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☰
Missoula Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Missoula Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.7 
Spectators 4.2
Number of comments: 167 [displaying comments 111 to 121]
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L. W. from Boston, MA
(7/13/2010)
"Excellent Race, Good Weather, and a Fun Place" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Race was well organized, and the course was fairly flat with a decent hill around miles 13 -14. Quiet course; runners were spaced out well; separate starts for 1/2 and full. Expo area was a little too crowded, and they could improve on the flow of runners getting the shirt/race bags for next year. Mile markers on the course were hard to find (shoes), and the mileage was off. Next year add big signs next to the shoes/legs so the runners can easily spot the mile markers. The mile markers made it difficult to pace your race since they were hard to spot and the distance was off. Fun finish across the bridge with balloons, crowd support, and post-race treats (plenty of water, food, popsicles) at the finish line. Post-race there was no water in Caras Park - maybe add water for next year. I enjoyed my visit to MT; the downtown area of Missoula is great and we also made a trip to visit Glacier National. Overall, excellent race, good organization for the 4th running, and the race volunteers were super nice. | |
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j. v. from The Great State of Texas
(7/13/2010)
"How was this rated number 1?" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was a solid race. I have not run Grizzly, but this is surely a decent race if you need Montana, and it's easier to get to than Grizzly. The race had some nice features that I truly like in a marathon. There was an outside (but under a tent) expo/packet pickup. That was nice! There were a ton of porta-potties on the course... but still there were lines until you got to double digit miles, and then there was always an open porta-potty. There were a lot of rest stops. But best thing were the people who came out to give you ice - great unofficial rest stops! It is a warm weather race. There were a ton of sprinklers set up, though very few people (maybe they got bored by the time that I showed up and had gone inside). I do like to talk to the spectators, but I don't need them, so not having any spectators was just fine. There were also a good deal of signs... I am slow so I read all the signs. I don't drink beer, but there was also unlimited beer afterward. That is getting to be a rarity these days. We also got free pictures from after the race. Very nice items. Oh, did I forget to mention the mile markers? They were all legs with shoes... a cute theme. Okay, with all that I liked, why did I say that it was a just okay race? Well, it was sort of a boring route. The hill was wonderful! It was tough beyond tough, too! But basically we start through a bunch of hay farms... big yawn. We head to the hills and finally see the stream and get to run the killer hill; then we sort of slug it on back to the land of the homeless. It was tough to find somewhere to eat downtown... a 30-minute walk came up with few choices. The finish line was on the different level from the post-race party? I bring my recovery drink and checked bags are at the party level. You have to climb back up to the finish line to get water??? The split finish line activity left me confused... it was a point-to-point race, so why would you have to finish at the different level from the party??? The shirt was fine; the medal was fine. Today you expect better than "fine." There are a ton of great medals out there, and lots of good shirts. "Fine" is just okay today. So... lots of rest stops, but they had water and fluid replacement only. Very little fruit anywhere. Lots of great folks put out sprinklers; it felt like you were running R'n'R San Diego. Lots of porta-potties. Some nice watermelon at the finish line. But generally not much else to talk about. I just hope that the race helps the downtown come back to life... it sure can use some good news and cash! | |
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I. S. from New York
(7/13/2010)
"Outstanding" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This race was very well run by some of the nicest people you could imagine. Everyone did everything possible to make it a positive experience. The views are spectacular on top of everything else. | |
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C. J. from Eagle Mountain UT
(7/12/2010)
"Beautiful Start - Great Area for a Race" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This run got a lot of hype after the "Best Overall Marathon" award. Granted, it was a very good race. (I ran the half, not the full.) The first part of the course was beautiful. The light was great, and it was on the edge of the hills, with a river and meadows - very scenic. Much of what followed was not nearly as scenic. That being said, it was flat and fast, and support during the race was very good. However, having to start catching busses to the start line at 4 a.m. is a bit early! Neither the post-race food nor the pre-race expo was much to get excited about, but Missoula and Montana are beautiful. You can't really go wrong with this setting. | |
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a. p. from georgia
(7/12/2010)
