Oct 16, 2024
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☰
Steamtown Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Steamtown Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.9 
Spectators 4.7
Number of comments: 612 [displaying comments 31 to 41]
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P. I. from PA
(10/10/2022)
"The best of the 20 marathons I've run" (about: 2022)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The quality of the Steamtown Marathon exceeded my high expectations based on my running friends input. From the humorous emails from the assistant race director leading up to the event to even assuring concerned runners that a competitor that fall suddenly during the race was okay. In addition, the small expo was very well organized, including a seminar on how to most effectively run the course. The course itself was awesome, especially with the beautiful Lackawanna River trail section. The volunteers manning the water stations were very nice. Later on the course, these stations also had some food and locals occasionally offered some bottles of water., or soda. Finally, the finish area had a large food tent and right nearby massage therapist were available for sore runners. The only stressful aspect of the event was getting to the bus pickup area by 6:45am. I luckily stayed ten minutes away with a friend from Wilkes University. I would recommend to out of town runners to stay as close as possible to downtown Scranton so race morning your not scrambling to get to the buses that take you to the start 45 minutes away. | |
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L. K. from New Jersey
(12/3/2019)
"If your gonna run a marathon, Steamtown is it." (about: 2019)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 1st marathon and I don't think a different marathon can top this. I WILL do this race again next year. This is a point to point, you don't pass by runners ahead of you doing a loop. Scenary is constantly changing. You board a bus near the finish (plenty of them) that's takes you to the start. Once you get there you are greeted by a cheering squad giving a bottle of water and escorted to a warm gym/cafeteria. Plenty of port a potties near the start. Elevation at start of race is 1600 ft. Yes mostly downhill (don't go out too fast, your quads will thank you later). Don't be fooled in the mostly downhill in the 1st 8 miles somewhere between 2-3 you have a couple of small uphills. Plenty of port a potties on the course and plenty of water and Gatorade stations as well as spectator stations that provide bananas, oranges, swedish fish, Advil, and your occasional beer. This race has a real hometown feel. The town's really embrace this race. Cheering and support everywhere. The course also runs along the Lackawanna River on a rails to trails (mostly paved). Lots of foilage, just a beautiful course. Towards the end mile 24 and 25 are 2 big hills. Don't worry the cheering neighborhood will get you up them. The end of the race is 2/10 mile downhill to the finishing chute. You get a cool medal, blanket and a food tent with so much food I can't even explain. The only regret I have was I ran the 2nd half 23 min faster than my 1st half. (I took the downhill to cautious). Maybe a tad faster those 1st 8 miles. Soup to nuts this is the best marathon out there. Not even gonna enter the NYC marathon lottery. Gonna sign up for Steamtown again. Great 1st time marathon. Only about 1,000 finishers. You don't ever feel crowded out there also I had the finish line all to myself for 30 seconds. It was my own secluded moment. Steamtown 25 is coming in 2020. Just do it!!!! | |
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Kerry Patrick from MD
(10/23/2019)
"Unbelievable spectator support throughout the race" (about: 2019)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Steamtown Marathon had the best spectator support throughout the race! Every little town along the course had spectators out cheering for the runners. The trails gave runners an opportunity to view the beautiful fall foliage. The crowds, support and beautiful setting make this marathon one of the best! | |
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M. H. from NJ
(10/20/2019)
"Great first marathon!" (about: 2019)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I did a lot of research before choosing Steamtown for my first marathon. Admittedly, I was initially drawn in by the negative net elevation. However, it was ultimately the rave reviews of the race organizers and the spectators that sealed the deal. And I am happy to report that the reviews were spot on! Let me start by saying that I do not have one negative thing to say about this race. Though the hills at the end are challenging, I was pleasantly surprised to find they were not nearly as challenging as I expected them to be. Also, by the time you get to them you are almost done! Pace yourself in the first half of the race and you will be fine. As for what I consider to be the best parts of this race, here they are in no particular order: 1. That you get to hang out in the warm high school gym before the race starts. 2. The number of runners is totally manageable. I did not want to run with 50,000 other people for my first marathon. This year, Steamtown had 1,000 finishers. That was the perfect amount for me. I was always with other runners during the race, but I never felt crowded. It was also the perfect amount for my family, who found it easy to navigate the correspondingly manageable number of spectators, even with 3 children under 6 and a stroller. 