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Sep 19, 2024

Malibu International Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.1

Organization 3.4

Spectators 2.5

Number of comments: 48 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]

A. O. from California (8/3/2011) "I love this one and am back every year." (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Malibu International Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I'm not the type of runner that likes to run in crowded streets in the middle of cities packed with sweaty runners that punch you with their arms or make you trip. I like to have some room to look around me and to enjoy the experience and don't need streets lined with spectators who yell you're almost there while you're only halfway! That's what I like so much about the Malibu Int. Marathon. I will run the full for the third year in a row and I love to have a lot of room at the start line and on the roads. This time of the year it can be windy and hot but also means you have the best views so that makes up for being extra thirsty, I just bring some hydration myself for between aid stations if needed. I love it when the full starts through SoCal. farmlands and right before the halfway point you run through the Pt.Mugu passage on Highway 1 from where you get the most awesome views of the coastline with Malibu in the distance, I get butterflies in my stomach at that point to actually 'see' where I'm heading to. For Half Marathoners this is where they start and it's all just plain gorgeous! I LOVE the beach towel instead of yet another boring t-shirt, and use it to relax after on the beach while listening at the live group playing music after taking an ice bath in the ocean. Now if only there was a burrito tent for lunch, I would stay there all day!
C. B. from Aliso Viejo, CA (8/3/2011) "Great, no frills race! I love this one!!" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Malibu International Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Reading through other's comments, I'm disappointed that they haven't had the great experience that I have running this race. I ran year one, and yes, it was bare bones, for sure. Very small start line, maybe 300 runners, small banner as the start line. I almost wasn't sure I was in the right place when I got there because I was there before they set up. Call me crazy, but that is a HUGE plus for me. I've done San Diego twice and LA once (so far), and while they're great races, there's just something so awesome about being out on the road with fewer than 1000 runners. SD and LA are packed! 20,000+ runners each. And yes, that means more support along the course, but it also means difficulty at the starts (not enough port-o-potties, crazy hectic corrals, etc.). The charm of Malibu is that it's still small. Second year it doubled from year one and it seems this year it may double again. And I'm sure more and more people will sign up year over year. I'm happy that more people are interested in running. My hope is that it doesn't get too big. My parents like to come and support me and have found that this easily their favorite race to come see me run. It's been very easy for them to stop on the course and cheer me on. They bring snacks and drinks for me too. Parking at the start and finish are plentiful and easily accessible. For those who hoped for more support, I found that there were definitely enough water stops. And I always carry enough Gu on the run to get me through.....maybe they should carry more. As for the course, people complained about wind and sun....sorry...you're running a marathon. It isn't going to be a walk in the park. Both years so far have been gorgeous! Cool in the morning, beautiful completely flat first 10-11 miles through farmland. And then, you reach the amazingly beautiful ocean along PCH. Yes, it was very windy year one once we reached PCH, and the sun can be brutal, not to mention some crazy hills that you will encounter. But this is my race to challenge myself. It is by far the most difficult marathon I've run. But with a hat on my head and shoes on my feet, I'm out there to try to improve year over year. I love this race and will continue to sign up, year after year, as long as the incredible volunteers and staff want to have it!
J. L. from Hollywood, CA (8/3/2011) "Not bad but..." (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Malibu International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I ran this in 2009 when it is an inaugural. Not bad.. I liked it. I enjoyed it. Second half of the marathon is rolling hills - very scenic. No shades though but if you're lucky, you'll get the ocean breeze to cool you off. Bring running hat and sunscreen with you. For those of you that complain about lack of electrolytes - coconut water has just as much (if not more) electrolytes than gatorade but with a lot less sugar than gatorade. For those of you that complain about hills - check the elevation map before you sign up next time. For those of you that complain about lack of food on the course or doesn't pamper to your needs - take a lesson from a veteran runner, always bring your own what you need. NEVER trust a course to provide all of it for you. Everyone is different. There is no way they can cater to everyone. I participated in races where the sports drink taste like medicine. I understand you can't lug gallons of gatorade with you but there are other alternatives such as electrolyte tablets/chew/jelly beans/gel/gu, etc.. those you can easily bring with you. Marathons that offer nice perks like gummi bears, bananas, oranges, pretzels, sandwiches along the course do exist. Feel free to go run those. I run one just like that. Registration was cheap too! It was in Alaska. For those of you that complain about lack of T-shirts - ok.. if this is your first, fifth, tenth marathon, ok.. I understand.. but I done over 75 full marathons and countless half's and other events.. I got over 100 event shirts! The next thing I want is ANOTHER event shirt. So the towels is a refreshing change that I can proudly bring to the pool or the beach and show off. Perhaps the race organizers can give people an option. That would make it nice in the future. I didn't run 2010 due to schedule conflict but looks like they didn't give out the reuseable, insulated lunch bags they provided at the finish in 2009. That was nice.. really nice. And in each lunch bag was a pre-packed of water, banana, 1 apple and a bag of pretzels or chips. That's the same post race food you get at NYC Marathons and that one charges close to $200! And guess what folks, no official course food supported either! Yes I agree.. the first half isn't much to look at but it is a nice change of scenery from the congested start with walkers walking side by side each other and holding you back. As for the registration cost. Take a look around, race registration fees been increasing everywhere. It isn't just Malibu. Even a Half marathon is now close to $100 per person! My guess is that, a big chunk of that cost is due to road closure/permit fees that City of Malibu wants. It is Malibu after all. So keep that in mind when you think the reg. fee for this is too damn expensive.
