Marathon Details - More Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > NY > New York > More Marathon

More Magazine More Marathon & Half-Marathon Partner Run

New York, NY USA

~~April 25, 2010~~ - CANCELLED

http://www.more.com/2029/10135-more-fitness-women-s-half-marathon-2010

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Results:	2008 \| 2007 \| 2006 \| 2005 \| 2004 Top 3 Finishers by Year

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Address:	New York Road Runners Club 9 East 89th Street New York, NY 10128 USA
Phone Number:	212.860.4455
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Reviews

Course 2.8

Organization 3.1

Spectators 2.3

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Number of comments: 30 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]

T. P. from USA (4/24/2008) "A Triple Root Canal Would Have Been Preferrable" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 What was I thinking when I signed up for this race? I can only blame myself for not reading the reviews beforehand. It looks like I will only be listing negatives since I honestly cannot find one positive thing about this race: 1) Waaaay too crowded! About 7,500 people crowded in narrow running lanes in Central Park. At least 95% of them were half marathoners. Yes, no one cares to run the full. 2) Most walkers I've seen outside of the March of Dimes Walkathon. 3) Droves and droves of walkers! Constant dodging of walkers who are walking side by side by side, creating human roadblocks. Every water stop (which was self serve) had scores of rude walkers who would just stop in front of the water tables forcing others to wait or go around them for hydration. 4) Mind-numbing and repetitive course. 5) Course marshals were clueless and inattentive as to the route for the full. 6) No energy gels distributed along the course. 7) Spectators? Probably more pigeons looking at us then spectators. 8) Lonely - after the half marathoners left (thankfully), there were more casual joggers out for their morning jog than racers. 9) Mounds of horse poop at the lower end of the park (which I inadvertently stepped on dodging those walkers). They say that the worst pain during a marathon happens after Mile 20; for me the pain was after the race, thinking about the time, money and training wasted. I guess the best thing I can say about this race is that it is over. At least with a root canal I figure it was necessary pain, but with this race I only blame myself for being a masochist. I guess if I want the camarzaderie of more mature women, I might have to try a knitting club... and certainly not this "race." Never, ever again.
K. W. from Santa Clara, CA (4/17/2008) "This would be better as a half-marathon" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I too was excited to come to NYC and run this marathon as NYC is my hometown. I'd read comments about the race after my friend and I signed up to do this marathon but decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Well, the race proved me wrong. I started with a pace group and got stuck behind the walkers. The pace group went TOO fast. I was running a 4:20 marathon when I should have been running a 4:40. Thankfully, the second group of pacers that took over slowed things down but by then the damage was done and my legs were toast by Mile 23. Thankfully, one of the pacers stayed with me. The finish line was a disappointment. There was not the hoopla that I'd seen for the half-marathoners. I got my medal and a friend found a bagel and apple. All the booths were breaking down. I finished in 4:46. Way under the cutoff. To me, if you're going to put on a race, everyone should get the same treatment, which is why I think the marathon should be eliminated from this race. The other thing is that over 300 started the marathon but only 152 finished. I checked the half-marathon stats and found 20 marathon numbers amongst the finishers. So if marathoners didn't just quit, they opted to just to just do the half, which explains why they ran out of half-marathon medals. I really hope the organizers will read these comments and take it all into consideration when planning next year's event. I think it is great to celebrate women over 40 and to know that so many women did the half-marathon for the first time is awesome. However, if the support is not going to be there for the marathoners, they should just eliminate it from the event. It is very disheartening to have trained for so long to find no one home to greet you.
J. P. from USA (4/8/2008) "Race? What a Joke." (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 More Marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I ran the full in 2006 and had a pretty good experience. I went back in 2008 and wish I had taken the comments on this site more seriously. NYRR should know better than to hold a run for some 8,000 people in Central Park. It doesn't work. At the very least, they need to have a staggered start. I saw four people fall while attempting to dodge the other "runners." I decided to cross the finish line when I was at the half marathon mark because I was so bruised (literally) from the first two laps. I could also see that the small support we had in 2006 was not going to happen in 2008. No interest whatsoever. I'd also like to know why they changed the course to this new and very confusing route. The old course that sent the marathoners across 102nd and to the bottom of the park on the south end for five laps at least allowed us to get out of and then ahead of the half strollers after the first half lap. There was no relief this year for the first two laps. I was absolutely exhausted from playing dodge people for two hours. Never, ever, ever again. I also thought the expo was bad: Two floors crammed full of women who thought they were on a shopping trip. There was no water at the expo and one table for another race. The idea is that this is a race. I'm happy so many people want to give distance running a try, but it should not be at the expense of those of us who train year round to run races. If More and NYRR want to sponsor an event for first-time runners and people who want to distance walk, they should bill the "race" as such. If you are at all serious about running, avoid this race at all costs.
