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☰
Hartford Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Hartford Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 306 [displaying comments 111 to 121]
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E. E. from Chicago, IL
(10/12/2010)
"Pretty good race" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Overall, I thought this was a well run race. It got off on a bad footing, however, with massive lines for the porto-lets. I ended up running 1/4 mile to find another option (thanks, Starbucks!), rather than waiting in a line that would never be done by race start. There were far too few toilets for the number of runners expected. After that, though, it all went well. A smooth start and a nice course through downtown and the river park before heading into residential areas. It was only moderately hilly. Water stops were everywhere, to the point where I was surprised each time I hit one that it was so soon. In general, they seemed to be well staffed. A really nice touch was the volunteers on bikes handing out gels. Though a lot of people had trouble receiving them that way (easier to get when the bike is going the same direction as the runner!), it was great to have that option. I'd not have carried gels had I known they would be available that way. I missed a few mile markers - maybe I was zoned out or maybe they could have been better marked. There weren't many clocks on the course, but I think anyone who really wants to know time wears a watch anyway. Crowds were enthusiastic and covered much of the course, though not in great numbers. The finish, going through the arch, was really nice and the food and drink options were better than average (great miso soup!). And for those of you medal hounds, it was a really nice medal. So, overall, kudos on a great race. | |
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J. L. from PA
(10/12/2010)
"GREAT RACE!!!" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This is a great race and the new course was an easier course with very small hills early on. Last part of the course: out-and-back is flat with a small hill over the bridge to bring you to the finish. The changes to the start line were great and there are only a few spots where it started to get crowded and no passing was optimal. I made a PR here and felt the entertainment throughout the course was great. On average there is a performer every 4-5 miles. This has been by far my favorite race for size and organization. Only suggestion is some more fruit (Orange peels or bananas) on the course. Water stations and Gatorade were plentiful. I completely enjoyed this race and highly recommend this race. My favorite thus far. | |
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K. W. from NY
(10/12/2010)
"A nice mid-size marathon" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 My 6th marathon and 1st Hartford. I set a PB (3:05) but did not attain my goal (<3). Other than more port-a -johns needed at the staging area, the race was well organized. Lots of fluid stations with great volunteers. | |
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C. G. from Houston, TX
(10/11/2010)
"Not my favorite" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I did not enjoy my Hartford Marathon experience. Other than the nice, technical, long-sleeve shirts and the good food (but really small portions) after the race, I don't have a lot of positive comments. The drive up from the NY airports was awful - bumper-to-bumper traffic the entire way. While there were lots of volunteers, they weren't very friendly at all, and could not answer questions like, "How do I get to the pasta dinner?" The course was hillier than advertised - having the big overpass in mile 26 with the huge headwind was not fun. I stayed at the Marriott, and they would not give a late checkout after 12:00 noon, so for a race that starts at 8:00, it doesn't really give much time to get back and shower. The course was also terribly congested until the half-marathoners separated from the marathoners in the second mile. Given the number of runners, I would have expected a lot more crowd support. I've been to more than half of the states to run now, and I would put Hartford in the bottom quartile of marathons. | |
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B. B. from Nashville, TN
(10/11/2010)
"26.4?" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Pros: 1) I enjoyed the course. Good mix of downtown and neighborhoods. 2) Spectators were a bit limited in number but lively. Volunteers (pre-race, during the race, and post-race) were great. 3) Nice-looking medal. Neutral: 1) I really appreciate all of the bands, DJs and other musical performers. However, bagpipes (passed them four times) are not good during a marathon. Kind of made me feel like I was at my own funeral. 2) Not sure why the race starts at 8:00 instead of 7:00. It was a bit warm in the sun. Would have been nice to have finished an hour earlier. 3) The post-race meal was fine - better than average - but after all the hype I was a little disappointed. Cons: 1) The expo was rather small. 2) There was a HUGE shortage of port-a-johns along the course. I held it for about 10 miles because I didn't want to wait on line. 3) Entrance fee includes a free beer at the finish but they ran out of beer. How does that happen? 4) My biggest gripe is that my Garmin reads 26.4 miles. I noticed very early in the race that we ran the extra .2 miles (my watch would beep but the mile flag was still .2 miles ahead). The only person I talked to about it said he also ended with 26.4 miles. What's up with that? All things considered, I will not run this one again but I would not discourage others from running it. It's a good race but the port-a-john, beer, and distance issues need to be addressed. If you are trying to qualify for Boston, you might want to make sure the course is actually 26.2. | |
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r. c. from fenwick island, delaware
(10/11/2010)
"Great City; Great Event!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my 16th marathon and it rates up there with any of the others I have run. The city was easy to get around by walking the day before the race, and people were happy to help you locate the expo and tell you where to go for good food. The race start and finish areas were very organized. There were some of the best fuild stations I have had at any race. If you are looking to buy running gear, go support your local running store; but if you forgot something, the expo was fine. Check-in was fast and the people were nice! Hope to go back in 2011. | |
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M. C. from CT
(10/11/2010)
"Great Race!!!" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Well organized, good fan support, good entertainment. One of the best races I have run! | |
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neil paulson from Florida
(10/10/2010)
"Typical large-city run" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A large expo and tents outside starting arches. This year pacers were volunteers from Marathon Maniacs and did a good job helping first-time runners. | |
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S. M. from Florida
(11/13/2009)
"I appear to be in the minority, but..." (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I really didn't enjoy this race. Granted, I didn't finish as well as I expected (hoped), but there were a few things that, regardless of finish time, I wasn't a fan of: 1. I did NOT think the expo was that well organized. The volunteer who distributed my packet seemed confused. Plus, it was a very small expo - virtually no marathon merchandise. 2. My pacer was terrible. We ran negative splits for the first four miles. The only thing consistent was that we got consistently faster. We were below pace for the first mile and got faster and faster from there. Plus, he was not friendly or approachable and was quite nasty when people tried to ask him questions about his strategy prior to the race. HMF either needs to have a Q&A at the expo for Pace Teams, hire professional pacers, or more carefully screen their volunteers. 3. I am all for going green. Really. But to not receive a bottle of water or Gatorade at the finish is ridiculous. The lines for filling my empty "Finisher" bottle were tremendous, as were the lines for the water fountain immediately at the finish. In addition, much of the food was gone very early. 4. My understanding was that there would be lots of bands/music. There were very few. I loved the out-and-back to South Windsor, and the City of Hartford is beautiful. The finish area is beautiful. The race just wasn't what I would expect a major, ING-sponsored race to be. | |
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G. M. from New York, NY
(11/13/2009)
"Great for a first marathon" (about: 2009)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first marathon. I am not attracted to the big-crowd/big-city marathons, so I thought this would be a nice mid-sized event. It was just perfect for me. Expo and packet pickup the night before was good. I got there two minutes before close at 7:00, so there were no long-sleeved shirts left, but I guess that's my own fault for being one of the last to sign up. Race day: I found a pacesetter for my pace and ran with the group. He was right on target. There were bands throughout the course as promised, and that was nice. Seems like there was water and sports drink every mile, which can't be beat - especially in the second half. Was not completely flat, but hills were very manageable. Loved when we took runs through parks along the course. After mile 20, there were several volunteers on bicycles who came up to us offering gel - thanks for that! Also, the junk food around mile 20 hit the spot. Nothing like a peppermint patty to pick you up. All in all, I loved the experience. |
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