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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 31 to 41]

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A. B. from California (7/26/2007) "A great scenic run - complete with pirates!!" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran this race instead of Seattle in order to get a smaller race feel. It provided. There were not many runners so I was able to meet some great people on the course. Everyone was really friendly and helpful. There were plenty of porto-potties at the start and enough throughout the race. The volunteers were really nice and seemed to have a good time. The miles are marked well and there were so many police directing traffic that I never felt unsafe. I would run this race again. It was peaceful and scenic. It is really hilly, though, so be warned. I ended up just slowing down and enjoying the race. I loved the pirates at the end too!
R. K. from Aurora, Colorado (7/18/2007) "Challenging course, matey" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The pirate theme was fun right from when they fired a cannon to start the race. Lots of hills, both up and down. Wouldn't think of this as a place to set a PR, but it was my best by 7:40 and even had a negative split as an added bonus. Volunteers were very supportive, and police did an awesome job with traffic control. I felt very safe on the course. Jamba Juice at the finish was really a nice bonus. Good value for the money and a very nice, small marathon. Spectator support is very sparse. Race started right on time. The only thing I might suggest would be a slightly earlier start to beat the heat. Congrats to the race director, volunteers and the police department!
Jim Daigneau from Calgary, AB, CANADA (7/14/2007) "Well organized and fun... not a PR event though" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Wanted to run an early July marathon in the Seattle area and Seafair fit the bill! A very well organized event start to finish, nice finisher's medals, hilly but scenic course (ensure you are well trained for this race :-)). Really enjoyed this race weekend and highly recommend it! If you want a a faster, flatter early July race... suggest running the HSBC Calgary Marathon... if you want fun, scenic and enjoyable challenge... run Seafair! I've run both Seafair and Calgary Marathons... recommend them both, although for different reasons. Thank you, Seafair organizers, for a great race experience (and a few hills...:-)).
Hazel Chase from Redmond, WA (7/13/2007) "I love hills!" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This is my favorite marathon course. It went fast and was never boring!!! Lots of hills and lots of turns. The hills are not long and gradual; they are short and steep!
D. M. from Phoenix, AZ (7/11/2007) "Pirates, Hills, and Heat" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 There has already been plenty of warning about the hills, so enough said. The same with the small water cups. I tried to be thoughtful, but one cup per station just didn't cut it in the heat. On the positive side, it is a beautiful area of the country, and we were blessed with some cloud cover for about the first hour. While it got warm (mid 70's), we were fortunate that the real heat wave didn't hit until a day or two later (low 90's!). I got a kick out of the "standing room only" area of the porta-potties at the start just for the guys, which helped keep the lines down. The finish line moved well, and there weren't any backup with the chip removal. I liked getting my finisher's medal from a "hunky" pirate (the guys could choose a "princess")!! Pictures with them at the finish would have been the icing on the cake! As for areas for improvement (or things to be aware of), the race hotel is about a mile from the start/finish area. It actually was a nice walk (both warm up and cool down) for me, but be prepared. I found the start to be a bit confusing. Apparently the marathon/half started at one place and the 5K at another. I wandered around awhile trying to figure out where the marathon start was, as there were no signs. The information booth is in the middle of the park, though, so I got directions from them. However, several people stopped me (as I stopped others) to see if I knew where the start was. A sign or two would have been helpful. Also, it would have been wonderful if they had offered some ice at the water stations in the last few miles. It is a summer race, and I learned from other races in warm weather that putting some ice in my cap or on my neck really helps in the heat. Having had that in the last two summer races I ran, the ice was very much missed this time. Along that line, I had heard so much about the Popsicles as the finish that I was very disappointed that I didn't see any this year. Why did they stop, or did I just miss them? Be prepared for the incline at the finish. It's not extreme, but I'd call it "disheartening" when you see this incline ahead at 25-1/2 miles! Finally, was there an award ceremony? I had to check out of my hotel, so I went back, cleaned up, checked out, and was back at the finish area around noon. Some of the vendors were already breaking down their tents, and I didn't see any evidence of giving awards (but the website said there would be awards 3 deep in each age group). The results showed I got first in my age group, so I guess they'll mail me something. I still can't find any info on the website about this, and some clue as to how things would work would have been appropriate, in my opinion. Overall, it was a good race for a summer one, and a way for me to check off Washington state in my 50 states quest.
