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May 17, 2024

SEAFAIR Marathon Runner Comments

Back to SEAFAIR Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.2

Organization 3.4

Spectators 3.0

Number of comments: 65 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 > ]

D. J. from Washington (6/30/2008) "Poorly organized... hope it improves for next year" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 The marathon committee recommended arriving early for the shuttle buses. I waited in line for 30 minutes to get on a bus. The event scheduled 5 school buses to shuttle 5,000 participants on a 15-minute ride in 2 hours. End result: delayed start. The event was not appropriately staffed with volunteers at the water points.... I had to wait about a minute at the 2nd water point to get water. Bless the spectators who set out their garden sprinklers to give the runners some relief along the course! The course was very scenic, and I hope that it is better organized for next year's run.
Juliane Ross from Eugene, OR (6/30/2008) "Terrible course, but the shirt was cool." (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 The organizers made 400 runners miss the start because they didn't provide enough shuttles. The course was very hilly and we spent a great deal of time running next to idling cars (Read: inhaling car exhaust). Running on the 520 bridge was ok but not something to make me run this race again. This is the first time I've been able to get an extra small-size shirt, so that was nice. The neighbors along the route shared their sprinklers, which was great since it was so hot out. Oh, and my finisher's medal broke within 5 minutes. Try the Seattle Marathon instead!
Debbie Salzman from US (6/30/2008) "A hot and hilly, 2008 marathon" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 SEAFAIR Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This year's course was constantly hilly, especially at the end. Not fun. The people with their garden hoses were my heroes, along with all of the great volunteers. A huge thanks goes to those who stopped to help me at mile 22. I got a severe calf cramp - thanks to Robert Reffkin, who walked the rest of the way with me. You rock. Next year, we need a real sports drink along with water. The Sucro did not cut it.
G. P. from Canada (6/30/2008) "HILLY" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The race organization is good, and the people are friendly. There were smatterings of spectators, but mainly just friends and family. It was blistering hot. Not much the organizers can do about that except make sure there's lots of water available, which for the most part they did. Now the route: The course starts by crossing a floating bridge. That was scenic and a cool way to start. Bellevue and the surrounding communities are very clean and scenic. That's the last nice thing I can say about the course. There are way too many hills. They start right after the bridge and don't stop until mile 25. If you look at the elevation chart, it's obvious there's a big hill at mile 16, but the rest of the course doesn't look bad. That's just a trick of scale. The mile 16 climb is so high (about 350 feet over 3 miles) that the other hills look small in comparison. They're not. I've run the other Seattle Marathon, and it's also hilly. With hundreds of miles of waterfront trails that never deviate from sea-level, surely the people of Seattle can figure out a less challenging route.
D. K. from Kent, WA (6/29/2008) "Holy smokes was that hard!!!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Prepare for this race by running hills, and wearing plastic sacks around your body!!! The hills were a killer! Crossing the floating bridge was fun, but the fun ends around mile six. That's where the hills begin, with a very steep one at mile 7; more moderate ones through about mile 10; then from 13-15 a long slow climb; then a short steep one around 18; then a long one at about 21-23; then around 24 (just when you're thinking it's all downhill from here), you turn a corner and, guess what... that's right, another steep one!!!!!! ARGH!!!! Finally, there is a crest near mile 25 and the sign on the bank tells you it's 90 degrees, and you say to yourself, "maybe this explains why I have been out here so long." Well the final mile is a gentle sloping downhill, but by this time, you're so tired and so wanting it to be over that there is no rejoicing. My advice for this race: Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!!!!
A. D. from Seattle (6/29/2008) "Hardest course I've ever run, and poor organizatio" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 The course was unbelievably hard. The elevation maps on the website gave no indication that the entire race was hard uphill. Steep hills for most of the race. And the highest grade is at mile 12+. The organization was terrible. We waited 45 minutes to get on the shuttle to the start. The race started 15 minutes late due to the shuttle problem. The weather was unseasonably hot and the aid stations were ill-prepared and too far apart. There were some spectators, and considering it's a small race, that was appreciated. The course needs some serious work if they are going to get any repeat runners.
S. S. from Seattle, WA (6/29/2008) "Hot and hilly, but super fun!" (about: 2008) 2 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Running across the 520 floating bridge was beautiful and scenic at the start of the race. Well-organized and good aid station support, and fans in the residential neighborhoods were spraying runners with hoses and offering otter pops. :) The course was really tough - a giant hill for most of mile 7, and then pretty hilly the rest of the way as well. If they keep this course the same for next year, you'd better be doing some hill training!
T. K. from Pacific Northwest (6/29/2008) "Were monkeys running this marathon?" