Rochester Marathon - Race Reviews

As many have said, oh the hills. I knew it was a hilly course going in so shame on me for having unrealistic performance expectations. The 1st 5K of the course is relatively flat followed by a MASSIVE downhill that gets you about a mile at near sea level. And then you climb. And Climb. And Climb...for about 8 miles. I feel for anyone who did the full because they got to enjoy that not once but twice. Post race was pretty weak IMO, no electrolyte solution like Gatorade just water with bagels and fruit.

If you want to qualify for Boston, this is not the course for you. Too many steep hills.

2015 was my first time running the new course (half only); I had run the old course several times in my attempt to improve my marathon time and qualify for Boston. The old course was a fast, flat run mostly along the Erie Canal. About eight miles of it were on dirt/crushed stone, which actually seemed to help my feet not get as sore as they normally do. The new course is very scenic, but it is also extremely hilly, not just rolling hills but steep inclines that you almost need to walk up. It is a double-loop marathon, and after running the half, I couldn't imagine having to turn around and do another loop. I might consider running the half again, but I would never do the full marathon. I wish that this course had been added as an additional half marathon for Rochester runners, rather than replacing the Rochester Marathon course along the canal. However, I do like that Fleet Feet is now running the race - they always do a great job keeping everything organized and fun.

If you want to try to qualify for Boston, this race is not for you. Very crowded the first five miles. The hills were too much. The course they had along the Erie Canal the year before was much better.

Overall a good race  variety of scenery, water, bridges, boats, trees, bike trails, residential areas, and even a cemetery. Lots of hills, Double loop with a little added. VERY crowded at beginning; I was walking as fast as the runners were running; it was that congested. Should start the Half marathoners later. Not enough porta potties (usually only one) at aid stations. Host hotel had 3 pm. checkout. Nice post-race  pizza, chocolate milk. Super friendly volunteers. Had race day packet pickup since Expo closed at 4 p.m. day before.

The Pros: - Course is scenic with lots of different scenery changes (boardwalk, trail, city) -Course was well-marked - Water stops on second half of the course were good. Cons: - With some minor exceptions, the full course was just repeating the half course. For me, it was mentally tough to run a big hill on mile 7 knowing that I was going to do it all over again at mile 20. - For the first half, the water stops were disorganized and overwhelmed. I couldn't even get water around mile 6 as the volunteers were completely unprepared for the number of runners. That said, it was fine on the second half of the race since instead of 50 runners there were about 1 or 2 per water stop. -As a full runner you were basically on your own for the second half. I was told of 3,200 runners, 2,800 were halfers. The rest made up the full and the relay. When I was running on the second half, everyone around me seemed to have a relay bib. -Low spectator support on the second half of the course. Overall, I would not run this race again as a full. If you are prepared for the hills and want to run the half only, I think it's a good race.

This year was the first featuring a new management team and a new course. I for one enjoyed the new course and was impressed with this race. As a visitor to Rochester I found all the on-course volunteers, marshalls, police and spectators to be very polite & warm, the course was scenic and not as tough as I feared (there are several hills). Some of the friendliest fellow-runners as well, everyone encouraging each-other. Best: free parking near finish line, free on-course photographers, free shuttle to start-line, one of the best start-line MC's I've ever heard, good finish line vibe. Informative website, smooth registration & same-day bib p/u. To be improved: water stands too small, easy to confuse water & Gatorade.

Overall a good race  variety of scenery  water, bridges, boats, trees, bike trails, residential areas, even a cemetery. Lots of hills, Double loop with a little added. VERY crowded at beginning; I was walking as fast as the runners were running; it was that congested. Should start the Half marathoners later. Not enough porta potties (usually only one) at aid stations. Host hotel had 3 pm. checkout. Nice post-race  pizza, chocolate milk. Super friendly volunteers. Had race day packet pickup since Expo closed at 4 p.m. day before.

Enjoyed East Avenue, canal portion. Run on cinders from about mile 9 to mile 17. Remainder of course is paved. Organization nice, people friendly. Plentiful water stops every 2 miles or so. Good size, not crowded with thousands of runners. Only negative is Fluid electrolyte drink tastes awful. Enjoyed very much.

