Dec 23, 2024
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Marquette Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Marquette Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.4 
Organization 4.9 
Spectators 3.7
Number of comments: 35 [displaying comments 1 to 11]
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C. N. from NH
(9/4/2023)
"Fast downhill course mostly on bike trails" (about: 2023)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marquette Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The bike trails isolate you from traffic but also from spectators. Spectators are almost all at road crossings or trail access points. The crossings are manned with volunteers to stop traffic, I saw no issues. The trails are mostly paved but for two sections totaling maybe 5 miles. These unpaved sections had finely crushed gravel and good footing, even where you pass under a rail trestle with iron pellets (think rabbit pellet size) littering the path. It was warm this year, and shade is less frequent on the flatter back half of the course. Plenty of aid stations help with that. Organizers might consider moving the mile 16 aid station a bit further east; proximity to hard right hand turn and spectators made this area a little difficult. A fellow runner and I ended up behind this aid station on the road in confusion. Next water stop was only a mile later so no harm done. Start area and bus to it were well organized. Race start was a little anticlimactic (Ready set go) but appropriate for a race this size. Do go back to the start line later in the day and visit the Cliff Shaft mining museum. Interesting stuff and thank you to them for letting us start there. Pace groups are provided but might not be your thing if you like to roll downhill. Back half of the race the pacers were looking rather lonely (there are a couple of out-and-back sections). Trails aren't terribly wide so if you don't want to be caught behind a group on the downhill pass them early on one of the early on-the-road sections. | |
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Race The Nation Wood from North Carolina
(8/17/2019)
"Fun with the Yoopers!" (about: 2018)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marquette Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was by far one of our favorite surprises. First, we had never been to Upper Michigan, and probably never would have if not for this race. Second, we had no idea the history of Marquette and surrounding area, and third the town and people of Marquette are very welcoming. There are multiple good restaurants and the University of Northern Michigan provides the city a nice college vibe. They also have a Blues Festival every Labor Day weekend as well as the marathon. Marquette is worth the visit even without the race! The course is terrific, it's a point to point, net downhill with multiple surfaces. The first 16 miles are along the Iron Ore Trail. If you prefer running paths in natural settings as opposed to roads, you will love this. The final 10 are in and around Marquette with multiple views of Lake Superior. The net downhill is nice and gentle, I know because if it's too steep, my quads are trashed for days. Fan support is sparse, but I'll take the natural setting over race fans any day. Water stops are regular and reliable. The expo was hopping as they also have a half, 5k, and Kids Run. There are a good number of vendors so plenty to see. The finish area is at Blackrocks Brewery, which has a great atmosphere, although it does get a quite crowded. My wife and daughter ran the 5k which is definitely the red-headed stepchild of the races. It's a point-to- point, but with essentially no parking at the start, or anywhere near it. So you have pretty much walk 5k to get to the starting line, which is a line someone draws in the dirt about 5 minutes before the race begins. So if you are looking for a change of pace on your Labor Day weekend, we would absolutely encourage you to take a trip to Marquette and spend the weekend with the Yoopers! You can get a good feel for the race and city from our video on our YouTube channel Race The Nation. | |
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L. G. from Aiken, SC
(11/10/2016)
"A Great and Scenic Marathon!" (about: 2016)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marquette Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a beautiful course, the town is very nice and friendly. The downhill running definitely worked on my quads so be prepared for that and although the grade never did feel severe it goes on for miles. There is a hill at mile 22 that is tough going up and coming back down. The race management is fantastic and the volunteers were awesome. I would definitely run this one again. The upper peninsula is beautiful at this time of year. | |
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m. m. from Orlando, Florida
(9/8/2016)
"Great event - well organized and supported" (about: 2016)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Cannot say enough good things about this event - great communication from race director, good support, beautiful course - some hills but doable - great city. Thoroughly recommend | |
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N. R. from Minnesota
(9/6/2016)
