Wineglass Marathon - Race Reviews

Ran Corning twice. Very well organized and coordinated. Start area and logistics for a point-to-point race were great. Pace groups are nice for those looking for that type of thing. Enjoyed the course but if you're looking for excitement and non-stop crowds - probably not the one for you.

First Wineglass Marathon and traveled 9+ hours driving to participate. In short, I was very underwhelmed and wouldn't recommend it unless you live in the area. The Pro's: Well organized in terms of busses to the start, porta-potties and the finish line experience. The Con's: I was with a group that missed a turn in the race because there wasn't a volunteer or course official at that corner and added on .75mi to my race distance - I consider this unacceptable. Secondly, I found the course to be very boring. In my mind I was thinking 'Finger Lakes' in reality was farm & highway views. Lastly, the race was very expensive and I personally didn't feel like the value was worth the entry fee - just my opinion. The course is fast if that is what you are looking for...but above all else the race director should be supremely concerned about runners making the correct turns.

Such a well organized marathon. Very scenic area with great restaurants. Everything went so smoothly. Great finishing area with lots of food and free massages. I lost my medal at the massage table and they mailed me another one no problem! Terrific organizers. Would definitely recommend this friendly race.

Wineglass Marathon is a very well organized race. The heated buses to the start are great. Loved the tents near the start, with plenty of chairs to sit and stay warm. The coarse itself is a nice downhill with a couple slight inclines. The 3:50 pacer Paul Lee was amazing!! He kept quite an even pace throughout the race. When I cramped at mile 25, he motivated me to keep moving and helped me PR and BQ! Thanks Paul!!

Please put a sign up the road, closer to the turn onto the finish road. This way half marathon runners can move to the left side of the road and out of the way of marathon runners trying to race to the finish line.

Just a few things to add to all of the positive comments below: Finding parking in downtown Corning on race morning is quite easy - no need to stress. Great organization of start lines, including places to stay warm and plenty of bathrooms. Excellent course marking, water stops, medical stations - no stress here either. Small expo but cool swag (small bottle of champagne, a wine glass, technical LS quarter zip shirt, and coupons to local stores). Unique glass medal at the finish. Finish line is in a great spot too. What a fun race!

This was my 48th state and my 68th marathon so I've run a few. This was among the most organized and well-run events I have ever run. There was never a moment when I had to second guess if I was in the right place or going the right direction. There were signs leading to the packet pick up. There were tons of volunteers helping us get to and on the buses. And yes, it can get a bit quiet along the course (which I don't mind), but it was well marked with volunteers at critical intersections. 2018 was cold and drizzly. There was hot soup and so many volunteers ready to help runners who may have had problems with the cold. The organizers thought of everything. I am nowhere near BQ anymore, but I still posted the best time I have had in years. Nice medal and love the quarter zip shirt. Highly recommend this one.

This race is everything a marathon should be. Great organization, terrific local support and a great course. The organizers have really put together a great event and they do all the little things right. Things I like about this race: plentiful free parking right near the bus loading area, lots of volunteers directing traffic, excellent expo, point-to-point race with half-marathon at separate starting point, really good food after the race (pizza, hot soup, bagels, etc), cool medal, downhill course through small towns and a really nice long-sleeve shirt. My hot tip for the race - when you get off the bus at the start, go right to the maintenance shed and grab a chair next the large heater. The tent right next to the start gets crowded, but there is plenty of room in the large building just a few hundred yards away. Corning is a really nice little town, so give yourself time to tour the glass museum. There are also lots of good bars and restaurants if you stick around town.

Ran this race to BQ after hearing it was a fast run. Despite the cold temperatures (mid-40's) along with freezing rain, was able to do so! I highly commend the race volunteers and organizers, it was extremely well organized and everyone was very helpful and friendly. The course is fast and easy, with maybe one hill of note. Race day temps can be cold (at least for me) which can be a challenge. The scenery is just OK - with some very pretty parts and others more isolated and along the highway. Expo is awesome, and the race day gear is great - a wineglass, glass medal, and a cool zip-up. Definitely recommend this race.

This is a race that I had long heard great things about. Was looking forward to it and ran it with a bad back. The race kit pick up is at the Corning Glass Museum. Pick up goes until 7 pm. The museum looks good but I got to the place late due to a late morning massage at the last minute. You get a bottle of Champagne at the pick up and a good selection of vendors. The course is down hill with maybe a half a dozen noticeable inclines. Great food at the finish including chocolate milk, pizza and chill as well as bagels, cookies and bananas and apples. A good race for beginners and well worth driving to the NE for.

