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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 551 to 561]
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d. t. from Brooklyn, NY
(10/12/2004)
"Great course for a great time of the year." (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a great first marathon! I highly recommend driving the course beforehand to understand the final hills. I thought the crowds were well-placed according to the difficulty of the hills at the end. Beautiful fall colors and the people were great. The food was nothing gourmet and the crowd of runners backed up pretty quickly at the finish line (just make the food/staging area twice as big!). Also, TURN THE PA DOWN! I was blasted away 4 times when I ran by a head-high speakers. Anyway, great job. I'd run it again. | |
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C. T. from Summit, NJ
(10/11/2004)
"Best race I have ever been run!" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run over 100 road races of various lengths and Steamtown is by far the best race I have ever run. This was my first marathon and I could not imagine a better place to do it. The organization is unsurpassed, the course was absolutely beautiful, but the best part were the spectators. We ran through several small towns along the course and I swear it seemed like the entire town turned out to cheer the runners on. For most of the race there were so many spectators it was hard to find a place to take a pit stop. The people in the towns were handing out water, cookies, Hershey Kisses - you could get anything you had a craving for. The best thing of all the spectators gave out was encouragement. Even though I did not have a great run the spectators made me feel like I was winning the race. Jim Cummings and his staff have put together an incredible race that they should be proud of. I will be back. | |
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Michael Bullinger from Kennett Square, PA
(10/11/2004)
"Supportive small town atmosphere." (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I completed the race on Sunday. The race was well organized and the community friendliness and support was great. There are a few sparse areas in regards to scenery and crowds, but that just made it better for when you reached the next neighborhood. My left leg had been troubling me for weeks and I should have not run. My left thigh, knee, and hamstring stiffened considerably at mile ten. My wife begged me to quit at mile 16. However, I told her that I did not go to Scanton to run, but to finish. Without the neighborhood support in the final ten miles, I would not have finished. Many spectators had race directories and called out my name and encouragement when I had to walk. As far as performance, It was my worst marathon. As far as finding deep determination within me and receiving help from strangers, I will never forget the people along the Steamtown course. Sincerely, 'Cajun' Mike Bullinger | |
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M. G. from Bayside, NY
(10/10/2004)
"Not what it's cracked up to be" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Just completed the Steamtown Marathon today. Pasta dinner was disappointing. For what was offered, it should have been $3.95 instead of $8.95. The course itself was great in spots. The woodchip paths were beautiful and a refreshing change to roads. The final 5 miles were difficult, as all the uphills are there. Very difficult to put on any final 10K or 5K spurts after you've 'held back' on the downhills. Although I PR'd by 23 minutes, I attribute that to my training and not necessarily the course, since I trained for 11 months and hit all my training goals for a 4 minute faster finish. The water/Gatorade spots were too short. Sometimes the water was first, sometimes the Gatorade was first. There was no consistency. Twice I ran by stops with barely any liquid due to the fact that that by the time I found someone with a cup, I was just about past the stop. The crowds through the towns was very spotty. There was one town that really had some energy, but energy definitely lacked, compared to something like the Richmond Marathon I ran last year. Overall, I wouldn't run this marathon again. There are too many other ones out there, and this didn't give me any reason to repeat it. | |
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L. W. from Doylestown,PA
(10/10/2004)
"My first marathon; what a dynamite experience" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Thanks so much for a terrific weekend. The e-mails and directions were great, expo was convenient and the actual race was terrific. It was my first marathon and I qualified for Boston! Thank you all! | |
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D. G. from Syracuse
(10/6/2004)