B. G. from Washington State (7/11/2007) "Good Organization, Variety, and Pirates!" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The theme of the Seafair pirates with volunteers dressed like pirates at the finish and some of the aid stations added something fun and unique. The race gear also sported pirates... I hope they expand on this fun theme. This course has variety in hills, scenery, interesting curvy roads, passing numerous neighborhood parks, and some suburbia as well. The traffic control was amazing. Race organization covered all the basics well - like packet pickup, start time, finish area management, posting of results... and a great post-race band. The aid stations were well stocked even though they did seem to be spaced a little off the mile mark in some cases (I think just due to physical constraints). These were some of the most enthusiastic aid volunteers I have ever seen and I was a 4-5 hour finisher... they still had plenty of cheer for me. Thank you. I enjoyed this race, but approached it totally differently from other marathons in that I slowed down and enjoyed myself. The pace calculator on the Seafair Marathon website was awesome... I used it as a guide, and it was very very close to perfect. With all the terrain changes, it was nice to have a place to start. Might be on of the best summer marathons around. Run responsibly and have fun.
S. K. from White Plains, NY (7/8/2007) "Beautiful Rolling Hills" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Not being from this area of the country, I found this to be a well-organized marathon through scenic back roads. The terrain was certainly not for the faint of heart. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the hills. I didn't mind the inclines as much as the declines, which are also plentiful and, at times, steep. The marathon is small. Many more people are participating in the relay and the half, but the support is there for all to benefit.
S. B. from Redmond, WA (7/8/2007) "Nice challenging July marathon" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 SEAFAIR Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I was whiney after my race experience last year but this year I knew what to expect and had a more positive experience. This quote from Bill Rodgers on the race web page summarizes the attitude to run this one with: 'The best marathons are the ones with hills. That makes it a road race. Otherwise, it's a track race. London and Chicago are so flat that they're essentially track races. This is not a PR course. It is challenging but sometimes dealing with a challenge is good for you. It is well organized. The food at the finish was great. I appreciated the watermelons and sliced oranges. The medal and finisher T-shirt was top quality. The volunteers are friendly and nice. I only wish there would be 1 more water stop in the first 5 miles. It's the most challenging part of the course. This is a good July marathon. The weather was great, especially considering that the rest of the US was negotiating a heat wave. Don't expect any support/"fans" apart from the volunteers and cops. So I'd recommend doing this marathon but don't go in for it under-trained (the hills will not treat you well).
R. H. from So. Ca. (9/12/2006) "Wow" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 The course was beautiful, but challenging. I loved the popsicles at the end. The volunteers were great. I was disappointed with the accuracy of the results. Neither my wife's nor my own results have ever been posted, and my daughter's results did not show age, sex or division. I have tried repeatedly to get this straightened out, but no response from race organizers.
B. G. from Washington (7/21/2006) "Great if you like hillier courses" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 SEAFAIR Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 If you like up and down courses, then this is a pretty good one. If you like 'flatish' - this is not for you. Marking of course was good. Intersection control for traffic had to be a huge job and the local police and other volunteers did a stellar job. Organization was average. While the volunteers were hugely appreciated, the water stops were too close or too far. The course map often did not reflect the actual location of the water stops. This was a big deal and my biggest criticism because it was pretty warm and muggy. Start was right on time and the finish seemed to be handled very smoothly. The technical shirt was very high quality. There were clumps of enthusiastic spectators, but if they are a high priority for you, this isn't the race for that.

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