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☰
New Hampshire Marathon Runner Comments
Back to New Hampshire Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.1
Number of comments: 75 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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M. R. from Orlando, Florida
(1/2/2010)
"Small-town race - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Hampshire Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Bristol was my first small marathon. (I have done NYC, Chicago, Disney, San Diego and other big city races.) I loved BRISTOL. This a basic runner's marathon, and I highly recommend it. I thought the worst with the hills, the rain, and the small town, and I got the BEST. Pros: 1. Hills - yes, they are there, but that is what makes this race. This is no big-city, urban run; it is classic New England. 2. Trees - from Florida I never see leaves turn colors; it's so nice and pretty. 3. Newfound Lake - you run around the lake and the scenery is spectacular. There was a slight drizzle but still you had to love it. 4. Race Director - I had a problem with my result showing up on the official listing and he stayed in communication until we got it solved. Thank you. 5. Gym - start (for the heat) and finish (the warm shower) made the race very enjoyable. 6. Price - for $40, yes, you do not get a tech shirt and, yes, the medal does not weigh 2 pounds, but what a deal. 7. Marathon Maniacs and 50 State Club - what a FUN group of people to run with, both at Bristol and then Sunday at Portland, Maine. Cons: None. | |
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S. A. from Cincinnati, OH
(11/5/2009)
"GREAT course, fun runners, great race!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Hampshire Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Love this race! It's the first half of the NH/ME Double with the Peak Performance Maine Marathon the next day. The course is definitely great for those who love rolling hills. Fans and water stops were AMAZING out in the rain. | |
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J. M. from Connecticut
(10/15/2009)
"A runner's race!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New Hampshire Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great race, great course, great organization. This is a great, small-town race with an excellent race director and very dedicated, friendly volunteers. The course is extremely scenic. I say it is a runner's race because of the frequent, long, smooth hills. Don't listen to complaints about the hills, as they are an added benefit that makes the course interesting. Anyone running a marathon in New England should be regularly training on hills anyway. If you are looking for a race with lots of fanfare, freebies, music, etc., then don't choose this race. However, if you are looking to run with dedicated, friendly runners, be assisted by dedicated volunteers, and participate in an event with a very small-town feel, then this is your race! | |
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J. S. from Jackson, New Jersey
(10/11/2009)
"I love the hills, and did not like the complaints" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Hampshire Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was one excellent marathon - especially the hills. If you complain, go home. The volunteers need to be honored for staying out in the rain with all of the runners. I felt bad for the volunteer before the turnaround. A runner came from the opposite side and said they should be aware of people with allergies and hand out cookies and crackers. Well, if you have an allergy, carry your own food. The organization was great, the volunteers superb, and the course beautiful! | |
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m. w. from Irvine, CA
(10/10/2009)
"New Hampshire was nice but not great" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Hampshire Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The drizzly weather was a significant detraction from this race, which was not the best to begin with. The course had some pretty sights here and there, but it was also fairly tough, and the signs along the course were kind of confusing and annoying. For instance, bathrooms were advertised a quarter-mile before they appeared, mile markers were small and often looked the same as other signs on the course, and the course had a fair amount of traffic. The expo and pre-race organization seemed disorganized and lacking. They did not have enough shirts of the right size from the opening of the expo, and there seemed to be a real lack of communication, since I would sometimes get totally different answers to the same questions from different people. Post-race stuff was fine, considering the rain. There were still people out there with snacks after the race. There were also massages being advertised, but I think fewer than a third of those on the list who signed up actually got one. Spectators were necessarily sparse, as it was raining; but still, there were enough aid stations and so the race seemed to go on fine. | |
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A. W. from IL
(10/9/2009)
