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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 261 to 271]
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O. T. from Washington, DC
(10/22/2004)
"Something to look forward to next year" (about: 2004)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I participated in the Baltimore marathon as part of training for another marathon. This is actually my first marathon, and I must say that the spectator support was phenomenal. The police officers who man the streets were polite and very supportive. The people who man the water tables were very enthusiastic. My only regret was that I thought the course was rather hilly such that I had to walk after mile 19 (but I ran again after mile 22). I had so much fun, and I promised myself that I will run this again next year. Hopefully, I will not have to walk then, and my time will be much better. | |
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L. A. from Baltimore, Maryland
(10/22/2004)
"Finish Line" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Baltimore Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This is my second time running the Baltimore Marathon (2002). During that time they didn't have the half of marathon and all of the marathoners finished alone! I believe the marathoners should have their own separate finish line! Other than that it was a pretty good course! | |
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Isaac Jackson from Clinton, MD
(10/21/2004)
"Great Race " (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Baltimore Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've run this race twice and each time I finish with the same comment, good course but the little inclines are frustrating. I do like the course though and the administration of the race is good also. | |
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p. o. from Maryland
(10/21/2004)
"Excellent but there is always room for improvement" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I'm new to marathons but no stranger to running events. First, the good news: excellent water/gu stations, supportive residents, exc. tv coverage and local gov't support, exc. local sponsor (Under Armour), plenty of mile signs, course markers, and BPD Officers to assist. The improvement news: no lube to be found anywhere on course and the finish line was fine, just the escape from the finish line area. I hopped some rails just to get out of there. I can't imagine what it was like when the bulk of the marathon, half marathoners entered that corral. I did see more than one angry commuter who apparently didn't get the word and had to wait. If this site were open to the angry commuter crowd, you may get a different response. Keep in mind: numerous roads were closed for many hours due to the half marathon course starting 1 hour 45 minutes after the marathon and both races ran the same course only after something like the 13-15th mile. I did see at many intersections cars stacked 4-5 deep with no relief in sight trying just to get out of their neighborhood. I didn't care but if I lived there I might. This course next year might have to change its format to point-to-point. | |
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J. B. from Washington, D.C.
(10/21/2004)
"Sorry, but YUK." (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I actually did the half as training for a November marathon, but here's my opinion: Entry fees for both full and half were exorbitant and the organizers skimped on a lot of little things. The only positive was the shirt. Expo was one of the worst I've been to. Why did we have to wait in a separate line to receive confirmation cards??? Aren't those supposed to be mailed beforehand?? This is an example of skimping. Start was generally a mess. I noticed only THREE porta-johns at the marathon start (where I had to check my bag) and couldn't find any at the 1/2 start, although I could be wrong about this. Course was horrible: I generally like hills and do well on them, but was shocked by how hilly this course was. There wasn't an elevation chart for the 1/2; now I know why. Plus, the roads were in poor condition. Community support was decent and you can tell Baltimore wants to make this work. I think the marathon was televised, which is great. Finish was okay, but there were little things that bothered me, such as water in cups, not bottles, and no changing tent. Once again - skimping. For such a high admission fee, you expect more. Also, the marathers didn't get any splits, only their gun and chip finish times. We had to *beg* the Tremont Hotel for a late checkout and it was one of the host hotels. I could go on, but won't bother. I'm not doing the half again and could never imagine running the whole marathon. The weird thing is that I equalled my PR, which REALLY makes we wonder whether the course is short... | |
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C. B. from Maryland
(10/20/2004)
"Good marathon, better than 2001 race" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Baltimore Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 My second Baltimore Marathon, I did the first modern Baltimore race in 2001. Getting Under Armour to sponsor the race elevated the the entire event to a new level. Great expo, and good organization. One complaint, the finish line was cluttered, and my running partner and I are still looking for the food. Overall, a race Baltimore should be proud of. | |
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C. T. from Fairfax, Virginia
(10/20/2004)
"1/2 marathoners merge" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I was enjoying the race... until the 1/2 marathoners merged. I then found myself expending more energy trying to find open space on the road and getting to the water stops without difficulty. Not enough road space for the number of runners, especially for those trying to use their time to qualify for other marathons. | |
