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May 10, 2024

Fort Worth Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Fort Worth Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.0

Organization 3.7

Spectators 2.8

Number of comments: 45 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

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

Vicki Bagwell from Guadalajara, MEXICO (11/15/2011) "i would love to do this race again! The Best." (about: 2011) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Fort Worth Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 From the inside, as a runner, there is nothing to be improved.
B. S. from Mitchell, South Dakota (11/15/2011) "flat out and back course" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Fort Worth Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was a last minute race I signed up for. Overall the course was easy to run with no confusion unless you felt guilty running a little off the path and on the gravel. I was a little upset there was not more timing devices along the way and my only time was calculated when I crossed the start and finish line. I drove down from SD and I have been running in the 40's so the 80's really made my run difficult. I agree there still needs to be more water stops because some random lady handed me a bottle of water. The gatorade was also way to watered down and no gu or shot blocks given out anywhere. There were no race/spectator maps handed out making my husbands spectating limited when trying to find me with the road construction and not familiar with the area. On the Plus- This is very spectator friendly course esp if they don't mind biking. Friends could bike beside on the gravel path and watch as their runner passed them then bike down a couple more miles... I also like the small races and loved the fact that any random finisher could receive the prize money. My medal and bomb lanyard made up for the heat and my ok finishing time. Overall mark it off my 50 states list. If you live in the area I recommend it.
B. S. from Denton Tx (11/13/2011) "Awesome! Can't wait til next year." (about: 2011) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Fort Worth Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Not only did I have as much fun as one can possibly have running that length but 7 members of my gym did the half and loved it
David Zajic from Alabama (11/13/2011) "Problems Resolved - great race" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Fort Worth Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I don't know what the problems were in the past but they are resolved now. I just finished the marathon and it was a well organized low key event with great finish amenities. Food, massage, beer, live band & friendly folks. The course is run on bike paths and a short section of street (not much traffic), no killer hills or turns. Real nice course. I highly recommend this race.
E. C. from Fort Worth TX (9/23/2011) "Why would you not want to run this race???" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Fort Worth Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have ran this race 3 different times. I am currently registered to run it AGAIN in Nov. 13th, 2011. It's a flat and fast course and better yet, it's a Boston Qualifier. It's family oriented and lots of friendly faces. The weather was beautiful last year and I'm hoping it will be this year too. Better yet, they give out money to some lucky runners, not the winners.... Come join us and run the race with us.
D. J. from TX (4/10/2011) "Terrible! Avoid." (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Fort Worth Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 Serious flaws: No water for first 11 miles. Course poorly marked; many runners missed turns/got off course. Felt like the race directors' half-hearted excuses of essentially blaming Murphy's Law is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. Will not be back or run other races directed by this organization.
T. M. from Cincinnati, OH (12/27/2010) "PR'd by nearly 46 minutes!!!" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Overall, this course was flat and fast... although, according to my Garmin, there were over 1,000 feet of total ascent and descent. I have seen the comments about the lack of water available between miles 2 and 11 and I have some thoughts on the matter. It is true: there was nobody handing out water during those miles. However, I counted at least 3 fountains along the trail between miles 3 and 10-ish... and there were no lines at any of them. I stopped to hydrate at two of them. I skipped the first one because I was hopeful there would be a manned water stop. After that one, I figured, why leave anything to chance. I stopped at 2 fountains after that. I realize that nobody in the zone wants to come to a full stop but it really comes down to a simple choice. Would you rather break stride and get a drink at one of the fountains or would you rather risk not being properly hydrated and having that lack of proper hydration affect you in the later miles of the race? I read that there were problems with water stops on this course during past events. I imagine that other reviewers saw these past comments as well. Based on what I saw about 2009's race, it made sense to stop at the fountains. This was my 4th marathon on my quest for 50 states. I'm NOT an advanced runner. Until this marathon, my previous PR was 4:33:42 (Marine Corps