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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 161 to 171]
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t. r. from south
(10/14/2008)
"an enjoyable run" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 What a great countryside, with the leaves, old homes, farms, etc. Beautiful. What a nice way to spend a Saturday morning... overall, 20 of the 26.2 miles were very nice. The spectators were friendly and the volunteers were helpful. Live music, too, at most miles. A little hilly, so be prepared. | |
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C. F. from Margaritaville
(10/13/2008)
"The Anti-Mega Marathon." (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Hartford Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Hartford is a great regional fall marathon, which is very well organized and pretty much hassle-free. It is easy to get to the start and does not have any of the headaches of the mega-marathons. No hype means no problems. The course is tough but fair, and I wish all of the whiners would stop complaining about a few speed bumps in the last 10K. Get over it. If you want it easy, then enter Chicago, pay $250, and walk for 6 hours. If you want to actually run a race, then Hartford is your ticket. My only issue is the half-marathoners clogging up the first 4 miles. Can't you start them later, or headed in a different direction (as with the 5K racers)? | |
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J. S. from Nassau, Bahamas
(10/13/2008)
"A runner-friendly marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 15th marathon and my 1st Hartford. I enjoyed the route and the organization. It was hassle-free and everybody was committed to seeing the last runner arrive. That is very commendable and makes everyone participating feel appreciated and encouraged. I would recommend it to everyone. The weather was exceptional too. | |
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s. t. from marshfield, ma
(10/13/2008)
"Thank you spectators!" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Everything was in ample supply: from gels, to fluids, to spectators. The spectators were some of the best I've ever seen! There is a long section in the East Hartford countryside where I watched the crowds playing music, cheering, roasting marshmallows, having picnics and seemingly enjoying the race just as much as I was. They made the miles fly by. Another thing in abundance was runners at the start. Not until the half-marathoners were shuffled off at five and a half miles did I actually have room to run. Wave starts would greatly improve this small, but obnoxious flaw. I had a great time and would do it again! | |
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C. C. from collinsville, ct
(10/13/2008)
"Overall, good first-time marathon" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was originally signed up for Chicago, but changed my plans at the last minute due to the predicted warm weather. Hartford is a local marathon for me, so it worked nicely as a back-up. The temperature at the start was perfect (43 degrees) and the finish temp was around 63-64 degrees. The start was very crowded and the first 2-3 miles were congested due to the half-marathon sharing the course. The water stations were well stocked and well managed. The course was relatively flat for the first 20 miles, but the last 10K were definitely more challenging and hillier than I expected (in spite of reading the previous posts). Crowd support was good and the post-race event/support was good as well. My first marathon, and I suspect that I'll want to try some others before I come back. | |
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P. R. from New York, NY
(10/13/2008)
"Good Job, Hartford" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I give my first Hartford 4 stars because they did a fine job and will probably improve next year under the ING banner. The course was flat enough; there will always be inclines. A highway overpass just seems like a steep hill after 22 miles. The start could be improved. How about corrals by past or predicted pace? How about starting the half and full marathons separately? Those of us who seeded ourselves honestly were zigging and zagging around slowpokes for a couple of miles. Course support was great. No one expects rural South Windsor to be like First Avenue in New York, but the relay transition crowds gave unexpected encouragement. Fluid support could be improved by having the Gatorade in Gatorade cups so you knew what you were grabbing, and by separating the Gatorade tables from the water tables. The finish festival was superb, with abundant good food. To another commenter: there was water from coolers; you may not have found it. To the organizers: c'mon, you can do better by giving us one plastic bottle of water and more coolers to refill from. Overall, a great marathon experience for me. Thanks, Hartford. | |
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B. B. from Hartford, CT
(10/13/2008)
"Well done, and thanks for my PR" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I was pleasantly surprised by this race. This is my second marathon with ING as the title sponsor, and both have been great races. The course going out into South Windsor was very pretty, with the fall foliage and horses. There were some great Hartford skyline views. There was a hard hill at mile 22 that many people were walking up. I enjoyed passing them. I had my first negative split and broke 3 hours and 30 minutes for the first time. The post-race food was catered by Whole Foods and was fantastic. The one thing that they need to change is to add seeded starts. I passed the 5 hour and 30 minute pace leader at about the first mile marker! I had to get on the curb to push ahead in the beginning. All and all, it was really good. With a couple of tweaks, it would be great. Lastly, it's got the best-looking medal I have seen so far! Well done! | |
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k. p. from NYC
(10/13/2008)
"Holy hills... and where were the bathrooms?" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I ran the half as a tune-up for the Philly Marathon in November. The part along the waterfront is beautiful. My major concerns were the lack of bathrooms along the course (I only spotted ones at mile 3 and 6ish), especially when suffering from the stomach flu. :( Also, there was a lack of marshals/police/medical assistance in the more desolate areas. The hills were much more challenging than expected, but most were paired with a nice rolling downhill after. | |
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E. S. from New York City
(10/13/2008)
"I was misled by the description of this race." (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 It was a beautiful course, with great organization, but the hills were a killer. Also, it was not a predominantly flat course, as described. The killer hills at the end caused you to slow down and even walk them. This was my 5th marathon. I have trained for two and a half years now. Also, you have to have more water stations closer to the end of the race. It was an experience of a lifetime, but I would not like to do the hills at the end of the race again. | |
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T. S. from Winter Park, FL
(10/13/2008)
"Holy Hills is Right!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Anyone thinking of running this course needs to know about the massive hills starting at mile 19. The course is a dream up until that point, with wide, flat roads. I heard that the course was altered to showcase the river in those final miles. However, I don't think anyone running at that point cares about the scenery; I'd be willing to bet that runners would rather have a flat, ugly course, than a pretty, hilly one. I also couldn't believe that there was not one spectator on the course at mile 25 - quite different from Boston's roaring crowd that gets me to the finish line. This race needs corrals, as someone else had mentioned earlier. It took me a while to break away from slower runners, who had placed themselves in the front of the pack. The music along the course was great and there was PLENTY of water. The volunteers were fantastic. The food at end was diverse and good. While the organizers should be commended for going "green," I have to say that I did not like the water dispensers in my extremely tired state. Just give me a bottle of water to nurse on while I recover. All in all, a good race. |
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