It wasn't my best performance, but I still had a great time. Pros: - The Erie Canal portion of the course was beautiful. The leaves on some of the trees were just starting to turn. - This was one of the best organized races of any size I've ever run. - Water stations were plentiful and super-well organized. - Volunteers were helpful and enthusiastic. - They started us 15 minutes ahead of the half, so there was no crowding. - For a race of this size (only about 700 for the full, not counting the relay teams), I was impressed by how many spectators turned out early to cheer along the city streets (some even came down to cheer at access points along the canal). - The relay transition areas were right alongside the course, so the relay teams became extra-huge groups of cheering spectators ... a particularly nice surprise on the canal path. - Plentiful chocolate milk, water, pizza, bananas, and donut holes at the finish. - Bag drop and pickup was a breeze. - Host hotel was very nice and a good deal. They even put out post-race bananas at the checkout desk. Cons: - I didn't like the Fluid energy drink they used, but what made it worse was that some of the kids at the water stops were yelling that they had Gatoraid. I hope they correct that in the future. - I tried running with a pace group, but the pacer's splits were all over the place. I expected a steadier pace. General info: - A couple miles on the city streets have what I would describe as gentle, rolling hills. You pick up the Erie Canal path around mile 9 and it is almost perfectly flat from there to a short climb up to the Ford Street Bridge. Once over the bridge, it's flat again. - Portions of the canal path are dirt and gravel. It rained the night before the race, and there were several large puddles in the path. You can run around them in the grass, but expect to get a little mud on your shoes if it's wet. - Upstate NY is breezy ... pretty much all the time. That breeze typically comes out of the west, so you have to run straight into it for most of your trek along the canal. - Long stretches of the canal are not readily accessible, thus, there are no spectators other than the volunteers at the water stations for several miles. If you're a runner that likes cheering crowds, especially as a motivator over the second half of a race, this might not be your style.

This was a really nice marathon: Good stuff: 1) nice medal 2) nice shirt 3) very organized expo 4) friendly volunteers 5) very pretty course (especially East Avenue)...Erie Canal was nice also. 6) Plenty of aid stations along the way 7) Excellent traffic control 8) Chocolate milk at finish (my fav) 9) The start was great...full marathon starts 15 minutes before half, so never crowded. 10) Nice finish line...lots of cheering and they call out your name. I went to Letchworth State Park (about a one-hour drive south of Rochester) the day after the race...strongly recommend going there, as it is beautiful!

Loved the Rochester marathon. Small - just the way I like it. Just enough enthusiastic spectators. Loved running along the Historic Erie canal through some neat little towns. Gravel was a nice break for my feet.

I have run approximately 15 marathons and find the MVP to be a great event! The course is close to flat, with a few minor hills. The first portion is on the streets of Rochester. The roads are more suburbia than anything with a great deal of trees (very little direct sun) With about 2/3 of it on the Erie Canal path. The last mile or so is back on the streets. The parking is easy to access and there are numerous reasonably priced hotels in the area. This is a great run for the BQ Boston runner and the price is very reasonable for what you get! The volunteers did a fantastic job and did it with a smile!

Pros: Nice, mostly-flat course on city streets and 12 miles along the Erie canal (which is about 1/2 gravel and 1/2 paved) Crowd support was better-than-expected for a small marathon The Hyatt was a reasonably nice hotel, with friendly employees Bag drop / pick-up was well-organized Free massages at the end Cons: There's nothing for visitors to do in Rochester The expo closed too early on Sat (4pm) Unattractive race shirt and medal Food at the end was poor Faster marathoners will spend the last 6 miles passing by the 1/2 marathon walkers some water stops weren't organized (the same volunteers had gatorade and water, one in each hand) There aren't any race clocks along the course, but that's not an issue for anyone with a Garmin

I ran the Rochester half, my hometown race, in 2011. The course is mostly flat with a couple of bumps and inclines. The course starts on the Andrews bridge and goes through downtown neighborhoods for a few miles. Wide streets with excellent traffic control by marshals and police. For the last several miles the half course merges with the final portion of the full marathon course that runs along the paved Erie canal and Genesee river paths. All races end with a downtown finish by the Frontier Field. The event was very well organized. Nice expo that stayed open until late in the evening the day before. Water stops were available, but I didn't end up needing them since it was cool out. The weather that year was perfect, dry and cool. Plenty of volunteers and spectators everywhere on the course. Although it's a small town, it's got an active running community and lots of people come out to (loudly) cheer. I registered fairly late but still got a red long-sleeve cotton top. The registration fees were not high compared to other races.

