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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 501 to 511]
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R. P. from Arlington, VA
(10/11/2006)
"Get a PR and Achy Quads from This Fabulous Race!" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A friend selected Steamtown based on its speed rating. The rolling hills surprised me since I thought it would be purely downhill. Everything was very well managed, from the efficently operated bus ride, to the starting line, to the bag storage, to the actual race course. I highly recommend this marathon, but strongly recommend training on declines and lifting weights to strengthen your quads. One thing I would change is the location of the water stops. I would have preferred them to be every mile on the mile rather than about every two miles in some random spot. | |
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D. J. from Brooklyn, New York
(10/11/2006)
"Superb mid-size race; perfect organization" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It really is a perfectly executed race for runners, by runners. The organizers, the volunteers, and the local communities all pour themselves into the event and it's moving and wonderful to be the beneficiary of their efforts. 1. Organization/spectators - The organizers had everything covered perfectly, making it as user-friendly a running experience as I can imagine. Pre-race bus transit was perfect, and then you're in a warm school with ample facilities and loads of incredibly caring, attentive volunteers, so you're made to feel special and your needs are met with no stresses. (A big shout out goes to Forest City and their incredible high schoolers.) You saunter out to the start at the last minute and you're off. The organization remains great throughout - aid stations well placed and well done, highly visible volunteers on course controlling all intersections and marking turns, bike volunteers, EMTs and sag wagons keeping an eye out for runners in trouble, and a fairly smooth finish area with reasonable food, first aid available, easy bag retrieval, available showers, and a nice area to mill about and exult and recover. (They could spread out the after-finish stuff more - there was a slight jam-up getting food and the chip removers weren't obvious; a friendly and very visible volunteer steered me to them.) 2. Course - The course itself is great, though to my mind not perfect. I voted five stars because there is no perfection, and because it is very good both for beauty/interest and for quality of running it permits. It's an engaging mix of rural stretches and charming little towns with good spectator support and overwhelming volunteer presence. There are cars on the opposite lane in a couple of stretches, which isn't ideal but seems unavoidable given the course. While I PR'ed by two minutes having done more training miles than prior efforts, I am not sure if the fast average finish time results from a fast course, or from the race drawing people looking to run fast, or both. (Maybe because the race isn't in a big city, there are no hordes of first-timers just looking to finish their hometown marathon - I say that not pejoratively, but the crowd at the expo was strikingly experienced - and fast-looking compared to other races I've done.) The early declines let you hold pace without too much depletion, but you must watch your quads. The late inclines slow you down. I'm not sure how that nets out for speed of course - it probably varies by person. The early declines include one very steep stretch that's a real quad-buster and actually forced me to slow down; the first mile or two were on fairly narrow streets so I couldn't quite hit my intended pace until I hit the mile two split. The remainder of the first seven or so miles were nice, easy declines and flats, which lets you hit your pace very easily and conserve energy for later. (Listen to them when they tell you to conserve and not try to bank some time!) Much of the middle was really easy and great, at least through 19; I liked the trail parts very much - though some prior year posters griped. (The organizers say one year parks people dumped fresh wood chips on a trail segment thinking this was helpful; this year that wasn't a problem.) I found the two main late inclines - Electric topping at the St. Joe's folks, and the grind that tops out at the 260mile marker - significantly tough, and they really slowed me down. (The St. Joe's folks are a real inspiration and it helps to keep them in mind as you plug up the hill.) Still, I finished feeling stronger than I have in most other marathons. One other tip - do attend the course presentation at the expo. It's hard to preview the course in person and they do a great job telling and showing you what to expect. My bottom line: this is a truly great, beautiful, runner-friendly event and you'll be happy if you do it. | |
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Paul Donati from Pennsylvania
(10/10/2006)
"Simply the BEST!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Boston is a great marathon that I've run twice. I've run several other good marathons... but the best is Steamtown. Thanks to Steamtown I will be back in Boston in 2007 and 2008. The course is PR friendly if you run it smart, the organization is absolutely flawless (and I've seen plenty of flaws in other marathons), and spectator support is terrific as you run through the small communities that line the course. This year (2006) was my third time at Steamtown and I'll be back! | |
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W. M. from Iowa
(10/10/2006)