K. D. from New York, New York USA (4/7/2008) "What are they thinking??? Never again." (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 Whew... ditto any negative comments below. New York Road Runners generally does a bang up job with any race they stage, so I don't know what keeps on going wrong here. Too many people, too many walkers, too many inexperienced racers breaking every rule in the book (like cutting into the porta-potty lines - I was in line a good ten minutes after the starting horn) and too repetitive of a course for a marathon (Central Park works for a half, but four loops? Yikes...). I ran the half yesterday, and had my worst race experience to date. I saw a marathoner conferring with a husband or coach, and realizing she was going to finish 29 miles rather than 26 because no one directed her on the proper turns in the course. The winners lapped the field at one point - not an uncommon occurrence in NYRR Central Park events - and masses of walkers and slower runners REFUSED TO LET THE WINNERS PASS. Perhaps a nice, feel good get-together akin to the Walk for the Cure Events, but not a serious road race.
M. T. from Connecticut (4/6/2008) "The worst marathon experience ever" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 Wish I had read the comments earlier! I was excited to run the More Marathon and thought it would be an empowering experience to run with all women over 40. Fighting to get across the 1/2 marathon runners and mostly walkers to get to the water and Gatorade was no fun. Apparently I missed a turn-off for the marathon despite my constantly asking if I was going the right way. I ended up doing a third outer loop. Eventually a race marshal on the course picked me up and led the way (but it was impossible to make up the more than a mile extra I had run). To make matters worse, when I finally finished (5th overall), a medal was placed around my neck - and it said, "13.1!!" Since I had actually run an ultra marathon of 28-plus, I asked for the correct marathon medal of 26.2, to which they apologized and handed me the correct medal. It is so frustrating after the hours and hours of training to have something like this happen - I certainly will not be back. I think all the confusion would have been lessened if the courses were marked with different color lines and maybe had water and Gatorade on our left side as well (since marathoners were told to stay to the left - and all of the drinks were on the far right!).
M. M. from Portland, Oregon (2/3/2008) "love the camaraderie" (about: 2006) 3 previous marathons \| 2 More Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I was inspired to do this race by the older women (60's, 70's and even one woman who was 81). I figured if they could do it, I could run my first at 41 years. I love the camaraderie and support the women show each other. I enjoy seeing grandmothers and granddaughters racing together. I guess in comparison to other bigger races, the other commenters who don't like this race are correct - the spectators and overall excitement of the race aren't as great as bigger events. But this is the only marathon I've run (3rd one coming up in 2008) and I enjoy it because it fits my level of competition and I have a good time in NYC. I'm happy to be able to finish a marathon and I don't want to be crowded or pushed around when I run (like runners are in the NYC Marathon).
G. C. from Illinois (5/12/2007) "Stay Away From This One Like The Plague!" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Are there enough words in the English language to describe what a horrendous race this is? Wish I knew about MarathonGuide.com before signing up for this one. This is not a race; it is more like a parade without the floats, clowns or any fun! About 90% of the "runners" were half marathoners and the majority of whom were social walkers sipping cappucinos, listening to iPods, catching up on the latest gossip and recapping Sex & The City episodes, all the while walking side-by-side in groups of 2, 3 or more, blocking the entire width of the running lanes. Should have known that this race was not to be taken seriously when I passed a woman wearing hiking boots and walking shorts. Since it is a repetitive loop course, you are lapping the half marathon walkers and it never seems to end. I was expecting throngs of spectators since the race was in NYC but I've actually entertained more people in my apartment than the size of the crowd of spectators. Hardly anyone even noticed us marathoners, especially after the majority of the half-marathoners finally walked off the course. I think I saw more hotdog vendors along the route than spectators. While the first half of the race is spent trying to maneuver around the half marathoners, the second half is spent preventing yourself from going crazy and dodging the regular park users (runners, stroller moms, dog walkers, etc.) that have no idea that a race is in progress. If I were smart, I would have just walked off the course and got myself a hotdog and pretzel along with an ice cold beer and just lay on the grass in Central Park. With the lack of support from fans and equally the organizers, along with the constant hills and repetitive nature of the course, watching a Ben Affleck movie marathon would have been even more exciting.