I ran Wineglass in 2000, and thought I'd stop back for the 2017, one of my favorites. As expected, some things have been updated and changed. Busses take runners to the start line. Once there, you have the option of three heated areas to stay warm. There's also a lot of ports potties, short lines for most of the time. The field was much bigger than the last time I ran Wineglass. For the first 5 miles of the marathon, runners are corralled between highway cone on one side, and culvert on the other side. Way to many runners for this way to thin road. I saw many runners trip over the cones, and get tripped up by the culverts. There's only two options: 1) Open up the entire road (for at least the first 5 miles) for runners. 2) Reduce the field size. Waterstops were plentiful and well staffed. There were a few unmanned crossroads towards the end of the race. The drivers were nice enough to wait for us to cross the roads. The Finish line festivities were well done. There was a great selection of hot and cold foods, and a few different drinks. So my only big concern is the first 5 miles of the race it's much too big for the space allotted. Actually, it's a little dangerous

This was my first Wineglass. Start time weather was perfect - temps were mid 50s and overcast. Local high school student sang the National Anthem with no music - awesome! Race director managed the start, standing on a ladder. The course is point to point, so runners are taken by bus from Corning (finish line) to Bath. One major plus is that the Half starts at mile 13 of the Full an hour or so earlier so there is almost no overlap. The course, though, did not live up to its billing - while pretty flat, it was not very nice. A lot of miles are logged on state roads with orange pylons separating runners from cars. If you like / need crowd support, this is not the race for you unless you can get by on 3 or 4 pockets. Water station volunteers were plentiful and very nice. I stayed in Elmira, about 20 minutes away. Parking before the race was easy so don't feel the need to stay in Corning if rooms are hard to find.

I have run 84 marathons and this is one of my favorites. Great race organization. It was easy to catch the bus to the starting line for this point to point course. Beautiful scenery and the water stops were well organized. I liked how the half marathoners start at the half way point so never interfere with the marathoners. A great downtown area and I enjoyed the Rockwell and Corning Museums as well as the Market Street Brewing Company. Overall, a great experience and a race I would run again.

This was my 40th different marathon. Overall, the organization of this race was top notch. The only glitch I can think of is there was no National Anthem or even music playing at the start. Not sure if they were experiencing an audio glitch, but it was eerily silent. The scenery, ok enough, improved over the 2nd half. Although net downhill, there were a few hills and inclines. Nothing bad though. It got more lively as we entered the outskirts of Corning and onto a bike path, which helped. Beautiful glass medal! Loved the experience as a whole.

I ran this race with a friend who was running her 1st marathon. The marathon is well organized but needs a larger expo area. The size of the marathon is pretty large compared to the availability of hotel rooms so a number of runners stayed 20+ miles away. The shuttles ran very efficiently. If there is rain, there is very limited place to stay dry before the race. I did not find the course to be as scenic as previous reviewers. The post-race food spread was pretty extensive and there was plenty of nearby parking. The glass medal is unique and the area businesses is very supportive of the race. And the area is a great weekend getaway with all of the nearby wineries.

2014 Was the first year I did this race, and had such a great overall experience that I just had to return. The course itself is fast with one or two small hills and beautiful country side scenery. The town of Corning is just a wonderful experience of dining, pubs, shops and very friendly people. The race organization is exceptional and the last 500 yards down Market street to the finish line is one of the best finishes I have experienced. It's not just one aspect of the race weekend that brought me back but the total experience and I look forward to doing it again in a few years, Good Lord willing. What a beautiful time of year to be in Corning NY.

As others have mentioned, it would really help to have more warm space to wait for the race to start, or at least a place to sit. Also, they ran the buses right between the two facing sets of porto-potties, which made it difficult to line up to use one of the sets. There must be a better way to organize this, or a better place to start the race. The course itself was very good, with a well-supported finish on the main street, but when we came back downtown after cleaning up and it was like a ghost town - we could not find anywhere that the runners were hanging out to celebrate their accomplishment!

In 2014, the marathon and half marathon grew to 5500 total participants. Given lodging and logistical limitations, that's probably a little too big. It's a great race. Very scenic race in HQ'd in a wonderful little NY town. The fan support was great for a small race. While it was chilly at the start, don't be fooled by whiners who say it was disorganized. Wear some layers to toss, just like you have to do at NYC Marathon. We are marathoners, for cryin' out loud. It DID start a little late so mark them down for that. Great schwag and excellent post-race atmosphere!

