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Marshall University Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Marshall University Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 3.0
Number of comments: 208 [displaying comments 191 to 201]
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D. S. from Indianapolis
(11/14/2005)
"This was a feel-good marathon!" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marshall University Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Really enjoyed this race. Being a back-of-the-pack-er and one who trains alone almost 95% of the time, the lack of spectators didn't bother me a bit. I gave 5 stars for the volunteers.... They were great. They wanted to be heard and they were very encouraging. The pre-race pasta dinner and fleece pullover were all included in the race fee, right there you are ahead before you line up at the start. For a flat-lander, I'd call it gently rolling, for those that train on hills, it's flat. There are miles of crowned road that were a bit tough as well as the concrete and sidewalks. But understanding how the traffic works there its forgiveable. I was in just after 5 hours and the food was gone. There was water/soda and some chips. I heard that more pizza and hot dogs were coming but I needed to get back to the hotel to shower/checkout. It was an easy drive for me and a PR to boot!! Can't beat that! | |
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D. H. from Louisville, KY
(11/14/2005)
"Very fast course & great on-field finish" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marshall University Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I appreciate everyone's comments from last year about how friendly this course is. No one believed me when I said it was a flat course in WV! After running a PR & BQ, I have to say this is probably the fastest course I've ever run. Just enough small rolling hills to switch muscle groups - absolutely perfect. Limited spectators, but the ones who were there were very friendly and loud. I especially enjoyed carrying the football on Marshall's field. It's the first time someone from Louisville has made it into Marshall's endzone :-) Great job Huntington! | |
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J. A. from Toronto, ON
(11/14/2005)
"Flat and fast, a perfect place for a BQ!" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Marshall University Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Overall, the course is as flat as promised, the finish is unique and this year the weather was ideal. While I originally thought the funky course layout with its many turns and loops would add time; instead they added a welcome distraction from pain and fatigue. I BQ'd and you can too. -Joe | |
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P. J. from Lebanon, Ohio
(11/14/2005)
"Exceeded my expectations completely!" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was a high value marathon experience. From the fleece jacket at registration and free pasta dinner to the pizza at the finish line. Yes, this course is what one would call flat and fast for anyone that doubts what a race director would tell you. I have two suggestions. First, the course map needs a lot of improvement for people like me that are not from the area and want to drive the course the day before the event. It was almost impossible to do this. Second, since I was there alone, I suggest that when you are signing the liability wavier, you also provide emergency contact information just in case. All in all, this is a small race that I would recommend to anyone. As long as you don't try to compare it to a mega-marathon you won't be disappointed! | |
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J. W. from Virginia
(11/13/2005)
"Good flat course" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marshall University Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I would recommed this course if you're looking for a flat course and some scenic parts. The organizers do have a very strong desire to make this a fantastic race. If you're within driving distance, I do recommed this run. Organizers do need a few little things like salt tablets, Gu's, and more massages and people at the end of the race. I feel like this race will grow and if held earlier in the year, could be a gorgeous run. | |
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Bob Kroeger from Cincinnati
(11/13/2005)
"Huntington: 5-star small-city marathon" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Marshall University Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I am hardly an expert on marathons. I just started running them this year, at age 58, and this was my third (Flying Pig, Columbus - qualified for Boston). Huntington was my first small-city marathon. I'm guessing that there were less than 500 hundred runners and walkers; so it was relatively tiny compared to the first two that I did. Dr. Tom Dannals, race director, is a humble physician who wants to build this race (2nd year) into one of the best. He listens to runners' comments and applies them. He and his staff and volunteers are some of the friendliest people you will meet, which says a lot about Huntington and West Virginia. For a $40 registration fee (if paid early), you receive a quality black fleece with marathon logo, a delicious pasta dinner, the marathon, and a handsome Thundering Herd copper medallion (the buffalo is the mascot of Marshall University, which is now the name of the marathon). My wife and I made a mini-vacation of this trip and spent Friday at Shawnee State Park lodge, a wonderfully quiet and energizing experience in Ohio's largest natural forest. Saturday we attended the small expo early and I had the chance to talk with a local podiatrist about what I thought was a beginning plantar fascitis on my right foot. He had excellent advice, which helped as I finished the marathon with no pain in my foot! After the expo, my wife and I walked down to the riverside and lounged, wasting time in the 70-degree weather and watching the water flow down the Ohio. Then we ambled over to Pullman Station where she spied a Starbucks, which is more precious to her than life itself. I continued lounging outside in the idyllic sunshine. This is