Ran this as my second marathon in an attempt to BQ for Boston '12. Weather was great (50ish at the start a little over 60 by the finish). Course was good - I like the section along the Erie that others are calling boring - but I'm glad that I rode the course a few days before to find out that there was 5.5 miles of gravel in the middle. Water stop support was top notch and everything was plentiful as I went by. Gus were positioned after water/Gatorade which is tough if you want to take them right away. Ran past a lot of half-marathon walkers in the last 4 miles of the course. I was all alone at that point, so it was tough to pace. Walkers were generally good about making room when they heard me coming though, which was nice. Thanks Rochester - it was a well run marathon overall and everything I needed. Signed up for Boston '12 the next morning.

Wow! This is a superbly organized marathon. The course is great and scenic, running along the Erie canal, the hills are negligible, and the organization is stellar. Highly recommended!

I thought the marathon was okay. The course is somewhat boring as you travel out against traffic to the Erie towpath and run it until about mile 24. It's nice but by mile 20 it's a little redundant. The last 2 miles you do nothing but tell half-marathon walkers that there is a runner coming. I ran this race on the back half of the Highlander cycle tour and would not consider running the just the marathon. Too many other fall marathons to choose from.

I ran the half again this year. I have run as a relay team member twice and I have run the half 3 times. My wife ran as a relay team member for the first time this year. We had a great time. I may run the full marathon next year. I feel that this was the best year yet. We had so much fun. The relay stations were crowded and exciting. I enjoy running down East Ave., on the canal, through the park and on the U of R campus. The people at the water stops where really fun and encouraging. It just keeps getting better and better each year. I can't wait until next year.

This is my first Rochester Marathon, and my number 88 marathon. I loved it! Being skeptical about running for more than 10 miles on the Erie Canal Pathway, both from a support and a boredom prospective, I wrote to the race director. Greg replied to me and was very supportive and encouraging. I really did enjoy running on the canal pathway; it was so beautiful, had so much history, and there was plenty of support on the pathway from course marshals, water station volunteers, relay teams and spectators, and medical doctors! They were awesome! They talked to runners and offered words of encouragement. The rest of the Rochester Marathon course was very nice. We ran on East Ave., with all the beautiful mansions and houses. Rochester Policemen did a great job controlling traffic; they also cheered the runners and shouted words of encouragement. Two policewomen were on the mound on the canal pathway, showing their support. I would like to thank bib # 83, Tom Butler, his running friend, and his wife for supporting me on the course when I was not feeling well. Thanks to Tom's wife for taking some of my running gear to the Fleet Feet baggage pick-up at the finish. I highly recommend that everyone run Rochester. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency, a very luxurious hotel, with great service, for only $99 per night! We were given a late check-out to 3 p.m. I was sick to my stomach during and after the marathon; I took a nap, and sent my husband down to ask for late check-out to 3:30 p.m. It was honored. A pasta dinner at the Hyatt was great; the food and service was great. The manager, hostess, waitresses and waiters were so friendly and very professional. The salad was healthy and consisted of high-quality greens. NOT A PIECE OF WILTED GREEN! I would like to run it again next year if I don't have a conflict with another marathon. We stopped and stayed Sunday night at Letchworth State Park (the Grand Canyon of the East), and hiked to the Upper Falls, Middle Falls and Lower Falls. It was so beautiful. I have lived in New York State for 39 years, and this was the first time that I visited Rochester and Letchworth State Park. I feel so lucky to have had the experience!

This was my first marathon. The volunteers were great, the spectators wonderful, and the course was, well... a little boring. I didn't think it would get to me, but whoa. By mile 15 I was done with the Canal. Must have been the equivalence of a treadmill run. If you're planning on running this, just make sure you're prepared mentally for the stagnant scenery. All in all, though, it was a good first-marathon experience!

