Marathon Details - Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K

North America Marathons > USA > FL > Clermont > Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K

Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K

Clermont, FL USA

~~January 1, 2011~~ - CANCELLED

http://www.usantc.com/event_list.php?&eventid=459

More Info:	News
Results:	2009 \| 2008 Top 3 Finishers by Year

Contact

Name:	Tom Ziebart
Address:	National Training Center 1109 Citrus Tower Blvd. Clermont, Florida 34711
Phone Number:	352-241-7144, ext. 4209
Fax Number:	352-241-7162
Email:	Email the organizers



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Reviews

Course 3.8

Organization 4.1

Spectators 2.2

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Number of comments: 13 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]

S. W. from Udairi, Kuwait (4/14/2010) "Challenging course but rewarding" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Only real problem I had was the fact that they ran out of t-shirts. The track was a little squirrely but it was motivating to see the other runners so frequently. This course has the most hills I've run thus far; I came in planning on a 1:50ish and wasn't ready for the hills, but I still managed my fastest finish to date. Will run it again until I crack 1:40 or better.
B. B. from Boise, Id (1/2/2010) "Very challenging, "odd" course, but fun!" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The course is quite odd. It consisted of four out-and-backs, on an out-and-back, and you run it two times. So you cover the same roads/course four times. The challenging part comes when you realize you attack the same hill from every direction for a total of 18 climbs. It is one of the hilliest marathon's I have ever run (of 57). But the hills are quick enough to give your legs a downhill break before the next one comes. Even with the hills I still managed a PR. The amazing thing is that, for a course this odd, it worked well (even better) for a small marathon. Everyone can see everyone else, so your fans become the people running with you. I recommend you smile a lot and make friends at the start because you'll see these people again and again! My ratings may seem a little low, but some of the standard shortcomings (no fans, weird course) work for this small race. Results were posted quickly, volunteers were great, weather was nice, and the track finish in the "bowl" was awesome. If you want something different, this race will fit the bill.
A. Y. from S.D. (12/22/2009) "Good way to get a jump on the New Year" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I really enjoyed this event and would certainly run it again. The rolling nature of the course means you use different muscles, resulting in a quick recovery period. (While there are a lot of small ups and downs, there's nothing that trashes your quads like Boston or those popular "all-downhill" courses.) Not a lot of spectators, but the numerous out-and-back segments on the course means you get to see your fellow runners often. Support stations are adequate. There was one minor issue where the marathoners go out to run to West Orange the second time (the choice of two paths was confusing). Also, some of the folks at that aid station were not as clear as they might have been. I think some folks took the wrong route and had to backtrack. There is potential for wrong or missed turns; if the race gets any larger, it would be intelligent to charge more and get some timing mats at all of the outermost points to ensure that folks cover the entire course. They should also have more people directing runners. I'd also move the packet pickup to Clermont; the race starts and finishes there, which is great. Naturally, I stayed there, at a host hotel. The 20-mile round trip in Friday night traffic for the packet was not so great.
J. V. from Flowery Branch, GA (12/21/2009) "Great December Marathon" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a great marathon. It's a small race so far, with marathoners doing two loops along paved bike trails. The course is hilly for Florida, but just challenging enough to make it interesting. The downhill finish onto the track is stellar. The organization was first-rate. Highly recommended.
