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Steamtown Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Steamtown Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.9 
Spectators 4.7
Number of comments: 616 [displaying comments 491 to 501]
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M. F. from Wayne, NJ
(10/18/2006)
"Good marathon, but not as fast as advertised" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I'm a little amused by the comments about how good the course is. It wasn't quite as fast as I hoped. I spoke with a friend who ran it two years ago; I ran it this year, and we both came to the same conclusion: The first half is remarkably fast. The second half, well... ... First of all, I didn't care much for the wood-chip trails. While they were nice and soft, I would've preferred the pavement. Running shoes bounce off of pavement, but they sink into wood chips. I had to work a bit harder than I wanted to on the trails just to keep up pace. The same pace seemed so much easier on the roads. The hills at 23, 24, and 26 were tough. 24 was the worst - long and steep. They're not at a very good location. On the upside is the race's organization. It's the best I've ever been to. You'd think a point-to-point race would be a logistical nightmare, but everything was done beautifully, especially the finish line area. The spectators were awesome. In every little town there were hundreds of enthusiastic fans. It made running fun. I'd probably do this again, as it's only two hours from where I live, although the course might give me hesitation. | |
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j. e. from buffalo, new york
(10/18/2006)
"well organized and a must for all marathoners" (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third marathon, and although it was my worst time of the three, this was by far the best event! Everything was well organized and the people - runners, volunteers, and marathon staff - were the friendliest bunch I have met. Although it was hard to slow down enough on the immense declines for the first eight miles - yes, eight straight miles - it's best to train hard on hills, as quads seemed not to be part of my body towards the end. This marathon should be scheduled by anyone who has the marathon bug! | |
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K. B. from Connecticut
(10/17/2006)
"Doesn't get any better than Steamtown" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This year was the second time I've run Steamtown (ran in 2004, too), and the experience was as stellar as the first! I can't really add any value to the other accolades (who needs to?). I can say that they improved on near perfection by adding cola to the food table at the end (in my opinion the best post-race drink). I've only one comment on the course. I notice that after the half, a number of people passed me, only to have me catch and pass them before mile 20. My guess is that they come off the downhill section and then try to maintain their first half pace. This pace is too fast, and they burn out. This course is not meant to be run with even splits. You have to enjoy the decline, bank those fast miles, and then have the discipline to run a sustainable pace for the second half. | |
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David Stansbury from Harrisburg, PA
(10/16/2006)
"Simply Outstanding" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 First of all, the organization of this event is first-class from the pre-race emails, expo, Forest City high school, to the scores of volunteers on the course. Everyone seemed to know exactly what to do and how to do it. Course: The course itself was very enjoyable. Listen to the course presentation at the expo. Stay conservative for the first 7 miles or so of declines. It will save your quads for the hills at the end. They said that the middle part was pretty flat, but I thought that it had more rolling hills than anything, which actually provides good variety for your legs. The trails were beautiful and a nice change from the road. I did not like the wood chip section at all as it made my knees feel like they were going to explode. But that was just a short part of the course. The hills at the end can be daunting because they are at the end, but I just put my head down until I reached the top. Spectators don't line the course like in the bigger marathons, but they were still standing by the road and clapping by the time the mid-packers like me went by. With training that included a lot of hills and speed work, a great course and nice weather, I was able to PR by 10 minutes and finally achieved my goal of a sub 4-hour marathon. I gave it all I had up that last hill! I couldn't have been happier at the finish if I qualified for Boston. Thanks again to the race directors for a nearly flawless event. And thanks again to Bruce from Brooklyn for pushing me to the end. Good luck in Boston. | |
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M. L. from Chicago, IL
(10/14/2006)
