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Twin Cities Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Twin Cities Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.8 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 4.9
Number of comments: 455 [displaying comments 361 to 371]
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J. B. from Washington, D.C.
(10/14/2003)
"Even better than the first time" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran Twin Cities in '99 and swore I'd be back. What a race! Unlike '99, I ran out of gas towards the end and it wasn't my day, but that's my fault. It's unfortunate that some runners who finished in over 4:30 had a negative experience. TCM needs to be careful when it comes to Cliff Shots, water, etc. There's NO EXCUSE for running out of supplies, provided the people are finishing before the cut-off time, which I would imagine was at least six hours. Having said this, I NEVER rely on the race to supply me with with energy gels, even if it's the kind I use. You never know what could happen: they could run or not be where they're supposed to be. You don't take chances like that in the 26.2. There are too many other things that can go wrong. Water is another story. That's up to the maraton. This is something that should be included in the registration fee. TCM should consider having water stops every mile, or at least every mile during the final 10K. If a marathon like Columbus can do this, why can't Twin Cities? I think people got confused by the fence at the start. That was for runners who were designated to start in the first wave - those who ran 3:45 or qualified for Boston within the last two years. I could see how this wasn't clear and many started panicking and scaling the fence at the last minute. Many of these people didn't belong there. They shouldn't have waited until the last minute to head to the start if they're the slightest bit competitive, especially in a major marathon like TCM. Still, TCM should have put signs on the fence. I agree with the previous comment about the website: It should be better. There should have been info with regard to expo seminars, etc. I know we received an e-mail about this, but I'd accidentally deleted it then was out of luck until I got to Minneapolis. This is all constructive criticism. I've done 22 marathons and TCM is my second favorite - only NY is ahead of it. I did Boston this year and thought TCM was a much more enjoyable experience, and I loved Boston. | |
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P. N. from Saint Paul, MN
(10/13/2003)
"Excellent for first-timers" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and I couldn't have had more fun! The volunteers were excellent, and the course was truly beautiful. I am so proud to have this as my hometown marathon! This marathon is very back-of-the-packer-friendly. I finished in 5:50, and the many spectators were out to cheer on those until the very end. There were plenty of people running my pace, and everyone is very supportive. Race officials actually kept the finish clock running until 6:10 to make sure that those starting at the very back of the start line had a full 6 hours to finish. The running out of Clif Shots was a downer, but I had been given advice about bringing extra gels by back-of-the-packer friends, so it didn't affect me personally. I also put snacks inside my sweat bag knowing that the good finish line food might be gone by the time I got there. I agree that organizers should be better about making sure there's gel and food for everyone, but knowing that many races do run out, I was prepared. I was also prepared for not going home with a t-shirt since they ran out of them in my size. No big deal... it happens to us back-of-the-packers all the time, and we're used to getting our t-shirts mailed after the race. Other notes: no waiting in line for porta-potties, but bring your own toilet paper if you are a back-of-the-packer; good medical support people with jars of Vaseline at aid stations; lots of music (live and stereo) on the course; good shuttle service from parking lots at start to the Metrodome (buses come one after the other). | |
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Mary Newcomer from Ft. Walton Bch, Fl
(10/12/2003)
"Most beautiful marathon I've run!!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I selected this marathon to be my 100th MARATHON, as it is my favorite (because of it's beauty, fantastic crowd and good organization). I always look forward to running this marathon every year. It is one I never miss!! | |
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P. R. from Verona, Wisconsin
(10/11/2003)
"A fantastic first marathon on a picture perfect da" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was the first marathon for my niece and myself, and you would be hard pressed to find a more spectacular setting for an urban marathon. From the Minneapolis skyscrapers, to the lakes and Mississippi River, the endless beautiful Victorian homes on Summit Avenue, and finally passing the Basilica to the finish at the State Capitol building, there was always something new to take in! Spectator support was great, as were the several bands and stereo systems, and the weather was perfect, cool and sunny with no wind. The only glitches were at the start, an 8' chain-link fence made it all but impossible to plug into your estimated finish time if you waited in the Metrodome until close to 8:00, and the advertised 10 minute window between start waves was about 1 minute. They ran out of Cliff Shots for those running behind about a 4:30 time. And, skip the Sidney's pasta dinner; we got there at 6:30 in an advertised 4-8pm time frame, and the pasta was luke warm at best, the desserts were gone and there were only a few bread crusts left. Despite these minor problems, we had a tremendous weekend, I would like to run this one again! | |