K. R. from New York, NY (3/28/2007) "Great half, but the full is lacking" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I actually ran the half this year but after 2 loops (and a little more) of the park, I could not have run the park 3 more times. The expo was great - lots of great handouts, lots of energy, and plenty of space without being too big. Great focus on women's health too! There were no power gels at the water stations, but plenty of water and Gatorade. The start is difficult getting out, as there are so many runners and walkers (about 4,700 this year). I was slowed a full minute for the first and second mile before I could pull away from the crowd. There is great spectator support on the bottom third of the park, but the rest has few, if any. However, the fellow runners are great and if you need support, the walkers and regular morning exercisers will cheer you along! Overall I really enjoyed the half experience and would do it again in a heartbeat, but I would only sign up for the full if I were desperate to run a marathon next March.
H. S. from Maumelle, AR (3/28/2007) "Wish I'd read Marathonguide comments first" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I should have been prepared for the disappointment of this race when race organizers never bothered to respond to an email question I sent twice (in January & February - same question). I am not sure I'd really call this a race - it was more of a half marathon event. I am all for getting more people into the half marathon and marathon distances, but for folks who are so militant about their time cut off (just a few questions about that - since I saw no police expense for course security, the course wasn't closed during the race to other runners, walkers, dogs, horses, etc in the park, and the water/aid stations were mostly self serve, just why DO you have the same time limit for the full as the half?) there were no clear instructions for where to line up if you were a slower marathoner trying to make the 6 1/2 hour cut off. My walking partner & I lined up behind the 11:00 minute mile pace group (according to the signs) and in front of the walkers (again according to the signs) and ended up smack in the middle of the women walking the half marathon. We never even saw the pace group that was supposed to be for the 6:25:00 marathon time (which would have been a little over a 14 minute mile pace & there was no sign for anyone slower than an 11 minute mile - everyone else was just lumped into the walking category). When we crossed the start line (13 minutes after the race officially started), the mat didn't even chirp to let us know it had picked up the chip for the start time - I suspect it had already been unplugged. It was a real mess for everyone when we made the first loop and had to switch sides for those who were trying to continue on (move to the left, ladies - after miles of being screamed at to keep to the right) AND for those trying to finish the half marathon (move to the right, ladies - after miles of being told to pass on the left). The passing lane was too small to allow anyone to keep moving at any kind of pace through the finish line area and once the half marathoners started finishing en masse (the second time time through the finish line area), they were standing around in the passing lane talking and blocking the area for those marathoners continuing on to the third loop. That wasn't their fault - most of them were very excited about finishing their first half marathon - I suspect that, once again, there were no clear directions on what to do once they received their medal. I was very grateful for my husband (who ended up walking the last 10 miles with me) as he kept runners, walkers and groups of tourists from knocking me down on the last 3 loops - again, they had no clue there was any kind of race going on and thought I was just someone who wouldn't get out of the way. On the plus side, every volunteer who spoke to me on the race course was friendly and encouraging. And, even though I didn't make their time cut off, I was allowed to finish the race and did receive a medal. If you are looking for a well organized marathon, whether you are a runner or a walker, this is not the race for you.
B. R. from Cary, NC (3/28/2007) "A big disappointment" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I wish I took the time to find this site before I did the marathon because all the comments are right on target. It should be a half marathon only; I spent too much time trying to get around the walkers that I kept lapping; the oncoming recreational runners/bikers were very distracting; and there was minimal support (if any) at the finish. The concept of running in an all women's marathon was exciting but More Magazine drops the ball on "Marathon." There were only 144 marathoners and like 5,000 half-marathoners. What does that tell you?

