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Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA) Runner Comments
Back to Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA) Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 4.2
Number of comments: 62 [displaying comments 1 to 11]
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D. S. from California
(8/29/2018)
"Fantastic event" (about: 2018)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run this race 15 times but missed last year due to a move to California. No way I could miss the 50th running of the marathon. The support from the community is awesome. I highly recommend running this race and plan to be back again next year. | |
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K. W. from Green Bay, WI
(8/12/2018)
"A Run Like No Other!" (about: 2018)
50+ previous marathons
| 3 Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 You won't find nicer running people anywhere! Hurley really loves their runners and this is felt throughout the race, from registration all through awards and after! Definitely a challenging course but that's what we come for! I ran a very slow time, in part due to the hot weather, but so happy I ran! Ricky Kelly and crew do such an awesome job with absolutely everything! It's awesome to see how passionate they are about this event, and we runners feel that! Thank you Ricky and everyone involved in this most special marathon! God Bless Your Kind Hearts! | |
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B. Y. from Minnesota
(10/10/2016)
"Great, with a great legacy/history." (about: 2016)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my third Paavo run. The first two times were in 1974 and 1975. I decided to run it again this year, 2016, to re-experience the course and the memories. The race itself was enjoyable in almost everyway, especially the runners who return year after year, and the historic course on which it is run. There was a time when this was literally the only marathon in Wisconsin, and it remains in some sense a unique marathon. The number of full marathoners has become fewer in recent years for reason I do not understand. It can be warm in August, and humid, and always hilly, so maybe newer marathoners prefer flatter, cooler courses. I certainly would recommend this marathon to those seeking a good experience. | |
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bil zander from milwaukee, wi
(8/23/2016)
"fun run in a pretty place" (about: 2016)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I really just want to improve the previous comment. He or she complained that the nearest international airport is Duluth. That is correct, but there are non-stop direct flights from Chicago O'Hare to Ironwood, MI, just over the border with Hurley. I ran this marathon in 2004 and 2005. I loved it, and have committed to returning in 2017. I'm sad to see that participation has dropped steadily for the last few years. | |
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Keith Caruso from Nashville, TN
(8/9/2015)
"Reasonably executed small marathon" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran yesterday in very good conditions for this time of year, 63 degrees at the start and low 70's at the finish, although you have to bear in mind that I was fifth, finishing in 3:11. It was hilly as advertised, although I train on hills in the Nashville area, so it wasn't too onerous. There was a short, very steep hill just past the halfway point and again in the 25th mile. My wheels were starting to come off in the last mile, and I'm not sure whether it was that hill or not. My Garmin heart rate monitor went bonkers about halfway through, so I was running blind in terms of heart rate, although I still managed to run negative splits by a few seconds. The course was rural, with mostly long grades, both up and down through the first part of the race, although it seemed like a continuous grade from mile 5 to 9 or so. Scenery was pretty nice, mostly running along asphalt roads with tall evergreens lining both sides. We ran through several small towns, some of which were more picturesque than others due to lakeside views. There was also a stretch of wetlands where there seemed to be a rather persistent headwind. Spectators were few but enthusiastic. In addition to numerous cowbells, there was one town in which volunteers tolled a rather significant bell as each runner went by, which was pretty impressive. Aid stations were generally every 3 miles until mile 18, when they were set up at each mile. There were also aid stations at the relay points at 5 and 10 miles, and a few random spots where spectators handed out water or, in one case, beer, though I did not partake. Volunteers at aid stations were the best I have ever encountered in a race: not one dropped an exchange of a single drink on me or had me whiff in trying to grab the cup. Gatorade and water were available, as were sponges and ice. Late in the race, one aid station had numerous food items, which I again bypassed. The finisher medal was nothing to get excited about, and the tee shirt was cheap, coarse cotton. However, the age group medal was substantial and elegant in its simplicity. Post race food was Finnish beef stew; it wasn't my favorite, but the welcoming and enthusiastic attitude of the volunteers made it impossible for me to resist, although one cup was plenty. I ate two meals at the Iron Nugget. I had pretty decent pasta the night before (bearing in mind that I am a New York City raised Italian American who can be pretty brutally critical), and the pizza the next day was not (same caveats apply). Both were cheap meals, and filling. As for the negatives, there were a few. It was an ordeal to get there. I had to fly into Duluth and drive 2 hours. It was impossible to fly out the same day after the race. I was pushing the time limit for registration, but there was no expo or line, so I was in and out. I stayed in the Day's Inn in Hurley and took the shuttle from the hotel at 6:00 a.m. to Upson. We arrived with sufficient time to hit the Port-o-lets, and it was rural enough that the guys could use the woods just before race time. It is not a chip-timed event; it is a chip finish event. There is no mat at the start. The field is relatively small, even with the marathon relay runners, so this wasn't a huge consideration, and I was able to start on the front line, so gun time was my time. Most probably will not select this race as a Boston qualifier, so it probably matters little. It would have been nice to know that there was no shuttle back to the hotel though, instead it was a walk of about 1.5 miles on broken sidewalks, which my blisters did not accommodate to very well. It took an act of Congress to get an extra hour for check out though, which seemed pretty lame for a host hotel. | |