Had a great weekend in Rochester running this marathon (my 27th, and 19th state) and also visiting with some old friends (as I grew up in Rochester). After rain being forecasted most of the week, race morning started dry, then misted for awhile, then stopped, and the overcast skies made for perfect running temperature. I enjoyed the variety of the course - streets, bridges, canal trail, etc. The course was perfectly marked, patrolled, and marshaled. The water stations were plentiful and very well staffed with enthusiastic volunteers, even for this slower runner. The Hyatt Hotel was super - really appreciate the discounted rate and late check out in this fine hotel. The only one thing I would change would be to have the timing chips available at the packet pickup expo to eliminate the extra walking race morning. Overall, a great marathon I would wholeheartedly recommended it to anyone (unless you need a lot of crowd support, which I do not).

I've run this every year since it started up again in Rochester and love this race. The organization is flawless. The course is beautiful and mostly flat. My only criticism is the one I make every year. Please, please, please, please put the chips in the pickup packets like most races do. It saves time and confusion at the morning activities. If you are concerned about not getting them back, then just take a credit card number as a deposit. Also, the strap is not the most comfortable thing to wear for 26.2 miles.

I ran the Rochester 1/2 on Sunday, and it was well organized, on a very scenic course and with awesome spectators. This is the first major race I've run in my own home town, so it was great to see so many familiar faces. The only problem I had was the lack of port-o-potties throughout the race. I had to stop of at Walgreens to go in the middle of the race, which was not fun. Other than that, it was a great race.

This is the 3rd time I ran this marathon. It is well organized, but over half the course is on the boring Erie Canal path.

Love that in the packet there was about marathon etiquette. Everyone who runs needs to read it.

I ran the half-marathon here last year and my first full this year. Overall: a well run, smallish, flat and fast marathon. The course: thumbs up. It's flat and fast. OK, there are a couple easy rolling hills in the first 10 miles, but they are more like bumps in the road. Flat after mile 10. Tip: the couple of miles of gravel on the canal path can hurt your quads (only a little) if you run only on roads. But no biggie. Organization: thumbs up. After last year's heat wave and water station problems, everything was perfect. I confess to skipping the expo and picking up the packet on race morning. No problems. Port-a-potty lines a bit long, but no big complaints. No idea about the hotel - I'm local. The weather: thumbs up. Great this year (50ish in the am, 72F by noon). The scenery: thumbs down (though that really depends on what you like). If you are a city person, you'll hate it. If you love pretty parks and nature, you'll like it. Volunteers and spectators: thumbs up! It's not the race where two million people cheer you on. You (probably) won't get free beer from spectators. But the people who make it onto the canal make themselves heard and stay around for slowpokes like me. All around: way cool.

I ran this race in 2006 (its second year) and while I generally liked the race and the organization, I had a problem with the host hotel and the race director who inserted herself in the middle of a discussion about the accommodations. Three years later, I think this race has really improved. The course is still fabulous (I may be biased - it's my hometown). While some find the canal towpath boring, I find it beautiful and serene. The race organization is improved. The big pleasant surprise was the new (to me) host hotel! I simply cannot say enough about the Hyatt and how they accommodated the runners (my beef with the host hotel three years ago). When we asked for a late checkout we were informed that all participants already received a 3 p.m. check-out and they would supply us with extra towels on race day. After the race we found a card on the extra towels telling us if we needed more time to just call the front desk. I brought 8 friends from Houston and we were ALL impressed with the Hyatt. My coach has run over 60 marathons and ultras and he rated the Hyatt as number one in all the races he has run. Kudos to the Hyatt and the race organizers for making these arrangements! I'll be back.

This was my first marathon, and it did not disappoint. Plusses: While the course doesn't start out great, the long stretch along the Erie Canal was just beautiful; I found myself gazing off plenty of times. Crowd support, while scattered, was enthusiastic and the volunteers were fantastic. I liked the finish at Frontier Field. Minuses: Too few port-a-johns! I had no chance at all to go before the race and had to duck into the woods when the call of nature hit - not cool. I didn't like that chip pick-up and bag drop-off were in different spots; that's stupid and a pain dragging an overnight bag. Also, the first part along a busy road stuck within cones was not really fun, but that's quibbling. Overall, a great first 26.2 for me and I highly recommend it. While downtown Rochester is sort of dead, the city is surrounded by many fantastic areas and you should look around. Thanks to everyone for putting this on.

