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☰
Palos Verdes Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Palos Verdes Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.4 
Organization 4.0 
Spectators 2.7
Number of comments: 83 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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v. k. from LOS ANGELES
(5/17/2010)
"Scenic and fun" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Palos Verdes Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I enjoyed this marathon. Its hills can be tough on most, but with the right training, it can be easy. Great ocean views. Great support, even from the people stuck in traffic. Not a lot of spectators, but the few are high-fivers. The ladies are lovely too. To the young blonde in red shorts, with a ring on your middle finger: I regret not talking to you as we waited for the start. I hope this stays a "secret." I don't like BIG marathons like LA. | |
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Arthur Tang from California, United States
(5/16/2010)
"Not for first-timers shooting for sub-3." (about: 2010)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was my very first marathon and my goal was going for sub-3 hours, but man, it was hard - especially because there were about 15 inclines during the whole marathon. I ran 1 hour and 24 minutes for the half, but going back was just brutal, especially at mile 20-23. I can't really complain about my 3:07:53 because I've been running about 35 miles a week with not much hill training since my cross-country season. I think doing this once is good enough, haha. If you can do this, I think you can do well in other marathons. | |
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David D. from Hollywood, CA
(5/15/2010)
"challenging course, spectacular vistas" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Palos Verdes Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Once again, 2 big thumbs up for this friendly, well-organized race. Low cost does not mean cheap, either. Everything was well done; great weather made 2010 a great day. Congrats to the Kiwanis. | |
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M. M. from Southern CA
(5/15/2010)
"LA's best kept secret!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Palos Verdes Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This race is one of the best I've run. Yes, the course is hilly and challenging, but somehow I've managed to get my two best marathon times on this course. It's very scenic - running past million-dollar homes and with ocean views most of the way. It's a small-town race with no frills - no swag bag, not much of an expo, etc., but those don't matter much to me. There were more aid stations and they were more well-stocked than they were when I last ran it a few years ago (when they ran out of Gatorade at the later stations). There are only a handful of spectators, but the few that come out are very encouraging. My only complaint is that the website sucks. All it says is that GU and water will be available on the course. I (and most other runners I know) want more details than that. The medal, though still small and ugly, has also improved from the piece of plastic they handed out in 2006. Overall, it's a very well-run event and a beautiful course! Highly recommended to everyone, including first-timers! | |
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L. S. from Palos Verdes Estates
(3/16/2010)
"Ocean, golf, lighthouses, mansions, whales" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Palos Verdes Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 What a great way to spend the day: friendly staff, beautiful scenery and plentiful aid stations. I recommend it for first marathoners who want a challenge that is small-town friendly - usually with only a few hundred runners. | |
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R. M. from Torrance, CA
(5/6/2009)
"Great first marathon run if you train hard" (about: 2009)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 For a first-timer, this marathon was an eye-opener. Great, small-town feel and very welcome staffing at the start. No lines or delays for anything. Excellent organization at the bib handout, and plenty of water if you needed it. A past review did not recommend this as a 26.2 for the beginning marathon rookie; that couldn't be further from the truth. The famed hill at mile 2 was OK if you include hard, honest hill training in your regimen. It's not your marathon if you want a flat, easy course. Very well laid out course with good traffic control at the intersections. Watch out for the few close cars, though. At the aid stations, there were plenty of bananas, Gatorade, water, Gu and Shot Bloks. Great staffing here as well. I had my own Hammer Gel and Clif Bars just in case. Plus the overcast weather was a big plus. I did it in 5:30 and was very satisfied. That's not bad for a big, 6'3", 230-pound, 46-year-young man. I will do it again next year. The scenery is so worth it, and the great camaraderie amongst runners shines through. Great job to all Kiwanis, PV volunteers and staff. You earned an A+ in my book on my very first 26.2. | |
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S. Y. from Gardena
(5/5/2009)
"Great but needs some improvements" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Palos Verdes Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This was my first 1/2 and I'm training for a full. The course was a bit of challenge (hills) but the view lends extra inspiration. PROS: volunteers were very nice; some locals held up signs for motivation; they had water, sports drinks, bananas, restrooms at stops; the jazz band in the middle of nowhere was awesome; the booths, music, freebie samples at the end of race were nice; did I mention the beautiful view? CONS: my official time was off by almost 9 minutes and they listed me finishing at the exact second as two other runners when I actually crossed the finish alone; my name was misspelled on the official list when I filled out the Scantron correctly at pre-registration; I guess these are minor aggravations considering that I'm not an elite runner, but come on.... I would run it again, if only for the challenge of the hills and the beautiful views. | |
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R. C. from Paramount, California
(5/4/2009)
"tough course for a first-time marathoner" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Palos Verdes Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The course is beautiful, but after hitting the "wall," that was of no help. What was very helpful was the guy at about mile 20ish with some spray-on painkiller. If it weren't for him, I'd hate to think of how much more pain I could've endured. By the way, this was my first marathon, and I now realize that I underestimated it badly - besides the fact that I was overconfident in my training. True, there are few spectators offering support, but the few that were out there kick-ass. Thanks to all of the volunteers!! P.S. I didn't get my finisher's t-shirt. | |
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A. B. from Los Angeles, CA
(5/2/2009)
"Love this small-town gem" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Palos Verdes Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 The course is very challenging, but spectacular. The weather was perfect in 2009. I really enjoyed this small-town gem and would definitely consider doing it again. It was very sparsely attended, but I enjoyed that. There isn't really spectator support other than the aid stations, so bring your iPod for motivation. It's a no-frills race for the purists! Pros - Course beauty; police/security support in the intersections; good signage on the course; real bathrooms with soap and water at the start (such a luxury!); race-day bib pick-up; small size; well-stocked aid stations (Clif Blocks, Gatorade, water, bananas). Cons - The long climb from miles 20-23 is a killer; markers are not present at all miles; race organizers don't tell you in advance where Clif Blocks will be (so I ended up carrying my own gels instead); sharing the course with cyclists; running on a rather busy road shoulder. No chip timing, but the field of ~300 probably crosses within 20 seconds of the start, so that's not a big deal. | |
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S. W. from Los Angeles, CA
(3/19/2009)
"Beautiful, Hot, and Lots of Hills" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Palos Verdes Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The heat was a killer in 2008. Not one breeze the whole time. I saw a guy go down right in front of me. Some idiot lady brought her dog. I don't recommend this marathon for beginners. If you live in LA and want to try something different, go for it. |
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