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☰
Austin Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Austin Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.0 
Organization 4.0 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 421 [displaying comments 181 to 191]
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M. C. from Austin, TX
(2/23/2007)
"Great new loop course! Who cares about the hills?" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Austin Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is my hometown marathon so I may be a bit biased, but I think this course is at last something Austin can be proud of (unlike prior courses that were flat/downhill but largely through industrial wasteland). The new route goes through many neighborhoods so lots of people turned out to support us, and the finish on Congress Avenue was tremendous. Yes, there are hills in the first half, but for me they made it more interesting and are just something to train and pace yourself for - this is a negative split course. I had a blast. The one area organizers need to address for next year is the slightly chaotic start line on Congress Bridge - they need signs along the bridge indicating where people should line up according to pace to avoid fast runners, slower runners and walkers getting in each others' way. Other than that, a big thumbs up from me. | |
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D. P. from Houston, Tx
(2/22/2007)
"Delightful, Challenging Course" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Austin Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 After a horrid 2006 event, the organizers really strived to make 2007 an entirely different experience. They ushered in a new sponsor, new course, and well, pretty much new everything. Parking couldn't have been easier; with garages and lots scattered through out downtown it was easy to park (some places did charge a little) and have a short walk to the race (more importantly a short stagger back to the car after the race). Overall the event seemed under-manned, with delays at bag-check and overwhelmed water stops. The volunteers did a great job, but they could've used more help. The starting line was a disaster. The chute was extremely narrow and no signs were up for runners to gauge themselves; you had 3:15 runners standing next to walkers, and this is a huge safety hazard. After the race got going, though, we were treated to the beautiful tour of Austin. The course was really scenic. This is where I have mixed emotions. Being a flat-lander, the course was more mountainous than hilly. It was a challenge; however, there was a lot of speed on the course. I was on pace to break my PR by 13 minutes until I cramped up around mile 22/23, but that was a dietary issue - not a course issue. I won't be complaining if they keep the same course, and definitely won't be complaining if they flatten the course out a bit. The online tracking didn't work very well, but they did air the marathon on FOX, so that was neat. The finishing stretch down Congress was incredible. You had a beer stop, then ran by the capitol, and after all that, spectators formed a long, narrow path for runners to run through, and it was an incredible way to end the marathon. If the organizers continue to listen to runners and evolve the race as they have been, we can look forward to an even better 2008! | |
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R. C. from Austin, TX
(2/22/2007)
"Beautiful Race, Beautiful Day!!" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Austin Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I don't know if it was the weather or the fans, but this race was fabulous! I was so scared of the hills, on the new course, but without reason. I beat my PR by 9 minutes! People around me were bitching about the hills, but they didn't seem to slow me down. I recommend it. The crowd was awesome!! | |
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G. L. from Houston, Texas
(2/22/2007)
"Tough but fun course; need to step up organization" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my 4th marathon (Stockholm, Berlin and Boston) and definitely the most challenging course. That being said, it was a fair one. I thought crowd support was excellent and it is a great idea to have your name printed on the bib. On-course support was great as well - enthusiastic and well prepared. Maybe an issue in the 4-hour main body? Agree on porta-potties comment - need more at start/along course. Also, need to do a better job at getting start organized, as lots of 4+-hour runners up front where they shouldn't be (corrals next year?). My biggest gripe was the poorly stocked race packet - no magazine/brochure with info (website helped but still not complete), no safety pins included (guess they were separate and I never saw them, but there were lots of people scrounging for them on race morning....). Plus, no automatic texting service (come on, this is Austin... the IT center for Texas). Seems like the Austin needs to step up the organization-side a bit to become fully top-class event. That being said, I still recommend it as it is a great place to bring family (easy to get around to a couple of vantage points) and to hang out in before/after. It was easy to get a nearby hotel - ours was 1 mile away with nice walk along City Lake Trail to start at Congress Street. Expo was good as well. I'll be back in 2008. | |
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C. D. from Austin, TX
(2/22/2007)