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]

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T. P. from USA (4/24/2008) "A Triple Root Canal Would Have Been Preferrable" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 What was I thinking when I signed up for this race? I can only blame myself for not reading the reviews beforehand. It looks like I will only be listing negatives since I honestly cannot find one positive thing about this race: 1) Waaaay too crowded! About 7,500 people crowded in narrow running lanes in Central Park. At least 95% of them were half marathoners. Yes, no one cares to run the full. 2) Most walkers I've seen outside of the March of Dimes Walkathon. 3) Droves and droves of walkers! Constant dodging of walkers who are walking side by side by side, creating human roadblocks. Every water stop (which was self serve) had scores of rude walkers who would just stop in front of the water tables forcing others to wait or go around them for hydration. 4) Mind-numbing and repetitive course. 5) Course marshals were clueless and inattentive as to the route for the full. 6) No energy gels distributed along the course. 7) Spectators? Probably more pigeons looking at us then spectators. 8) Lonely - after the half marathoners left (thankfully), there were more casual joggers out for their morning jog than racers. 9) Mounds of horse poop at the lower end of the park (which I inadvertently stepped on dodging those walkers). They say that the worst pain during a marathon happens after Mile 20; for me the pain was after the race, thinking about the time, money and training wasted. I guess the best thing I can say about this race is that it is over. At least with a root canal I figure it was necessary pain, but with this race I only blame myself for being a masochist. I guess if I want the camarzaderie of more mature women, I might have to try a knitting club... and certainly not this "race." Never, ever again.
K. W. from Santa Clara, CA (4/17/2008) "This would be better as a half-marathon" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I too was excited to come to NYC and run this marathon as NYC is my hometown. I'd read comments about the race after my friend and I signed up to do this marathon but decided to give it the benefit of the doubt. Well, the race proved me wrong. I started with a pace group and got stuck behind the walkers. The pace group went TOO fast. I was running a 4:20 marathon when I should have been running a 4:40. Thankfully, the second group of pacers that took over slowed things down but by then the damage was done and my legs were toast by Mile 23. Thankfully, one of the pacers stayed with me. The finish line was a disappointment. There was not the hoopla that I'd seen for the half-marathoners. I got my medal and a friend found a bagel and apple. All the booths were breaking down. I finished in 4:46. Way under the cutoff. To me, if you're going to put on a race, everyone should get the same treatment, which is why I think the marathon should be eliminated from this race. The other thing is that over 300 started the marathon but only 152 finished. I checked the half-marathon stats and found 20 marathon numbers amongst the finishers. So if marathoners didn't just quit, they opted to just to just do the half, which explains why they ran out of half-marathon medals. I really hope the organizers will read these comments and take it all into consideration when planning next year's event. I think it is great to celebrate women over 40 and to know that so many women did the half-marathon for the first time is awesome. However, if the support is not going to be there for the marathoners, they should just eliminate it from the event. It is very disheartening to have trained for so long to find no one home to greet you.
J. P. from USA (4/8/2008) "Race? What a Joke." (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 More Marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I ran the full in 2006 and had a pretty good experience. I went back in 2008 and wish I had taken the comments on this site more seriously. NYRR should know better than to hold a run for some 8,000 people in Central Park. It doesn't work. At the very least, they need to have a staggered start. I saw four people fall while attempting to dodge the other "runners." I decided to cross the finish line when I was at the half marathon mark because I was so bruised (literally) from the first two laps. I could also see that the small support we had in 2006 was not going to happen in 2008. No interest whatsoever. I'd also like to know why they changed the course to this new and very confusing route. The old course that sent the marathoners across 102nd and to the bottom of the park on the south end for five laps at least allowed us to get out of and then ahead of the half strollers after the first half lap. There was no relief this year for the first two laps. I was absolutely exhausted from playing dodge people for two hours. Never, ever, ever again. I also thought the expo was bad: Two floors crammed full of women who thought they were on a shopping trip. There was no water at the expo and one table for another race. The idea is that this is a race. I'm happy so many people want to give distance running a try, but it should not be at the expense of those of us who train year round to run races. If More and NYRR want to sponsor an event for first-time runners and people who want to distance walk, they should bill the "race" as such. If you are at all serious about running, avoid this race at all costs.
