked with fluids, but I took by own Gu rather than rely on the fruit and nuts. The course route itself is wonderful, taking in most the popular sites in Barcelona. It's a great city and I enjoyed spending some time on either side of the marathon seeing the sights at a more leisurely pace and enjoying the food. The only disappointing things for me were minor - I wish the shirts celebrated the marathon a bit more than the sponsors, and more food and drink at the end of the race would have been nice. Overall though, this is a great race - worth crossing the Atlantic for. |
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