3. The spectators were fantastic and consistent throughout the race course. In addition, they had 2 official viewing points before the finish, at miles 8 and 18, with detailed directions on how to get to them and ample parking. This made for easy spectating by friends and relatives, and knowing exactly where I would find my family on the course gave me something to look forward to every few miles. 4. The miles were clearly marked and the aid stations were plentiful. Clearly marked miles was a life-saver for me since I had no phone service for the first hour of the race (still not sure if it was my phone or the geographical area) so I was unable to accurately track my run on the Runkeeper app as I had planned to do. There were official aid stations every 2 miles, with Gatorade, water and gels, and unofficial aid stations (stocked with water, candy, and even beer) aplenty along the way. Even though I wore a hydration belt I never even used the water I brought because there was more than enough to keep me hydrated along the way. 5. As many have noted, the race director's e-mails leading up to the race were humorous and informative. I felt like I knew everything I needed to know and more going into the race. 6. There are plenty of affordable hotels in the area. I had originally signed up for Marine Corps. The DC hotels were significantly harder to book and double the price of the comparable hotels in Scranton. 7. The Office. At the race expo they handed out pamphlets for self-guided Office tours, which was awesome. I could not have asked for a better first marathon experience than the one Steamtown provided. My only complaint is that this one went so perfectly I'm afraid to do another for fear of it not living up to the first! | |
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Anthony D. from New York
(10/19/2019)
"I loved everything about this marathon." (about: 2019)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I am so glad I did this marathon. Well supported, perfectly organized and a great course. | |
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M. M. from SLC, UT
(10/19/2019)
"Cant get much better than this!" (about: 2019)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've run 14 marathons (Boston x2, New Orleans x3, Grandmas x 2, Philly, Memphis, Mountains to Beach, Ogden, St. George, CIM) and this was in the top 2-3 for sure. Course is fast, people are nice, overall experience was fun and much less stressful than other marathons. I ran 3:48 at Boston 2019 (very bad day for me) and 3:20 at Streamtown (with much less consistent training). Weather helped but I really felt like Steamtown was great. We flew 2,000 miles to get there (from Utah) and missed flights and had no luggage so had to go buy running clothes Sat PM but I still had a blast! I hope to do it again one day! | |
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Kimberly Darling from Tampa Bay, Florida
(10/19/2019)
"incredible!!! Best race ever!!!" (about: 2019)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Steamtown was my first first marathon and it was one of the best experiences of my life! The course was unbelievable. It stimulates your mind the entire time and I found that I didn't need my music. The crowd participation was also unbelievable. It seemed like there were people around every corner cheering the runners on. I can't say enough about this race. Everything was just so awesome. I will be running this one again for sure. Words just don't measure up to the entire experience!!! | |
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N. K. from NJ
(10/18/2019)
"Volunteers and Spectators were the best" (about: 2019)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The spectators kept me motivated throughout the entire run. Their encouraging words helped me reach the top of the hill when my legs felt like they were turning into jelly. The race was extremely organized. We had not one problem. The food after the race was amazing. Those cookies. Yum. Thank you everyone for a day I will never forget. | |
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C. R. from Milwaukee, WI
(10/16/2019)
"Amazing race from registration to finish!" (about: 2019)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a fantastic marathon. The pre-race emails are hilarious. The community volunteers were heartwarming. There were just the right number of runners and cheerleaders throughout. And the course was beautiful with the fall leaves changing everywhere I looked. Thank you for such a fun and inspiring race. | |
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J. K. from New York, NY
(10/15/2019)
"Thank you Steamtown Marathon!" (about: 2019)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Thank you to everyone involved with the Steamtown Marathon for giving me an amazing first marathon experience. The organization was top notch - from the emails, the race packet, the expo, aid stations, and the finishing food. I have nothing but good things to say about this race, and it's a fast course. I can't believe how much I got for my registration fee - race, shirt, medal, finishing food, after-party. This was so much more than a race; it was about the kindness and generosity of a town. I'm reminded of the quote from Kathrine Switzer - "If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon." |
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