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Green Bay Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Green Bay Marathon Information & Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.3 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 4.4 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 4.0 
 
 
Number of comments: 235 [displaying comments 151 to 161]
More Comments: [ < 1 .. 14 15 16 17 18 .. 24 > ]

 

L. G. from Chicago (5/23/2006)
"Great Job Once Again!" (about: 2006)

4-5 previous marathons | 2 Green Bay Marathons
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This was my second time running this one. Great organization of every detail. Having an engraver at the finish was very nice. Very few turns in the course. Very possible to PR on this course, which I did. Timing mats on each mile is awesome! The only race in the country to do this. Thanks Green Bay!!

 

Dan Holewinski from Wisconsin Rapids, WI (5/23/2006)
"A Great Organized Race & Course but Few Fans!" (about: 2006)

1 previous marathon | 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 2


Great course! Organization excellent. Spectators sorely lacking compared to the Fox Cities Marathon. Most of course was very residential and/or through the park, which probably limited spectators. (Also COLD!) Toilets on the course were sorely lacking, especially along the river walkway where runners were forced to relieve themselves in bushes for want of a porta-potty!

 

M. B. from Fairbury, Illinois (5/23/2006)
"What a Grrrreat Race!" (about: 2006)

3 previous marathons | 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This was my 3rd year at Cellcom Green Bay Marathon! This was the 2nd year I ran the half marathon and it won't be my last either. All of my previous half marathons have been in either St. Louis, Chicago, or Peoria, IL! I particularly enjoyed a somewhat smaller venue. The course was relatively flat which I enjoyed. There were plenty of water/Gatorade stations, and the fact that there we're chip mats at each mile was a neat idea, allowing me to forget about punching in splits on my watch, as these are all reflected on the results page. Lambeau Field, extensive resedential coverage, and the folks at the start line gear check did a great job, but I suspect they may have felt ambushed by a substantial increase over last year. This is a very good race. Overall I would give this marathon an A+ for this year!

 

Greg Herrold from Emmetsburg, IA (5/23/2006)
"Awesome experience" (about: 2006)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 3


Beautiful course, and chip timing mats at every mile?!? Who does that! Other marathons I've ran have had problems just getting mile markers in the right places, the organizers of this race had it down cold. Although I was unable to stomach the idea of beer and brats at the end of a marathon, it sounded damn good a couple hours later! Huge props to everyone involved.
A couple suggestions, having the runner's names pop onto the jumbotron in Lambeau field as they entered would have been amazing, maybe next year. My only negative would be the pasta party. Have a couple different kinds of pasta, and more than one sauce. (I love alfredo!) There was more than enough room for more tables...expand a little bit. Also, the worst root beer I've ever had.
Overall, Id do this race again in a heartbeat, but I'd find a decent restaurant to eat at the night before.

 

N. G. from St. Louis, MO (5/22/2006)
"a GREAT small marathon" (about: 2006)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 4


If you've done smaller marathons (not Chicago/New York/etc) and enjoyed them, then do Green Bay! It will BLOW YOUR MIND! What I really remember about Sunday was the fact I was thanked so many times by volunteers for running. I don't think that has ever happened before. 'You're looking great! Thanks so much for running!' was something new to my ears and truly wonderful. I also loved the mile-by-mile chip pads and of course the beer/brat at the end. While the medal left something to be desired, I have very little bad to say about the run. It was wonderful and far more than I expected. The convention was a bit weak, and, as a previous poster noted, the entire run seemed to be INTO the wind...I swear! All in all, Sean Ryan and Green Bay residents have so much to be proud of. It was a wonderful time, and I'll be back! But next year, don't let the Bears fans run through Lambeau. Vince is rolling over in his grave. :)

 

J. B. from Detroit, MI (5/22/2006)
"The course was so boring I fell asleep" (about: 2006)

3 previous marathons | 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 1  ORGANIZATION: 1  FANS: 1


I don't know why people recommend this marathon. 70% of it is on suburban streets running by houses that all look the same, and 10% of it is on a highway with strip malls. There is a nice part by the river but it is only scenic for about a mile or two, and you run around the field at Lambeau (not ON the field like in Detroit, but around it, on cement), for only about .30 of a mile.