I ran the marathon this past Sunday. It was my first small marathon in a number of years which was refreshing. Bib pickup required your to pass through a crowded Corning Museum gift shop which could be an area of improvement. I stayed in Hornell and drove to Bath in the morning to avoid having to be bused from Corning. This worked out well for me and the bus back post race created no problems. As for the marathon, here are my pros: It was a great day for racing. The temperatures were on the cool side and it was not overly sunny which was nice given that you are running along exposed roads most of the time. There are plenty of pace groups to choose from. I went with the 3:25 pacer which worked perfectly. He wasnt the most talkative of pacers, but he got the job done. The course is great for running fast. The downhills are gentle and the few uphill segments are as well. While you are running on roads most of the time, the scenery is nice. Post-race refreshments were nice. I enjoyed the pizza and cookies. I heard there was chocolate milk, but never saw it. Cons My big one is that the race timing was off by nearly a minute. I started my watch on the start mat and ended it right after crossing the finish mat. My watch time ended up being about 55 seconds greater than what the net time is on the Wineglass marathon web site. I have heard the same from others so this isn't just coming from me. This is a really big mistake given that someone who thinks they earned a BQ might not really have. I'll be curious to see if the RD of Wineglass has anything to say. The pre-race area was poorly setup. My local 5ks have water tables setup before the race. Here, there was nothing. The waiting area also left a lot to be desired. Lining us up and than holding us in place for about ten minutes past the start time is also a negative.

I've run 10 marathons, this was my first Wineglass. I'll list the Pros and cons. Pros: Good course, very scenic, a few rolling hills, nothing crazy. Great volunteers and aid stations. Nice in town finish, great food, excellent volunteers at the finish. Flawless bag drop and pick up. The pre race pasta dinner was very good. Great food and a great speaker. Corning is a very nice town and all the local businesses are very supportive of the race. Cons: The biggest problem was at the start. The half marathoners had a warm gym to wait in. The full marathoners had a large garage/shed with little or no heat, a dirty puddled floor with snow plows. It was about 35 degrees, waiting outside was not a great idea. The garage was cold and had a few hard folding chairs. Most of us had to stand in a very cramped cold area. No room at all to stretch or prepare. Very inadequate amount of porto pots. They called us out to the start to line up and then announced there would be a 10-15 minute delay. The entire start was a huge disorganized mess. After 33 years you would think this wouldn't happen. As I mentioned previously it was a nice flat scenic course. The problem was most of the course was not closed to traffic. It was basically running on the shoulder of the roads that were 'coned' off. Way too narrow and at times unsafe. No information booth at the expo. I asked a couple of real simple questions and no one could answer any questions. I'm a very experienced runner and have run in many big events, but I've never seen anything like the mess that was at the start of this race. The race has a lot of potential but I won't be back.

Book your accomodations early. Hilton Garden Inn Elmira/Corning was fabulous. Great jacuzzi tubs and indoor pool. Incredibly well organized expo held at Corning Museum of Glass which you definitely need to tour. The swag was outstanding.Fitted lime green long sleeve technical shirt with single logo. very tasteful. swag bag equally chic. Wineglass and mini champagne split provided for your hydration needs. Race support:buses, toilets, warming hut, gatorade/ water, Gu and chomps all plentiful at appropriate intervals. I was shocked at the number of spectators given the size of the little towns you traverse. I think 3 but I lost count. Scenery was really very beautiful with leaves changing color. I specifically signed up for this because of percentage BQs and it did not disappoint. I got better than a 5 minute cushion out of this. The course is mainly flat. I enjoyed the few downhills, felt like coasting and my quads were still there next morning. The weather was pretty well perfect for this sort of thing but very brisk. I wore long running tights, long sleeve shirt, jacket, ski cap and gloves and didnt need to remove any clothing during the race however many of the runners from the North were in t-shirts and shorts. No wind. No rain. No problem. The finish at Corning was absolutely fabulous with spectators lining both sides of the street for most of a mile. My 15 minutes...I absolutely recommend this race to anyone in need of a BQ and some glassware.

This is a fast course - I BQ'ed and PR'ed with 3:33:31! Everyone was so nice and helpful - at the expo, on the course, at the finish and everyone working at the hotels, restaurants and shops. I forgot how beautiful upstate NY is - the mountains with the trees changing colors were beautiful along the course. I didn't have a problem with lines getting on the bus to the start; just get there early. It was cold at the start, but they had a garage open with chairs and heaters to make it better. One thing I didn't like was that the race didn't start on time. That's a pet peeve of mine (especially b/c I was cutting it close getting to the airport after the race as it was). I loved that they actually gave us a wineglass and a small bottle of champagne. Nice touch. Overall, a fantastic event and one that I will be back to run again.

