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☰
Clarence Demar Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Clarence Demar Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.6 
Organization 4.8 
Spectators 3.6
Number of comments: 142 [displaying comments 71 to 81]
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J. V. from Boston
(9/29/2009)
"Great, scenic, little race" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I had a great time on this course. The first half was beautiful - going along a creek and a lake - and the net downhill wasn't too bad either. We had rain the entire time, which wasn't that bad, and it was a little chilly, but good running weather. The organization was great, with nice shirts, medals, and an excellent food tent afterward - along with FREE massages. I'd highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a very small, New England, fall run. Also, I PR'd it, and beat my overall goal by a whopping 12 seconds. | |
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Dotty Maddock from Phoenix, AZ
(9/28/2009)
"Rainy Run through Fall Foliage" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was a decent, small, "no frills" race. There is no "expo," but registration is very reasonably priced and the technical shirt is nice. Packet pick-up is efficient and race day pick-up is convenient for out-of-towners (especially since the day before, pick-up is only available from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.). You haven't missed anything if you don't get a timing chip, as there is no chip timing. The buses to take us to the start were there early and there were no glitches in transportation or race start. Even though we were warned there was no "cover" at the race start, we were able to stay dry pre-race on the covered porches at the post office and country store. As noted before, the first half of the race is very scenic and mainly downhill. The light showers we experienced helped bring out the fall colors and kept us cool. The second half does include some neighborhood loops that felt like just "putting in the miles." Overall, I would describe the course as "rolling" with a couple of more challenging (but runnable) hills. The finisher's medal is a neat bronze with attractive graphics and colors (but somewhat small while still decent for a race of this size). I finished in a little over four hours, and there was plenty of post-race food (no beer), but when I came back later to check my finishing results at about five hours, the tables were pretty cleared out of post-race food. The 10-year age groups resulted in my finishing just out of the medals (4th), because of all those young, fast low-50-year-olds! Keene is a neat college town, and I enjoyed staying at a nearby bed and breakfast, so I could really enjoy the area. I would recommend this race to check off New Hampshire in your 50 states quest, but probably won't be back due to the logistics (13 hours total travel time each way to and from Phoenix) and nothing that really made it "special" enough for a return trip (although it was worth it one time). | |
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B. C. from Medford, NJ
(9/28/2009)
"Great Down-To-Earth Race!" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Thumbs up to the race committee for putting on a great race from start to finish. I really enjoyed the small field of fewer than 300 runners, as many of us got to know one another while we waited on the porch of someone's home in the rain. We had a temperature of 56 degrees and a light drizzle for most of the race. The downhill start was awesome and set the pace for a strong race. The scenery, the course and the organization were well worth the drive. I met several fellow 50 Staters at the event, all striving for the same goal. This was a very basic race without bands, without chip timing, without digital clocks, and with few spectators. This was so much like a large Sunday morning group run with loads of support on the course. I did not have any problems with traffic or getting lost, and I would highly recommend this for runners looking for a fast time and a beautiful course. My only question is: why does this race remain so small after 32 years?! Great job, Clarence DeMar, and thank you to the good people of Keene State College and the Town of Keene. | |
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j. A. from W Hartford, CT
(6/9/2009)
"One of my favorites, but needs more traffic contro" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 What I liked: Significant downhill running. Very, very nice scenery (the best). Cheap entry fee. Perfect weather is almost guaranteed. What I did not: TRAFFIC. I absolutely hate the follow-along family that drives ahead 1 mile at a time to see their runner. This is a running event, not a watching event, and I feel bad for your runner if he needs that much support. The road has a significant grade. Also, I second the idea of having Gatorade at each stop. I'd gladly pay higher entrance fee. I would use this race to BQ. | |
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Steev Lynn from Vermont
(4/22/2009)
"A nice, civilized, little marathon" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 Clarence Demar Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The first half of the course runs through scenic, rural New England; the second half is in suburbia. Hills are minimal; and it's a net downhill course. The small, friendly field makes for a collegial and supportive atmosphere. Excellent refreshments at the finish. | |
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J. P. from the USA
(10/2/2008)