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J. B. from Janesville, WI
(8/9/2015)
"Great community event with an old school course." (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race was a gem for the price. The cost of 65 dollars was appealing, the rolling hills were challenging, the townspeople, volunteers, and neighbors were phenomenal! If you are more concerned about running a PR, this may not be your race. If you want to say you participated in Wisconsin's longest running marathon filled with history and tradition, this one is for you. This years weather was great for early August. Nice medal, t-shirt, and finish line were awesome. A great place to make a weekend family trip. Just be mentally prepared for running on highways for approximately 7 and 3 miles (10 total). Also, be prepared to carry your own water/hydration if you need more hydration in early miles. The water stops were filled wonderfully with water, ice, sponges, cookies, gatorade, etc.. These are the best stocked aid stations I have witnessed for a marathon. Great job to the entire community. | |
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Rob Klein from Paradise, Michigan
(8/15/2014)
"A Cool Start, but Hot at the End" (about: 2014)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Check-in at the school, on Friday, was a breeze. There was a spaghetti dinner there too. This was a point-to-point marathon, with the finish-line was downtown, so that is where we parked our cars. Then we got bussed to the start-line in Upson, a town to the southwest on Highway 77. The race started in town there and went to the north and east. The first 5 miles or so were in the woods, and it was cool and very pleasant for running. As the sun rose higher, there was less shade. Later in the morning it got pretty hot, and there was no shade - except from the clouds rolling across the sky. Eventually we returned to Highway 77, and passed through the little communities along the way returning to Hurley. As we entered town, the course turned right and we ran south a few miles, then joined Highway 51 and headed back into downtown. Running on the left side of the road for that stretch, we came to Silver Street, and then turned left and proceeded to the finish line. Aid stations were adequately spaced and closer together near the end. The volunteers were friendly and cordial. At mile post 18, the volunteers brought their John Deere tractor to the aid station, and had a banquet of food out there for us! It was incredible. The aid station near mile post 23 was 'Hawaiian'. The gal was wearing a grass skirt, and they served us pineapple and watermelon. These people were awesome and seemed to be enjoying the moment too. They only had medals for the first 200 runners, and well over 200 signed up (but only 157 completed the marathon). Also, they only ordered T-shirts for those registered by the end of July. Late registrants - like me - were able to order T-shirts. But with all the no-shows, the staff made no effort to get those extra T-shirts to finishers and it was a finishers T-shirt. The other thing is that medals, finisher T-shirts, and drop bags were being handed out inside the Iron Nugget (a restaurant) and it was not clear to me that we were supposed to go there - until I asked around at the finish-line. Minor details, as they say. Overall, this was a great little community race and was very worthwhile - even with the hills - that weren't really as bad as some folks hyped them up to be. | |
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A. V. from Gardner, KS
(8/11/2014)
"Beautiful & Challenging Course" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race was absolutely SUPER!! Gorgeous course but very challenging. Very hilly so train for it. Definitely a destination race! Loved the small town of Hurley and everyone is so friendly. Great volunteers and aid stations are every 3 miles instead of your typical 2. | |
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Chloe Glover from Johannesburg, South Africa
(5/11/2014)
"What a wonderful race!" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Came all the way from South Africa to run this wonderful race. Beautiful route and so well organized. Unfortunately I ran with a terrible injury only to find out when I returned home the cause was an antibiotic I had taken in June which ruptured the fascia of my right thigh! | |
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K. M. from Fairmont, WV
(1/19/2014)
"Amazing support to be so small" (about: 2013)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Paavo Nurmi Marathon (USA)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was only my 2nd full marathon, but I'd had experience with other races in half's and this race was well organized to be so small. The spectator support while sometimes sparse was encouraging. Course is beautiful. The water/aid stations were simply outstanding with an array of drinks, carbs, and fruits. I was blown away by how well stocked they were. Surpassed anything I've seen at races planned for 1000's of runners. Even an 'unsanctioned' stop of some nice people at the end of their driveway with water and meds, bengay, anything you might need. A guy playing his banjo on his front porch and singing was fun, too. The volunteers were spectacular. I can't say enough great things about this fun race. Organization only got 4 stars because you had to go find your medal at the end of the race and that was not well marked. |
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