S. H. from Atlanta, GA (12/21/2009) "Great people; very confusing route!!" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 The people were very nice and the support stops were very well stocked. However, those are the only nice things I can say about this race. They changed the route from last year and the new route is very confusing. The marathon did two loops and each loop had you do two out-and-backs two times (once going out and once going back). Depending on whether you were going out on the loop or back in, you turned a different direction. People were going everywhere because there was no one directing us at two very troublesome spots. Runners from the area seemed to know where to go, but a lot of the out-of-town people got turned around. I talked to a lot of experienced marathoners who got lost. The medal was the same for the 5K, half, and full marathon. It was very small, and mine had white stuff spilled on it. This race is way too expensive for what you get. Unfortunately, I can't recommend this race and I won't do it again.
s. a. from Florida (12/20/2009) "bare-bones and confused course" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 From what I heard, this is the first year for this new two-lap course. The running surface was great... most on paved trail with just a small bit on coned-off road. But the course was unmarked and many people missed one of the out-and-backs (which would have cut the course by quite a bit). I ran past it and had no, idea since the course maps hadn't been posted and since the volunteers didn't say anything to me... and there were no signs. I know it is my responsibility to know the course, but if they don't post the map or even provide a course map in the packet, I can only count on signage or direction from people on the course. There were no timing mats except the start/finish. I know people cut the course. I hope they didn't get to use their times to BQ. I don't mind the minimal hoopla. The aid stations were fine and traffic control was fine. They did shut down the post-race food well before the last finishers came in and that bothers me.
M. B. from Citrus County, Florida (1/6/2009) "Very nice marathon" (about: 2008) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I had a great time! It was pretty, the weather was great and there were lots of water/Gatorade stations. The last few miles were hard due to the hills, but that just adds to the challenge! I loved the 8 a.m. start, since I had to drive 1.5 hours to get there and I don't like to get up too early.
M. S. from Central Florida (1/5/2009) "Hills, heat and sun" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This is not a good Boston Qualifying race, but it is a great race to prepare for Boston. Probably the most "Boston-like" course in Florida. The hills are not so bad in the middle of the course, but when you hit them with 5 miles to go and you have no shade, it get's rough out there. An "even effort" is a positive split of a few minutes. The finish is fun, downhill on a track, followed by very good post-race food. Excellent and enthusiastic aid stations (would prefer different-color cups for the water and Gatorade). Bring your own fans and they can see you 7+ times on this course. Organization on race day was good, and the race started right on time. I would prefer that the race director would be more intentional about communicating via email or the website in the weeks and days before the race.
Fred Johnson from Atlanta, Georgia (1/5/2009) "Hilly, challenging course with great support" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Race organization is top-notch - great support on the course. Florida has some hills!! Nice finish line on the NTC track. It has a downhill finish and great post-race food. Volunteers were GREAT!
Robert Soper from Geneva, FL (12/31/2008) "Hot; needs a later start time" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 A hot and sunny day for sure. I am not a fan of the late (8 a.m.) start time. Not sure what that was about. Great course and well aided and organized. I would run it again, especially if they move the start time to 6 or 7.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]