"Underwhelming" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Not sure what this race wants to be. A quaint little NE run or a race for elite runners. This was my 36th marathon. The race starts in Gilsum, which is a quaint little town. Very nice folks. If you run under four hours, you'll love this race because you'll probably qualify for Boston or have some PR that will distract one from the mediocrity of the race itself. If you run over that time, run somewhere else because there aren't many runners and it will be a long, lonely day. We ran well within the time constraints of five hours (with a five-and-a-half-hour total limit) but left feeling that we were tolerated, not necessarily wanted at this particular race. There are no porta-potties on the course, so you better run fast or love the outdoor spaces for personal needs. There are no aid stations on the course. The course marshals did a good job, but there were many areas where we weren't sure which way to go. We were almost clipped by cars on the back side of the course and constantly were put in dangerous positions of switching from side to side on the road to set up for either a turn or self preservation from vehicular traffic. The water stops were good but they came at unpredictable times and areas. Sometimes they were close together and other times they were miles apart. The first 11 miles are beautiful and run along a two-lane country road next to a creek. The rest is like many marathons, in a park area, housing neighborhoods and pretty much more of what you could get if you ran at home. The park area was not marked well and some runners got lost. One of the course marshals rode her bicycle away from us in the park, telling us where to go, but we couldn't hear her because she wouldn't turn her head so we could hear and was riding away from us. That part needs real fixing. The spectator rating is low because there are no spectators except for the occasional one or two here or there. We've never been to the NE area before, so all the stories about fall foliage are true; it is spectacular, but overall it didn't make up for some of the shortcomings of the race. Thank you to all the volunteers for your work. | |
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G. S. from Jupiter, Florida
(10/1/2008)
"I got lost in the park" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 First half of the race was great. At mile 19, going into the park, there was a fork in the path. I just followed everyone to the left side. Almost a mile later, a lady told us to turn around because we were off trail. Then she found the real trail back where we came in. I had been on a great pace to qualify for Boston. Just guess how I felt when she told us that. I tried to run the final 10K of my life, but got really sick at the finish. Missed by a few minutes! 27 miles!!! | |
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Michael Poretsky from Rocky River, OH
(10/1/2008)
"50th State made Special" (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Race Director Steve and his staff simply get it; the marathon is about the participants and everything should be done to make the experience a positive one for them. This race completed my goal of becoming a 50-stater. I'm guessing larger events would have overlooked an accomplishment such as this. Not Steve or his staff. They celebrated the occasion with me and made it even more memorable than I could have imagined. He worked with the local newspaper and I was contacted by a reporter from the Keene Sentinal. A very detailed article, complete with bold headline and picture, described my quest and upcoming finish. Steve reserved race number 50 for me. The staff at the water stops was rooting me on. As I approached the finish the staff was radioing my position so that when I reached the line, the PA announcer acknowledged my finish. I was greeted by a loud cheer as I crossed the line (with my two oldest children). Even more generous was the engraved plaque I was presented at the beginning of the awards ceremony. Completely unnecessary, but something I will treasure. One more thing... a couple of days after the race I received an email informing me that they would be mailing me a race shirt in my size because they had run out of XXL shirts at the packet pick up. How often does that happen? In closing, I would recommend this race for its small-town, New England feel, scenic course and great people. | |
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S. P. from NH
(10/1/2008)
"I was one of the people who got lost with you..." (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Clarence Demar Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I loved everything about the race, but yes, adding on that distance was discouraging. | |
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G. Y. from Baltimore, MD
(10/1/2008)
"Do Demar - it's worth it!" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Clarence Demar Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a great, small race. The driver of the bus to the start shook every runner's hand and wished us good luck as we boarded. On the bus ride to the start, I had the opportunity to meet a group of very nice people that were sharing tips about other marathons that I found very helpful. The race organizer greeted each bus to the start. The Gilsum General Store opened early for runners to grab a quick bite or drink. The route was very scenic. I like the "terrain" as I PRed. The volunteers and spectators that were on the course were encouraging. Nice finish area. Only thing I would have liked different: better shirt, design was lacking. Town of Keene was very hospitable and so was Brattleboro, VT, where I stayed at the Super 8, which accommodated my need for a late checkout! Do this race; it's got a great course and area to visit. |
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