Volunteers at aid stations were great but there were many miles where there were NO spectators - TWICE I ran by spectators smoking outside their homes, which was really great for the lungs while RUNNING. ?!?! I stayed in the race hotel and was woken up at 5am - 2 hours before the race started - by music a local radio station was BLASTING right outside the window at the starting point. I looked outside and there were maybe 20 people there yet the radio station was blasting music and waking everyone up.

The airline lost my luggage and it wasn't going to be delivered, if at all, until after the 'expo' closed. I asked the race director if I could buy things to wear and return them later if my luggage arrived and he just looked at me and said there was a 24 hour walmart I could take a cab to if I wanted to buy anything after the expo closed. Not helpful at all.

This race is also ENTIRELY on either cement or paved roads, no trail. The only thing good is that is mostly flat, which helps for a good PR, but your knees will be hurting at the end!

And yes, beer and brats are nice at the end, but it didn't make up for the fact that the course was montonous and boring.

 

T. M. from Des Moines, IA (5/22/2006)
"Great race!" (about: 2006)

6-10 previous marathons | 2 Green Bay Marathons
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


Excellent organization and volunteers, and very good fan support. Love the new course. Superb timing system. Even the weather cooperated! I will be returning.

 

M. P. from Neenah, WI (5/22/2006)
"Thank you to GB marathon" (about: 2006)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 3


Only ran 1/2 this year.
I love
1) The start (KI center open)
2) The amount and quality of water stops (Big thanks to volunteers)
3) Finish line - Food - Music - Lambeau Field open to look around - Most of all HOT SHOWERS

The spectators that are out are great - just not as many as other races. The course would receive 5 stars - it is truly a fast course, but a little more concrete than I would like.

What would be way cool - A marathon clock in Lambeau field - so spectators would know how the participants are doing and a timing mat as you enter Lambeau with a announcer calling names.

Also - Thank you Green Bay Packers - I know you cancelled practice to accomodate the event - It is great that you support the commumity.

Thank you Green Bay Marathon for another 1st class event

 

Dave Lipinski from Traer, Iowa (5/22/2006)
"A must do marathon" (about: 2006)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 3  FANS: 2


The course is about as flat as it gets (out of my 24 marathons) and it offers some great neighborhoods that are shaded along with a wonderful stretch of trail along the river. I didn't think too many people not associated with a runner came out to watch the race. Of course, running through the Packers playground was about as good as it gets, truly remarkable. The mile markers and timing system was really well done and a great feature.

Organization was okay. Need to improve the pasta party logistics and at several water stops I had to stop and wait for fluid to be poured (the volunteers were great!) due to the people doing the work being overwhelmed. Not a serious detraction at all. The bus transportation race morning from the Tundra Lodge was fairly late, making the start line hectic for many. Good number of porta-johns at the start.

The post race was fabulous. Plenty of energetic volunteers, and how about the beer and brats along with regular fare! Nicely laid out for finishers.

The T-shirt was disappointing and I would suggest not promoting a marathon of 6,000 that includes the 5K numbers. The actual 26.2 marathon had about 1,300.

A group of 20 of us stayed at the Tundra Lodge and were extremely pleased with it!

A really good race that I would do again.

 

Kevin Madden from Naperville, IL (5/22/2006)
"Great Race Organization" (about: 2006)

11-50 previous marathons | 2 Green Bay Marathons
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


This was my 2nd GBM; my 1st was in 2004 - the year of the lightening, rain, wind, cold and more rain. The weather this year was fantastic.

A big 'THANK YOU' to the organizers and volunteers for (1) chip mats every mile, (2) 3 Gu stations, and (3) water stations that seemed to come along more frequently than every mile. The run inside Lambeau near the end is also a big plus.

Some areas for improvement - the expo (dull) and the shirt (more dull). I stayed at the Tundra Lodge and the bus could only load half the waiting runners. It looked like many runners had been dropped off at the hotel in the morning! [bad form]

I suggest the race organizers make a big splash about the chip mats at every mile. It was so cool! I predict this will become the norm. A suggestion - the on-line race results should show the pace for each mile in addition to the cumulative pace.

I PR'd by 5 minutes - a 3:03:30. But I wonder... where did all the really fast 45-49 males come from this year??

Thanks for a great race!!!

 

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