"Beautiful day - good course" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Although the course was hillier than I expected, the support more than made up for it. For a moderately small event, this was VERY WELL supported. I finished near the end, and stayed for some of the final runners. It would be nice if the crew did not start tearing down the finish area until all the runners were in. I understand the logistics involved, but it can be very disheartening to think that you are the one holding everybody up. On a more positive note, my wife and I like to eat at small local places to get a "taste" of the culture. This time we ate at Giovanni's Pizzeria in Dunmore. The food was outstanding (get the linguini with red clam sauce and sausage) and the owner was very welcoming. There's my restaurant review for the week. The weather was perfect. This is a MUST-DO marathon for those looking for one in Pennsylvania. GREAT JOB and KUDOS to ALL involved. | |
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Mike & Gina McGee from Latrobe, PA
(10/9/2006)
"Great mid-sized marathon with fast course!" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 We have run Steamtown three times. I have run a PR twice, and my wife has PR'd all three times, qualifying her for the Boston Marathon Elite Women's Start each time. The mostly downhill course is fast if run correctly. The race organization and volunteers are unmatched in a race of this size - a great experience all around. | |
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Elizabeth Galloway from Ludlow, Vermont
(5/14/2006)
"Best race I've ever run!" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The organization and crowd support of this race make it a perfect choice for a first marathon, then as a return favorite every year after. | |
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M. G. from Philly burbs, Pa
(1/25/2006)
"fantastic and fast!" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great race from start to finish. The expo is small, but after picking up my number we went to a church service held there in the auditorium. A service given by a priest that had run all but one of the marathons. I did not plan on running this race fast. After about 10 comfortable miles I noticed that if I kept up my pace I could PR, and I did. The course is absolutely great. A perfect mix of town and country. It seemed as if the majority of the people in these small towns came out to cheer everyone one. It is a tough but short hill at about mile 23, but after cresting the hill it was worse; I had to go down the other side with beaten up quads from the earlier declines (did not do any hill training). A great, gentle, downhill finish. My favorite marathon thus far, and plan on returning next year. | |
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G. T. from Chicago, IL
(1/24/2006)
"Not as fast as I thought it would be." (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have been chasing a BQ for 2 years now. Ran a 3:37 in Chicago in 2004 and thought that with some harder training and the right course I might just be able to do it. I did spring speed work and interval training this year, which is something I had never done. So I entered marathon training in a lot better shape and with a lot more speed than in the past. I trained for a 3:20 finish time. I gave up my scenic routes in lieu of something that had hills. I ran all my runs on the hill course, and despite that, all my times were significantly faster per mile than in previous years. Friday's were hills and intervals and I peaked at 20 hill repeats (7 miles) during training. I finished the training schedule pretty fresh as we had a really cool summer in Chicago. I thought Steamtown was going to be a cinch. I arrived on Friday to get adjusted. On Saturday I picked up my packet, drove the route to mentally prepare for the race, ate dinner and got a good night's sleep. I think I would of had my BQ if it were not for the two hills at the end. One hill would have been plenty. I particularly did not like the Electric Street hill; it winds as it goes up and you can't see where it ends. The finish hill into town is manageable. In spite of my additional training and harder training I only managed a 3:32 on a perfect day. It was a PR by 5 minutes, but with the additional work I put in toward training I was expecting a little better. The organization was excellent and I really liked the small size. I would run this marathon again and I may do it again in 2006 now that I know the course a little better. | |
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Patrick Lynam from Arnold,PA
(12/28/2005)
"Mid-size marathon, small-town charm" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Organization of this race is absolutely FIRST-CLASS! It seemed to me like all bases were covered. Porta-potties a plenty (no more than a 5-minute wait at the start). Volunteers everywhere, course clearly marked, great finish area and post-race food tent. The course is excellent, except for the small section of wood chips. The hill at mile 24 is a challenge, but if you do hill training, you will be fine. One final comment: allow time to ATTEND THE COURSE PRESENTATION, as the information you get there will be INVALUABLE. If you register for this one and expect a great experience, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!! | |
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K.A. Mattie from New York, NY
(11/2/2005)
"Great first time marathon experience" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a great first experience for me. The course is mainly downhill, which I later learned would be tough on my quads--but it allowed me to have a great fininshing time. The hills at the end aren't terrible, at all. The crowds were sparse but super fun and enthusiastic when you came into each of the towns. It was super organised and the race director kept in touch with funny and informative e-mails. They really go out of their way to put on a great event. The weather was overcast and cool---which was perfect. All in all, a great experience that I would definitely recommend. My thanks and appreciation go out to everyone who helped make this happen and cheered along the way! |
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