Great race. It's well organized and continues to improve. Canal is a little boring, but it works. Nice, fairly flat race so you can run a good time. I qualified for Boston. (This was my ninth marathon.)

I was not sure what to expect based on last year's comments. The course was beautiful and probably safer for those traveling in packs. Those of us alone for 2-3 miles as women were a little nervous. For those of us who don't finish in 3 or 4 hours, we were not fortunate enough to receive our medals; it has to be mailed to us, and that is VERY disappointing. The staff were very apologetic and I understand it was no fault of their own. It would have made the blow a little easier if I would have seen at least ONE photographer snapping a shot of me on the course! Great support and encouragement from ALL of the kids who were serving the water and giving direction! They made the rough moments the best! This made the day less painful because of you. Thank you!

This event is a little-known gem, with great heart in a tired city. While the course may look as though it's flat and fast, my Garmin told me that for much of the 15 miles or so along the Erie Canal, there was an ever-so-slight incline. The male winner crossed the line in 2:36, which, to me, indicates it's nothing like CIM in Sacramento or Tucson. The expo is dinky, with nothing much to keep you there after you've picked up your race packet. Pre-race parking is excellent, as is timing chip pick-up, and there was good food at the end (pizza and hot dogs!!!). My only complaint, and I mean ONLY, is that the Erie Canal segment, which is most of the race, is deadly boring after 2-3 miles. I needed something else to look at. I am not one who needs cheering Chicago-style crowds, but there was practically no one out there saying stuff like, "Looking good" or "You're almost there." I made a five-day trip of it, including visits to Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and the jello museum. It was great fun. Here's hoping the event continues and helps revive a struggling city.

It's so refreshing to see a marathon organization incorporate suggestions over the first few years, tweak the event, and come out with an even better product the next year. It seems like so many nowadays just care about taking your $90. Great job, Rochester! This is about as logistically easy as it gets. Only suggestion for next year is dump the outdated timing chip/ankle-biting Velcro strap. Go with the built-in strip on the bib or the disposable shoelace strip.

A great, basically flat race! I would highly recommend it to anyone. The organization was good, and there were friendly staff everywhere they were needed. Beautiful and unusual course, including the Erie Canal. (Some may have found that boring, but I really enjoyed the traffic-free views and path surface.) Rochester is a great place to visit! What snow?

Flat, fast course. Many water stops had gel, as well as PowerAde and water. Pace groups very helpful. Well organized. Spectators were great. Host hotel service was excellent. All runners had late checkout available. Fresh towels were left in the room for after the race. I will definitely do it next year.

I'm a newbie - and I just ran my first half-marathon. I was very pleased with the course and the spectators. I didn't have a problem with water supply at the stations. I can't way for next year. I'll definitely run again, and hope to run the full marathon in September 2010.

This was my first marathon; it was a nice experience. The course started out badly, after running through downtown Rochester we were pigeonholed into cones alongside a major road - not fun. However, then we veered into a park and were able to run alongside the Erie Canal, which was just plain beautiful. A lot of nice sights here. Then near the end you pass the very nice campus of the University of Rochester, and it ends near Frontier Field where the minor league team plays. A couple of gripes about organization: one, chip pick-up and bag drop-off were in opposite places. This was really annoying for me as I brought my own overnight bag and had to drag it all over the place. Also, there were not nearly enough port-o-johns; I didn't get to go before the race and had to duck into the woods when the call of nature came. Finally, they advertised music along the course, but all we got was a recording of "The Final Countdown" at mile 25. Still, I want to thank as much as I can the WONDERFUL volunteers throughout the race who busted their behinds to make it a nice experience. Thanks so much; you are not forgotten. Their enthusiasm alone is what made me give this a good score. This is their marathon and they are proud of it. Spectators, it's a small marathon but there were many small groups along the course - again much appreciated, as they were very enthusiastic. Overall, for a small marathon, I give good props. Thanks for everything, and for making my first marathon a memorable experience.