K. D. from New York, New York USA (4/7/2008) "What are they thinking??? Never again." (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 Whew... ditto any negative comments below. New York Road Runners generally does a bang up job with any race they stage, so I don't know what keeps on going wrong here. Too many people, too many walkers, too many inexperienced racers breaking every rule in the book (like cutting into the porta-potty lines - I was in line a good ten minutes after the starting horn) and too repetitive of a course for a marathon (Central Park works for a half, but four loops? Yikes...). I ran the half yesterday, and had my worst race experience to date. I saw a marathoner conferring with a husband or coach, and realizing she was going to finish 29 miles rather than 26 because no one directed her on the proper turns in the course. The winners lapped the field at one point - not an uncommon occurrence in NYRR Central Park events - and masses of walkers and slower runners REFUSED TO LET THE WINNERS PASS. Perhaps a nice, feel good get-together akin to the Walk for the Cure Events, but not a serious road race.
M. T. from Connecticut (4/6/2008) "The worst marathon experience ever" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 Wish I had read the comments earlier! I was excited to run the More Marathon and thought it would be an empowering experience to run with all women over 40. Fighting to get across the 1/2 marathon runners and mostly walkers to get to the water and Gatorade was no fun. Apparently I missed a turn-off for the marathon despite my constantly asking if I was going the right way. I ended up doing a third outer loop. Eventually a race marshal on the course picked me up and led the way (but it was impossible to make up the more than a mile extra I had run). To make matters worse, when I finally finished (5th overall), a medal was placed around my neck - and it said, "13.1!!" Since I had actually run an ultra marathon of 28-plus, I asked for the correct marathon medal of 26.2, to which they apologized and handed me the correct medal. It is so frustrating after the hours and hours of training to have something like this happen - I certainly will not be back. I think all the confusion would have been lessened if the courses were marked with different color lines and maybe had water and Gatorade on our left side as well (since marathoners were told to stay to the left - and all of the drinks were on the far right!).
M. M. from Portland, Oregon (2/3/2008) "love the camaraderie" (about: 2006) 3 previous marathons \| 2 More Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I was inspired to do this race by the older women (60's, 70's and even one woman who was 81). I figured if they could do it, I could run my first at 41 years. I love the camaraderie and support the women show each other. I enjoy seeing grandmothers and granddaughters racing together. I guess in comparison to other bigger races, the other commenters who don't like this race are correct - the spectators and overall excitement of the race aren't as great as bigger events. But this is the only marathon I've run (3rd one coming up in 2008) and I enjoy it because it fits my level of competition and I have a good time in NYC. I'm happy to be able to finish a marathon and I don't want to be crowded or pushed around when I run (like runners are in the NYC Marathon).
G. C. from Illinois (5/12/2007) "Stay Away From This One Like The Plague!" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Are there enough words in the English language to describe what a horrendous race this is? Wish I knew about MarathonGuide.com before signing up for this one. This is not a race; it is more like a parade without the floats, clowns or any fun! About 90% of the "runners" were half marathoners and the majority of whom were social walkers sipping cappucinos, listening to iPods, catching up on the latest gossip and recapping Sex & The City episodes, all the while walking side-by-side in groups of 2, 3 or more, blocking the entire width of the running lanes. Should have known that this race was not to be taken seriously when I passed a woman wearing hiking boots and walking shorts. Since it is a repetitive loop course, you are lapping the half marathon walkers and it never seems to end. I was expecting throngs of spectators since the race was in NYC but I've actually entertained more people in my apartment than the size of the crowd of spectators. Hardly anyone even noticed us marathoners, especially after the majority of the half-marathoners finally walked off the course. I think I saw more hotdog vendors along the route than spectators. While the first half of the race is spent trying to maneuver around the half marathoners, the second half is spent preventing yourself from going crazy and dodging the regular park users (runners, stroller moms, dog walkers, etc.) that have no idea that a race is in progress. If I were smart, I would have just walked off the course and got myself a hotdog and pretzel along with an ice cold beer and just lay on the grass in Central Park. With the lack of support from fans and equally the organizers, along with the constant hills and repetitive nature of the course, watching a Ben Affleck movie marathon would have been even more exciting.