A wonderful experience for my 6th marathon. And PERFECT weather. The course is one of the best I've run. My perception while moving along was that it is a generally flat route, with small rolling hills. It's net downhill, with most of the downhill early on. The remaining hills are a very small grade percentage, and not a big deal. It's like a child's version of Boston. I hung with Pacer Steve for about 20 miles. The pace group I was with had a goal time of 3:25. Pacer Steve finished in 3:23:38, which likely would have gotten me into Boston, had I been able to stick with him. Steve really knows his stuff, and was extremely helpful from even before the start. I'm very glad this service is available. Thank you Wineglass, and thank you Steve. One minor downside to pace group running is that a large, tight group can create a small challenge for road real estate. This is especially noticeable where the course is narrow. Overall, things seemed to run very smoothly, although there appeared to be some minor confusion about the start time. Plenty of porta-potties at the line. If there is one thing that could be improved, it is the number of water stops. Much of the race seems fairly rural, which means not many spectators. However, the folks I did see were very energetic and encouraging. I would highly recommend this Marathon to other runners.

The course is nice easy run! Unfortunately it was 32 degrees at the start and had to wait too long for the start in the cold. I went out too fast and hit a cramp wall at 20 mile mark-it was aweful pain and disappointed myself :( so I didn't get a pr, but still came under 5hr which for me is good. It was well organized. A big suggestion is to load more than one bus at a time te elliminate the horribly long lines and maybe the race would have started on time. Which would equal less time standing in the cold 32 degrees :/ cannot control weather but can control loading busses :) Overall good event.

The organization and volunteers for the Wineglass are second to none. Even though I thanked the volunteers along the course as much as I could, if any are reading here - THANK YOU!! The busses ran from Corning to the start from 5:30-7. I arrived at the busses at 6:15 and was glad I did. Get there early. Plenty of port-o-potties at the start too. The course was a net downhill which did take a toll on my quads. I wish I had worked with a trainer to prepare my legs for this. Now I know what 'the downhills shredded my quads' really means. Wegmans did the post race food and it was awesome. Once again, thank you to the volunteer who chased me down to give me a bag for the food after I walked right by her in my post 26.2 blur. The drop bags were organized by UPS truck and bib numbers. I walked up to the UPS truck that had the numbers that corresponded with my bib. Before I even got the the truck, there was a volunteer handing me my bag. I felt like I was at Nordstrom!! Advice on accommodations - book EARLY. We chose to pay for and go to the pre-race dinner at the Radisson and am so glad we did. Sarah Reinertsen was truly inspirational and had grown me in tears with her personal story.

I ran the 2014 Wineglass Half Marathon and PRed by 10 minutes! The course says it is downhill, but it felt flat not really downhill. The expo is small, but well organized. The half marathon male and females got different colored shirts (blue and pink) and the full marathon runners all got lime green shirts. We also received a wine glass and champagne. Runners must ride buses to the starting points, but thankfully there were indoor facilities to wait in for both races. The course was narrow at points, but very scenic and well marked. There were plenty of water stops and fuel stops. The race ends in downtown Corning and the whole town is out to watch the excitement. The course had a lot of crowd support for how rural the area was. The medals are very unique and are made of glass, and the post race food was great. There was chicken noodle soup, pizza, bagels, fruit, cookies, milk, pop and water.

I love small races! Wineglass was no exception. It was my second marathon and I enjoyed every second of it. The course was more or less flat with a few hills here and there. The volunteers at all the water stations were amazing. The expo was small and the swag was pretty cool. The buses to the start line were very well organized. The start itself was flawless. Tons of portable toilets. Crowd support was sparse - but the spectators were enthusiastic wherever they gathered. I loved the medal - it was made of glass instead of metal that most marathons give out. The volunteers after the race were excellent. I still remember when I finished my race and was walking in the area past the finish line in a complete daze - a volunteer repeatedly asked me if I was doing okay and wouldn't leave me until she was sure I was fine. The post race food was fantastic - the best I've ever seen. I'd strongly recommend this race to anyone that's looking for a flat course for a BQ attempt or just a fun race outside of a big city.

