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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 71 to 81]
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P. C. from Ohio
(5/29/2011)
"Fun Marathon" (about: 2011)
50+ previous marathons
| 2 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Really did enjoy the new course. The hills can be challenging, but the start and finish downtown helps make it easier for family and out-of-towners. The run through Churchill Downs was fantastic! All the way around, the course offers a lot of variety and a lot to look at. Race organizers have this event put together very well. Even the merge back in with the half marathoners around mile 17 was done at a time when it was good to see others. Fun, enjoyable, wonderful city marathon. | |
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S. G. from Denver, Colorado
(5/29/2011)
"Beware the Hill" (about: 2011)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my second marathon and my first big one. My first marathon was in Napa Valley and was hoping and looking forward to some of the perks that should come with the bigger sized marathon. And come they did with some disappointments. Pros: The course in itself is a wonderful course, you get to run through several historic areas including running through Churchill Downs. Which to me, a horse racing geek to the extreme, was a dream come true even if it was only the infield. Also if you like racing and normally listen to music I recommend taking the headphones off. They had an old race call from back in the 90s playing as we were going through the infield. The only part I disliked was the Iroquois Hill which encompasses four miles of the course including the half way point because my hips were starting to kill me by that point. The course closes with the last pace team. Meaning as long as you are ahead of the last two pacers all of the perks that come with the race will still be there. Spectator while not a constant do gather in fairly decent groups at certain points along the route. And not just the 'scream team' spots mentioned on the website. And they will be there at least in some amount continuously. I was at the back and I saw quite a few spectators. Nicely run expo. Decently priced merchandise some of which weren't tech shirts but were cute in general. The photo guys never leave. No really they don't. Huge kudos to them since their have been 10ks I've done where I didn't get a picture because the camera guys didn't stay long enough. Plenty of treats. As I was making my way back to where my Mom was parked they still had a lot of bananas left. To the point where one lady literally handed me a bundle of five bananas insisting that I take them. Big loud announcements, I can still hear the voice announcing 'Race Split ahead' in my head if I concentrate on my memories. You can hear them from a good distance away. I heard the first announcement for a race split as we were entering Churchill which was several hundred yards down the road from where the actual race split was after you exited Churchill. Mini-bottles. You know how most races give you a cup or fill up a bottle if you are carrying one? Not these guys they go the extra mile with the drinks. They give you a small bottle to carry. Really nice and convenient since I could stow if I wished to drink later. They still had the usual which popped up some at the energy stations but it was a real nice difference. Cons: The Pasta Feed. After Napa this was a big disappointment. They have essentially two choices for pastas and neither were all that great. Plus their garlic bread was DRIPPING butter. Recommend hitting either Olive Garden or if you don't mind a wait the Old Spaghetti Factory across the street. If you plan to skip the Pasta Feed or want a second option make sure to get reservations. Had to eat at the bar because the wait between prom groups and fellow runners was around 2 hours. Be weary of the pace groups. They may go faster than you want. The group that was supposed to be going 13:45 per mile was going much, faster, at least in the first few miles. I averaged around 12:30 for my first two miles and was behind them, indicating they were running faster than the time they are supposed to run. They slowed down at some point, probably around the hill, but the point is they went fast early. And the organization probably would get a 5 if it weren't for a mistake they made. The day before the race my Mom and I decided to drive the course to check out what I was dealing with using the map provided at the Expo. What neither of us knew until I was into the race was that this map was out of date and the most recent was on their website. This little factor threw me off in the race because it was confusing to turn or not turn when we hadn't been doing so during the drive. Other than that had a great time. Got a nice finishing medal and certificate for my efforts. Definitely a race I would recommend to anyone. | |
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Darren Webb from Hebron, KY
(5/23/2011)