"Excellent!!" (about: 2002)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon in '02 and I loved it. In fact, I enjoyed it much more than NYC last year (logistics, too crowded, etc). It is the perfect big 'small' marathon, with 1500 or so runners. Some of my feelings: Logistics were good. Hotel to the bus - 5 minutes. Bus ride to the start was a bit long but it was no big deal. Warm place to use the bathroom, stretch, etc, at the start. Cheerleaders greeting me off the bus was neat. Course - DON'T BE TOO AGGRESSIVE during the downhill portions. You'll be tempted to fly down a few spots but don't because the quads will pay at 20. (I was on pace for about a 3:25 until about 20 and then the quads went - my fault - and I ran a 3:39). Running along the river from mile 2 until 6 or so really nice. If you can, drive miles 20-finish because there are 2 or 3 hills in there that you don't want to be surprised about. Don't bother driving miles 1-20 since it starts North of Scranton and it will be a nice treat not to see it before hand (it's not taxing). After 20 of flat/downhill, they're tougher than they seem, so drive that. Overall, it is a great course, as long as you run it 'correctly' and aren't surprised by the hills. I had 52 degrees the entire race and overcast... was nice (as opposed to NYC). Looks like you'll have nice weather again this year. I love the rails to trails off road 1.5 or so miles... through a great setting. Crowd - amazing. People with fig newtons, gummies, etc, at the right time. The stairs in the high school after the run... ugh, you almost have to slide down on your butt since they're steep and your quads will be shot. In a few years, I'll do it again after I make the circuit.... strongly endorse it. | |
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Al Storie from Bowmanville, Ontario
(9/26/2004)
"The BEST!" (about: 2003)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Running Pals: I had ran at Scranton in 2003. I LOVED the race. I talked and thought about this race often. I will again come to Scranton in 2005. It was a great country marathon. I ran the Marine Corp and really preferred Scranton. It is really worth a visit from afar. I will travel over 6 hours for this event. 'SMILEAGE WITH MILEAGE' Running Pal Al | |
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Paul Oldakowski from New York, NY
(4/3/2004)
"Race organizers really go out their way!" (about: 2003)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 From the mutltiple 'Update Emails' by the race organizers in the weeks leading up to the race, to the many water stations throughout, this is a very well organized event. The information session on the day before the race clinches it. Anyone hoping to set a PR must consider this marathon due to the encouraging spectators and 900+ ft. net drop in elevation. This was my second marathon, and I was 10+ minutes faster than in my first (Gulf Beaches, FL 2002). I will be back! | |
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K. R. from Arlington, MA
(11/28/2003)
"Great downhill course and superb organization!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Steamtown was my seventh marathon and by far my favorite. I ran it because I thought it offered me the best chance at a PR. I run two marathons a year: something in the fall and Boston. I love love love downhills, and therefore, I was quite excited when I read about this race. The uphills at the end were, of course, not fun, and let's not forget the mile of woodchips. However, I did PR by 10 minutes. I will definitely be back! | |
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Dave Hopkins from Baltimore
(11/4/2003)
"Awesome marathon, I loved it" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and I had a great time. I don't have much to compare the hills to, except with my training around Baltimore. I didn't think the hills were bad, except maybe those grueling 2 hills at the end! The downhill at the beginning was fairly tame, but then again, I took it easy. I didn't even feel the need to shuffle my feet. I felt strong the whole race, never really feeling pain or exhaustion, until I was exhausted when I hit a hill in the last mile or two. And heading up the hill at the very end wasn't very pleasant. But overall, I loved the course, and the hills don't compare to some of the races I've done around Baltimore, such as the Oregon Ridge 20-miler. That run screwed my knee up, and I was actually still hobbling a little from it when I did Steamtown. I felt strong the whole time. Food was great, the people in each town were fantastic. I loved it. It was also great getting the emails from the director, leading up to the race. I didn't have an easy time with a couple of people at the expo, but other than that, the people running the race were fantastic. It was funny, I had never run and gotten wood chips or rocks in my shoe, but it happened 3 times during this race. I think if you take the run seriously, it's a fairly easy run. We'll see if I was just 'in my zone' when I run the Marathon in the Parks this weekend. Thank you!! |
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