Oct 18, 2024
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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 561 to 571]
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O. V. from NY
(10/30/2003)
"Great marathon, train for it" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 You've read it all and it's all there: downhills fool you into fast speed, uphills come mid to end sections, and unless you're ready for them and have been conservative at the first half you'll struggle. I know I did. But hey - it's nobody's fault but mine :). Still - THE BEST organization, from emails before to expo to start/finish. Spectators are worth coming for even if not for PR. People here take such a big part in marathon it's like being hugged by your own mother. Thanks to everybody. | |
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Douglas Harpel from Arlington, Virginia
(10/27/2003)
"Great Day, Great Course, Great Organization" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Steamtown was my fifth and favorite marathon. The weather, course, support, and race organization were excellent. Would recommend that all runners read, re-read, and heed the counsel on this board about the hills. You simply cannot over-emphasize the need to 1) train on hills; and 2) hold back on the front end of the STEAMTOWN course. There were lots of 'rabbits' on the front end and lots of walkers on the back end. The downhills in the first eight miles make you think that you are faster than you are. Once you've flown down these hills, the modest uphills of the final three miles make you feel like you are climbing Everest. My second-half added 11 minutes to my front-end time.... and I was not alone! (Next time around....)! All in all, an excellent, diverse trek on a beautiful fall day through a succession of PA mountain towns. Thanks to all of the supporters, volunteers and kudos to the organizers. Bus to the start works great. Fluids and porta-potties plentiful. Mile markers visible. Traffic was never an issue. Finish chute and food were fine. Nice T-shirt and okay finisher's medal. I could have been faster at Steamtown, but not more impressed! | |
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J. G. from Asheville NC
(10/24/2003)
"Caveat emptor" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Like every race, this one has its pros and cons. The weather was great, the crowds were great, the organization was great, but beware the elevation chart because it is very deceiving. There are lots of uphills in that long downhill section in the middle of the race. Really appreciated the massage at the end because my legs were locking up after that last long uphill. I trained lots of hills but apparently it wasn't enough. Did set a PR, but I paid for it. | |
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i. w. from new jersey
(10/22/2003)
"This is a tough hilly course" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was one of the best organized marathons I have run. The volunteers were the best. I was surprised, considering there were only about 1800 runners. I don't believe this was a fast downhill course as advertised. They don't seem to mention all of the uphills and some severe hills near the end. I don't suggest this a good race if you are looking for a fast race to qualify for Boston. Go to Chicago instead. This was my sixth marathon and the slowest and most difficult. The course was scenic for the most part and there was plenty of water and gatorade on the course. | |
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g. h. from Washington, DC
(10/17/2003)
"Excellent marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Did this marathon last weekend and the organization was excellent. Thoroughly recommended. My quads were about done in by mile 18 - I guess I didn't run the downhills appropriately and the uphills in the last 3 miles are tougher than the elevation chart makes them appear. So make sure you are prepared for hills... a great experience though.. | |
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A. B. from Newark, DE
(10/16/2003)
"Great race! Watch the downhills" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I prepared for this race with a couple of months of squats and lunges to strengthen my quads as well as weekly downhill sprints. It worked pretty well, but I guess I should have worked the calves as well because they were screaming from mile 18 on while my quads held up pretty well. The first 8 miles are VERY fast, so be careful to pace yourself or it will be bad in the last 3 miles where the hills are going up instead of down. The course is not as fast as may be expected due to the pounding of the downs and then the ups near the end, but you should still run a PR here. I planned to shoot for 2:45 and was on pace at halfway, but the combination of the uphills and early abuse my legs took cost me almost 12 minutes in the second half dropping me to the high 2:50's! Be careful and conservative! The organization and fan support is second-to-none here. Every little town the race passes through is out in force to cheer and support everyone. All of the organization went smoothly, the directors could not have done a better job! The fall foliage is beautiful in the mountains in early October and there is a great train museum for the kids (and adults). I will recommend this marathon to everybody! | |
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J. L. from Downingtown, PA
(10/15/2003)
"Great Boston-qualifier!!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A great race that I highly recommend - this was only my second marathon, but I took 11 minutes off my time, and qualified for Boston. I really like the point-to-point course - a lot of different scenery which makes it enjoyable. It is a fast race, and is downhill primarily for the first half, but I didn't think they were as bad as many had made them out to be. In fact, I managed negative splits by relaxing and taking it easy at the beginning. The run was very well-organized with plenty of volunteers. The fans were great, and the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that there are stretches without fans, which was fine for me, but may be harder for others. The only improvements I would recommend would be some type of energy gel on the course, and a wider corral at the finish. It was very cramped, and hard to get any food or water because of that. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable run!!! | |
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a. f. from New York, New York
(10/14/2003)
"Outstanding Experience!!!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon. I had entered the lottery for NYC, but did not get in initially, so I read reviews on this website and went for Steamtown. The downhills in the first 8 miles were not overwhelming, but should be respected as my quads began feeling like jello at mile 24. The course was scenic - the foliage was beautiful! Organization was marvelous. My super supportive family dropped me off at the start - no problems whatsoever with crowds/traffic. The start was at a high school which opened their gymn up to keep runners warm. Plenty of port-o-lets at the start. Crossed the start in about a minute lining up at the 9 min/mi point. Plenty of Gatorade/water stops (both at every one, although there were no gels or bars). The locals in the towns we ran through were great! I was light on the training side going in and I knew it (only one 18-miler, two 16's, one 15...). I followed a program for the first-timer that called for two 18's and three 16's, but illness and a calf pull set me back a bit. Then I got sick five days before the race, but made a speedy recovery such that I was able to pull it out. The last five miles had some uphills, which were a killer for me due to my light training and illness. I fell off my pace a lot during this stretch but pulled out a 4:25 finish, which I can't complain about. I would highly recommend this race to any runner, especially a first-timer like myself. I was admitted to NYC as a late entry a few weeks ago and expect I will appreciate many aspects of Steamtown even more if I feel well enough to run NY. Great personal experience in a great race!!! | |
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Paul Donati from Pennsylvania
(10/13/2003)
"Best Mid-Sized Marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This marathon is organized for marathoners by marathoners. The attention to detail for what's best for the runners is excellent. The level of community involvement with race volunteers and fans at each small town the course runs through surpassed any I've seen before. My advice to runners is to experience this race... it's terrific! The course is mainly downhill and fast so train on similar terrain. There are some small hills very near the end so be ready. Also, the race organizers will warn you not to start out too fast just because the first half is downhill, but many runners do not heed the advice and suffer the consequences. I saw more runners crashing or continually stopping to stretch in the last 5-6 miles than any other race I've been in. This course is fast but there is no easy 26.2 mile race... respect the distance and you have an excellent chance of a PR here. | |
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D. H. from Pittsburgh
(10/13/2003)
"Top-Notch- Nearly Perfect" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A great race got even better in 2003. How? Frequent email updates in the week or so before the race from the race director; a nice presentation at the expo by experienced runners; and nearly ideal weather. Everything about this race operates smoothly, and it has perhaps the best starting area amenities of any marathon (warm gym to hang out, massage available, adequate number of johns). The pasta dinner is above-average, for only $8.50. The course is truly beautiful, with pockets of spectators every few miles. My only complaint is minor- the race did not start at 8AM sharp, as promised, but was delayed due to a plethora of speakers. |
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