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☰
Maine Coast Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Maine Coast Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.0 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 21 [displaying comments 1 to 11]
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M. L. from Kennesaw, GA
(5/15/2019)
"Nice Course" (about: 2019)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Maine Coast Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The temps were a tad warm, with not much cloud cover this year - mostly in the 50's. The course had rolling hills but nothing too steep. The beaches were very scenic. making the journey enjoyable. Packet pick-up was quick and easy. The bus transport was efficient. The support on the course was spot-on, everyone was ready and communicated well. When the full and half marathon participants merged at mile 23 it was very chaotic. Several times I had to zig zag in and out and around. Many halves were three and four abreast, and some were just walking. It took a lot more energy and time to compensate to finish in my goal time. There should be cones to separate the full and half. I even had to bump some halves in the last .2 because the path/turns became narrow. The organizers may want to take note for future races. The post race food was disappointing. The only cookies were Oreo's...what about fig bars or chocolate/oatmeal cookies? There was watermelon but that went very quickly on a warm day. Fruit cups, orange wedges and mini muffins would have worked well. I did like the opportunity to pick up my age group award without waiting for it to be mailed or until the end of the race. Overall this was a well organized marathon with rolling hills and scenic views. And one I would recommend. | |
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M. F. from Boston, MA
(5/14/2019)
"Stunning Views; Good Organization; Great Race" (about: 2019)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Maine Coast Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was the prettiest course I have run. The race website does not exaggerate. With almost 900 runners, there was always someone nearby. Bib pickup was easy; Parking at the start was plentiful and the bus ride to the start reminds one of Boston. Fans were kind of sparse, but that is to be expected in rural Maine. Post Race food was okay, but the beer and music and atmosphere was great. The perfect weather helped. | |
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L. M. from Wellington, Fl
(6/6/2018)
"Breathtaking" (about: 2018)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Maine Coast Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Scenery, was amazing. Never boring. The course had a good mix of hills, so be prepared, but nothing outrageous. Gets windy at water front and a little cooler but weather was PERFECT. Warm clean toilets at school. Great space to stretch. No nerves, everyone was friendly including R.D and staff. The announcer at start was very entertaining. Love the shirt. Beautiful art work, nice design and comfortable. The expo is small as is race and that is the beauty of it. Everyone is approachable. Post race had everything a big marathon does ONLY they actually have it. Food beer entertainment massage. Beautiful sun shine and plenty of grass to sit around and enjoy the weather. | |
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L. S. from Massachusetts
(5/17/2018)
"Beautiful course! Low key Marathon" (about: 2018)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I am running the 50 states and I chose this one as it fit my schedule and training plans. Not to mention it comes highly recommended. I liked that I could choose to purchase a shirt and hopefully that keeps the entry fee lower as I don't always wear or like the shirt. The area hotels were very reasonable. I stayed at the Hampton inn in Wells, ME about 10min from race start. The race expo was very small and a quick in and out picking up my bib. Race start were easy logistics. I was able to show up 30mins prior rather than an hour and use portapotty and get to my corral area with time to spare. The start was delayed due to an emergency which led us to no water for the first 8miles. A lot of runners were panicking but for me I don't need a ton of fuel so I knew I would be ok. The weather is also a factor and it was rather cool (about 42 degrees). If it were hot no water could have been a bigger problem. Fortunately there was a couple around mile 4 handing out their own personal waters which was really nice and I took advantage of that. I loved the course! The first 20 was a bit of rolling hills, nothing painful or too difficult. Miles 20-26 definitely were a big challenge as it felt like a slow incline the entire 6 miles. I gave 4stars for organization due to the start being delayed and no water for 8miles. There may have been some unforseen circumstances but if I was race director I would have sent a volunteer or myself out on to course with a case of water and handed out water at mile 4. Other than that it was very well organized. The DJ was great!!! Very energetic and got you pumped up. There were a good amount of spectators at miles 4, 8, 14, and maybe 18 but other than that you wont get much for spectator support unless you bring your own support team like I did. The finish line was crowded with a good amount of support. I was not impressed with the food setup. I don't recall there being much offered. For me it was a great marathon overall. It was #11 and I finally met my lifetime goal of qualifying for Boston and a 50 second PR. | |
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T. K. from Cincinnati, OH
(5/16/2018)
"Gorgeous Scenery!" (about: 2018)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Maine Coast Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Top 10 Reasons to Run the Maine Coast Marathon 10) The enthusiasm of Michael the DJ throughout the day from the Start Line to urging the last runners across the Finish Line 9) Where else can you have a celebratory dinner with Maine Lobster? 8) A potential side trip to Acadia National Park- one of the most amazing places where ocean meets land 7) Some really nice Bed and Breakfast Inns in Kennebunkport - Captain Jefferd's Inn is just one 6) Viewing the Bush compound on Walker's Point 5) The finishing medal 4) Smelling the fresh salty breeze 3) Starting "gun" is a conch shell 2) Sunrise is so early that waking up for race start is easy 1) The scenery - 4 different sections of the Maine Coast - was the most beautiful of any marathon I've run | |
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M. B. from New Hampshire
(5/14/2018)
