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Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 3.7
Number of comments: 362 [displaying comments 221 to 231]
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S. P. from Chicago, US
(5/4/2007)
"Fantastic race" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The race was great, challenging with the 2 hills at mile 3 and around 15. It did get hot around 70 degrees during the final 6 miles or so. Running through Churchill Downs was great as you see the horses. Miles 13 to 16 were lonely but the pacers did the great job talking to you and encouraging you. Wish the expo was arranged differently. You almost feel like walking in an enclosure. The organizers were great. Plenty of water and Gatorade. | |
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M. M. from chicago
(5/4/2007)
"Great race!" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Loved Kentucky... but do wish more people were running the full because when I made that right turn to do 26.2, it was very lonely looking down that street, and I had to fight the urge to follow the crowd to the mini. The crowd was great until the 12-mile split then very sparse... but the police service and volunteers were EXCELLENT! Kudos to you folks at the water stops. Thought the bottles vs. cup was a waste the first 12, but boy was I grateful for them the lst half with that sun! Great organization. Always felt safe. And Mike from Kentucky... if you read this... thanks for the company to the finish line! | |
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k. s. from Rockville, MD
(5/3/2007)
"First-Class Event. A++." (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 First class event. A++. I loved your race. I've run 35 marathons and this one was one of my favorites. The course was nice; it had some hills, which were challenging, beautiful parks, which were shaded, and a nice bridge at the end. The course support was awesome with water and PowerAde at every station. The volunteers were great. I loved that the roads were totally closed and we didn't have to run with cars lined up next to us at all. And I loved the electronic clocks at every mile. Of course, mile 9 on the infield of Churchill Downs one week before the Derby - just can't be beat. Keep up the great work. And, thanks for everything. | |
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S. J. from Indiana
(5/3/2007)
"Awesome" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I thought this was a great race with a great course. Will definitely run again! | |
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Debbie King from Lilburn, GA
(5/3/2007)
"Very nice course, rough hills!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I really enjoyed this marathon; wish there were more volunteers for the late marathoners to show which direction to go! Near the end I took a wrong turn and no one was there, but I figured it out! This is a half-marathon event, definitely! Enjoyed it - still would recommend it! | |
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J. H. from Royersford, PA
(5/3/2007)
"Loved this one - PR!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a well-run and organized marathon with an excellent course layout. I was pleasantly surprised. The T-shirt and lack of marathon-specific merchandise was very disappointing. The t-shirt was terrible. I would have taken the one the volunteers had instead! This race excelled on race day, however. The course was extremely busy and entertaining for the first half with the half-marathoners along, giving it the big-event feel... and obviously Churchill Downs was a bonafide great experience. I did find myself liking a little of the relative solitude created after the 12 (or so) mile-mark when they peeled off... let us focus on the task at hand! Aid stations were great - bottles worked fine - just could have used some more PowerAde and/or oranges at the finish. I think they were done in by the half finishers...! The rolling hills in some sections of the second half allowed me to complete a PR by 15 minutes, so no complaints here. Had a great day, great time, and enjoyed it thoroughly... would highly recommend. | |
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David Weiss from Cleveland, Ohio
(5/3/2007)
"Very Pleased with this marathon" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I had a great time with this marathon; I arrived in Louisville from Cleveland at about 845PM on the night before the race, and hustled to pick up my race pack....the expo was finishing up, but I found the race personnel to be helpful Loved the shirt given.... I stayed in a Ramada in Sellersburg, about 9 miles north of downtown, and it was very nice, and only about 75 bucks a night, and their indoor hottub came in handy a few hours after the race!...Also very friendly staff, who quickly assisted me with directions to the convention center (i had left mine at home) so i could make it for packet pickup on time! The busing to the start line was nicely executed....i thought the announcer at the start could have been better, but there was good atmosphere there...the course itself was extremely interesting, although i wasnt expecting as many hills at the mile 3 and about the mile 16 mark, the guy who was the 3:50 pace runner was awesome, telling jokes, etc along the way; i thought the water stations were great, the fan support was very good throughout, enjoyed the music, and enjoyed running at Churchhill Downs; going over the Ohio river was kind of cool too towards the end; having absolutely perfect weather didnt hurt either! (it was a little warm to run in, but i was not complaining since we had snow in Cleveland 2 weeks prior to this race) I really liked the finishing medal; i didnt have my best finishing time, but there is no better feeling than having my daughter waiting at the finish line (along with my sis, bro in law, and little nephew) to tell me 'Great job, Daddy!' Liked the cold beer at the finish line, they could have done a better job of trash pickup in that area, it was kind of nasty with all of the empty bottles, overflowing trash cans, banana peels, etc laying around, but thats a minor complaint, oh, and one other suggestion, would be to display on the course map where port a potties will be located to help runners ...Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this entire marathon experience, and would recommend this marathon to anyone....I also was pleasantly suprised by as much fun as we had hanging out in the downtown Louisville area on Sat. night; i had never been to Louisville before the weekend of the race....we had a blast! Nice work on putting this marathon together! | |
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Knud Hermansen from Clarksville, TN
(5/2/2007)
"Great scenic course, well run" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a fantastic course and was very well organized. I would highly recommend this marathon. The weather was perfect, 50 at the start and warmed up to 70's by the finish. There were some nice rolling hills in the first five miles through the very scenic Iroquois Park. The next miles through 13 were blissfully flat and included a beautiful lap through Churchill Downs. As some other commentators have alluded, the hill starting at mile 13-19 were a shock after all the flat ground, but were by far not among the worst I've seen in a marathon. The last part of going over and back across the bridge is a bit of a challenge but the final stretch through downtown in a good way to end. The water stops were about every other mile. The were well staffed and long enough that I was able to get both gatorade and water. The water was given in miniature water bottle which made it much easier to drink. I would recommend staying at the Galt House or any of the hotels nearby. The bus transportation to the start was very easy to use from this location. Additionally, the proximity of this hotel to the finish and post race party (all within a block of each other) was extremely convenient. And to top it off Louisville is a great city with a lot of neat attractions to tour after the race and on Sunday if you have the time. Thanks to all those who volunteers and helped with this race. | |
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p. b. from Ohio
(5/2/2007)
"Still Overshadowed by the Mini" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 This was my second time running the full marathon and although it is very encouraging that the number of finishers has increased by over a third in two years, the race is still very much run in the shadow of the much more established Mini-Marathon. Going over and back the Second Street Bridge for miles 23 and 24 may be brutal, but it is a tremendous improvement over having to run the never-ending drudgery up to 22nd Street and back (which the course used to do). Fan support for the marathon is improving somewhat. The 'Scream Teams' are getting some momentum, and there was still a lot of activity at the finish line (several Mini walkers were still coming across the line). Two MAJOR beefs with this year's run, however. First, there was no PowerAde left at the finish (and I finished in under four hours...there were a lot of people behind me, and the temperature was going up). Secondly, the shirt I received was one of the worst runner's premiums I have ever received. 100 percent polyester?!?!?!?! My sisters ran in the relay and although they only got a short sleeve shirt, it was at least cotton and wearable. | |
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E. D. from Miami Fl.
(5/2/2007)
"Great run in a spotless city" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Very well organized from sign up to finish line. Running through Churchill Downs and over the mighty O was very cool. Highly recommend this run to all the 50 states clubbers! |
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