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Jun 2, 2024

Five Points of Life Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Five Points of Life Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.4

Spectators 3.3

Number of comments: 51 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 > ]

Leslie Twist from Gainesville, FL (1/8/2008) "I loved it; I thought the course was nice & scenic" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Five Points of Life Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 It was my first marathon, so I don't have much to compare it to. I really enjoyed the run and the route. The fans there were great! In my opinion I think for the first year it was good, and will only improve. I would like to do a different marathon every year, but would like to continue to at least do the half with the Five Points of Life.
M. R. from Orlando, Florida (4/21/2007) "Nice way to see Gainesville" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Five Points of Life Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is a smaller marathon - BUT QUALITY. If you like big crowds and running with thousands of others, this is not your cup of tea; BUT if you like to run with a smaller group of runners, then COME TO GAINESVILLE. The weather was cold and got colder as the race went on, BUT that helped my time instead of hurting it. It was still a good running temprature. PROS: Got to visit my daughter - a student at UF - over the weekend. Easy package pick-up. Running through Ben Hill Griffin Stadium was GREAT. A nice tour of Gainesville and the University of Florida. Race Director emails before and after the race - she listens and cares. Getting my finisher's medal from Albert the Aligator. BIG Mylar blankets at the finish were great for keeping the wind off my back. Wonderful cause. Small but cheering crowds. Plenty of water and Gatorade stations - with WONDERFUL VOLUNTEERS (polite, talkative and cheering). You cannot ask for more from people who come out to help you run. CONS: Could have better food at the end of the run. Expo was small - BUT I did not come for the expo. The big marathons take care of that for me. I will try to get back - I enjoyed the run.
L. V. from Archer, FL (3/7/2007) "getting better - great value and pretty course" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 2 Five Points of Life Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Course support could not be better - friendly officers braved the cold and wind to keep us safe. PLENTY of aid stations and medical tents. Expo kind of disorganized. Community participation hopefully will be ramped up a bit since the race director seems to have the necessities taken care of well. Rather desolate course in miles 14-23. Very good pre-race email updates.
M. S. from Orlando, FL (2/24/2007) "Very nice course, and a great value." (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Five Points of Life Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Course - Parts were fairly hilly for a Florida marathon. Police doing traffic control were very nice and on the ball. Aid Stations - Well stocked, enthusiastic volunteers. Expo - Small as I expected. It was located in 3 different smaller meeting rooms at the hotel, and I had to ask the workers where to go next. Weather - I know it can't be controlled, but with this in mind, Gainesville is about 100 miles north of Tampa, or about 5-10 degrees cooler. Race Director - Asked me what I thought of the race, and how it oculd be improved and listened to me for 15 minutes after the race. Race-day logistics - Left the house at 6:15, parked by 6:30, dropped of gear bag at 6:45, race started at 7:00. Couldn't have asked for anything better. Other thoughts - Race entry fee was 1/2 the price of many marathons, plus close lodging can be found for cheap, and only a 2-hour drive from Orlando. I think I have found my winter marathon home course.
J. C. from Gainesville, FL (2/22/2007) "Great Overall; Hope they Continue it Every Year" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Five Points of Life Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 It was the coldest day of the year and it felt like the entire 1/2 marathon course was directly into the wind!! It was something no one could have foreseen! Given that, the observers/supporters, logistics people and staff folks were all cheery and friendly. Police support was excellent as well. The expo on Saturday was excellent; it is nice to see so many fit people around when the news world seems to always be talking about obesity and the like. The only issue I observed was the lack of the energy gels (contrary to what was advertised). I would have brought some with me, but information provided stated that they would be offered at miles 6.5, 11, 17; I never saw them. I will definitely do this one again, and as long as they continue to have it!
M. O. from Gainesville, FL (2/19/2007) "Nice bang for your buck!" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Five Points of Life Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is the 2nd year and 2nd time I've run this marathon, and I have to say that even though my ratings only went up 1 star overall (in the organization category), I think it is shaping up to be a really nice race. The certified course is the same as last year: it's mostly flat and fairly fast (I finally ran my first BQ, yay!) as you'd expect in Florida with a mix of urban streets, historic neighborhoods, with rails-to-trails and some tree-lined streets with good flat pavement as well as a run through the UF football stadium. Excellent traffic control by police with a lane coned off for runners all along the course. The organization has increased tremendously with a lot of big-race amenities for a smaller race: gear drop-off, great long-sleeve shirt, space blanket, fun music at the start/finish, real food like pizza, sodas, and ice cream at the finish instead of the boiler-plate bagels/bananas (though bananas were available as well), and a poolside post-race party and awards ceremony! Only downsides are a meager expo (as would be expected for a smaller race) and low spectator support - though the ones out there were great. It was very cold and windy that morning, so that may have played a part. The race director even personally asked for input from runners after the race, so you know they care about the runners and are looking to put on the best race they can. Disclosure: I live here and love the city, so I may be biased! But I still think it is a very good smaller-sized race, especially with a HUGE award purse of $10,000 (!) for a race this size. This is the 2nd year in a row I managed an AG award. I just hope it doesn't get too big that I get shut out of the awards next time, ha ha! I will be back next year!
Danny Swindle from Newport, MI (2/19/2007) "Nice, late winter run" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Five Points of Life Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Pros: Started the 1/2 marathon 0.3 miles ahead of marathoners to spread out the pack. Run through the stadium was different. Exceptional police support. Pizza and pop at the end. Several e-mails from race director up to the start of the race giving up-to-date information. Cons: Started 10 minutes late. Some people I heard were a little confused about where the marathoners were to start. Overall, a good small race.
B. M. from Chicago, IL (2/18/2007) "Surprised by the Hills" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Five Points of Life Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The course was completely on asphalt, either roads or "Rails to Trails" path. But, I was surprised by the rolling hills, especially during the first six miles. Well-stocked aid stations and enthusiastic volunteers; the police did an excellent job with road traffic control. Parking for the race was very convenient. One suggestion for improvement: Need more port-a-lets in the first half of the course when both full and half marathons are running together.
K. S. from New York City (8/26/2006) "Go Gators!" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Five Points of Life Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the full marathon last year and GREATLY enjoyed it. I trained in Gainesville, as I was a student at the time, and loved that part of the race was most of my daily routes. Only one hill was a doozy, around mile 18-19 as stated, but it was not unmanageable. I had not run a marathon before, so I didn't know what to expect. As it was the first marathon in Gainesville, I think it has room to grow, but all the plans for the event seemed well planned despite the small size. There was not much on the actual course as far as bands or music, but I think this will improve with time and as Gainesville continues to see the benefits of making the event even larger. As for the spectators and after party, I would definitely attribute that to bad weather. It was cold and rainy. Even I was just ready to leave after the race. I would recommend this race to veterans of marathons and beginners as well. I graduated and live in NYC now, but I'm already working making plans to be back next year. GO GATORS!
B. L. from Satellite Beach, FL (2/27/2006) "Top-notch Gator quality" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Five Points of Life Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have to echo all of the positive comments I have read about this race. I too am an alumn returning after 30+ years and the experience was terrific. My daughter and I ran the 1/2 marathon and the course was gorgeous. The police were exactly as great as described, and the people of Gainesville were wonderful; I didn't hear any honking or observe any cranky behavior, and the roads were closed for a long time. Hats off to the community! It WAS pretty misty so I can understand why the spectator support was thin, and of course, not a creature was stirring around fraternity row that early in the morning. The race was well organized, the host hotel was ultra convenient and pleasant, and the whole experience was positive. We will be back next year and plan to bring a contingent with us to run this fun race.

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