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Y. M. from Atlanta, GA
(10/9/2003)
"Beautiful Event" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my third marathon. The other two were Chicago and Nashville. In terms of a scenic course, it's very hard to compete with the Twin Cities. The weather this year was just perfect. The spectators were very enthusiastic and the volunteers did an excellent job. The only negatives that I can mention here are the water stations and the medals. The water stations were not spaced right and some of them were not very obvious. I missed one stop which cost me 4.5 miles with no fluids. I paid a price for that later. The medals were really a joke. I received better medals from smaller local events. The long-sleeve finisher shirts, however, were beautiful. Overall a very positive experience in a beautiful city. If they can improve the water situation this would be an ideal one to run. | |
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S. D. from Minneapolis MN
(10/9/2003)
"Still my favorite!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I love the course! Temperatures were perfect. The sky was blue, the leaves were beautiful. The crowds were supportive(at one point I felt I was in Boston as they encroached on the course and there was just a narrow roadway to traverse) and I finished in around 3:30 and encountered no problems with water, cups, etc. A new two-wave start was instituted this year allowing faster runners an area in the front. Your wave was indicated on your bib and bibs were checked. I like this feature as I hate making my way through slower runners, and some don't honor the pacing signs. The expo was wonderful. The people in charge here make this a first-class event, and my hat is off to them again. NOTE: There may have been difficulties at the Metrodome this year because a baseball playoff game was to be held that afternoon and there may have been allowances for security. | |
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e. m. from TX
(10/8/2003)
"Highly recommended" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 4th marathon, and by far the most beautiful. No stretch isn't stunning (once you get out of downdown Minneapolis at the start) - whether it's lakes, trees, gorgeous houses, the river, or the impressive Capitol at the finish line. I don't understand others' complaints about poor organization or lack of water, but maybe they wanted more water stops than I did. The organization was great, more volunteers than I've ever seen at a race, and the spectators are fantastic. I wore a t-shirt with my name and country's flag, and was yelled at (in the best sense!) the entire way. It is deceptively hilly, and I didn't quite make my goal, but still did a PR (under 4 hours). We had perfect weather, but I wondered if we would still have been outdoors at the end even if it was bad weather - that would be miserable. I didn't like the fenced-in start area, but since it was chip-timed, it didn't bother me that we were stuck far back from the start line. I liked the fact that we could be indoors before the start. | |
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a. d. from Bismarck, ND
(10/8/2003)
"Fabulous First Marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A few days after the marathon, I still can't believe what a wonderful experience the Twin Cities Marathon was for me. It was my 1st marathon. The crowd participation and enthusiasm was unbelievable. The entire route people were yelling my bib number and 'Go pink shirt lady!' What encouragement to keep up the pace. The race was very well organized... from registration to the finish line. Thanks for the wonderful experience!! | |
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N. W. from Shakopee, Minnesota
(10/8/2003)
"Spectators make this race great" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon so I don't have too much to compare it to besides half-marathons. However, I was impressed by the many volunteers and spectators that made this such a successful race. To pull all the thousands of volunteers together and make the event run smoothly is one great accomplishment. The beautiful scenery comes in 2nd to the 250,000 cheering spectators on hand. The only drawback to the course is that some parts are really narrow and that makes the ability to pass difficult. | |
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B. C. from Atlanta,GA
(10/8/2003)
"Good Marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran this marathon (my fourth) and really liked it. What a great idea to start next to the Metrodome so exeryone could stay warm. There were actually 4 gates/entrances open so getting in and out was no problem unless you had a herd mentality. Plenty of WARM bathrooms on the inside. The start was OK, but the fence they put up was a big mistake. People of all ability levels trying to scale a 7-8 foot fence to jump in line. Course was wonderful. Great support from the crowd. Finish area was well organized. Only one of the many, many water stops was unorganized. Will definitely run this one again!! |
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