"Overall Downhill - Be Prepared for Last 2 Hills!" (about: 2016)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marquette Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Oh Marquette - you stole my heart this past Labor Day 2016 weekend - What a beautiful city and course to run through! Organization was wonderful from start to finish. We received many many informative emails prior to race day. I missed the expo, so I very much appreciated the Race Packet Pickup available at the start line on race morning. I also appreciated the 'Start List' online - it was great to have confirmation that my registration went through. Course: Gorgeous mix of U.P. scenery while running on bike trails with lakefront views while running through Marquette. Very shaded course in my opinion! (Some sunny stretches once you enter Marquette, but I almost always felt like shade wasn't too far away). Miles 11-17 appear to have a screaming downhill on the course elevation profile, and although I could definitely tell I was running downhill during those miles, it seemed to be more of a gradual downward slope than the elevation profile indicates. Beware of the hill up into Presque Isle State Park at Mile 22 - it is brutal at that stage in the race - it is also brutal on the quads running back DOWN it, haha - save your quads! Also, I was not prepared for the uphill right before the finish. I suggest saving a little gas in the tank for that last hill to finish strong, especially if you are trying to BQ! Cannot compliment the course support/spectators/volunteers enough! Do not hesitate to run this marathon - I thoroughly enjoyed it and would run it again! Just be prepared for the two final hills at the end. Be sure to check out some of the hikes/lakefront sites/views while in Marquette :) Lots of neat things to see/do! | |
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N. S. from Schaumburg, Illinois
(9/5/2016)
"Good Marathon, but needs some changes." (about: 2016)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marquette Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Well there is so much to say about this marathon. I think I would like to point out a lot of stuff especially with out of staters coming into Marquette for the marathon. I am a college cross country/track and field coach and I am a site coordinator for a 5k race so I hope I can give some insight to improve the race. 1. Chicagoans - So my fiancee and I left right after the first collegiate cross country race of the year down in the Chicago area. We left around 8 pm. We got to Marquette around 3 am ish. Once you get past Green Bay then you will hit non interstate roads to get to Marquette. I would plan to fill up your gas again once you get to Green Bay because there are gas stations that close at a certain time plus its very rural so there are only a few gas stations on the way there. Also there is an airport not too far away from Marquette. Only problem is that a round trip air fare from Chicago and back is around 300 to 400 dollars. Also remember they are 1 hour ahead. Sprint users - FORGET ABOUT IT!! Sprint was not working well at all around Marquette or around it. The only time we had service was inside establishments or our hotel and switched to wifi. I was on extended 3G and I believe it was draining battery. Hotels - Since the marathon/half marathon/5k race is going along with the Blues Fest the hotels raised all their prices. You couldn't find one under 100 dollars. Even Econo Lodge was over 100 dollars. I used Groupon, Livingsocial, priceline to no success. I eventually had a good discount with trip advisor for at the Days Inn for 118.00. I would probably try to book early as possible to get a room. Days Inn was a very clean hotel and did a great job. Free breakfast too. 5k race - This is where things sort of came to a mess. My fiancee wanted to run the 5k and at least something for her to do while I ran my marathon. It starts at the Presque Isle and ends at the same place where the marathon/half marathon finishes. Problem is that there is no transportation (bus shuttles) to the start. That means you would have to walk back to the start from the finish line. To make it safe for my fiancee I told her to just go to the starting line and park there. She told me there was some unorganization there and people didn't know where the starting line was. Once the 5k racers finished they had to walk all the way to the starting line to pick up their cars. Wow. Absolute wow. She didn't feel comfortable going by herself so she just waited for me when I finished my marathon. Plus she was hurting since she did run a PR. What was really terrible was that once I finished my marathon I was in absolute pain and we had to walk ALL THE WAY TO THE 5K STARTING LINE TO PICK UP THE CAR!!! I was in pain and it was terrible. It didn't make any sense at all for the 5k racers to park their cars at the finish line and walk up to the starting line either. Something has to change here with that. As for the marathon it was brutally cold at the starting line but started warming up by 7:30 am. Maybe they should have at least a heated tent or something there. Not a lot of port a potties either so many of us went into the woods behind them. Once we started it was all great. There was a nice stretch of limestone which is only like 7 or 8 miles of it. It was beautiful and scenic. Mostly shaded. Once you hit town this is where you need to watch out. Chicagoans don't train on hills since we are flat. There were some minor hills up until you hit Presque Isle. This is where you will hit a major hill. Lots of walkers on this and people just couldn't do it. This was really the challenging part of the course and it destroyed my chance for a PR unfortunately. The only time I walked was on that hill since I knew if I even attempted to run it then I would not finish the race. After that I just wanted to finish and ran smart for the rest of it. Nice medal at the end. This was my 6th marathon and I was suprised there was no free beer at the end especially with Blackrocks being a sponsor for the 5k. Few suggestions to improve this race I hope the organizers can talk about.... 1. Have the finish line at the Berry Center where we drop off our cars. 2. 5k race starts at Berry Center and finishes at Berry Center. 3. Beer at the end. Really these were the issues I had with the race. The first one and second one seems critical especially since many runners had to walk all the way to the Berry Center which was a mile from the finish line. Aubree's was a great restaurant that was the only place that accepted groupon. Awesome pizza and they did have pizza. 12 dollars for a 20 dollar value. Take the lighthouse tour at the Maritime museum. Pretty cool as you learn about all the maritime events of Marquette. Blues Fest was going on the same weekend, but with a fare of 45.00 per ticket we passed up on this. Shout out to the Northern Michigan Swim and Dive team for volunteering at the aid stations!! Awesome!! | |