Marathon - 2007). My finishing time for this marathon was 3:43:47. That time was good enough for 5th in my age group. It helps that I lost 30+ pounds during this time but the course offered a pleasant assist. It's hard to knock a scenic course that offers nice, long stretches of solitude that allow you to get lost in your own head a little bit. There were no overwhelming crowds to speak of but the people who were there were highly motivated. It was a welcome change from the 3 larger marathons I had run previously where in some cases I couldn't hear myself think. I almost forgot: nobody has mentioned the weather. For a week leading up to the race, the forecast was supposed to be very cold and wet. Mother Nature cooperated and provided race temps ranging between 41 (at the start) to around 50 at the finish. There was a steady wind the whole time but that's to be expected when running alongside a river valley. Overall, I had a pleasant experience and found the race director (Steve) to be a most cordial and helpful guy. I'm glad I made the trip from Cincinnati, OH.
M. H. from Fort Worth, TX (12/27/2010) "POORLY organized. Won't do this one again." (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Fort Worth Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 This was my first full marathon. The Course: I gave 4 stars. Semi-scenic route. Very flat and fast... a couple of tiny hills here and there, but overall a great course. Organization: if giving 0 stars were an option, I would have chosen that, but instead I had to give 1 star. At the beginning of the year i wasn't even thinking about running, let alone running a marathon. In April is when I started to run, and then a few days later I decided to train for a full marathon. I wanted to stay local, and maybe help out a smaller event that could maybe use my money and put it towards something good. I was really pumped and excited about running this marathon. i was a fan on Facebook, getting updates about the course on a daily basis, reading about what kinds of Gatorade were going to be served along the course. Then race day came. after running 1 mile, there was an aid/water station. I said out loud: "Water already?" A lady next to me confirmed what I had been reading online on the website and on Facebook. She said, "Water should be every 1.5-2 miles." So I grabbed a cup, drank a little and moved on. Water Station number 2 was at Mile Marker 2. At this point i drank a full cup and went on. There was nothing at mile 3... or 4... or 5... and I thought, surely there has to be water soon! I noticed everyone getting a little nervous... with good reason. There was not a water station between miles 2-11. At mile 11, there was a guy handing out water bottles out of the trunk of his car. Total blessing. At about mile 11.5 there was an actual water station with Gatorade! I drank 2 cups and got a second wind! (I kept that water bottle for the rest of the race and refilled it at every water station I found.) As for the mile markers... I'm just glad I have a Garmin GPS Watch. I would have no idea how far I had gone without it. As for the Spectators: I gave 3 stars. Like I said, this was my first marathon, so I don't really have anything to compare it with. There weren't too many people, but I think I liked it that way. I would not recommend this marathon to anyone.
W. B. from Austin, TX (11/26/2010) ""Small town" course in a big city" (about: 2010) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Fort Worth Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This marathon was my second marathon and overall I had a wonderful time. The small number of participants, flat and scenic course, and enthusiasm of the (albeit limited) spectators all contributed to a great race. I also appreciated access to post-race showers and free food. The biggest negatives of the race for me were the lack of water stops (none from mile 2-11) and the lack of consistent mile markers toward the end of the race. The water stops were put in place the second half of the race, but they needed to be there throughout. Though I appreciate that the race director acknowledged the lack of of water and promised that this would be corrected next year, it nonetheless could have produced a very dangerous situation. I am grateful that several spectators offered their own water when they realized how many thirsty runners there were. I would recommend this marathon and plan to do it again in the hopes that the race will learn from its mistakes and improve next year.
J. W. from Kansas City, Kansas, USA (11/23/2010) "Pathetic event" (about: 2010) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Fort Worth Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I have been running for over 25 years in all distances. This was my third full marathon. I have never run an event large or small that was this poorly done. There was no water from miles 2-11, no course monitors, few course markings, and no spectators. The medals were the same for all the races. Many marathons give the full finishers a finisher's shirt. Not this one. There was a big party with free food and beer at the finish, but what's the point? The only reason I had a decent run time was because I hydrated well beforehand and carried lots of gel with me. Those who had PRs did so because it's a flat course - not because of any help the event directors provided.

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

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