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Houston Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Houston Marathon Information & Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.5 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 4.7 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 4.6 
 
 
Number of comments: 365 [displaying comments 151 to 161]
More Comments: [ < 1 .. 14 15 16 17 18 .. 37 > ]

 

c. b. from Alice, Tx (1/15/2008)
"great race and a BQ" (about: 2008)

3 previous marathons | 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


What a great race experience. So much better than last year, which was my first. The wave start really improved the congestion the first few miles. The 3:30 pacer did a superb job, averaging about 7:55 miles through the first 20, with 20 of steps walking at each water stop. He should be commended. I cramped at 24 and was not able to finish with the pace group, but the two-minute advantage built up more than allowed me to get under my BQ of 3:35 with a 3:32:46 time. Props to him.

Organization was great. I really like the finisher's shirt. I highly recommend the Four Seasons. Only two blocks from the convention and the friendliest staff I've ever seen.

This was only my third marathon. The crowds are so much better than San Antonio, my second. The only reason I gave them a four was because last year's crowds seemed so much larger.

An overall great race. I'm going to Boston!

 

m. m. from Houston (1/15/2008)
"The best Texas marathon ever" (about: 2008)

6-10 previous marathons | 3 Houston Marathons
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


There's no comparison to the Houston Marathon. It's the best of all Texas marathons (Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, etc.) I've run them all, but Houston tops them all. It's the most organized, and has a great course, great volunteers, and the best crowd you can ever find. It almost looks like all Houstonians came to support and cheer the runners.

It was the best experience and it's just getting better and better. Well done, Houston!!

 

H. K. from USA (1/14/2008)
"Organization is great and spectators are fantastic" (about: 2008)

50+ previous marathons | 3 Houston Marathons
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I am a wheelchair racer who is not really fast, I but love racing. This course is very wheelchair-friendly and the spectators were encouraging everywhere. They get really excited when the wheelers come - even slow ones like me - and they make me push harder. I flatted out at the 16 mile and a bunch of spectators helped me out as I talked them through changing my tire. They saved me a lot of struggling. Can't thank them enough. The volunteers were really helpful also. Love this race. I'll be back again.

 

Kendall Black from Grand Prairie, TX (1/14/2008)
"Texas running at its best" (about: 2008)

50+ previous marathons | 6+ Houston Marathons
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


The mayor announced before the race start that the city of Houston was the greatest in the world. Apparently he hasn't visited many cities. Houston certainly isn't a favorite city of mine. Nevertheless, the Houston Marathon is one of the best. Everything about it is top-notch. The wave start was a good idea that I wish other large marathons would adopt. I didn't feel crowded or waste energy swerving around slower runners. The weather was perfect. For marathon runners, this is as good as it gets.

 

B. B. from Midland, TX (1/14/2008)
"Houston is a Must-Run" (about: 2008)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


The Houston Marathon is a first-class event.

Having a warm place to hang out like the convention center until the race began was nice. It was also nice to go into the convention center after the marathon to gather my gear.

The weigh in at the expo and again after the race was a fantastic idea that should be adopted by other races.

Aid stations were frequent, well marked, well stocked and manned with friendly volunteers. The expo was open, which prevented the elbow-to-elbow feel at other big events.

All in all... well done, Houston!!!

 

D. M. from Claremore, OK (1/14/2008)
"Fast and very well organized" (about: 2008)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


Excellent course, great support and very well organized. Clearly a PR course.

 

E. Q. from Waco, TX (1/14/2008)
"If you want a PR and great spectators:" (about: 2008)

2 previous marathons | 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I can't rave enough about this race. Sure, I beat my old marathon time (3:31.49) by more than seven minutes, so of course I'm going to have fond memories.

But, as I sit here at work the day after the 2008 race, I can't help but daydream about how amazing of an experience that race was.

So much of it was the crowd support. It seemed to just never go away. The names on the bib number are brilliant because I felt like such a star running through neighborhoods of people cheering for me by name.

Volunteers calling out each mile time at the well-defined mile-markers made my Garmin almost not necessary. The course was indeed fast.

If you're looking for a marathon you will daydream about at work, and almost blush as you write down your best time ever in your daily running log, then Houston is the way to go.

I can't thank the organizers and all the volunteers and spectators enough.

 

T. M. from Eunice LA (1/14/2008)
"Very enjoyable experience" (about: 2008)

2 previous marathons | 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 5


Thoroughly enjoyed the diversity of course. Thought the underpasses got pretty rough at the end of the marathon. Crowd support was fantastic and really encouraging.

Fluids on the course were great, as were port-a-potties on the course. (Could have moved quite a few more off the course and into convention center, as lines were really, really long there.)

For a beginning marathoner, I felt this "medium to large size" marathon was much easier to run than the very small marathon that I ran for my first marathon (Mississippi Coast Marathon). Single-loop course, interesting course, great crowds, plenty of people to run with. (My family did say that the smaller marathon was much easier to see me during the run, but for the person running the race, this was much better.)

 

V. B. from USA (1/14/2008)
"Nice Race.... TOO MANY WALKERS" (about: 2008)

11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 3


Loved the race, the course... it was very organized. However it is a RACE, which means you RUN. Please start the walkers and annoying Team In Training groups 20 minutes after we get going.

 

s. h. from Houston (1/13/2008)
"Great Job" (about: 2008)

4-5 previous marathons | 2 Houston Marathons
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I just want to let the organizers know that they did a fantastic job on everything from the expo to the wave start. I look forward to racing again next year.

 

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 14 15 16 17 18 .. 37 > ]


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