E. B. from Los Angeles, CA (6/9/2011) "Best So-Cal race!!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Malibu International Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run close to forty marathons around the world and I rank the Malibu event among the best of the privately operated races. Without any corporate sponsorship, the organizers pull off a world class event! Both of the first years went off without a hitch, besides the complaints of a few bitchy, spoiled participants, and its my bet that you can expect great things from this team in the coming years. Amazing course!! Awesome swag and great organization!! I saw plenty of water, even after the course was closed as I carpooled some racers back to the start. Love the local kids volunteering at the water stops, makes it that much more special. Can't say enough good things about this event!!!! THANK YOU ALL who help put this race on!! I'll be there every year!
K. W. from Canoga Park, California (12/30/2010) "Don't Do It! It Sucked!" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Malibu International Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This marathon was a complete rip off. The eco-friendly vehicle taking us to the Camarillo airport was a big yellow school bus with windows that would not close. (That was a cold ride at 5:30 in the morning) My bus was the first of five to leave and the last to arrive because our bus driver got lost. Then as we are waiting marathon workers were still putting up the 'start' sign, that is not a good sign. When it started I thought ok this is not to bad until I passed the cheesy mile markers except for the one I missed written in chalk on the ground. There was no support on the course, it was like we were dropped off at the airport and told run back to your car 26.2 miles away, see ya there. The difficulty of the course, running into a headwind kicked my butt. That would be ok if there was proper support but there was not. No gatorade, no poweraid no gues, no people. When I saw a worker at about mile 15 I asked where the next porta-potty was and he said he had no idea. Bathroom stops were 3-5 miles apart. I took electrolyte support but needed something with the heat, wind and effort I was exerting and they ran out of coconut water at one point and by mile 20 when it is hill after hill after hill ran out of water cups so someone gave me a gallon of water to run and carry at the same time. Just what I want... to carry a gallon which feels like 30lbs after running 20 miles for another 6.2 miles. There was no vaseline til 23..... that was only 6-7 miles late. Chaffing starts for me and most people I know by mile 16. I asked a stranger looking at the ocean view if they had lotion or something. Nice lady did and gave me some. Since I registered a month before I paid $145 for it and another for my son. That is $290 for a race that had no real support. When we finished there was bottled water and bananas, that was it. Every time I have done a marathon I feel exhausted but I feel accomplished and a part of something big, LA, Long Beach. After this I felt ripped off, The management that put this together as, my son said, are people that have no clue as to what a runner needs. Maybe the last 1/2 mile was in Malibu, most of this course was north of Malibu. Did they call it Malibu so they could charge more and rip off people. Do Not Do This Marathon!!!! I have done LA twice and Long Beach once. Both really well run, Long Beach was better prepared than LA. I will do both of those again this one NEVER again!!
J. G. from Boston, MA (11/29/2010) "1/2 marathon rolling roadblock kills momentum" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Malibu International Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 For my first west coast marathon, I will say that the weather and the scenery were all that I was expecting and more (more heat, more wind, more spectacular views - dolphins frolicking in the surf 200 feet from the course). And it pains me to have to agree with the previous comments that expectations were higher given costs and hype; though I actually like my towel, I agree that shirts should probably have been less expensive given the size of the registration fee. Big logistical problem! The 1/2 marathon starts 1.5 hours into the marathon and runs concurrent with the final half of the marathon... on the shoulder (and closed right lane where space permitted) of the Pacific Coast Highway. My Boston qualifying effort was completely undone by trying to weave my way through from the back of a couple thousand 1/2 marathoners. I lost over 1 minute per mile fighting my way through to mile 20 at which point the effort became moot. Not a race I would recommend, especially if you have to fly across the country to participate.