"Great, Small-Town-Feel Marathon" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 While the bigger races get upwards of 30,000+ participants, this race has a genuine small-town feel to it due to the smaller field and the picturesque towns that the course winds through. Crowd support for a marathon of this size is impressive, and it is clear that, come marathon weekend, this is "the event" in town. The only caveat I have for people who want to run this race is to be advised that the elevation chart provided by the race organizers shows only "net" changes in elevation; there are some (small, but not insignificant) hills even before the last two miles. Also, I want to say "thank you" to the kind spectator who, without hesitating, got out of her chair and stood before me at mile 24 when I cramped up on one of the few hills in this course. That kind of concern for others is unexpected, but typical of the support that runners get in this race. Overall, this marathon is well-organized, well-supported, and well worth your time and travel. At a time when marathon running continues to grow, it is getting harder and harder to find worthwhile races that can give you what this marathon has to offer. It's small, but excellent. | |
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Stephen Brown from Robinson, Kansas
(10/14/2006)
"Undisputed Queen of Marathons!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Wow, what a race! They aspire to be the "Best Midsize Marathon" and they have achieved it in my opinion. The organization was superb, the course was beautiful, and there were cheering crowds the entire way. I brought my iPod (yes, I know it's against the rules), but never used it because of the throngs of cheering crowds literally every step of the way! Where do they find so many enthusiastic people? The people of Scranton and the communities through which this race runs obviously take great ownership and pride in this race. On a technical note to future runners, resist the temptation to open up the jets during the long declines in the first half of the course. I was planning to pace myself at 8:30-minute miles, but found myself doing 7-minute miles for quite a few mile splits. Although I set a PB, this was a rookie mistake and I could have done a lot better if I had saved more for the finish. There were a lot of boinked walkers towards the end who should not have been. Overall, best race on all fronts I've done anywhere. Mega kudos to organizers, volunteers and fans!! | |
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K. L. from Rochester NY
(10/13/2006)
"wonderful organization" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was one of the best organized races I have ever run. These race directors should conduct classes for anyone organizing a marathon - they thought of everything! I loved the trails on the course; the crowd support was great; the volunteers at the start were priceless; plenty of water/Gatorade and spectators handing out gummy bears/oranges/spray hoses/pretzels, etc.; the expo was small, but just enough for a mid-size marathon; I thoroughly enjoyed each and every email - they were not only helpful with directions, maps, viewing spots, but entertaining also. I didn't particularly enjoy the hills at the end and should have trained (more) for the hilly course. I did enjoy everything about this race and will definitely recommend this race. The only downside for this race were the accommodations, which were no fault of the directors. The Clarion employees had no idea there was a marathon in town, there were no clocks in the rooms and the rooms were not clean. | |
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C. F. from Connecticut
(10/13/2006)
"Awesome Race" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Steamtown Marathon blows away the big boys. The organization is first-class, the course is fast (if run correctly) and the fans are spirited. Even the traffic cops and the National Guardsmen are friendly. There is no hype, hassle, aggravation, confusion or dilution. Steamtown restores your faith in running - everyone at the start line was there for the purity of the sport, not to be part of "the world's largest marathon" or a race with some other absurd moniker. A 2006 PR and BQ time. I will be back. | |
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R. K. from KY
(10/12/2006)
"Susquehanna, Lackawanna, Rah-rah-rah!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The course gets the hype, but it's the people organizing, supporting, and cheering who make this a great event. It's a shame the cool name doesn't convey the hospitality at Forest City, the church bells, the Carbondale festivity, or the thousands of kind and generous folks along the way. There are a few dead spots where a boombox or kazoo band could sure provide a little lift, and better filling of cups with Gatorade or water (less than 1/4 full sometimes) might have helped at a few stations, but it's hard to imagine much else anyone could do to improve things on the course. The shirt is great. The medal has already provoked envious grumbles from a few folks whose races earlier this year were less thoughtful. I know of no race with better, more useful, or more entertaining e-mail updates. Throwing in the pre-race bagpiping and the Naval Academy Marathon Team makes the 2006 edition an even finer memory. | |
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A. M. from Houston,Texas
(10/11/2006)
"Great PR course." (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Very fast course. Very picturesque. Fall foliage, DOWNHILL, trails. I PR-ed and broke three hours!!! I traveled up from Texas and the weather was delightful. The 1st and 4th miles were super fast. Be careful and increase turnover. Crowds are great. The trail part is a nice break. The two hills are at 24 and 25.7. The Electric St. hill is not that long and the crowds will help pick you up. You get a big reward with the long decline to finish that mile. The 25.7 hill is tough at that point, but once you make the top, you get a short downhill finish. Reserve your hotel early. I got one in Wilkes Barre and still parked only a block from finish. |
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