Ocean Drive Marathon

This was my second Marathon that I completed and much different from my first. My first was the Philadelphia Marathon which everything seemed much bigger. This is the first year the Marathon was held in April, which judging by previous posts, the weather was much better. It was a sunny day with a little breeze, not the head winds that previous years had. The Course is an out and back type course that is very flat. The only hills come from the three bridges you must cross but they are relatively easy. There are not too many turns with a lot of straight paths which makes this an easy Marathon to PR or qualify for Marathon. The volunteers at the water stations were very supportive and poured their hearts into cheering every runner.....all 170 of us....The water stations were spaced out fairly. Arriving in the morning was tough because not many people knew where the start line was and their were no signs directing anyone. The course had very little spectators but those who were out were very supportive. I was surprised by the low turnout due to the beautiful day but I assume there is not much advertising for this race. The Expo was not an expo but a bib pick up where you get your shirt and if you wanted, you could buy a previous year shirt. Overall, I enjoyed this Marathon. The beautiful weather with the scenic course of the water and beach homes made the experience enjoyable.

In 2018, we had perfect weather. There was a breeze but it was not a factor at all as has been reported in previous years. As ever, weather is luck of the draw. The course is flat, well-marked, and well-served by enthusiastic volunteers. It is also scenic at some points, and there are lots of pretty homes to eyeball on the out and back course. The race is small. Not a big field of runners (a lot were doing the ten miler vice the full marathon), and the expo, as noted, is really just a bib pickup. You also don't get a lot of spectators ... it's a bit early for the summer beach crowds, and the area hosts a lot of other events. I was surprised how many people asked me what I was doing and how long a marathon is as I ambled past them on the boardwalk! Still, it was a very nice, well-supported, quiet race. And since it is not my first rodeo, I was okay with having a smaller expo and such. A note for healthy eaters: Good Earth and Green Street Cafe are superb places to eat! Good Earth down by Cape May is a hole in the wall macrobiotic place run by an Italian couple who came here in 2012. It has delectable homemade meals that are perfect for fueling and recovery. Cafe Green Street is in a health food store.

First, the good...the course goes through a really lovely part of Cape May county which is very pleasant and entirely flat except three bridges, each of which are less of a hill than a speed bump with an attitude. There are a lot of aid stations and they're well stocked and the volunteers are great... When I didn't want water or Gatorade I actually felt guilty because they were so consistently enthusiastic and supportive. I really can't say enough how great they were and it seemed as if there were as many or more volunteers than runners. The big disappointment is the organization. Why are you required to pick up your bib the day before, in a place not that near the race, at an expo that doesn't exist? There is no running related activity there except bib pickup, an operation no different than the bib pickup before the start at every 5k.... Even worse is the start, which makes the pre-race at every 5k I've ever run look like a logistical work of art by comparison. Why would you advertise a bag check but not wait to close it until after the start? By the time I got there it either had closed or never opened... None of the race officials at the start could tell me which, only that it was supposed to be on the other side of the building next to the start. Finally, the race webpage could really use more information, like where to park and where the start is relative to that and how it will work (as if that should be planned and documented). It really seemed to I assume that anyone who wasn't local was staying at the hotel they recommended and taking the hotel shuttle to the race. Oh, and as others have mentioned, appreciate the nice quiet pretty towns and open natural spaces because the only cheering you'll hear will be from the volunteers at the aid stations. Spectators are very few.