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☰
Steamtown Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Steamtown Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.9 
Spectators 4.7
Number of comments: 610 [displaying comments 471 to 481]
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S. M. from Columbia, Maryland
(10/9/2007)
"Well Done, Scranton!" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I had dreams of qualifying for Boston, and was seduced by the first 6 miles of downhill running - the first mile hill is more appropriate for a ski hill than a marathon course. But the heat and my quads had other ideas by mile 14, so I strolled in and enjoyed the best crowds in the last 6 miles of any of the 5 marathons I've run. I will run again, and next time take heed to the warnings on hitting the declines too hard! | |
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W. Z. from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
(10/9/2007)
"Great first-time experience!" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Steamtown was my first marathon and all I have to say is WOW. From start to finish, you will get a first-class event. The course was a little demanding for a newbie like me, but I made it! The spectators and volunteer support were outstanding. KUDOS to all who came out to support the runners. The important question is: Would I run this race again? HELL YES! | |
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Eliot W. Collins from Raritan Borough, NJ
(10/9/2007)
"Highly Recommended - Will Return Again in 2008" (about: 2007)
50+ previous marathons
| 4-5 Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I will simply repeat what I wrote in 2005: Everyone associated with this race (organizers, volunteers and spectators) did an outstanding job of making everything enjoyable for me. They were some of the nicest people that I have ever met. I definitely got my money's worth, and I look forward to returning for the 6th time in 2008. | |
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G. G. from Maryland, USA
(10/9/2007)
"Great time in Steamtown" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 EXPO - Small (compared to Marine Corps and Chicago), but nice. I wish they had jackets or patches. Loved the free poster, bag and long-sleeve performance shirt. I thought the speakers were great too. No need to spend a lot of time here. PRE-MARATHON DINNER - The $12 dinner at the Hilton was a bargain. They had the 'clean' foods(not creamy/fried) I wanted and more. START - The shuttle buses to the start were on time. I had a clean & comfortabe 40-min. ride. The high school offered a comfortable place to hang before the race. Baggage check-in was fast and easy. Very short walk to the start line. No stress. COURSE - Ran through several cute towns and tree-lined trails. Loved the scenery, but the course had more hills than I expected. Quad-killers, indeed! SPECTATORS- Lots of them everywhere! They were great! Overall, I thought it was a well-organized race that was well worth the 4.5-hr drive. I'll probably come back in a few years after I build up my quad muscles! | |
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Katie Bordner from Carlisle, PA
(10/7/2007)
"Race is longer than 26.2 miles" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The organization of the race was great. They thought of everything... getting runners to the starting line on buses, getting your gear to the finish via UPS, free showers at a nearby high school. However, between the halfway point and the finish line there is an additional HALF MILE! added to the course. I spoke with several other runners that also used their Garmin forerunners or other GPS systems and all had the same result. I was trying to qualify for Boston, but did not add enough time to account for the extra half mile that I had to run. By the way DO NOT STAY AT THE RADISSON. They refused any late checkouts, so we walked back to the hotel, got the car and had to go find the free showers. Not sure if I'll run this one again. | |
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Sandra Stauffer from Berwick, PA
(10/2/2007)
"This is the "one to run" to qualify for BOSTON." (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Don't let the elevation fool you. This is a challenging course. If you can run a good time on this course, you'll have nothing to worry about when it comes time to run Boston. This is the marathon that qualified me for Boston "2006." The volunteers are terrific. The spectators show so much support and enthusiasm. I'm sorry to say I won't be able to run Steamtown this year due to an on/off hamstring injury since Boston in 2006. The good news is that my younger sister and her friend from the Tacoma, WA area will be running it this year to qualify for Boston. I've been giving them guidance on the course from my own experiences. I hope that everyone takes in the fall scenery and has a TERRIFIC RACE. -SANDRA | |
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Paul Fitzpatrick from Asheville, NC
(5/26/2007)
"Super race overall, fun course." (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 We picked a super weekend for the race. The weather was perfect. The course was a lot of fun throughout, and the trails halfway through broke the monotony. Don't forget the hills at the end, which are a real challenge after over 20 miles of downhill or flat course. | |
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J. K. from Pennsylvania
(4/22/2007)
"Great local support" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran Steamtown as my first marathon, and I'm glad that I did. The overall organization of the marathon is top-notch; they really keep you advised of everything (bags, shuttles, etc) and have a TON of local support and volunteers. These are the things that made the difference for me in being able to succeed. The course itself is challenging in that most of the downhill running is in the first 10 miles, but if you train accordingly, it really isn't that bad (even for your first). Probably the worst part is the hill in the last 1/2 mile; it's the last thing you want to see after running 26 miles. The outpouring of support from local communities, volunteers, and the race directors themselves was overwhelming. At one point during the race, it felt like the entire town was out supporting the runners, and there were only a few spots where there were no spectators (very few). Can't wait to run this one again - plus I like the witty emails from the race director that keep you motivated for the race. Keep up the great work! | |
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H. E. from Indianapolis, IN
(2/12/2007)
"Excellent first-time marathon" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My brother and I did our first marathon at Steamtown last year. The race had perfect weather - and warming up in the gym was great because you could run out to the start 3 minutes before the gun. I didn't even have to throw out a shirt. One suggestion is to move the recovery area slightly away from the finish - my legs really tightened up standing in line waiting for the food and pictures after the race and it wasn't clear if you could get back in if you left that area for awhile. | |
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C. F. from Yonkers, NY
(11/1/2006)
"Beautiful course - get ready to PR!" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a truly beautiful course, if you love autumn! The leaves start to turn, the nip is in the air, and the small towns come out to cheer! For those considering it, PLEASE train for some kind of downhill running. The first eight miles are like the longest rollercoaster you can imagine. Fun, but your quads will pay for it later. Mine turned to rubber early on. Race is well-organized for a small-town race. My wife parked literally 50 meters from the finish - free! Pasta dinner was OK, spectators were OK, though we could have done without the cheese bus.... I'd be willing to pay extra for decent transport to the start. I think best for me were the runners. At first I was intimidated with all the Boston Marathon jackets, but during the race, there were lots of friendly faces just trying to get through. I ran the last mile with a woman who had run ALL 11 Steamtowns! It was not a PR day for me, but hey - sometimes you just don't have "it." Definitely a must for NY/NJ/PA/CT runners! And for me, a nice tune-up for NYC! |
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