Eddie Hahn from Crestline, Calif. (11/24/2010) "Misleading Pre-Race Instructions" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Malibu International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 The biggest gripe I have with the Malibu Marathon is about their failure to enforce standards. Under the "frequently asked questions" section of the website, instructions clearly stated that all runners "must attend the pre-race expo." That is, in no case could another runner pick up one's packet. In my case, this necessitated a 230-mile round trip, which I chose to do on Friday so I wouldn't have back-to-back trips - especially with the 530 a.m. shuttle to the start. When I arrived at the "expo," which was nothing but a handfull of pop-up, canopy, promotional vendors, I observed a participant in front of me picking up packets for 3 additional runners. She was not challenged regarding this, and I am guessing she was local too. Agree with the other commentor regarding the course, coconut water and bang for the buck. Luckily I got in on a group coupon and saved entry cost. Maybe they should consider a t-shirt option instead of a towel. How many first-time marathoners prefer a towel? Naturally, t-shirts were available for purchase at the expo - for $25. Hot and hilly toward the end but beautiful ocean vistas.
J. R. from Los Angeles (11/18/2010) "Love this marathon" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Malibu International Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I am proud of my 5:53:00 finish. It was almost exactly the same time as last week's Santa Barbara Marathon (5:54:00). But this was a hard-fought 5:53:00. In my estimation, Malibu is tougher than the Palos Verdes Marathon when you blend in the wind/hill factor. I absolutely love this little marathon. Agreed, it is definitely bare-bones and no-frills. And, don't expect spectators to cheer you on. But that is a plus for me with this type of race. The Malibu Marathon is a true test of endurance. Just you and the course - and what a course it is. The first 8.5 miles are windless, flat and straight ahead, alongside the celery fields and farmlands. Miles 8.5 to 15.5 were a virtual wind-tunnel. Occasionally, we were shoved by a tailwind that could actually pick you up and propel you forward. But the majority of the wind was headwind - 3 steps forward and 1 step backward. Miles 8.5 to 25 were hills, hills, hills. But like mana from heaven, mile 26 was actually downhill - a great way to finish a race. The scenery was "to die for." Running with the Pacific Ocean off your right shoulder was definitely worth the price of admission. The finish line was just south of Trancas Road in cozy Zuma Beach. After finishing, a runner could actually wade into the Pacific Ocean to cool down the weary bones and muscles. In fact, instead of t-shirts, finishers received a beach towel. As with the 2009 race, Malibu 2010 was replete with Maniacs. The finish line was like a class reunion. Did anything bother me? Yes. 1) The Sunday cyclists often raced by just too close for comfort, never shouting out a warning. But hey! What else is new? 2) The expo was not really an expo. It was a "pick-up your bib in a parking lot" situation. Normally I wouldn't mind. But it was mandatory, and it was a 150-mile round-trip. That explains the Camarillo Hotel. 3) I did resent that we were conned into purchasing pre-paid race-day parking for $8.00 at the expo. Then, the next morning, I found out that there was plenty of free parking on the Pacific Coast Highway. 4) Please don't refer to a small, local-type race such as Malibu as "International." Santa Barbara does the same thing. It is what it is; leave it at that. "International" would be the New York Marathon. But, as for Malibu and Santa Barbara, let's not pretend to be what we ain't. We love you both just the way you are. 5) I absolutely love the Malibu Medals. They are almost in the league of the San Francisco medals. The difference is: the 2010 Malibu medal is identical to the 2009 Malibu medal. S.F. at least puts a different design on their medals each year. That is what Malibu should do. But don't get me wrong; I do like the Malibu medal. 6) The aid stations basically only served plain water and coconut water. I was hoping that they might have had some bananas or hard candy, or even Gatorade. But, as I soon found out, all was not lost. During the last third of the race, they did have packets of Lava "Kona Mocha" Energy Gel. I ultimately grabbed about 12 of these puppies for future use.
