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Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera Runner Comments
Back to Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera Information & Reviews
Course 4.6 
Organization 4.2 
Spectators 3.3
Number of comments: 19 [displaying comments 1 to 11]
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Andy Walker from Guernsey
(9/21/2009)
"tough but scenic and iconic" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A fantastic marathon. Very tough course though, so do not expect a fast time; but the views of the med and the iconic principality are amazing. You start on the very place the Grand Prix begins. Nice finish in the Monaco soccer stadium. Book hotels early if you wish to stay on Monaco itself, otherwise it may be trip in from Nice or Menton. | |
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T. G. from Beverly Hills, CA
(3/23/2009)
"Best Organized Mt. Climbing Marathon in the World." (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The expo was small but organized. Tons of water, sponges, fruit, etc. Very hard route - mountainous terrain. Training in the Swiss Alps would be helpful. Small field - about 1,100 people. They had a 5:30 time limit, but most finished well before that. They have 3 checkpoints, and if you are not there at a certain time, they cross out your bib and remove your chip and you are disqualified. You will be running by yourself for a lot of the marathon. I actually ran with a sheep at one point, which actually had a bib. She was hard to keep up with. She must have done a lot of mountain training. Very fit. The finish was great: One lap in the Olympic Stadium. Monaco is absolutely beautiful; the route was stunning, but the hills were murder. After completing the marathon, several runners were lying all over the track from exhaustion. Wear a visor as well. A lot of sun. Wind can be a factor too. Not a good marathon for a first-timers. | |
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K. K. from Houston, Texas
(4/20/2008)
"Wow... on many levels" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Wow, what a beautiful, scenic race. Wow, what nice spectators, and there were plenty of them. Very encouraging. Wow, what well stocked "water" stations. They not only had water, but pastries, fruit and sugar cubes. I didn't know if I was running a race or eating at a buffet. Wow, what beautiful weather. It's Monaco... they average 300 days of sunshine per year, so chances are you're going to have beautiful skies like we did. Wow, I was beaten by a man running on stilts. Wow, what hills! Monaco is carved into a mountainside so you've got to figure it's going to be hilly. Plus, it's an out-and-back course (across Monaco and France out to Italy), so lucky you - you get to run those hills twice! However, the scenery is just so incredible that you do have something to distract you from your discomfort. I loved this race. | |
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B. A. from Baton Rouge, Louisiana
(9/2/2007)
"Incredible scenery with end of race hill challenge" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 My husband and I traveled to the Riveria in 2006 for this race. It is the most beautiful course imaginable! I still dream about the fantastic views we enjoyed. When we completed the race, it was scheduled in November and happened to be very warm (at least 80 deg F), and there was an extremely challenging hill at about mile 18. | |
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B. S. from Northern Ireland
(12/1/2006)
"Great course, very challenging. Monaco is great!!" (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The marathon is tough going - at 31 KM it goes up a steep hill, which seemed to break a few people. The thing is just to run through it. I enjoyed the first 10-15 KM as it gradually climbs to the hills around Monaco where you can see everything. The crowds were ok - a few local supporters from their houses were great but generally it was quite quiet. We stayed in a youth hostel in Nice, which was great, as we saw so much. Would recommend the run but it is quite hilly!!! | |
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Judy Rand from Huntington, New York
(11/13/2006)
"Magnitude of beauty compares to size of hills." (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Gorgeous, well organized, and I'm thrilled to say I finished! Just a couple of notes: No timing devices along the route, so wear a watch if that's important to you. Chips are attached to a Velcro band around your ankle, so wear high socks to avoid ankle burn/blistering. Wish I'd known about the killer hill at about 31K... as it kind of broke my spirit. I took the advice of Deadlybuzz from Tokyo and stayed at the Riviera Marriott La Porte de Monaco (011 33 49 2106767) and glad I did. Walked home from the stadium where the race ended. | |
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A. F. from Zurich, Switzerland
(11/16/2005)
"windy hilly race" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It was a nice experience to run along the coastline. The hardest bit was around km 39 where it goes very steep down the hill could hardly move my legs | |
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Ruth Morley from Evian, France
(11/14/2005)
"Stunningly beautiful, worth the challenge" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I'm still in the afterglow of a wonderful weekend on the Cote d'Azur. My comments on the marathon mirror those said by the previous contributors: an incredibly beautiful coastal location, good organization, plenty of hills to make you work hard, nice but pretty silent spectators, hard-working volunteers, a superb finish in the stadium (but after a steep climb up the ramp to get there...augh!!!). The previous contributors who commented on lack of water need to realize that this is the way marathons do it in Europe, water every 5 k. I think it was superb that they offered wet sponges as often as drinks, and not all marathons offer food along the way, but this one did. I added at least 5 minutes to my finish time by stopping to take pictures along the way, but what does it matter? I certainly wasn't in contention for a trophy! One thing that American runners need to keep in mind is that there are fewer of what we consider mid-packers or back-of-the-packers in European marathons, at least by our standards. If you are used to finishing around 4:30, and are usually right in the middle of the pack, you will be surprised to find yourself near the back. I don't think it's that they are all faster, but perhaps that the ones who compete in marathons take it very seriously, speed train together regularly, don't do as many as many Americans do (this was my 7th this year), and there are fewer slower runners who chose to participate. So, just go out there, do your regular pace, don't be intimidated (the Europeans don't care about your finish time!), and enjoy the cultural experience. This is definitely one of the most beautiful courses that I've done, out of 39 marathons/ultras, so I highly recommend it! By the way, I also suggest you consider staying in Menton ('Mehn-tohn'), just east of Monaco. It's a darling coastal town, less 'glitzy,' and less pricey. There are several nice places, but affordable, along the coast. We chose the Hotel Richelieu just a block into the old town district. It had absolutely NO view, was very basic, but clean,with a comfy bed, TV, private bath, a very welcoming and helpful host (spoke no English), continental breakfast included, convenient to restaurants, the town, and the coast, at a special marathon price of only 70 euros for two nights for 2 people!!! That's less than $50 a night, which, believe me, is a huge bargain, especially being in a coastal town. However, if you want a view, pass on this one. We chose to save the $$, apply it to a nice meal at a restaurant with the view! DO THIS MARATHON, BUT TRAIN ON HILLS!!! | |
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deadly buzz from Tokyo
(9/29/2005)
"Challenging but Memorable..." (about: 2003)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I really enjoyed this marathon. I ran it once a couple of years ago, and would definitely return some day. The organization was superb. The pasta party was well arranged, although the offer of wine was a bit tempting, I must admit. The facilities in Stade Louis II at the finish were excellent. The course is a little tough, as there is a steep climb around the 20-mile mark, but some of the scenery along the coast is a welcome distraction. I stayed at the Marriott Hotel in Cap d'Ail, which is ideally located across the road from the finish, and not as pricey as hotels in downtown Monaco. I wholeheartedly recommend this marathon. | |
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D. R. from Sussex, england
(7/30/2005)
"Water everywhere but not a drop to drink" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Marathon de Monaco et des Riviera
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I agree with comments about the hills and scenery... and the minor thrill of running a truly international race (3 countries!). But... very hot over the last 10KM and little water. And all the sponges had run out by the time I got there (3:46 finish). |
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