"Beautiful, Hilly & Friendly" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Hampshire Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I flew into the beautiful, small Manchester Airport from Chicago and drove roughly three hours. I stopped in Concord for a great lunch at a small cafe next to the history museum. Avoid the old part of the Red Roof Inn - no internet! The pasta dinner was GREAT. It was all-you-can-eat, and you could sample at least a dozen sauces made by volunteers, as well as homemade desserts to rival any sweet table!! The folks running dinner were funny, friendly and downright welcoming. Picture a holiday dinner in Grandma's cramped dining room with a bunch of cousins you meet once a year! Race day was rainy, and the course had lots of hills for this flat-lander doing her first double (and states 25 and 26)! Post-race stuff included free massages, awards and showers. Don't miss this one. | |
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T. C. from Boston
(10/8/2009)
"Nicely Run, Small, Challenging Race" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New Hampshire Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Everyone involved with this race was a delight. When I forgot to fill out the size request for my shirt, the race director personally called me. The pasta dinner at the local Mason's hall was wonderfully small town in a good way. I had heard repeatedly how challenging this course is, but it didn't seem terrible for New England standards. Yes, there are hills, but overall the last six miles are gently downhill. That is a treat to any marathoner. I liked the out-and-back loop (starting around 11 and ending around 16) because I knew a number of the runners ahead of me and it was nice to see them. We missed the party at Kathleen's Cottage later but appreciated the on-site showers available to us. I would have given this five stars if there had been a few more spectators. There were few indeed, but since it is raining, I gave them additional stars just for showing up. Oh, one more thing. There was a good-size group of marathons from Ohio who ran this race and planned to run the Portland, Maine race the next day. They were a lot of fun. | |
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Richard St. Hilaire from Franklin, New Hampshire
(10/7/2009)
"My Own Back Yard Marathon" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 New Hampshire Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Even though I live just a few miles south of Bristol, New Hampshire, I had avoided running this marathon based on what many of my running friends called one of the "toughest" marathons in New England. I had run the 10K event many times in the past and enjoyed the whole experience, so I reluctantly decided last year (2008) that I would finally run the full marathon. A few weeks before race day, I ran the course in two installments on consecutive weekends. I took plenty of mental notes and was able to visualize the road ahead on race day. My plan was to run a Boston qualifier. On race day, all was going as planned until mile 23 when my calves started to cramp and spasm. I lost about ten minutes as it forced me to stop and walk. I struggled to the finish line in 3:55 and change. Not good enough for a BQ. A bit disappointed, but it gave me and incentive to train harder, and run smarter. This year, despite the rain and relative cold, I was very fortunate to avoid any muscle cramps and finished in 3:43 and change. I like the fact that I was able to run a BQ at the New Hampshire Marathon in my own back yard. Being from this area, it's hard for me to be objective. I simply love New Hampshire and all of its races, especially in autumn. And, to me, there is no lake more beautiful than Newfound Lake. I think Ed Begor is a top-notch race director, and the entire event is very well organized. The folks in Bristol and Hebron were very supportive and the volunteers were great too. Thanks to Ed and all of his super-nice staff for making the New Hampshire Marathon an incredible experience for me and many of my friends who share my appreciation for this world-class event. | |
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D. J. from Mead, CO
(10/7/2009)
"Beautiful marathon course" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Hampshire Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a small, well-organized race in a stunningly beautiful area. It rained during the whole race, but it wasn't ever really uncomfortably cool. The course was hillier than I expected but not too bad since there were plenty of downhill stretches. The race officials and volunteers were very friendly. I heartily recommend this marathon! | |
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A. H. from Richmond, VA
(10/6/2009)
"Excellent course with beautiful views" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Hampshire Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Though it rained the entire day, it was a great race. It was my first time in NH and running this race, and I had a wonderful time. There weren't many spectators, but the volunteers were awesome. Other runners were very friendly. There were a couple of killer hills, but it's a great course, and very scenic. It's a little hectic at the pre-race check in, but that could have been due to all of the runners lingering indoors, to stay dry. I was a little disappointed that they ran out of pizza by the time I reached the finish line, but there were other snacks available. All in all, it was a wonderful race experience. |
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