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May 13, 2024

Tallahassee Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Tallahassee Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.5

Organization 4.8

Spectators 3.6

Number of comments: 120 [displaying comments 111 to 120]

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E. A. from Tallahassee, Fl (2/4/2007) "Wonderful first run!" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Tallahassee Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a great, flat course! Tons of volunteers and friendly people. It's a bit chilly in the morning but then it's beautiful. I would do it again in a heartbeat. I'm a student at FSU and loved the course. I'll be back again next year. A great race to get a BQ.
Clark Evans from Tallahassee, FL (2/4/2007) "Great little race" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Tallahassee Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The organizers of the Tallahassee Marathon are working to improve its stature and draw more runners on an annual basis, and I'd say that they are well on their way. The course, starting and ending on FSU's campus and following one of the local bike trails for most of the rest of the way, is fairly scenic and well-marked. The scenery changes enough along the trail to keep it from becoming dull, while the finish circling around FSU's football and baseball stadiums is a nice touch. The organization of the race, as is common for all of the local track club races in Tallahassee, was top notch. The volunteers were great and start/finish line organization was nice. I only have a couple of minor complaints -- one related to the sports drink (I'm not a fan of CytoMax) and another to results (it'd be nice to see an updated list of finishers and times near the finish line) -- but neither are all that significant. I did notice that there weren't as many volunteers on the course for finishers near the race time cut-off, but I don't know enough to say. It's a well-run, relatively small race that should scale upward well. The fans, while relatively small in number (compared to big city races), were very enthusiastic, much more so than bigger races in bigger cities than I've run. I'm not a runner who needs the trappings of a large marathon, so the fans suited me just fine. If you're looking for a low key marathon for a PR or just for a nice course in a nice town, this is a good race for you. If you're looking for a big race with bands every so often and fans packed along much of the race course, you'll probably be better served elsewhere.
S. N. from Florida Keys (1/10/2007) "Great race but undiscovered" (about: 2005) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Tallahassee Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was aiming for the marathon that was cancelled and switched to Tallahassee because it fit my training schedule. What a nice surprise. The volunteers may have outnumbered the number of full marathon runners. They could not have been more supportive or excited to see you. The course over the St. Marks trail was very pleasant. Well organized and a really fun experience.
M. M. from Arlington, VA (4/18/2006) "Awesome" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Tallahassee Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Maybe I'm a little biased because I went to school in TLH (FSU), even though I had never run this race before. I signed up for this race after I failed to get a BQ at the Disney Marathon. So TLH was my shot to get a BQ and this course didn't disappoint. You could not have asked for a better course (flat as a course can get), staff/volunteers, and facilities. This is a small race and I'm not sure why this race has gotten bigger over the 30+ years it has been run. Course - you could not have asked for a flatter course. Volunteers - more than enough at the aid stations and great police support - awesome job. Facilities/Amenities - plenty of bathrooms before the race and along course, pre-race/post-race food, plenty of "free" massage tables, trophies for those who placed - no shortage of anything! Weather - best time of year to run in TLH (race day was in the mid 50s, overcast, with light wind). If you need crowd support to run a marathon, then this race is not for you. However, the bright spot about this course is that the road that parallels the St. Marks trail is almost devoid of traffic that early in the morning, which allows for family/friends to drive along the road and stop/pull into aid stations to cheer you on. And yes, I got a BQ out of this race. By the way, the race director, when e-mailed questions, replied/answered within hours. Overall I'd give this race a "10"! And yes there was beer at mile 19!!
Robert Lawson from Columbus, OH (3/20/2006) "Fast, flat and well organized..." (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Tallahassee Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have never run a flatter marathon than this one. Perfect for setting a PR (which I did!). It was a bit lonely but that's what you expect from a small race that's mostly run on a bike path. The race was well organized. They had the right number of aid stations and good people directing traffic, stopping cars, etc. The fans were few but those that were there were energetic. My only complaint was that I almost got taken out by some moron on a bike as we filed out of the stadium at the start.
B. C. from Tuscaloosa, Alabama (2/21/2006) "Worth every penny I spent." (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Tallahassee Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I had to drive close to 300 miles for this marathon, and I'd do it again tomorrow. Well organized, absolutely beautiful course, flat as a pancake. As far as the spectators go, I don't need a lot of applause when I run a marathon, so quite often it's "the fewer, the better," but in this case the ones who were out there were very, very supportive. The RD allowed an early start, which I took advantage of. You can't win AG awards using it, but it certainly is helpful for us back-of-the-packers. Police traffic control at necessary corners, well-marked course, mostly on a no-vehicles-allowed paved bike route. Frequent aid stations with water, electrolyte drink (although I carried my own), Gu, oranges, cookies, etc. One of them, about mile 19, had beer. Yes, I drank one. I'll run this one again.