"Great race, water bottles at aid stations= :)" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 9th marathon and 5th state in my quest for 50/50. I have purposely avoided this race for a few years because the reviews were so bad (from the shirt, to the course, to the start and finish). The organizers addressed all this so I gave it a shot. I was VERY pleased. Best course I've ever run. Just challenging enough, many flat parts...if you PR here you should be proud, it's definitely achievable and not one of those non challenging courses. Aid stations...plentiful and consistent (about every 2.0 miles), but they don't just give you a cup of water. They give out 8 oz water bottles. They are small enough to fit in your palm so you can hydrate between stations. I stayed PERFECTLY hydrated with nothing but water for most of the course. No nausea (from too much Powerade), no cramping and I was able to really kick it up at the end because I felt so good. Miles 1-12 are perfectly flat, shaded and scenic (run through Churchill Downs while the horses are out training....incredible). 12-16 is Iroquois Park...billy goat course but it was fun and very beautiful tree lined park. Up and down, up and down, with some big time downhills (take it easy on those quads). 16-22 are pretty flat. 22-24 there are some minor hills...again I found it fun and challenging. Start and finish are right downtown by the KFC Yum! Center and baseball park. Post race food kind was sad (nothing but the usual) HOWEVER there is a HUGE Derby Festival party on the waterfront from 5 pm-11 pm featuring bands, carnival rides, booze...we had a great time and had some incredible Greek food! One of my friends was the guitarist in one of the bands (Eight Inch Elvis). We stayed at the Galt House right downtown. Got a GREAT rate the week of the race and its a 4 star (West wing) or 5 star (East wing suites) hotel. Plenty of hotel space within walking distance of the start. I highly recommend making a weekend of this race. Louisville has great downtown dining, Derby Festival, and an amazing race. Would do it again in a heartbeat if I wasn't going on to other states for my 50/50 | |
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K. A. from Boston
(5/23/2011)
"Needs improvement" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This is almost a great marathon but I wouldn't run it again nor could I recommend it. I'm reviewing this from the point of view of someone who runs marathons competitively (albeit against myself). Looking back at my mile splits I see three areas where I fell below my goal pace and they all had the same cause: human traffic. Each runner is assigned a corral at the start which is terrific in theory but in practice runner/walker placement was not enforced nor did I hear it encouraged. Because of the number of runners out there from both the marathon and half-marathon mix the volume of slow people up front became a big factor. I would have liked to have started with people running my pace but never got there. Instead I had to dodge slower runners/walkers for 3 miles. I lost time there. The next slow spot was a bit of a bottleneck in Churchill Downs. The place is beautiful and it's quite a thrill to run through it but you're not on a four lane road anymore, it's a 3 person wide path through the infield. So if you're not running with your pace group by now, you don't have much room to improve your chances here. The half and full marathoners part ways soon after exiting the grounds. After that it's a beautiful course for many miles, through a gorgeous and hilly, but not too hilly, Iroquois Park. If only the whole marathon were like this. But what happens next is unforgivable. The half marathon walkers are merged back in and are given no instructions to stay out of the marathon runner's way. The road is not divided though it could have been and you'll feel like a running back trying to score with the half time marching band having already taken the field. For 3 miles! It is downright dangerous at this point. At mile 20 the marathoner's take a right turn, the final six miles are again terrific with a nice challenge three miles out. As a runner, if you're not interested in qualifying for Boston or testing the results of your training or measuring yourself against the clock then I'd say run this race. Go for a jog. Louisville is a terrific host city for the race. The packet pickup is easy, it's a nice expo, it's easy to get around town and a nice time of year to be there. The shirt and medal are both quality swag. Everything about the event and post event is better than average. Water is given out by enthusiastic volunteers in small plastic bottles which I was initially skeptical of, but that turned out just fine. Other than my traffic report I can't say anything negative about the experience and I hope other reviewers give it its proper due. But after what I had to go through from mile 17 to mile 20, it's a NO from me. | |
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M. M. from Portland, Maine
(5/11/2011)
