Oct 19, 2024
Current Year Results
Results Search
Biggest/Best Boston Qualifier
2024 Results
2023 Results
2022 Results
2021 Results
2020 Results
2019 Results
2018 Results
2017 Results
2016 Results
2015 Results
2014 Results
2013 Results
2012 Results
2011 Results
2010 Results
2009 Results
2008 Results
2007 Results
2006 Results
2005 Results
2004 Results
2003 Results
2002 Results
2001 Results
2000 Results
☰
Steamtown Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Steamtown Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.9 
Spectators 4.7
Number of comments: 616 [displaying comments 401 to 411]
|
R. C. from Livonia, NY
(3/11/2010)
"Steamtown is awesome!" (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Steamtown is a great race that is very well organized. The course is not as easy as you might think a downhill race would be, but it changes a lot and keeps you interested. The fans are so great! It's not a huge crowd, but there seemed to be fans along the entire course, so you are rarely running "into nowhere." I especially loved the high school band with the wild trombone player. I ran horribly in this race (I have no one to blame but myself), but I would come back anytime. | |
|
P. M. from Long Island, NY
(1/8/2010)
"Great Race - A Must-Run Marathon" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a great event. I've run several different marathons from the huge (NYC) to the small (Hamptons), and this was the most enjoyable. The weather was great, and the spectators are wonderful. Organization was great, and the email communication couldn't be more informative or entertaining. I'll be back next year, and I'm bringing my friends! North East PA is a great region, and the people couldn't be nicer. | |
|
K. N. from Alexandria, VA
(1/6/2010)
"Great PR Course; Great Crowd Support" (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my third and favorite marathon. I trained really hard and was able to BQ, probably because I listened to the advice from the race organizers and took it easy in the first half on the downhills. Up until the day before the marathon, I planned to "bank" time on the downhills in the first half. Then I went to the marathon expo and listened to some of the past winners and others talk about the importance of not going faster than your desired even splits in the first half. They explained it has banking effort instead of banking time, and that made sense to me. And it worked. I ran a faster second half than first half despite the tough hills at the end. And they are tough, but you're so close to the finish that you can handle it. The crowd support was also great. Every small town turns out to cheer. High school bands are out, little kids hand out orange slices and bananas - it's awesome. I really liked the trail section of the course. If you're used to running on trails at all, you won't even notice it, except for one section - probably a quarter of a mile in total - that was particularly spongey because it was on wood chips. | |
|
S. R. from Annapolis, Maryland
(10/30/2009)
"Great Race" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was and always has been a great race. Well organized, great support, and a challenging course. You can easily blow up if you go out too fast on the downhills. I BQed here this year! | |
|
Eliot W. Collins from Raritan Borough, NJ
(10/28/2009)
"Highly Recommended - Will Return Again in 2010" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Steamtown is the same year after year. Everyone associated with the race (organizers, volunteers and spectators) does an outstanding job of making everything enjoyable for the runners. They are 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 eighth time in 2010. | |
|
G. G. from Carlisle, PA
(10/25/2009)
"Steamtown Marathon" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race was awesome. It is a very fast course in the first half. The second half is not bad at all. The last 10K are where the hills come in. It was so good. It was only my second marathon, but it was awesome. Great organization. I PR'd by 57 minutes. | |
|
P. O. from Elverson, PA
(10/21/2009)
"Great race, great support" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It was everything I thought it would be and more - the start from the heated gym, the flat course, the very supportive fans and the minor hills at the end. I train on hills, so the hills at the end did not bother me. The final hill is wonderful because you can see the finish line from there and it is all downhill. The only negative comment I have has to do with the shower facilities. Only three showers for the men? What were they thinking? I got my PR here by six minutes and would like to come back and try for my BQ. Great job, Steamtown!! | |
|
M. H. from Cleveland, OH
(10/19/2009)
"Fantastic, Awesome, and Amazing!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race was so well organized. It had the perfect mix of trails and roads on the course. The community support is amazing! They make you feel like a super star! Thank you volunteers and students from nearby schools!! The course itself needs to be run at a consistent pace and it will give you the reward of a fast time. People that ran out too fast on the downhills were the ones that were hurting at the end. The race expo even had a session on how to run the course - it was very helpful. I would recommend this race to any marathon runner. It was highly organized - the pre-race emails had me laughing. :) I will come back again!!! Nice job, organizers! | |
|
P. M. from SE United States
(10/18/2009)
"Not a race... an experience!" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 96th marathon and I have been wanting to do this one for years. Just the right size and so many personal touches! The staff and people of NE Pennsylvania do an outstanding job and you will never feel more welcome at an event. I have to figure out a way to get back here every year. | |
|
B. L. from Suburban Baltimore
(10/18/2009)
"A Great Race - Don't Miss It!" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my fifth marathon, and it was my favorite (by far). It is the perfect size - around 2K runners. I've run large races (Chicago) and small, local races (B&A Trail in Annapolis), but I love races between 1,500 and 4,000 - they have enough people to keep you motivated and you're never running alone, but the numbers are not massive and unwieldy. The weather was perfect - 33 degrees at the 8 a.m. start. The course is awesome - point-to-point, running through several small towns. There were many spectators along the course. I had a tough day - I got dehydrated and really struggled to finish. All in all, I can't wait until 2010 to run this again! |
Quick Links
Marathon Search
Upcoming US Marathons
Upcoming International Marathons
Search Marathon Results
Latest Running News
Recent Newsletters
Race Director Tools
© 2000-2024, All Rights Reserved by MarathonGuide.com LLC