T. L. from Dothan , Alabama (2/20/2006) "good, flat course - good first-time marathon" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Tallahassee Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Mr. McDermott does a good job organizing the event. Thank you, sir! I would only have to comment that the last mile 25-26 (although on a single street in a parking area) should be shut off from traffic. I nearly was run over! This is the point when runners are in a daze and can stumble when so close to the finish!! I will return since it is close to home.
Tom Carsey from Tallahassee, FL (10/16/2005) "Great small marathon, especially for first-timers" (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Tallahassee Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, but it won't be my last. As advertised, the course is very flat. Most of the course follows a paved bike and jogging path, so there is limited traffic. It is an out-and-back course that starts and ends at the Florida State University track. With the bike-path course and the small size of the field, running this race is actually pretty peaceful and quiet. The volunteers are great and the race was very well organized. The course was clear marked, and traffic control where needed was great. There were enough water stops along the way, but it might be worth adding one or two more. You also might want to bring a bottle just in case. The small friendly nature of this race (and the flat course) made this ideal for me. If you need 26.2 miles of non-stop crowd support, this is not the race for you. But, if you like a course where family members can drive along and see you at several points along the way (my wife had the kids make funny signs), this race is perfect for you. I really enjoyed the race, though I made the classic first-timer mistake of starting too fast and then hitting 'The Wall.' (It was while walking and fighting cramps at mile 22, as I watched precious minutes tick by, that I decided I would have to do this again and do it right the next time!) The weather is generally wonderful in Tallahassee this time of year, the people are friendly, and the course really is ideal. So, if you want a nice jog down a quiet paved trail, or if you are looking for a flat uncrowded race to attempt a personal best where it is just you (and a few others) against the clock, the Tallahassee Marathon is a wonderful choice. Tallahassee is also a great town, with lots of things to do for adults and kids in and around the area.
F. J. from Fort Jackson, SC (12/29/2004) "A Flat, Fast Race in a Great City" (General Comments) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Tallahassee Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 As a career soldier, I've run in some of the best (and worst) places in the world and I rate Tallahassee, Florida as the finest running city on this wonderful planet. Tallahassee's renowned running club, 'The Gulf Wind's Track Club' (GWTC), sponsors only the most exceptional running events and the marathon is no exception. Contrary to the topography of the rest of the state, Tallahassee is an extremely hilly place and courses from previous years were brutal to say the least. With the wisdom of Gary Griffin, a local ultra great and last year's race director, a new route was created making the race extremely flat and fast. The course is an out and back with the first and last five miles being less than scenic, but at those points in a marathon, who really cares? However, 16 miles of the race are on the beautiful St. Mark's trail, which is a paved 'Rails-to-Trails.' The only hill of note is at mile 24 and it is barely worthy of the name. The only turn along St. Marks is through a park where one of the race's ten stocked aid stations is located. The race starts and ends at the Mike Long Track on the campus of Florida State University. The finish at Mike Long represents one of my most memorable marathon moments rivaled only by the passage through the sea of sirens at Wellesley on the Boston course. You reach the 26-mile point right when you enter the stadium and you run the last quarter mile on the soft track to the cheers of friends and family. Post-race activities at the Tallahassee Marathon are one of the best features of the race, with free massages, plenty of refreshments and live music played by local running legend Bill McGuire. Make sure you hang around for a while and visit with the many of the city's running personalities such as Bill Hillison, who at 60 won the Tallahassee 50K with a time of 3:50. This year's race will be directed by last year's marathon winner, Jack McDermott. Jack is well on his way to running a marathon in every state, so he knows what a good race looks like and I'm sure he'll improve on last year's superb event. The only thing I like almost as much as running in Tallahassee is eating in Tallahassee. After the race, treat yourself to one of the many eating establishments in the area. My personal favorites are MoMo's with 'Slices as a big as your head,' Gordo's Cuban, Po Boy's Cajun, or any restaurant in the historic district. However, if you really want a unique culinary experience, I recommend that you drive 15 miles parallel the race route to the town of St. Marks. You'll dead end at Posey's 'Home of the Topless Oyster.' My ideal end to a perfect race day is to sit on the back deck of Posey's, drinking a beer, eating oysters and watching the St. Mark's River empty into the Gulf of Mexico. Run Tallahassee once and you'll be back.
A Runner from Jacksonville, Florida (1/20/2002) "5 Stars for the course if you like the HILLS" (General Comments) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Not an easy race, this was my ninth marathon and it was one of the more challanging ones. I didn't know what to expect when I started this race. Hills, Hills and more hills. It never seemed to end. Some of the hills were so steep I just had to walk, preventing myself from an injury. If you are planning on running this race, make sure you take a time watch because there are no clocks anywhere on the course. Also a map of the course, you might get lost because some of the turns are not marked too well. I'm planning on running this race again next year.

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