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☰
New Jersey Marathon Runner Comments
Back to New Jersey Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 464 [displaying comments 381 to 391]
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C. W. from WEST HARRISON, N.Y.
(4/26/2004)
"April 2004 - Great Course - Great Day" (about: 2004)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and it was a great experience. The course was flat with lots of good scenery, the volunteers were super, plenty of fluid, GU, etc. Well run. God willing, next year for sure. | |
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T. L. from Tampa, Florida
(4/26/2004)
"Superbly organized; Better course would help" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 First of all, hats off to the organizers and support staff. This was my eighth marathon - most of them big city marathons - and this crew was second to none. The volunteers were enthusiastic and energetic... a great event. The course, though fast (I PR'ed by more than 2 minutes), is dull... dull... dull. Running essentially in a straight line for 26.2 miles gets old and constantly reminds you what you're doing and where you're going. This is not necessarily a bad thing but a little variety never hurts during a 3-, 4- (or 5-) hour workout. The start on Sandy Hook was cool and the last few miles on the boardwalk were neat... very much like Cape Cod, but the balance of the miles up and down Ocean Boulevard got old... | |
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sutah robins from the jersey shore
(4/26/2004)
"Plenty of room to run" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 New Jersey Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This year the course was a different route due to construction. I liked finishing on the boardwalk at the expo site rather than the high school. I liked that the expo was open late the night prior, and before and after the marathon on race day. could have used more of a selection for running gear. Our bus driver got lost, which was amusing since the destination to the staging area was a 7-mile straight shot up the coast. Fortunately, one of us on the bus (me) knew the area. | |
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Peter Sorokoff from New York, New York
(4/26/2004)
"Good weather makes the difference in this race" (about: 2004)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon, and the flatness of the course and perfect weather conditions made it a truly great experience. Logistically there were no problems - the race was organized well and there were plenty of water stations and helpful volunteers. The course is not exciting enough in my opinion to make this a fun race if the weather is not ideal though. There isn't too much fan support, or activity along the way. The finish area was adequate, but devoid of any excitement. Still, overall it was a great marathon experience and I would reccomend it for anyone who wants a stress-free race! | |
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N. W. from Baltimore Maryland, USA
(4/26/2004)
"Flat, a bit windy, but good" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was a well run event (except for the pasta buffet, which was NOT what it was advertised to be - a pittance!) and things ran smoothly on race day. The course is flat and fast, but be prepared for at least a little wind. Hills aren't there to slow you down, but a steady 10-15 MPH headwind has some impact. The course runs right along the beach so there will always be some wind, even on a day where the weather forecast calls for calm conditions. So it's a trade-off. Dress for some wind. This could be a miserable course on a rainy day, given a cold rain and windy conditions, but on a decent day, it's pretty good. You actually don't see the beach much, as there is a seawall for most of the course, but it's still scenic and in a marathon you shouldn't be sight-seeing anyway! Good fluid stations with water and Gatorade positioned throughout and mile markers at every mile as well as intermittent clocks. All in all, a good race that I would run again. | |
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Steven Schnurman from Princeton, NJ
(4/25/2004)
"Nice Small Race!!" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I enjoyed running the NJM, this morning. NYC was my first, this past November. After running a huge international race, like NYCM, with millions of fans, it was kind of nice running a small one where there was plenty of time alone to think. The fans, when they were there, were very supportive. The volunteers were amazing. There were some absolutely beautiful vistas of the Atlantic Ocean and NYC skyline. The course is flat and fast... good for the ego! I truly want to recommend this marathon. | |
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C. H. from New York, NY
(4/25/2004)
"Flat, as promised." (about: 2004)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first NJ marathon and I will definitely return to run it again. The volunteers were wonderful, especially at the fluid stations. This race was much more organized than I had expected. The course was flat and despite the wind, it was a pleasurable run. The crowds were sparse but those who were out there were very supportive. The only negative part was the lack of directions and transportation at the end of the race. Overall, a very enjoyable race and a great Boston qualifier. Thank you again to all the volunteers for their time and effort. | |
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D. H. from Baltimore
(4/25/2004)
"Nice, but could use some improvements" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 First, the positive things. The course was fairly nice. I didn't realize that area was so pretty. It would've been nice to see more ocean, but they can't help that. You did see the ocean at the end, but by then I didn't care. ;-) It's nice having an almost point-to-point course, and buses. Packet picket was fairly straight-forward, people were ready to cover runner's mistakes on race morning, and the bus logistics was really nice. It would've been nice if we parked closer to the finish line though. It's tough to make that walk in the cold, after a marathon. Port-a-pots were plenty, so they must've listened to people, and the waiting area at the start was nice. Water/food stops were the most plentiful I've ever seen in a race. The spectators were nice, and there was a lot of encouragement from people for those who were trying to qualify for Boston... ...Which sort of brings the downside. With 2,000 runners, and MANY people there trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon, chips should be being used. If I was going to be cutting it close, I would be ticked if I lost it because there was no chip time, and I spent the difference time at the start waiting for the runners to move. That could be valuable time. I also feel jipped that I got one score, when I actually did it 30 seconds faster. I know, whining. :-) But with the cost that we paid, you would hope to get that time. Also, the expo was severely crowded, but I can accept that. But the expo was being held at a place where they only allowed parking for 15 minutes. How can you shop and do packet pickup in 15 minutes? Lastly, the food at the end was sort of lacking. The ice cream was REALLY nice, but other than that, all you got was a banana, an orange, and a bagel. | |
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b. z. from Westfield New Jersey
(4/25/2004)
"2004 - just back" (about: 2004)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My first marathon and thanks to those that organized it. When I hit mile 20, Megan, a 4:00 pacer caught up to me and together she led me and several others to a few minutes under 4:00 hours. Thanks Megan. Great race for 1st timers. Very well organized. | |
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M. F. from New York
(8/27/2003)
"Nice 'small-town' marathon." (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This marathon was the quintessential 'small-town' marathon experience, starting with the goodie bags including boxes of powdered mashed potatos. The start area could have used more bathrooms. The course was fairly nice. A lot of seawall. The most troubling aspect was that there were some very narrow sections of the course. It became frustrating when trying to pass some of the walkers or other runners and there was no room to pass. There were a couple instances when I had to slow down to a walk because it was so narrow. The volunteers were very helpful and nice. The course was very flat, though the weather proved too hot. (Don't forget sunscreen!) The crowds were weak, but that was to be expected. It's a big transition when you come from a large marathon where the crowd support is very motivating. Overall, it was a very nice experience. |
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