Beautiful course, bur prepare your quads for the downhills. The expo was a bit disappointing, probably because the race gear had limited sizes and the venue was extremely hot. I felt race organization was great, easy to get to start via shuttles, crowd support was energetic - thank you race volunteers and the angel at the entrance of the park around mile 22 who handed out ice cold cloths (you were a God send given the heat and humidity). The medal was fabulous, it's all about bling and I love my love sleeve neon orange tech shirt ! Finish line was fun and the food was great and plenty of it, even for the back of the pack runners. If you're looking for a smaller marathon, this one is highly recommended, good job race director, organizers, volunteers and Corning!

This was a very friendly, well-run race. The volunteers (especially at water stops) were awesome. Although some stretch of the course was alongside a highway, its a pretty highway (try looking in the opposite direction). My only suggestion for improvement is to get the results broken down by age/gender (I like to see how I did even though I'll never win, place or show). There is enough to see and do around town that it would be worth making a long weekend and touring around. If you like good crowd/volunteer support without the hassles of a big race, I highly recommend this race.

This was my 5th marathon and I strategically chose it based on reviews and the information provided on their website. We drove from SC for this race. PROS: Smaller, yet older race. Well organized. It was HOT, and the race director took action (additional fluid stations). Great small town. Corning is quaint. We stayed in Bath (starting line), quaint town as well. Mostly downhill course. CONS Pretty boring course. Many, many miles on the frontage roads beside the highways. The Expo was a little confusing. And wineglass pickup was elsewhere. HOT!! We started the race in the mid 60's and ended in 81 degrees. However, this is Mother Nature and should not reflect on the potential of BQ's and PR's. Great BQ course... just not for 2013.

I had an absolute blast up in Corning for the 2013 Wineglass Full Marathon. The scenery was beautiful and if it had been just a little cooler, I'd say it would have been an almost perfect race. My only complaints would be with the latter half of the race, which wasn't as scenic, but that last dash down Main Street definitely made it all worth while. The course was also not as 'flat' as some would have you believe, so throw some hill training into your routine. The goodies were great as well and the medal is unique and a great conversation piece. Overall, I'll be back again. Maybe not next year, but definitely down the line!

First of all, how many races let you defer to the next year if you get injured? Not many. I highly recommend this race!!! The expo is small,which is fine by me. The shuttles to the start were fast. There were plenty of porta potties at the start,plus a covered building to wait in before the start of the race. The volunteers were always helpful. The 2nd half of the marathon was hot & at 1 water stop the volunteers put ice in the water. Thank you! It's a net downhill race, so prepare your quads! Miles 23-25 are run in a park, which is a nice change from running on the state roads for most of the time. It's a small race, but they kept the finish line open for a few us who finished over the course time limit & cheered us on. I will do the half next year only because my body doesn't hold up to the full marathon distance.

The race was well organized, good water stations, and I liked the availability of GU and GU Chomps. There should be some sort of food - oranges or bananas at the later miles. The crowd support was surprisingly good for the small towns. The course is brutal, bad camber, rough road in some places. The second half is not very scenic as it runs along a highway. (The first half does, too, but it was a little better)

Nicely organized race. Temps were warmer in mid 60s which impacted time but otherwise nice weekend. The post race setting was great with too many food and drink choices to choose from or list all (soup, pizza, soda, cookies,Gatorade,etc)- but by far the most options for any runner Leaves are turning this time of year which makes for nice views while running.

I entered this race because of the great reviews from previous years.... and honestly, there are some problems. One is a lack of information... Folks at the dropoff didn't know where the gear truck was located, tried to get into the after party but couldn't find the entrance. Supposedly, wineglasses were given out... but I have no idea where. If this race is going to be a draw outside the local area - have better information available! Also - 2013 was a really hot race (80 degrees). Think about starting at 7 or 7:30 AM... Big stretches of the route are all sun....

This was my first Wineglass marathon and I had heard all good things leading up to it, so expectations were high. They did not disappoint! The water stations were well-staffed with helpful volunteers and lots of water/Gatorade. The spectators were thin in the rural parts of the course, but where they appeared they were enthusiastic! Best finish line food I've ever seen (although I wasn't up for enjoying it at the time) and the medal is gorgeous. Thank you, Wineglass and Corning! Great event!

This is a well organized race on a very flat course with just a few short hills. Ligistics are wonderful in getting to the start/finish and expo. You can get dropped off about a half mile from the start by having someone drive you, or take the provided buses. Crowd support is limited in some sections, but when present, were very supportive. Corning itself is a nice little town and worth the trip.