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S. W. from Udairi, Kuwait (4/14/2010) "Challenging course but rewarding" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Only real problem I had was the fact that they ran out of t-shirts. The track was a little squirrely but it was motivating to see the other runners so frequently. This course has the most hills I've run thus far; I came in planning on a 1:50ish and wasn't ready for the hills, but I still managed my fastest finish to date. Will run it again until I crack 1:40 or better.
B. B. from Boise, Id (1/2/2010) "Very challenging, "odd" course, but fun!" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The course is quite odd. It consisted of four out-and-backs, on an out-and-back, and you run it two times. So you cover the same roads/course four times. The challenging part comes when you realize you attack the same hill from every direction for a total of 18 climbs. It is one of the hilliest marathon's I have ever run (of 57). But the hills are quick enough to give your legs a downhill break before the next one comes. Even with the hills I still managed a PR. The amazing thing is that, for a course this odd, it worked well (even better) for a small marathon. Everyone can see everyone else, so your fans become the people running with you. I recommend you smile a lot and make friends at the start because you'll see these people again and again! My ratings may seem a little low, but some of the standard shortcomings (no fans, weird course) work for this small race. Results were posted quickly, volunteers were great, weather was nice, and the track finish in the "bowl" was awesome. If you want something different, this race will fit the bill.
A. Y. from S.D. (12/22/2009) "Good way to get a jump on the New Year" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I really enjoyed this event and would certainly run it again. The rolling nature of the course means you use different muscles, resulting in a quick recovery period. (While there are a lot of small ups and downs, there's nothing that trashes your quads like Boston or those popular "all-downhill" courses.) Not a lot of spectators, but the numerous out-and-back segments on the course means you get to see your fellow runners often. Support stations are adequate. There was one minor issue where the marathoners go out to run to West Orange the second time (the choice of two paths was confusing). Also, some of the folks at that aid station were not as clear as they might have been. I think some folks took the wrong route and had to backtrack. There is potential for wrong or missed turns; if the race gets any larger, it would be intelligent to charge more and get some timing mats at all of the outermost points to ensure that folks cover the entire course. They should also have more people directing runners. I'd also move the packet pickup to Clermont; the race starts and finishes there, which is great. Naturally, I stayed there, at a host hotel. The 20-mile round trip in Friday night traffic for the packet was not so great.
J. V. from Flowery Branch, GA (12/21/2009) "Great December Marathon" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a great marathon. It's a small race so far, with marathoners doing two loops along paved bike trails. The course is hilly for Florida, but just challenging enough to make it interesting. The downhill finish onto the track is stellar. The organization was first-rate. Highly recommended.
S. H. from Atlanta, GA (12/21/2009) "Great people; very confusing route!!" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 The people were very nice and the support stops were very well stocked. However, those are the only nice things I can say about this race. They changed the route from last year and the new route is very confusing. The marathon did two loops and each loop had you do two out-and-backs two times (once going out and once going back). Depending on whether you were going out on the loop or back in, you turned a different direction. People were going everywhere because there was no one directing us at two very troublesome spots. Runners from the area seemed to know where to go, but a lot of the out-of-town people got turned around. I talked to a lot of experienced marathoners who got lost. The medal was the same for the 5K, half, and full marathon. It was very small, and mine had white stuff spilled on it. This race is way too expensive for what you get. Unfortunately, I can't recommend this race and I won't do it again.
s. a. from Florida (12/20/2009) "bare-bones and confused course" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 From what I heard, this is the first year for this new two-lap course. The running surface was great... most on paved trail with just a small bit on coned-off road. But the course was unmarked and many people missed one of the out-and-backs (which would have cut the course by quite a bit). I ran past it and had no, idea since the course maps hadn't been posted and since the volunteers didn't say anything to me... and there were no signs. I know it is my responsibility to know the course, but if they don't post the map or even provide a course map in the packet, I can only count on signage or direction from people on the course. There were no timing mats except the start/finish. I know people cut the course. I hope they didn't get to use their times to BQ. I don't mind the minimal hoopla. The aid stations were fine and traffic control was fine. They did shut down the post-race food well before the last finishers came in and that bothers me.
M. B. from Citrus County, Florida (1/6/2009) "Very nice marathon" (about: 2008) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I had a great time! It was pretty, the weather was great and there were lots of water/Gatorade stations. The last few miles were hard due to the hills, but that just adds to the challenge! I loved the 8 a.m. start, since I had to drive 1.5 hours to get there and I don't like to get up too early.
M. S. from Central Florida (1/5/2009) "Hills, heat and sun" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This is not a good Boston Qualifying race, but it is a great race to prepare for Boston. Probably the most "Boston-like" course in Florida. The hills are not so bad in the middle of the course, but when you hit them with 5 miles to go and you have no shade, it get's rough out there. An "even effort" is a positive split of a few minutes. The finish is fun, downhill on a track, followed by very good post-race food. Excellent and enthusiastic aid stations (would prefer different-color cups for the water and Gatorade). Bring your own fans and they can see you 7+ times on this course. Organization on race day was good, and the race started right on time. I would prefer that the race director would be more intentional about communicating via email or the website in the weeks and days before the race.
Fred Johnson from Atlanta, Georgia (1/5/2009) "Hilly, challenging course with great support" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Race organization is top-notch - great support on the course. Florida has some hills!! Nice finish line on the NTC track. It has a downhill finish and great post-race food. Volunteers were GREAT!
Robert Soper from Geneva, FL (12/31/2008) "Hot; needs a later start time" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 A hot and sunny day for sure. I am not a fan of the late (8 a.m.) start time. Not sure what that was about. Great course and well aided and organized. I would run it again, especially if they move the start time to 6 or 7.

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Marathon Details - Florida Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K