A. A. from Southern California (11/15/2010) "Super scenic course" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Malibu International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Course A+ Organization B Fans B Course Before I ran the course I wondered why the course wasn't designed to be an out-and-back from the finish area so the entire course would be all along the ocean. Then, when I ran the course, I was glad that it was a point-to-point course. The first 12 miles or so were dead flat or slightly downhill on mostly quiet roads with dirt surfaces on the side of the road, which I appreciated since it lessened the accumulated pounding and allowed my legs to be a little fresher for the later miles. I was waiting for the ocean views the first 12 or so miles and it made me appreciate it more when we ran past Pt. Mugu and it felt like we were right on the ocean. At how many races can you feel the ocean spray sprinkle you while you are running? That was spectacular. It felt like we had mostly a tailwind the first 10 miles and then I thought it was going to a really tough 15 or 16 miles into the wind but the wind seemed to die out and we had little wind and super scenic ocean views on rolling hills over the second half of the course. There were only three hills of consequence and they were spaced out. If they weren't so far into the course, only one of the hills would be of much impact. I liked the downhill finish. Super course overall. The most scenic one I have run in Southern California. Organization Very well marked miles. Good number of port-a-johns for the start. Maybe could have spaced them more out along the course instead of having two every couple miles had them split up so there would be one every mile or so along the course. Volunteers were great. A couple of water stations could have had definitely used more volunteers handing out water. But good job overall. I am not sure why the expo is at Zuma Beach since it seems out of the way for most participants. I could see a lot of people traveling to participate in this event from outside the area in the future and it seems more logical to have the expo at the host hotel for the race. Is there a hotel with enough parking to host the race expo that would be willing to be the host hotel for the event? I know some events line it up so runners can pay a fee and have a bus from the host hotel to the start and from the finish back to the hotel. This would be great for out of town runners and save a lot of parking headaches at Zuma if this event continues to grow. The race directors could consider starting the half marathon 30 minutes later so the faster marathon runners do run into the back of the half marathon runners. Fans Not much fan support along the course, but if you consider the ocean as a fan, you've got a huge one. The appeal of the event is the scenic ocean views - not the fans cheering you on along the road.
D. L. from Nixa, MO (11/14/2010) "If you want to WASTE $110, this race is for you!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Malibu International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 HORRIBLE! HORRIBLE! HORRIBLE! Before you discount my comments as just someone angry with the race, PLEASE READ THEM! First off, I would like to say this race has A LOT of potential because the course is beautiful if you can keep your body in the shape to enjoy it! I just finished this race no more than 11 hours ago. What is SEVERELY lacking is race management and an understanding of what matters in a marathon. You will pay as much as any PREMIER race ($110) and not even get a t-shirt! Now, the race management will tell you it's because you will receive a 'Finishers Beach Towel' at the end (because I asked). But I was informed I could buy one for $20! SHEESH! For $110 I would expect to get a technical shirt, medal AND a finisher's beach towel! Now on to the race itself. I didn't mind the farmland start, and while the wind and hills were a factor, that's just part of the course. Once you get to the coast, the views are breathtaking. What is HORRIBLE is that the ONLY thing you will get at the aid stations is WATER and COCONUT WATER... yes, you heard me right... COCONUT WATER! What the heck?? I took some because I needed "something" and found myself with a 5-7 minute bathroom stop that wasn't pretty. I tried to stay away from it but there was no stop (therefore no water) between 12 and 15 and when I got to 15 they were OUT of water and ONLY had coconut water. So I drank it... and 5 miles later... shall I say more? Oh, and do you like it when a marathon provides pretzels, gummy bears, chips, etc? Well, you won't find that here. Maybe an orange or something called a "LAVA GEL" at a few of the aid stations, but nothing more. By 18 I was so out of electrolytes (even taking my own gels), I started cramping and it was only getting hotter. The cramping got worse and worse and it seemed like everyone around me was in the same shape. They NEED something like Gatorade/PowerAde out there!!! By the time I finished, my quads, hammies, calves and adductors were CRAMPING BAD. I'm an experienced marathoner and I don't cramp because I take in electrolytes along the way! I asked race personnel if they had ANY Gatorade/PowerAde. I was told, "NO! Gatorade is BAD for you. It has too much sugar!" Well, I think they're NUTS!! Nice medal, nice towel, and nice course... but everything else SUCKED! I got my California marathon but it didn't come without a BIG price... both in the wallet AND with my BODY.

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