"Good course for a close-to-home race" (about: 2018)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Maine Coast Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I decided to run this marathon because I wanted a Boston qualifier, so it was somewhat on a whim. I picked it because it was less than an hour from home for me. This is a point-to-point race. Looking back on it, the beginning was fast and exciting (lots of spectators through Kennebunk/port), the middle was rolling and challenging, and the end was killer - rather dull in the way of the roads (just long, open, traffic). I was wishing for a good pace group at that point. (They have since done way with pace groups, sadly). If you ran this course in 2017, you know that a handful of runners were misdirected by a course volunteer and ran an extra half mile, costing some their BQ time. The race officials made up for this by refunding their money and offering free entry for 2018. So I was ready for a perfectly run marathon with NO errors by organizers. However, something happened at the start (still don't know what) that caused a 15 minute delay. This was fine, until the RD got on the mic and announced there would be no water stops until mile 8, and that there was a very important and good reason for this. No attempts were made to get last minute water bottles to the runners at the start so we could at least carry water with us through that long stretch. Thank GOODNESS I had support at mile 4 waiting with a small bottle of sports drink. If it were a hot day, this could have been a disaster. I am sympathetic to whatever emergency happened on the course, but this incident, again, could have cost many runners a good race. I feel it could have been dealt with differently, with some fast thinking. In the end, I got my qualifying time and enjoyed the day. I admit to having a slight panic attack at the start when it was announced there would be no water for 8 miles, but I knew I had to get out of my head and just do my best with those circumstances. I like the scenic coastal parts of the run, and running through the town. Shirts were awesome. Post race food was weak. Volunteers at water stops were great. Organization and people making decisions left a bit to be desired. But the convenience can't be beat. Logistics were easy, too. | |
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C. K. from New Jersey
(5/18/2016)
"Beautiful course" (about: 2016)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Maine Coast Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The views are worth the run in this race, which takes you, in part, along the coast of Maine in Kennebunkport. We lucked out with great weather (overcast, 50s). There are rolling hills, but nothing horrible. The half marathon is the day before, so it's just you and your fellow marathoners out there. It's a small, quiet race. On-course support is fantastic. The spectators who come out are great. The course is open to traffic, which the RD reminds you of before the race, but I found that drivers were courteous, careful and patient and as long as you stayed to the side and paid attention, there was no danger. Overall, I loved visiting this area of Maine and loved the race. If you're looking for big crowds, it's not for you. I prefer the smaller races with easy logistics, and this one delivered. The expo is small and I had a little trouble finding it at UNE, but some students there were nice enough to point me in the right direction. | |
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D. G. from Richmond, Va
(5/18/2016)
"Good Race" (about: 2016)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Maine Coast Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I think this is a race worthy of doing. Packet pick up is small, quick and efficient. It is outdoors in a tent with maybe 3-4 vendors, so you are in and out with little fuss. The start is at a high school, where you wait outdoors but again, with the size of the race, getting there was no problem The course is both spectacular at times and, at times, rather mundane. You run several sections along the coast where the views cannot be beat. But there are also several section that run along the main (only?) road where you are running along the shoulder of an open road. Spectators were minimal. There were only a couple of places where there were any mass of people They did a really nice job with the water stops. Each had a group that was in charge of the water stop and the race did a contest for the best water stop. So a lot of the stops the people were dressed up in costume of some sort. Just made a fun pick me up The finish was nice, a short stretch on some sort of track. Lots of parking at he finish so easy for spectators to come and go. | |
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M. S. from Beverly, MA
(5/29/2015)
"Great Race. Would Do Again" (about: 2015)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, though I've done many shorter races and cheered my wife at two, and this compares very favorably with those. Pros: - Not over-produced. Just enough character to make it unique. Felt like a real race, not entertainment. - Great course. I think the description is spot-on, e.g. gorgeous ocean views, rolling hills. - Only the marathon is run on race dayno half or relay runners to deal with. - Volunteers did great job at aid stations, especially given the heat of 2015. They're the ones who deserve medals. - Professional, well-done photos included in cost. - Lots of à la carte options at registration: shirt, visor, jacket, shuttle reservation - Was skeptical about lack of gels, but on course I learned that I like eating real food during a marathon! (Brought my own gels) - Free Maine Coast Marathon-specific 26.2 sticker - Maine Coast bottle at finish (with cold water) vs. typical spring water plastic bottle - Good quality race t-shirt - Free beer and pizza at end - Mile marker signs posted - ViewTheRace video preview was useful - Sufficient parking at finish Cons: - Finisher's jacket disappointing (2015 was typical Leslie Jordan fare) - Expo/packet pickup is outside under big tents (same used post-race), so it's exposed to elements - Not too many spectators, but to be expected given the course | |
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David Weiss from Cleveland, Ohio
(5/28/2015)
"Very pretty course, especially the last few miles" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Maine Coast Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Overall a nice little marathon... The Good: -Easy pack pickup afternoon before the race -Easy parking morning of race, and decent buses for ride to start line -Enjoyable time in Maine; I stayed in Portland the night before the race and enjoyed my time there -Easy drive to race from Boston, where I flew to -A highlight-excellent course! Really nice going through the quaint little towns; and the last several miles along the ocean were just beautiful! -Interesting medal -Plentiful aid stations -Pretty good food at finish The Bad: -The heat!...Cant control the weather, but it was 81 when I finished-maybe a slightly earlier start? -minimal 'expo' The Ugly: -1st marathon out of 28 where I did not get a shirt included with my registration-(apparently I had to purchase to get one...that's a big 'booooooooo!' you hear from me on that!) -I was absolutely miserable with a terrible cold and allergies during the race-first half was OK, second half with the heat=miserable for me personally! Nice enthusiastic 3:45 pacer guy kept me going during the first half before I became just a train-wreck in the second, thanks pacer guy! Overall, a nice way to see some of the state of Maine for the first time in my life...highlight of this race was the enjoyable course, for me |
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