a revitalized area of the downtown and features cinemas, several trendy restaurants and shops. We stayed in the Ramada (exit 11 and only ten minutes from the start), an excellent choice - easy parking, quiet, and Spanglish on HBO Saturday evening which provided enough laughs to raise my endorphin levels substantially. The marathon course was extremely flat, much more so than Columbus, and was routed through a few picturesque parks, residential neighborhoods, inner-city streets, and a splendid stretch along the Ohio River. Yes, there aren't many fans lining the streets and not much music. And, yes you do go through a lot of housing that has seen better days. But not everyone lives in a mansion. Since I qualified for Boston a month earlier, my only goal was to finish around 4:15. But I met a lady runner from Virginia who was going to run in 3:35. We had a pretty good conversation going and the miles flew by - all too quickly. I was 12 minutes under my pace time at the 12 mile mark and started to think that I might win an age-bracket award if I continued at this clip. But as the next few miles crept up, my stamina withered and by mile 17, she was only a blur on the horizon. My mile 18 I was completely out of gas. I had no idea that this would happen but it was a good lesson for me, a rookie marathoner and an hopelessly competitive a-hole. By mile 19, I was not feeling well at all. My foot and knee felt OK but I had nothing left in the tank. I remembered from reading Marathon! By Jeff Galloway that it can be a good idea to alternate walking and runnning. So I began running to a certain spot and then walking to a certain spot. It was awful but nothing compared to what my wife will go through in three weeks. She has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare and nasty cancer, which will require a very serious operation to remove her left lung. Say a prayer for her. At this point, I began to think that my pain, even though I was winded, paled in comparison what she will have to endure. But I made it and ran with the football down the field (yes, they announce your name as you sprint the final yards) inside Marshall University stadium, which was fun. The post-race food was great and I got to see my wife right away, which is hard to do in the big marathons. I gave her a big hug and told her that this race was for her. After being married for 32 years, I can say that she is the bravest person I have ever known. So, although this is probably more info than you wanted, perhaps some of it will help some of you. I suggested to Dr. Tom that he have a printed map for the runners next year with streets, locations of city attractions, motels, start, finish, and packet pick-up. If you want a marathon to PR, this is it. Just don't make the mistake I did! Friendly people, anxious to please. A race director who listens. I'll be back. | |
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J. C. from Huntington, WV
(4/6/2005)
"what a great race in a great town" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marshall University Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 If you are looking for a fun, flat, fast, great place to run, this is your race. What a great bunch of people that put this race on and it will only get better with each new year. | |
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S. H. from Austin, Texas
(12/22/2004)
"Fabulous Small Race" (about: 2004)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Marshall University Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 One of the best small races in the country. It is hard to believe this was the first year because the organization is terrific. The course is flat in a state where it is hard to find 26 flat miles. November because of the temperatures and foliage is a great time of the year to run a race in West Vriginia. Traffic control was generally good. Pizza after the race, yeah! The hardest part was climbing the stadium steps up to the green room for the post-race meal. Thank goodness they have an elevator for the trip down. | |
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S. C. from Huntington, WV
(12/22/2004)
"Great Inaugural marathon" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marshall University Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my 15th marathon, and I've done very big and very small races. For an inaugural race, it was very well done. Minor glitches like plastic cups won't happen again. Food ran short at end only because they didn't think to restrict access to runners only, and people had whole families in there. That won't happen again either. Plenty of bathrooms and easy parking at start/finish. For 50-staters, you should know this is the only flat course in WV, and the only marathon not in June. Good Boston qualifier - several of my friends qualified. Friendly staff, enthusiastic volunteers, modest but cheerful crowd, nice town with reasonable lodging, very reasonable cost, and a fun finish in Marshall University stadium. Register early - the fleece is a plus. | |
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N. W. from Kentucky
(12/14/2004)
"Solid for an inaugural race" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Marshall University Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon, and I thoroughly enjoyed this small race. It was very flat (except for a couple very small hills) as opposed to what most would expect in WV. In fact, my training in Kentucky had more hills. For this reason, the race was very enjoyable. The time of year for this race also made for perfect running weather. It was about 30 degrees at the start and warmed to the mid-40's. There weren't a whole lot of crowds on the course, but the ones that were there were highly encouraging and motivating. And even one person is a 100% improvement when you're used to training alone. The best improvement for this race would be to have water stations spaced closer together at the end when dehydration is a bigger factor and more restrooms at the beginning when dehydration is the last of your worries. Thanks to the staff at the local Chevron who let me use their facilities twice during the race. Great race with super friendly people. I would recommend it. |
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