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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 521 to 531]
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M. W. from New Jersey
(10/10/2005)
"No Pacers Allowed???" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I had asked if a 'friend' could join me at mile 20. Reply - NO pacers allowed. Ok, I wasn't too sure what a pacer was, I just thought having company towards the end would be fun. Well, running along myself for most of the way was another female runner with her own trainer. YUP! The trainer did not have a big #. She kept 4 feet in front of her girl and kept up the pep talk. She broke open her gels, etc. I'm only glad to say that I finished BEFORE this runner, who looked to be about 20 years younger than me! Other than that, it was a great marathon. | |
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P. L. from Pennsylvania
(10/10/2005)
"My new favorite marathon." (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a great experience at Steamtown 2005. They really go out of their way to make everyone feel welcome. I wouldn't be surprised if there were more volunteers than runners. The people in the towns that you run through are incredibly supportive. My Steamtown shirt said it is the World's Best Mid-Size Marathon (or something to that effect), but I think they should change their slogan to the World's Happiest Marathon. Course is downhill for the first 8 and then flat for awhile with a few hills near the end. It can be tough on the legs, but if you survive you should post a good time. There were a few unmarked potholes and such in the roads that you need to look out for, but the trails are a nice break on the legs even if they might slow you down by a few seconds. | |
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J. K. from New Jersey
(10/10/2005)
"A great small-town race" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 8th marathon. I've done big (Boston twice, Marine Corps. and Philly twice) and small (Buffalo and Cape Cod). Based on all these experiences, I came away very impressed with the Steamtown experience. The organization and support of every volunteer I came in contact with was fantastic. It's hard to find so many nice teenagers in one place these days, but Steamtown managed to do it - not to mention every else involved. Plenty of water and aid stations and runners finish with a hero's welcome at the end with a large crowd and recovery food items. The course is beautiful, with some great scenic moments and lots of running through quaint, small towns. But the course is a little sub-optimal in that all the descents are in the first aprox. 10 miles. It's almost too much downhill! But don't prepare for this race without hill training--this course has plenty of climbs in the last 16 miles, although nothing too bad. | |
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Robert Landi from New York
(7/19/2005)
"Great race - lots of fun" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Better be ready for some tough inclines over the last 6 miles of the race! Don't get fooled by all the downhill during the first half of the race. If you run that section too fast, you're done! | |
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A. S. from Pennsylvania
(6/8/2005)
"My First Marathon" (about: 1999)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran this race in 1999. It was my first marathon - I've run 21 more since then. My main memory is of the great spectators in the small towns along the way. | |
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Donald George from Forest City, Pennsylvania
(6/7/2005)
"At the age of 46, this was my first ever marathon!" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 January of 2004 I was at a weight of 206 lbs. I decided to get rid of about 30 unneeded pounds. I began jogging about 2 miles a day. Then I met a few people who told me I should enter a few 5K races, which I did and eventually won my first ever medal for running. It was for third place in my age group, but hey, I was excited. By June 2004 I was running about 50 miles a week and was told I should try the Steamtown Marathon. So I entered and began training even harder. By July I was running about 70 miles a week. All my training was on my own as I had nobody to run with. The week before the marathon, I sprained my ankle quite badly. But I was not going to back out. I felt good the day of the marathon and I was at a weight of 161 lbs... I was doing pretty well the first 16 miles... then it happened: my ankle gave out and twisted again. There was a marathon assistant on a bike right there when I did it and asked if I needed an ambulance. I said heck no, I am not quitting after all this. I finished in just over 4 hours, which was a half an hour over my planned finish. But the experience was very exciting even in spite of the pain. It was a well organized event as I already knew from volunteering in previous years, and the fans were unbelievable. My greatest memory will be of the kids in the wheelchairs when I came up one of those last steep hills and saw them all on the side of the street with smiles on their faces. That made all my efforts and pain worth it all, and boosted me to faster pace from there to the finish. I will see you all again at the finish line this year (2005) as I have just submitted my entry for my second ever marathon. | |
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Jake O'Donnell from Springfield, VA
(4/5/2005)
"Outstanding community involvement" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Steamtown '04 was my first marathon -- and it was great. Great encouragement from crowds, great organization. I was dead at mile 20, but crowds picked me up so I could drag myself to the finish. My second marathon (Hyannis) was a lot flatter and I did not suffer as much. Did not do the pasta dinner -- there are lots of great places to eat in Scranton. I will be at Steamtown '05 and hopefully for years to come. | |
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M. B. from Livingston, NJ
(3/27/2005)
"I couldn't have asked for a better 1st Marathon!" (about: 2004)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and it was everything that I could have ever asked for! It was a beautiful day, the course was great (the best advice I got was to take the first half easy since it is all downhill) and I think the best of all were the spectators (especially the Marywood x-c team at mile 18!). Everyone along the course was tremendously supportive and it's those volunteers that will have me coming back for years to come. This was a very well organized marathon as well, including the constant emails and updates that I received. I can't wait to come back in 2005! | |
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J. F. from Torrington, CT
(1/18/2005)
"Great race" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a super marathon, but be careful of the descent in the beginning and be prepared for the ascent at the end! | |
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C. W. from WEST HARRISON NY
(1/18/2005)
"Very cool event" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race was well run and the advice to take the 1st half a little easy would have been great if I had not decided to go for it when the cannon fired. When I had a PR at 10k, 15k, 20K and the half, I wondered if it would get me later. YUP, the last 10 miles were ugly (on the inside, the scenery was nice) but still it just made the whole thing even better somehow. Either you understand that or you don't; it can't be explained. Anyway, hats off to the race committee, from the pre-race e-mail updates to the girl who took off my chip while I tried to stay conscious. A great event. |
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