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 SEAFAIR Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I have run this race three times as a half marathoner, and this was my first time as a full marathoner and I could not believe how disorganized it was. First of all, it was delayed by 15 minutes. Not a big deal, except that it was quickly getting hotter out by the minute. We live in the PNW. We wear shorts when it gets to 50, and start complaining about the heat wave at 62. (You think I'm kidding...) The loudspeaker guy was telling us all to line up on the course. The police office behind us was telling us all to get OFF the course because the road was still open. Never mind that literally if a car drove through the area we were on, they would have to drive over the start line. So we'd get off. Then the loudspeaker would say, "Start lining up! Get onto the course!" and the police loudspeaker lady would say, "Get off the street and onto the sidewalk!" Finally the race started and we were on our way. The first water stop was so disorganized that you had to stand and wait for water. I timed a two-minute wait. Later on, at mile 12, there were no cups at the water stop! They offered to poor water in our mouths. Um, I don't think so. Considering that by then it was mid-80s, that was NOT cool. Not only that, but they were within 2 blocks from a grocery store. Up until the point where we lost the half marathoners, every water stop was a scramble with no one who actually was holding water to hand out. You had to grab an empty cup and try to get the water into it yourself. What a difference from Grandma's Marathon a week earlier, where I practically had volunteers wanting to hold the cup for me while I drank! I almost missed a turn because volunteers were talking, and it was spectators who told me which way to go. At another point I was directed INTO traffic. Another point I was held up so traffic could cross... only for a few seconds, but hey. The worst, though, was that they ran the children's race on the same course at the end of the course, and funneled children and their parents INTO THE FINISHERS' CHUTE! First of all, I just ran a marathon for which I payed a pretty penny. I deserve to be able to finish without having to dodge children (there were at least five in there when I was finishing) and mothers in capris and flip-flops. The accomplishment of a marathon or half marathon is special, and it was wrong of someone with half a brain to decide, "Wouldn't it be neat if we had the KIDS there too?!" As I finished I ran up to the people with medals and was told, "Oh, your medals are back THERE; these are for the kids." Maybe that's not very PC of me, but I am sick and tired of every adult event being taken over by over-indulged children. (Nothing against kids. Love 'em to death and am a HUGE supporter of the children's races.) Second of all, it was dangerous, especially at the time it was held. It was JUST as the 5-hour mark was coming up. I'm a runner trying to come in within 5 hours, I am tired, I am stumbling, I am dehydrated... the last thing I am thinking is, "Oh, I need to watch out for the four-year-old in front of me in case she stops... which she is doing and turning back and running towards me. Why is she doing that? She can't do that!" I nearly collided with a child, and saw other runners do the same. I had been focused on the word FINISH and the sound of the person trying to pass me in the chute behind me. Not on the children. Third of all, this meant that very tired runners who really needed water, and fast, were fighting for water with kids. (Well not literally FIGHTING... that wouldn't be very PC either.) A volunteer was trying to hand me a cup of water and a parent was saying, "Take it, Johnny! Take that one!" and the volunteer is lifting it higher so he can't reach it, but I can, and the parent reaches for it. He just ran 100 meters. I just ran 42 KM... do ya MIND if I get a drink first? Put the kids' race on expo day, somewhere else in the park, etc. Don't NOT do the kids' race, but DO NOT DO IT WHERE THE ADULT MARATHONERS ARE RUNNING! Weather was unseasonably hot, but what are you going to do? It wasn't horrible when we ran along the lake, but once we got into town... oy vey! Two other friends and I (not running together) had GPS units and measured the course almost a full mile short. Good stuff: Love the new course. It is REALLY challenging and anyone who says it is fast is on crack. Don't be fooled. This course will challenge you. First there are hills, then more hills, then even more hills. Then, there are hills. Now I don't actually MIND hills and hey, with the short course I still made it under my "please don't let me be any longer than 5 hours" cutoff. (Although inside, the short course really harshes my mellow.) But it is not a great course for a PR! That's for sure! There were more volunteers on the course than I've seen in years past, and they were great. Supporters are still pretty sparse, but I think it's because they really need to learn how to make this a community event, not '"omething that those runner types do... and you know, they are kind of strange." Some marathons they need to look at for help with that: SLC, Grandma's, Eugene, Portland. There did seem to be more spectators than I remember in the past, but many of them waited for their runners and cheered only for them. We need some coffee shop or something to organize "cheer zones" like they have in NYC (I think Tulley's Coffee gave away free coffee and doo-dads for supporters) so people get "This is a sporting event and those people out there LOVE it when you cheer for them, no matter if they are 2:10 marathoners or 6:10 marathoners." Loved running across 520, and what a gorgeous day for it! Pirates were awesome! Love the cannon at the start. I will do this race again on the condition that they move the children's race to another spot. (Like they're just sitting around wondering what that chick in the skirt who came in at just under 5 hours wants before they plan next year.) Even with the problems, I'd run it again because it is a REALLY good challenge. Plus I had my own cheer squad (my husband) from mile 18 to the finish, and that rocked.
J. O. from Seattle, WA (12/19/2007) "Keep this course - perfect time and course" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have heard a number of comments about the inability to run fast on this course - not true at all. I ran both Seafair and Portland this year and had a much better experience (and time!) at Seafair. The organizers should keep this route the same and quit trying to move it. It is well produced and scenic.
M. S. from Seattle. (11/28/2007) "I'll never run this one again." (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The 2006 edition was my first and ONLY time in this run. Advertised as a "flatter course," I can only assume the previous course simply ran over the tops of the local Cascades peaks. Water stops were spaced at odd and inappropriate intervals, the scenery was mostly boring concrete and tarmac, and the weather was hot and humid. It was entirely unpleasant - even the energy drink supplied (Sucro) was gut churning and, worst of all, seemed to provide no actual energy boost! The course was steep from the start; there was even what I called "God dammit corner" where you climb and climb from the start line, then get to a short, flat section before a right turn at around 3 miles. As you approach you can hear people swearing, and as you round the corner you see the steep hill in front of you and you curse just like everyone else! This course needs to be flatter and better-looking, and the organizers need to make sure aid stations are spaced evenly and supply something that WORKS, like Gatorade.

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