"Great experience! Highly recommended!" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 3 Austin Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great crowds and atmosphere. Overall, this was my best marathon experience yet. This was my 3rd Austin Marathon. At first I was apprehensive about the new hilly course, but I trained appropriately and found it challenging but doable. I PR'd by 7 minutes and qualified for Boston. I think all of the changes the organizers made for 2007 were for the good. Only complaint was the start, which was a bit disorganized. I'm sure that will be corrected next year. | |
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K. R. from Houston, TX
(2/22/2007)
"The spectators were really great!!" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 What the hills took away, the spectators gave me back. This was my second marathon and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I ran a Boston qualification time and don't think I would have made it without the fantastic support. The hills were a true test (am I alone in finding declines harder than inclines?) but this just added to my feeling of accomplishment at the finish line. I thought this year was way better than last year when I ran the half marathon. | |
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MMM DEE from Charlotte, NC
(2/22/2007)
"What, No Armadillos?" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Heck, this course had everything else- including lots of killer hills. I enjoyed the run and thought the Austin Race Committee did a good job with it. The check-in process at the expo was efficient, but parking at the facility was a challenge. I saw at least one other runner's comment that mentioned the lack of visible medical staff and crowd support. I'm not sure what marathon they ran, but from my observation there were plenty of roving medics along the route on bikes, and many visible signs for medical support at various aid stations (loved the pirate-themed aid station!). The police officers did a fantastic job - thanks! The bands sprinkled along the course were mostly good - but the race committee should ban the song "My Sherona" from all future events! Thanks, Austin, for a fun time. You've got a wonderful city full of fantastic people. You made this North Carolina boy feel at home. | |
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S. R. from Kansas City, Missouri
(2/21/2007)
"A hill around every corner, but great fan support" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This is my second marathon. I loved this race... despite the hills. I knew there would be hills, but holy crap! The weather was perfect, thank God, since I traveled 700 miles from snow. Lots of runners and even more spectators. Race fans were handing out their own goodies, from oranges to doughnut holes. They had fire pits in their driveways and they were around every corner of the race. The last half mile gave me chills, with screaming fans for as far as you could see. I fell with a calf cramp just a few hundred yards from the finish. A women aided me by rubbing my calf and a man fed me pretzels. When I got up the woman offered to let me lean on her all the way to the finish. I made it on my own, but their support will NEVER be forgotten. I love Austin! | |
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B. Y. from US
(2/21/2007)
"hilly and tough" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 On the positive side, the expo was great, the weather was perfect, and the people were friendly. The race shirts were nicely designed (and there were two of them: a cotton race shirt and a technical finisher's shirt). The medal was very nice. The pirate-themed water stop was great and energetic, and the guys at the gel stop were really helpful. On the negative side, the start was wedged into too small a space. The course was very crowded and not really all that scenic (plus the air quality because of nearby heavy traffic made for an asthma-inducing run). Water stops were nearly every mile, but only on one side of the course (every two miles, but on both sides of the course would probably work better). The section where the course narrowed down to only one (banked) lane, with cars turning right in front of runners, was downright dangerous. | |
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l. r. from Texas
(2/21/2007)
"From easy to hard - run hills" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Austin Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Did someone mention that the new course is hilly? I guess this year it seems even hillier because the old course was designed to be fast. Remember when you could get your entry back if you didn't BQ? Those days are over! The new course is much more interesting; you see more of Austin, but it is much tougher. Train hills. I mean, really, train hills. The first thirteen miles are all up and down - pretty steep, too. Then there are a couple of pretty flat miles, then a net decline that is too much to be comfortable for tired quads, with an occassional sharp incline, notably at miles 23 and 25. The loop course makes the logistics easier. You can stay in a downtown hotel and be close to the start/finish, the expo, and some interesting sights. Goods crowds, good expo, and good organization. I do wonder why people at this race wait until the last minute to get ready. The expo was crowded late Saturday afternoon. Runners didn't hit the bridge to line up until the last minute, making it tough to judge where to stand. Pacers didn't appear until ten minutes before the gun. Loved the fireworks at the start. |
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