"Very good marathon" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I enjoyed this run very much. Other than a couple of miles early in the run, the course was very nice. It was challenging in the middle part of the race and a nice hill was thrown in near the end. The medal and shirt were very nice. Louisville is a fun city to visit, with some nice attractions. My only complaint would be the corral start, which was disorganized. They need to have clear signs for the corrals. Many walkers and slower runners were near the front and created a lot of traffic for the first couple of miles. Over all, a very nice event. | |
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W. S. from Memphis, Tennessee
(5/11/2011)
"Great new course!" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I have done the half marathon for years here and decided to tackle the marathon this time. The expo was okay, though I did not try the pasta dinner. Great long-sleeve, technical shirt (that I can't wear until next winter)! The new course starting and ending downtown was awesome - no longer a logistical nightmare. Racers did not exactly start in their correct corrals, but I found my way to the middle and stayed there. The first nine miles were crowded but doable, with marathoners and half marathoners running together. Ran through Churchill downs - saw a few horses in the distance practicing - and then the half marathoners peeled off. The run through Iroquois park was HILLY! On the way back into the city we joined the half marathoners again - most were walkers. That was difficult to maneuver through even though they were just walking. Most were walking 4 or 5 abreast. We lost them again and the last few miles were HILLY! I was so happy to see the finish line. Post-race food was okay - bagels, chips, bananas, PowerAde, etc. I would do the race again. | |
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R. B. from Knoxville, TN
(5/10/2011)
"Good marathon with room for improvement" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Although the course was modified because of the recent storms, it was a nice course. I thought the hills between 21 and 24 miles (because of the placement in the marathon) were harder than the hills through the park. Fan support from 9 through 17 was limited if there was any at all. The only complaint that I have is that after running 18 miles the last thing I want to do is weave my way through the half-marathoners who you join back up with; the road should be split so that the marathoners have the right side of the road to run on unobstructed. The mini bottles of water are awesome - I wish more marathons would do this. I'm glad that I chose this as my KY marathon. | |
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B. B. from Pittsburgh, Pa
(5/6/2011)
"Almost Perfect" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I liked most everything about this race: The expo was big enough and pick-up was easy T-shirt and medal were both first rate The corral system worked well (too bad not everybody respected their assignment) The course was interesting and fun- especially the tour of Churchill Downs and the miles in Iroquois Park The water stations were very well stocked with gels and fluids. I especially liked the small water bottles The citizens were very supportive The finish area was fun. However, the one thing I did not care for was the merge between the half and full. The street where the merge took place was wide. Why couldn't the halfers (the back of the pack as I was coming through with a 3:47 finish) be given their own section and the full runners given one lane of a four lane street. This 2 mile section was very frustrating. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives and Louisville is a fun pretty, very friendly city. Very highly recommended. | |
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M. F. from Edwardsville, IL
(5/3/2011)
"Expertly run race with good support" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race course was expertly identified to provide shade and moderate downhills through much of the second half of the course. The spectators were excellent and motivated. It was a real cool experience to run through Churchill Downs. My only concern is rejoining the race course with the walking half marathoners. It was dangerous because the marathoners had to constantly avoid the walkers. I hope nobody got hurt. Clearly, there need to be two lanes for running and walking in the future. | |
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C. B. from USA, kentucky
(5/3/2011)
"enjoyable but could be improved" (about: 2011)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 You can tell that this run is built for the 'mini'. When running the with the 'halfers' the course is well marked and has plenty of water etc. When running late in the full marathon course I don't thing I saw any mile markers after 20. Iroquois park was extremely hilly at the mid-point of the race which I was prepared for that but there was another big hill at about mile 23. That one was a killer at that point in the race. In their defense the race had to be rerouted due to high water at the river front. I don't know how that affected things. The volunteers were great. One thing that I thought was weird was they handed out bottled water at the water tables. That seemed to be wasteful to me and probably created more work for the clean-up crews. |
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