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☰
Baltimore Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Baltimore Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.9 
Organization 4.0 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 443 [displaying comments 241 to 251]
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Bernie O'Hare from Nazareth, Pa.
(10/17/2005)
"A Must-Do Marathon!" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 If you like crabs, run this marathon. If you like Under Armour's products, run this marathon. If you'd like to check out Baltimore's Inner Harbor at a beautiful time of year, run this marathon. I've read comments trashing this course for being hilly, and decided to do it as a training run to prepare for Philly. I looked at the elevation charts and was intimidated. But let me tell you these hills are very gradual and are no worse than the hills on any running course in PA. Had I known that, I might have tried to race this marathon, but I'm glad I did it at a slower pace because it gave me a chance to meet some unusual people; a rope-jumper working his way through his 63rd marathon; a fellow running the entire marathon in tails; & a very helpful pace group, which really helps you gauge your own pace and whether to slow down or speed up. Nicest of all, the race is on a Saturday, which gives you the rest of the weekend to check out Baltimore, DC or Philly. The Sunday after the marathon, Baltimore has a 23-mile bicycle tour of the harbor and a few parks called the Tour du Port, a great way to visit the city and stretch out those legs at a nice easy pace. People who like racing will like this marathon because the hills actually make it a little more interesting. People who like running, as opposed to racing, will LOVE this marathon because it captures the joy of sport, something that all too often appears to be missing from some of the bigger marathons. | |
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Michael Rodriguez from Virginia Beach, Virginia
(10/17/2005)
"A must-do for all serious marathoners!" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This marathon was very well organized. Water stations were plentiful and also well tended. The 3:20 pace group I ran with was especially well prepared to do their job and and truly did an outstanding job of not only meticulously pacing us, but also knowing the course extremely well and literally keeping us informed every step of the way. It was obvious that Keith, Mark, and Bob truly enjoyed doing what they do. They are true professionals! With people like them out there I know this race will only continue to grow. The people of Baltimore and volunteers were very hospitable and it was a real treat to run through all the different neighborhoods. Over all, a tough but wonderful experience. I would definitely do this one again. | |
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L. B. from Ellicott City, MD
(10/17/2005)
"Brutal course this year, with shotty organization." (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Baltimore Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 They changed the course slightly this year to give the runners a tour of historic Ft. McHenry. Unfortunately, this added a lot of nasty hills. Seemed like the entire thing was uphill. Coupled with the fact that the water stations started running our of water from mile 16 through the finish, made this a miserable run. The spectators were awesome though, and some even ran out to give runners drinks when the stations ran out. Traffic was allowed too close to the runners. My last one here. A shame with so much potential. The Inner Harbor is beautiful but not worth risking your life over. | |
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A. D. from Richmond Virginia
(10/17/2005)
"Hills were very long and challenging" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I didn't know Baltimore had hills like this. Some seemed to be a mile long and the second half was almost all uphill. This is not a PR course, but great for training for a mountain trail marathon. The crowd was great. One guy even gave me an electrolyte pill to relieve my cramping legs. GU stations are a good idea, but the chocolate flavor made me feel nausious. There was plenty of free parking and the Under Armor shirts were a bonus. | |
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B. M. from Lewisburg, PA
(10/17/2005)
"Not a good Boston Qualifier" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The first 16 miles of this race were great. Lots of bathrooms at the start. Water stops were well organized and well staffed. Everything changed at about mile 16 when the half marathon runners merged onto the marathon course. I was running at a good pace (trying to qualify for Boston) when the course was flooded with slower runners. I had to try to run around and through them. Also, the water stops from 16 on were overwhelmed by all the half marathoners. I couldn't easily run through the stops anymore. I had to stop at several stops and wait while people poured water into cups. (I ws running at an 8:30-45 pace. My husband was running at a 7-7:15 pace and didn't have problems with the half marathoners. The ones that merged with him were running faster than he was.) The finish area was also mobbed with half marathoners. I couldn't get any gatorade. I got some water and was lucky to get a banana. As for the course, it was tough! First 16 miles were great and fast. Barely noticeable hills at the beginning. Constant hills from miles 16 through 23. (The elevation chart shows a big drop at mile 23 but neither my husband nor I remembers it.) Not a good race if you're trying to qualify for Boston (unless you're in great shape to run lots of hills at the end of the race). | |
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A. M. from Maryland
(10/17/2005)
"Running festival not appreciated by city" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Baltimore Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I've run this race 4 times. The course was poor this year. It was torn up for about 3 miles by grooving in the road. The up hill at Hillen was significant. The best part of the course for me was Ft. McHenry. It reminded me of what a marathon should be. Most of the spectators were great, but the people north of North Avenue were just angry. They were not obeying the police officers and generally rude. I felt like I was running through a riot area as times, with cars doing what they want, police officers overmatched, ambulances wailing. I sensed that the runing festival is just an annoyance to the town, despite what the politicians say. The finish area was a mess. They ran out of water and they would not let runners back in after the left the corral. This was finally rectified after various heated discussions. Finally, a lot of individuals did not get their chip times posted. Baltimore, I give up. | |
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M. H. from Cincinnati OH
(10/17/2005)
"Too many hills spoil a nice course" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The course was scenic, but the hills from 15.5 miles on were too much. This is the most challenging marathon I've done out of 23. | |
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Ed Warde from Yorktown, Va
(10/17/2005)
"Half Marathon Start was not the best idea" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Baltimore Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 My fiance and her daughter were targeting a 4:00 and were held up by running into the half marathon pack, and missed their mark by minutes. It was poor idea to release that group into the half way point as the marathoners had to deal with getting around the half marathoners, which included a LOT of people walking. I was 5 minutes behind them and experienced the same thing. This should be re-thought for next year. You should consider starting the half marathon 15 minutes behind the marathon. It can be done. My fiance also said when they finished, there there was NO water at the finish line and also the soup was gone when I completed my run. We had run the 2001 and thought it was managed better, however we did not it spoil our day. We love Baltimore and had a great weekend. | |
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d. g. from Florida
(10/16/2005)
"Hilly and parched!" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 At one time during the last miles, I asked a runner if we were still on course since we had gone about a whole block without encountering a new hill! Actually, the race was fun, especially the portion around Ft. McHenry, which I'm sure evoked some patriotic thoughts amongst most runners. My main complaints were no water tables at the start and no water (or anything else for that matter) at the finish. (I ran 4:29) I think the problem was caused by having the half-marathoners finish at the same time as the marathoners. Even though they probably weren't as dehydrated as the marathoners, they still took the drinks and refreshments (as was their right), but in the future there should either be more refreshments at the finish or stagger the two races differently. By the way, it was our first time to the city and we enjoyed the waterfront immensely! Thanks for the hospitality. | |
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B. P. from Abingdon, MD
(10/16/2005)
"Nice, but hilly" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 No matter what people say, this course is hilly. I decided to run the half with some friends and we chose to do the Baltimore since it is a local run. I have been to Baltimore many times and could not even think of one street that was hilly. When I got on this course, I think I found all of them. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice course, just has many gradual and long stretches of hills. The scenery was beautiful and there was enough crowd support to keep everyone going. I know people in past had said the expo was unorganized, but I found it very easy to navigate. Food at the end was the standard, nothing special. The weather was beautiful. My only complaint is that they moved the half start time to 9:45 am so that the more competitive full marathoners can get out before the runners merge. Well, by 9:45, it was warmer than I would have liked to start running. I don't know why they just don't start the races at the same time in different locations. If you want a challenging run, do Baltimore. |
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