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☰
Pittsburgh Marathon (defunct: 1985-2003) Runner Comments
Back to Pittsburgh Marathon (defunct: 1985-2003) Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 4.6
Number of comments: 85 [displaying comments 51 to 61]
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A Runner from York, Pennsylvania
(5/8/2002)
"I truly loved the new course this year." (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really enjoyed the Pittsburgh Marathon this year. Everything about it was GREAT!!! A BIG Thanks to all the people who put it together. | |
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A Runner from Cockeysville, MD
(5/7/2002)
"Great city! Great people! Fun course" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 3rd marathon (Baltimore, Wash D.C. were my other two), and I had a great time running this race. Love the city (except for all the road constructions and detours) and the people who cheered for us runners. Yes, the hill along mile 11 was steep, and there were some other rolling hills, but it's really not that bad if one has properly trained for them. I enjoyed the different neighborhoods and the fantastic mountainview on the southside and got a kick going over all three rivers via several bridges. A very well organized race with plenty of water stations. Couldn't find the power bar/gel station though (perhaps I missed it?) By mile 17, I was STARVING. Thank goodness I saw an unopened power bar on the ground, picked it up and devoured it. (Whoever threw that on the ground... my eternal gratitude!) The live bands were great, including that lone bagpipe player along mile 23. The weather was on the hot side, but still bearable. (Luckily I applied sunscreen beforehand!) Entering Heinz Field at the end and seeing myself on the Jumbotron screen was the icing on the cake. Plus, I achieved my PR here! All in all, Pittsburgh is a wonderful city, and I highly recommend it for everyone, including first timers. Thanks! | |
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A Runner from Indiana, PA USA
(5/7/2002)
"Fans are what gets the average runner through it" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was the first marathon I ever ran. I did it along with my fiancee'. It was her first marathon also. We both enjoyed all the support from the fans along the whole route. The course was set up great and the only thing I would change is family and supporters have designated areas with in Heinz field to meet the runners after the race. | |
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A Runner from Indianapolis, Indiana
(5/7/2002)
"Great Race!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Folks looking for a spring race - look no further. What a well organized race - and with about 3,000 starters, big enough to be fun, but small enough to be convenient. You can park 50 yards from the start, the stadium facilities are available (including restrooms!!), and lots to do at the start/finish area for fans and spectators. The concessions stands were open, a band playing, games for kids, etc. The course is no tougher than others I've run, and a very good tour of the city and neighborhoods. Plenty of water stops, and they think of everything - there were four aid stations with vaseline along the way, icy hot was available, oranges and bananas, etc. Try this race before the word really gets around and it gets too much bigger. | |
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A Runner from Charlottesville, VA
(5/7/2002)
"my first experience with Pittsburgh" (General Comments)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I agree wholeheartedly with the previous comments about the warm fan support. It is definitely the strength of this marathon. Although some of the early miles were a little sparse in terms of spectators, the last half was especially great. The 15 or so bands scattered along the course really help keep your spirits up as the hills start to wear you down. I would also agree with some of the other comments that the elevation map is quite deceiving. The map makes it look as if the course is basically flat with one long climb in the middle. With the exception of the first and last few miles, this course is not flat. None of the hills are killers, but you are pretty much always in the middle of a long steady incline or decline. I still ran a PR, but the effort of the hills caught me in the last couple of miles. I have run the Washington DC marathon and this course is significantly more challenging. One other comment about the course is that it does not really lend itself to friends and family cheering you on during the race. It is basically one big loop that does not wind back on itself so there is not much of an opportunity for your supporters to meet you out on the course. However, family members can watch local TV coverage of the marathon on the jumbotron. I liked the finish in the stadium and the fact that starting at the stadium means that bathrooms were in ample supply. I would also give very high marks to this race in terms of supplying water, food, bathrooms, and medical support on the course. Except for the 5K miscue (it started 10 minutes early), everything about this race demonstrates considerable prowess in terms of organization. | |
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A Runner from State College, PA
(5/7/2002)
"Excellent" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a great event! Lots of fans, a beautiful tour of the city, and live music along the course. I will be back again next year. | |
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A Runner from Washington, DC
(5/6/2002)
"Pretty Good Urban Race" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I just ran the 2002 race. The bag they gave was by far the best bag ever. It is nylon and I will use it for a long time. Every bridge is a hill and there are quite a number of hills here, but I beat my DC Marathon time by 6 minutes and I thought that was flat. Plenty of parking close to the start, so I did not need to use package pick-up, but that seemed to go well for those who did, not as many bands as advertised, but it was entertaining. I own my own chip and somehow I was still given another rental chip and both numbers were on my bib. No one could tell me what to do at the expo, so I ended up wearing both! | |
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A Runner from Cockeysville, Maryland
(5/6/2002)
"Decent course, fair crowds, excellent volunteers" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran Pittsburgh yesterday with three of my friends. We all found the course to moderately challenging--the big hill near the 12-mile mark wasn't very long and the others, while longer, were not very steep. The crowd support was nice but not spectacular, although having live bands was a nice touch. The two best things about the race were the volunteers (there were plenty of them and they were all very helpful) and the fact that the entire course was completely closed off to cars. That's the first time I've run a marathon where that has been the case. My final comment is that of the four of us who ran together, three qualified for Boston on this course and the other one only missed by 5 minutes. | |
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A Runner from Annapolis, Maryland
(5/6/2002)
"Great course-hilly but fun" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Overall organization great. Some constructive suggestions: Starting line was not well marked. Race officials not easily noticed - consider bright colored shirts! Bag check area was unmanned/unwatched until just before the start. My support team (and others) complained there were no food vendors on the grounds. You have an excellent venue in the stadium, the city and the course. You could easily support 15k runners - and the publicity that goes along with it! Local crowd support and volunteers were great. See you next year. | |
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A Runner from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
(5/6/2002)
"Fantastic" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 3rd marathon. It was also my fastest. The city, the people, the marathon was awesome. Once you get passed the hill at 10 to 11 you're in good shape. The rest of the run was either flat or downhill with a slight hill here and there. I would highly recommend this marathon to everyone, from 1st timers to veterans. |
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