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B. J. from Richmond, VA
(10/19/2004)
"Been there, done that, can't wear the t-shirt..." (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 The best thing about Baltimore is that it's made me appreciate better organized races. Package pickup was laid out in pieces - first get your number, then your chip, finally your shirt - in a crass attempt to force one to traverse the expo twice. The race shirt, provided by sponsor Under Armour, was nice (and should have been, given the entry price!) but at 6:00 p.m. on Friday night, the only sizes left were large and XL. Starting ceremony was anemic. The course elevation map is a total fabrication; be advised this marathon is hilly! On the plus side, the hills took my mind off the garbage and dead rats littering less scenic portions. Mile markers were easily missed and some streets under repair could have qualified as technical trails. Baltimore would do better to embrace all this honestly and offer a 'gritty, urban racing experience.' Spectators were at both ends of the spectrum: either completely enthusiastic or fast asleep. In the final half-mile, their evident boredom contributed to a sad anti-climax. This was compounded by chaos in the finishing chute. Chip removal was self-service and the chip deposit areas well-hidden. (Given the apparent number of chip times that went unrecorded, a trash can would have sufficed.) Crowds overwhelmed the volunteers' ability to dole out Mylar, water and bananas. What a feast - not! The upside of no food was that I did end up quickly in front of the massage tent, where I received top-notch attention from the all-volunteer staff. The definite high point (and thanks, Rich!). I'm not a 'medal fiend' but Baltimore's was uninspired, with a foil applique covering a minting error on one side - an ironic metaphor for a flawed event. Baltimore has potential - here's hoping the organizers move quickly up the learning curve. | |
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Paul Semendinger from Wyckoff, NJ
(10/19/2004)
"An Enjoyable Marathon" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 A very nice marathon. It was extremely well organized and well planned. I set my PR here at 3:55:51. I would run it again. I enjoyed the race and the city. I've now run three marathons: NYC twice, and Baltimore. I LOVED NYC, Baltimore was not quite as great, but it still was enjoyable. The crowds were not as large as New York though it was a much more spectator friendly course. It was great seeing my wife and children at miles 8 and 13 and at the finish. They never saw me run in NYC because of the huge crowds. Since the spectators were few (except in the Inner Harbor area and at the finish), there were a lot of quiet times along the route. Also, the second half of the race, for the most part, seemed to be all uphill. It is a tough and challenging course. I trained on hills almost exclusively and still found the hills in Baltimore to be larger and longer than I imagined. The last few miles are (mostly) downhill which helped make for a quick finish. Some people have complained about the marathon relayers and the half marathoners. I did not find them to be a problem at all. In fact, I found it enjoyable to pass them when I could. It made me feel great to have logged more miles and still be able to get ahead of them. The water stops though were great with happy and friendly volunteers. I also enjoyed the two GU stations. That helped me get through the many miles. Most of the police along the route were very supportive of the runners. I enjoyed their smiles. The Under Armour shirt is great... and so is the finisher's medal. On the other hand, the expo was pretty sparse. It was well organized, but you had to go to three different stops to get the chip, number and shirt. And the locations were on opposite ends of the building. I was disappointed in the small amount of vendors and free stuff. (Again, maybe I?m spoiled by my previous NYC experiences.) We stayed at the Holiday Inn right in the downtown area. This was very convenient for getting to the start and returning upon the completion of the race. Running through Camden Yards to finish the race was a thrill. I also enjoyed hearing my name on the P.A. as I finished. All in all it was a good marathon. It wasn't New York, but what is? I was very pleased with the Baltimore Marathon. Thanks for a great time. I?ll always remember Baltimore ? the marathon where I broke 4 hours!!! | |
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D. H. from San Antonio
(10/19/2004)
"Great job, Baltimore!" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 16th state, 37th marathon. Great choice for 50-staters. Well organized, great volunteers and enthusiastic crowds, plenty of water/Gatorade/Gu on the course, perfect running weather, excellent traffic control, nice shirt and medal. The course is challenging, and the hills eventually took their toll on me, but at least it's a nice downhill finish for the last several miles. Only negative is the eventual merging of the half-marathoners, who start 90 minutes later. With 2300 marathoners and then around 2800 halfers, the finish area becomes very crowded. The organizers did a good job with the family meet-up area, but the line for the free beer was just too long! You'd better be fast if you don't want to wait. Rental car is not necessary as long as you stay at one of the many hotels on the Inner Harbor area (we stayed at the Hyatt, which was great). However the shuttle from the airport is a bit pricey ($44 one way plus tip for a family of four). Luckily we got a ride back the next day. You can take the train very cheaply to/from Camden Yards or rent a car, but then be sure to bring a good map! The Inner Harbor is very beautiful, lots of great restaurants and attractions within walking distance. We visited the aquarium (excellent) and took a tour of the USS Constellation. I highly recommend this one. Bring your family too! |
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