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L. M. from USA
(9/18/2006)
"Water stops lacking something" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran the 1/2 marathon yesterday. It was my first time and I thought the course was nice. I was a little disappointed with the water stops. I thought, especially for the full marathoners, there should have been gels, bars and/or fruit. I didn't bring anything for myself but just assumed that something would be provided. It would have been nice seeing as I did "run out of gas" pretty early. Maybe take that into consideration for next year. The massages and food/drink after the race were awesome!!! | |
m. m. from Castleton, New York
(9/18/2006)
"perfect day... and how about those butterflies?!" (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Adirondack Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have been running in races around the Northeast for many years and never really gave much thought to how much it matters that a race is well orchestrated and organized. Well, Schroon Lake has changed my mind and set the gold standard for perfection. The volunteers are NUMEROUS and so accommodating that it is unbelievable. Maybe the clean mountain air does something to their personalities that make them behave so wonderfully, or maybe it is just a sense of giving, but whatever it is that motivates these volunteers, I cannot say, "Thank YOU" enough! I brought along three more half marathoners with me this year, and let me tell you, no one went home disappointed. It was a fabulous day of running around a jewel of a lake. | |
Mervyn Chin from Toronto, Canada
(7/20/2006)
"Very good race - highly recommended" (about: 2003)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Adirondack Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 As runners read these reports to decide on races, I just want to say that I have done 36 marathons in many different cities and this race ranks as one of the best. It is scenic - a bit hilly, but if the hills do not bother you then this race is perfect. Not too many spectators, but you will get value for money here. The food at the end is very good, there is a beach close by, you get a windshirt, and the town is very quiet and very scenic. The fees are very low also. The year I did it, it was raining a lot but I still enjoyed myself. I would do this race every year if I could but it is about 10 hours driving one way for me so it is not practical. Highly recommended. Do it if you are close by. | |
K. B. from Upstate, NY
(6/15/2006)
"Pretty, Peaceful, Perfect" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Adirondack Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I qualified for Boston in the ADK, my first marathon. And although my training had something to do with my performance ;), lots of credit has to go to the ADK course, organization, fans, all of which are top shelf. The hills through the first half are a challenge, yes, but by no means are they unfair. The fans are few, but kind and enthusiastic. It is a beautiful course. Tree-lined country roads that occasionally open up to lake views. And the finish area was glorious. All manner of food (homemade brownies!), massage, quick posting of results, etc. As I said, this was my first marathon, but conversations with other, more seasoned marathoners confirm that it is a stand-out. My second marathon was Boston, a spectacle. (Boston was fun, yes, but a real circus). ADK is Boston's antithesis. My weekly training runs, which are run in a small upstate city, are noisier than the ADK. If you want a quiet, beautiful course to which you can devote all your focus and energy, this one's for you. | |
C. F. from Staten Island, NY
(4/10/2006)
"Just an incredible experience!!!!" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Adirondack Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and due to my wonderful experience I can't wait to run it again. The course is absolutely beautiful...the crowds, although sparse, are highly supportive...and the race organization is highly efficient. The course is very hilly and although many suggested that the early hills from mile 4-12 were the worst, I actually found the rolling hills over the last 6 or so miles to be even harder (although I confess, I definitely should have logged more miles for this race). The race is small (~200 runners), so there were times when I was running alone, but they were very few. They advertised this marathon as the most beautiful 26.2 miles you'll ever run and although I haven't run any others yet (my 2nd is in a week, the NJ marathon), they do make a compelling argument. | |
Cole Hickland from Ballston Spa, NY
(10/24/2005)
"Great job on organization, beautiful course " (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Adirondack Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a nice job with the organization of this race and the buses for spectators! The course was beautiful, some hills on the first half but not so much on the second. The whole town seemed to be out to cheer on the runners and the volunteers were the best!! The bands along the way were fun and the volunteers were the best! Did I mention that the volunteers were great? Nice race, good time, fun people, this was a class event! | |
Glenn Yarris from USA
(9/28/2005)
"Outstanding: A World-Class Race " (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Adirondack Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first experience with a full marathon and I found the event to be exceptionaly well organized with a great support system, especially the folks cheering along the route. It was like having family every half-mile cheering you on. I would also like to thank the gentleman with the French accent who stopped around mile 21 to assist me when my calf cramped and offer me his Gatorade and Advil. I was able to continue on and finish. I did not get his name but if he should read this, thank you for your kindness; it motivated me on to finish when I was considering dropping out. Glenn Yarris Long Island, New York | |
G. P. from Olean, NY
(9/28/2005)
"Very well organized race" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Adirondack Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I went in knowing this marathon would be very scenic with some tough hills and few spectators. For the most part I was correct, although in some places there were more spectators than I had thought there would be. The organization was topnotch, more than I would expect from a small marathon like this. There were more portable toilets on the course than most of the other marathons I?ve run. Mile markers were all there and very visible, except mile 20 where the water station was on top of it, but you can't be perfect. There was more than enough food and drink at the end of the race and the volunteers were very helpful and friendly. The only problem was that this race wasn't chip timed, and I found myself wondering if I was just mistakenly not given a chip or if I missed that station. I figured it out when I got to the starting line, but as most races are chip timed, a reminder would have helped ease my worries. Other than that one little detail, everything else was amazing and I?d recommend this marathon to anyone who loves the challenge of running a hilly course. | |
J. C. from Queensbury, NY
(9/27/2005)
"Best all-around event" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Adirondack Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is the second time I've run the Adirondack Marathon, but I appreciated the event more this time than nine years ago. I brought three children and a running partner with me this time. The kids rode the spectator bus to the half-way point; there they had breakfast at the very quaint Adirondack General Store; they cheered and snapped pictures as we ran by; then they rode the bus back to see the finish. Everything clicked! Knowing they enjoyed the day made my race more rewarding. As far as the event itself - challenging course (of which we ran 13 miles a few weeks earlier), friendly volunteers, clearly marked routes and markers, plenty of water, wonderful finish-line refreshments, awards ceremony and post-race dinner. I would recommend this race as a family-friendly, premier Adirondack event. | |
S. R. from New Haven, VT
(9/27/2005)
"A very enjoyable experience. " (about: 2005)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first distance race and it was a very enjoyable experience. The organization was fantastic, from pick-up of race day materials, to parking, bussing to start of half-marathon, musicians at roadside, finish-line crowd, after-race massage, goodies and awards. Thank you to all organizers for a great experience! Next year I may come back for the Full! |
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