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J. S. from Minnesota
(1/11/2016)
"Beautiful Marathon" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marquette Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This race has a beautiful course, starting outside of Marquette and running into town mostly on paved or packed rock trails through a wooded, secluded area. Until mile 14 or 15, the course is cool and shaded from the sun, and the first several miles were beautiful with the fog lifting off the trees. At one point around mile 7, the trail curved around a marshy bend and we ran over a small bridge. There was a hill to one side lined with evergreens and a clearing on the other. The fog was in the treetops, and literally as I thought to myself how lucky I was to be running right in that place at that time to see this wonderful view, a bald eagle flew right over my head. Really a sight I won't ever forget. Once in town around mile 15, the course stays mostly on paved trail and runs along Lake Superior and through Presque Isle Park (stunning views of the lake) before finishing in the downtown area. Presque isle Park gives a welcome shield from the sun since you lose a lot of cover once you get in town and it got very hot. While spectators were quite sparse and I thought they would be a little more abundant in town along the lakeshore, the sights along the course were entertaining enough. There is a long, slow downhill for much of the middle part of the course, which is great, although I did get a little bit of a false confidence during this portion that I ended up paying for late in the race, especially because there is a decent hill going into Presque Isle Park near mile 21 or so that can sneak up on you, you've got the sun beating down on you most of the second half of the race as mentioned above, and finish is a gradual uphill. The race in 2015 was unseasonably hot with temperatures at the finish over 80 degrees, although overall your odds are pretty good at getting better running weather in this area in the Fall. The finish downtown was great, and not too much of a parking issue, either. Loved the post-race food. The overall organization of this race was good; a few issues that I'm sure the directors will address in years to come. Packet pick-up, for one, was one of the craziest I've seen, especially for a small race, and very inefficient. Luckily my kids were running in the kids' race (a very nice touch and well planned) so I could hang around awhile in order to get my bib. Expo otherwise was good for a smaller race. Medals were average. Course maps weren't available, so my husband and kids had a little bit of a hard time spectating, especially in the first half of the race where there were limited areas for me to see them. The race was delayed a few minutes due to inadequate amounts of porta potties, which was stressful. Overall, a beautiful town with a beautiful race, and a nice vacation to boot. I'd recommend! | |
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S. G. from Spring Lake, MI
(9/10/2015)
"Great BQ marathon in scenic Marquette" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marquette Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a fantastic course for qualifying for Boston. Over 1,000 ft elevation drop, mostly in the first half of the race and then mostly flat afterwards. Very well organized, with great volunteers and fans. Marquette is a great town to enjoy as well. Weather can be an issue given the time of year it is run as it has the potential to be hotter than you'd like. It's a great place to combine a vacation with your running. | |
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H. C. from Charlotte, NC
(9/3/2014)
"My First Full Marathon and I BQ'd on this course!" (about: 2014)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marquette Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first full marathon and I could not be more pleased. I initially chose the location for the cooler temps. (last minute try to qualify for Boston). It is a nice small race (278 finishers in full marathon) so I never felt like I was struggling to get around people. It did rain the entire race which stressed me out a little at the start but other than a little mud (the route runs on crushed trail for approx. 6 miles) and the rain, it was a great race. The course was VERY well marked with mile markers at every mile. Aid stations were plentiful and I was always able to get water when I needed it. The locals were very enthusiastic and excited to cheer the runners on even though the weather was less than ideal (I understand in years past the weather has been just perfect). The course itself has a nice gradual downhill section but you really need to be careful not to get carried away. My quads were COMPLETELY eaten up by the end of the race. Near the end there a couple of hills but nothing too bad. Also, GREAT race director and finish line festivities. Lots of good restaurants to choose from and the locals were so friendly and helpful. We made several friends who we plan to keep in touch with. GREAT race! I highly recommend for anyone looking to BQ and/or run their first marathon. I had a great experience. | |
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T. P. from Whitewater, WI
(9/1/2014)
"Stellar Destination Marathon!" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Marquette Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This destination marathon has been upgraded to a stellar UP annual event with the new courses for 2014! In spite of rain it was a beautifully done event with huge community support. The organizers were able to draw lots of helpers from the campus community of NMU to make this truly a high class event. With nicer weather in years to come it will simply be an awesome UP event well worth for planning a weekend or vacation! |
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