K. R. from New York, NY (3/28/2007) "Great half, but the full is lacking" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I actually ran the half this year but after 2 loops (and a little more) of the park, I could not have run the park 3 more times. The expo was great - lots of great handouts, lots of energy, and plenty of space without being too big. Great focus on women's health too! There were no power gels at the water stations, but plenty of water and Gatorade. The start is difficult getting out, as there are so many runners and walkers (about 4,700 this year). I was slowed a full minute for the first and second mile before I could pull away from the crowd. There is great spectator support on the bottom third of the park, but the rest has few, if any. However, the fellow runners are great and if you need support, the walkers and regular morning exercisers will cheer you along! Overall I really enjoyed the half experience and would do it again in a heartbeat, but I would only sign up for the full if I were desperate to run a marathon next March.
H. S. from Maumelle, AR (3/28/2007) "Wish I'd read Marathonguide comments first" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I should have been prepared for the disappointment of this race when race organizers never bothered to respond to an email question I sent twice (in January & February - same question). I am not sure I'd really call this a race - it was more of a half marathon event. I am all for getting more people into the half marathon and marathon distances, but for folks who are so militant about their time cut off (just a few questions about that - since I saw no police expense for course security, the course wasn't closed during the race to other runners, walkers, dogs, horses, etc in the park, and the water/aid stations were mostly self serve, just why DO you have the same time limit for the full as the half?) there were no clear instructions for where to line up if you were a slower marathoner trying to make the 6 1/2 hour cut off. My walking partner & I lined up behind the 11:00 minute mile pace group (according to the signs) and in front of the walkers (again according to the signs) and ended up smack in the middle of the women walking the half marathon. We never even saw the pace group that was supposed to be for the 6:25:00 marathon time (which would have been a little over a 14 minute mile pace & there was no sign for anyone slower than an 11 minute mile - everyone else was just lumped into the walking category). When we crossed the start line (13 minutes after the race officially started), the mat didn't even chirp to let us know it had picked up the chip for the start time - I suspect it had already been unplugged. It was a real mess for everyone when we made the first loop and had to switch sides for those who were trying to continue on (move to the left, ladies - after miles of being screamed at to keep to the right) AND for those trying to finish the half marathon (move to the right, ladies - after miles of being told to pass on the left). The passing lane was too small to allow anyone to keep moving at any kind of pace through the finish line area and once the half marathoners started finishing en masse (the second time time through the finish line area), they were standing around in the passing lane talking and blocking the area for those marathoners continuing on to the third loop. That wasn't their fault - most of them were very excited about finishing their first half marathon - I suspect that, once again, there were no clear directions on what to do once they received their medal. I was very grateful for my husband (who ended up walking the last 10 miles with me) as he kept runners, walkers and groups of tourists from knocking me down on the last 3 loops - again, they had no clue there was any kind of race going on and thought I was just someone who wouldn't get out of the way. On the plus side, every volunteer who spoke to me on the race course was friendly and encouraging. And, even though I didn't make their time cut off, I was allowed to finish the race and did receive a medal. If you are looking for a well organized marathon, whether you are a runner or a walker, this is not the race for you.
B. R. from Cary, NC (3/28/2007) "A big disappointment" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 More Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I wish I took the time to find this site before I did the marathon because all the comments are right on target. It should be a half marathon only; I spent too much time trying to get around the walkers that I kept lapping; the oncoming recreational runners/bikers were very distracting; and there was minimal support (if any) at the finish. The concept of running in an all women's marathon was exciting but More Magazine drops the ball on "Marathon." There were only 144 marathoners and like 5,000 half-marathoners. What does that tell you?

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