Back to Mississippi Coast Marathon Information & Reviews
m. s. from Fort Worth, TX
(11/29/2008)
"Steamy race" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Great, flat course through the Stennis Space Center. It was peaceful and quiet. There was not a lot of traffic. And there were only a few spectators, which is the only negative I found with this race. It was extremely humid and warm at the start in '08, and then it rained. Those who have run before said it is always humid/rainy or cold - of course the weather is uncontrollable but a factor to consider. Great, well stocked aid stations approximately every 2 miles, and a great post-race meal of jambalaya and beer. The Stennis SC fitness center showers are available after the race, which was great since I stayed at a hotel in Gulfport, MS - 30 miles away, and in the opposite direction of New Orleans (where I flew in/out of). There is no expo, just a number pick up; but hey, for a great, no-frills race (only $30 registration!), no expo was expected - or needed. Overall, a great race for a relatively slow time of year! | |
C. C. from Diamondhead, Ms.
(11/28/2007)
"Unforgettable race, just awesome..." (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 One of my best marathons. Love the course. It makes it easy to stay at race pace. My first one alone (without my husband at my side), but nonetheless a great run. Away from the crowds, no walking at the start, YEAH! Strongly recommended to all first marathoners. I am a vegetarian, yet I ENJOYED and LOVED the jambalaya!!!!!!!!!! Great job by the running club!!! | |
J. F. from Houston, TX
(11/28/2007)
"Fun place to run!" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This was a nice, well organized race. Remote location, so no spectators, but that's okay. Flat and fast with enjoyable scenery. | |
J. E. from MD
(11/27/2007)
"Small, well organized with supportive volunteers" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 RD was at packet pickup Friday evening and gave me my requested number and the nice, cotton, long-sleeve shirt. Personal service - and I'd forgotten about the request. He started the race Sat. morning, ran the full marathon, and won it! Besides that, he was there with my medal when I finally crossed the finish line! Testament to good organization. Aid stations were very well stocked with water/Gatorade, bananas, oranges and other food. Volunteers were very supportive. One young boy knew what I needed when I approached with a mouth full of GU and not talking. He stated it correctly and handed me water. Course was flat, along mostly closed paved roads, sometimes surrounded by woods. From a distance, I saw baby deer crossing the road. As I came closer, mom came out of woods, stood in the road and watched me. She was standing right next to the 20-mile-marker sign. A perfect "Kodak" moment and I had left the camera in the car thinking this was a military base and there'd be nothing of interest to photograph.... Baby deer then came back out of woods and scampered across the road back to opposite side. Mom then left her post on the road and I continued on. Later, a volunteer drove by and asked if I am Mama Jean, saying he'd been sent to check on me. I was fine and I knew that was a good sign, accounting for participants. Shortly thereafter, I missed a directional arrow and put in about an extra quarter mile. A man in a red truck who was picking up signs, etc. then saw me and got me back on course. I had done that earlier also. So the little black arrows on orange cones just didn't work for me. Need much bigger signs. As usual, no food at the end, but not a problem. Director apologized and offered drinks and bananas, which were fine. What I was really interested in was the age group award. Having one of those keeps me from having to repeat that state once I get my 50 done, as that's my new goal. A special thanks to the lady in the gray Magnum who also checked on me, and to my 50-state buddies Cheryl and Vicky from FL, who waited over half hour for me to finish. Turns out we were all second place in our respective age groups and that's how the volunteer knew my marathon name. Yes, I'd highly recommend this to anyone who likes flat courses and don't need crowd support, but can enjoy variety of scenery and occasional skeet shooting sounds. I'd also highly recommend improving the directional arrows by making them larger and higher. Chalk markings on the road would help also. RD is to be commended for getting report online so quickly. I was pleasantly surprised. Thanks to all involved. Obviously, a well organized group does this race. | |
Bobby Volante from Slidell, LA
(11/26/2007)
"Great little Gem of a race!!!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This is a great little race. The course is flat and rural. It is a tough mental race because there are no spectators but that's OK. It is well organized and EVERYONE is friendly. No big egos at this one. After you finish the race you are treated to some homemade jambalaya that is awesome!!! I recommend this one to those looking for a pleasant surprise of a small race or if you're trying to qualify for Boston. | |
J. H. from Andalusia, AL
(11/26/2007)
"Flat, Well Organized, Very Friendly" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Very well organized race. Small but full of energy. Volunteers were very supportive and friendly. More than adequate refreshments at each aid station. Nice rural setting (I almost got run over by deer). Absolutely no complaints. | |
Doug Brown from Biloxi Mississippi
(11/25/2007)
"Proudly My First" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have no basis of comparison but would like to say that I am proud to have completed this as my first marathon. Double loop course with plenty of aid stations, port-a-johns, drinks and snacks. However, this event would have been nothing without the always superb Southern hospitality by the organizers, support personnel, and fans (few but a welcome sight each turn and station) Truly a unique experience and I look forward to running with this club in the future. I was told that the Jambalaya didn't last for the late finishers which is a disappointment but that could be easily fixed. Thanks to the runners that motivated me along the way and special thanks to Kim, Ashley, Lindsey, Genny and Joe... My faithful family. See ya next year. | |
S. J. from Tampa, Florida
(12/15/2006)
"A small, well-organized race" (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 What a fun day! The race organizers and volunteers were extra-friendly. The course was flat and fast, as promised. The miles were clearly marked. The best part was that almost every aid station had a porta-john. The crowds were very sparse, but enthusiastic to the core. | |
Nelson David from Fort Polk, LA
(11/27/2006)
"Small yet excellent marathon!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 A must-do for the passionate runner. I never thought marathons would come this small, especially the self-service "expo"; the post-race jambalaya was a great twist for a Southern-style race. The organization and conduct of the race reminded me of why we (runners) do this kind of stuff. True to the website, the course was flat and fast. Would have preferred the start time to be at 7 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. as it warmed up towards mid-morning. Would have liked to have seen more info on the website. The volunteers, though few, were a tremendous help. Great idea to have on-site shower facilities! | |
d. k. from Lilburn, GA
(11/27/2006)
"I wished I hadn't missed that turn!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 This was a completely flat course, with little detail on the course signs. There were a half marathon, 5K, or 10K, and the marathon. Do the half marathon - I wish I had! I missed the loop turn, ran an extra three miles the wrong way, and then had to go back three miles to catch up... ugh! I was really disheartened when I was the last one in and there was no food and no clock - just beer, which they were packing up.... Oh, also no medal... as they ran out! That was about the last straw, since I had pre-registered, paid for airline tickets, and paid for a hotel room, a t-shirt and two beers! Thanks, I hope the money from the marathon goes to a good benefit. It was really hot - 70 - but a beautiful day! I saw deer tracks, and though I saw no deer, I heard gunshots from hunters. I really think they need more volunteers to help out - more participation from the running club. |
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