"Beautiful scenery!" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved the town and the setting; there was great fluid stop support (fruit at more of the stations would be nice) and great organization; and the free picture was a plus! I will be back! The bottle of wine was difficult to take back on a plane though. | |
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D. A. from Louisville, KY
(7/12/2010)
"A great race with a few minor issues." (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I had entered the marathon, but after breaking a toe 9 days before the race, I had to go down to the half marathon. I was more than a bit bummed after flying here all the way from Kentucky. Yet when I got there the race staff were more than accommodating, changing my entry on the day before the race. (I had called earlier in the week and they told me just wait and see how the toe is feeling. I asked if that wouldn't make more work for them at a busy time, and they said not to worry about it.) The pre- and post-race amenities were excellent, and one staffer even went to get ice for my toe when I was down in the massage area far away from the medical tent after the race. Missoula itself is a beautiful setting for a marathon. My small issues are with the half-marathon course (which followed the last 11 miles of the marathon). It spends a lot of the time on the Missoula city streets. I think the best part of the marathon course is the part in the country. My main problem with the city streets are the roundabouts that are in the center of many of these streets, which require runners to either run over them or not run in a straight line. With Runner's World's high recommendation both the marathon and the half were much larger than they had been in the past! With the exception of getting down the stairs to the massages, the size increase was not a problem. So overall, a great experience. I would like to come back and do the full marathon next time. | |
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T. P. from Lee's Summit, MO
(7/11/2010)
"Best Overall Marathon???" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I signed up for this marathon based on the Runner's World survey announcing this as the best overall marathon. I think it was rigged. I did enjoy the marathon, but I've run several that are much better than this. Packet pickup was easy, but the expo was extremely small and crowded. Finding the appropriate bus line to get the the start was chaotic with NO DIRECTION on where to go for the full or the half. The cannon start was memorable and right on time. The course: beautiful for about 2 miles, and that was once you arrived at the top of the one hill on the course and overlooked the river and valley. Otherwise, it wasn't that great. The spectators: the few there were enthusiastic. The temps were good - 54 at the start probably in the mid 70's when I finished. The sun is pretty intense though, and even at 9:30 in the morning I was looking for shade. Many homes had out sprinklers for those of us who wanted and that was much appreciated. Post-race food - barely anything. I got part of a banana (not a whole), small piece of watermelon, some pasta and popsicles. The line for the free finish picture was so long that after 45 minutes I stepped out of line because I wasn't even halfway there. It was a good day, but it just didn't live up to my expecations of the best overall marathon. | |
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W. B. from Texas
(7/31/2009)
"T'was a good summer day to run a marathon" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race started at sun up for the runners, as the temp was in the mid 50s (F). The sky ranged from partly cloudy to cloudy. The rain hit just after I finished. The course was gradual in its increases in incline, and the pine trees and river below made for a scenic and pleasant run. The folks supporting us, out on the course and at the stations, were very helpful and of great enthusiasm. I ran, and walked, the 26.2-mile marathon to completion, and may have to come back again, years from now. The separate starts, at two physically separate locations, for the half and full marathons, was a great big plus. | |
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Anita Harper from Columbus, Ohio
(7/27/2009)
"AWESOME" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 OMG! Even though this race is still in its infancy (this is only the 3rd annual), it was just great! The race organizers should be very proud of themselves for putting on such a well planned event! As a walker I really appreciate crowd support, and while there were not always spectators, there was a bicyclist who would ride up and down the route providing support, especially in some of the more "remote" areas. As everyone else has said, the scenery was just awesome, and we could not have requested better weather. (Not that you have any control over the weather anyway.) I also really appreciated the fact that the race was so "green." From the cloth goody bag, down to the race shirts that were made from bamboo and recycled polyester, you could not have done any better. I am very impressed! The one piece of advice I have, as someone mentioned earlier, is to add a few more port-a-potties at the earlier water stations. Other than that, I just loved this race! Thanks for a wonderful time! | |
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E. C. from Austin, TX
(7/23/2009)
"AWESOME!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 There is nothing negative about this marathon. Everything is first-class. Don't forget to get your FREE, and yes, I said FREE finisher photograph, before you leave! |
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