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Marathon Details - Davy Crockett Bear Chase

North America Marathons > USA > TX > Groveton > Davy Crockett Bear Chase

Davy Crockett Bear Chase

Davy Crockett Bear Chase & Half Marathon, 5K

Groveton, TX USA

March 30, 2019

http://www.50statesmarathonclub.com/bear.html

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Marathon Results

By Year:

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

two loop rural marathon run on flat, fast, scenic roads in the forest. Aid stations every two miles.

Contact Information

Name:	steve&paula boone
Address:	19903 january drive humble, tx 77346
Phone Number:	713 826 5833
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (40)

Course 4.4

Organization 4.9

Spectators 3.5

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Number of comments: 40 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

A. G. from Dallas, Texas (5/21/2018) "Great Small Town Race" (about: 2018) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The Davy Crockett Bear Chase Marathon is a pretty cool little event. It starts and ends at the high school track, which is pretty neat, and it's a double out-and-back, so you have a turnaround on the track as well. There's a couple miles of rocky roads that lead out to the highway, then a 3-4 mile stretch of asphalt highway before you enter the woods on a jeep road for the turnaround. I think this would be pretty awesome, as the jeep road was pretty easy on the feet, but it rained hard the night before so it was very muddy and the footing was pretty tricky. Honestly, I think most people probably lost a couple minutes to the footing in the forest. That said, it got better on the second trip through. There was very little spectator support, but the folks who came out were enthusiastic, as were the water-station attendants and the cops helping with traffic. There were only 38 marathoners this year, which looks to be about half of the usual turnout. I'm not sure what accounts for the low turnout. All-in-all it was a good race though, and the hot dogs and other concessions at the stadium for the finish hit the spot. Also, it's always nice to have a shower available at the finish line even if it was stone cold. It's a great race for the low price they charge, plus it's one of the last in the Spring if you're a Texas runner. Note: there is nowhere to stay in Groveton proper unless you are camping. We stayed about 45 minutes away at a farmhouse B&B in Kennard that was really nice. Also nice was being able to show up at 6:50 for a 7am race and still have time to use the restroom!
M. B. from Sherman Texas (4/15/2018) "Small Town Change of Pace" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I ran this race in Groveton Tx yesterday. Very small town with minimal retail spots. Maybe 50-60 marathoners and 75 half marathoners, but it did not feel lonely on the course due to the out/back/out/back layout. This was my 11th marathon, and definitely smallest and most laid back feel. But that was a good thing. Course starts on the local track, heads down a couple of white rocked roads. You run about 4 miles on pavement before turning into the national forest for about a mile of much softer sandy/pine needle trail running. Although there was mud from the previous nights storm, this surface felt really good throughout the race. Not a lot of fan support, but the ones manning the water stations were very positive and supportive. You run around the track at the midway turn around and the finish. Loved that. Weather was perfect, but that may not always be the case. BQ course and looking at precious results, pretty fast course. I BQ'd by five minutes. Due to only about 16 or so miles on pavement, I woke up feeling much better than I normally do leg wise. Nicely put on, low key small town race that I would definitely run again and encourage others to as well. Nice, cute long sleeve t shirt, an amazing looking medal for a small town race, and a small bear with a place finisher number as an added bonus. Well done.
D. B. from Houston, TX (4/26/2015) "Great Marathon in the Country" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is was my 1st running of this race, and I greatly enjoyed it. While there is always a risk of warm weather this time of year in Texas, we got a great day with pleasant temperatures and low humidity. The wild flowers were in full bloom and it was beautiful. This race is very low key, but is well worth the price. https://gulfcoasting.wordpress.com/2015/04/25/davy-crockett-bear-chase-race-recap/
Mathew Mapram from Kochi,India (4/11/2015) "A marathon superbly organized for runners ." (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Davy Crockett Bear Chases COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Aid stations manned by enthusiastic and most helpful volunteers. A little bit of country road, some trail, some black top, a perfect mix. Everything geared towards the comfort of the runners. Because the Almighty Dollar is not the goal of the organizers, this is organized with the runner in mind and therefore this is a cool marathon.
R. D. from Texas (6/1/2014) "Awesome people, great race!" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Small venue, but great hospitality! Every one was great! The course didn't have too many hills, but it did have a few. Overall it was a great experience!
s. A. from texas (4/14/2014) "not easy" (about: 2014) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 You better be ready because you will get your moneys worth from this one. Everyone involved was first rate.
J. B. from Austin, TX (4/15/2013) "Best Little Marathon in Texas" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I read several of the comments on this guide and decided to give the marathon a try. What an experience! Down-home good hospitality! Local church ladies providing a nice pasta dinner the night before. Friendly, personable organizers and volunteers who really care. Where would you find a water station volunteer that would peel a banana for you? The course is not flat, but not too hilly either. The weather in 2013 was a little chilly but perfect for racing. You see a lot of people while running the in and out couse twice, but mostly you are on your own. Makes for a completely different racing experience. I'll be back for 2014!
trese markko from rowlett, TX (4/14/2013) "most enjoyable marathon i have ever run" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 flat course, beautiful course, wonderful and supportive spectators and volunteers. so nice to run a small race, no lines at the toilets and no jostling at the start! we never ran with any traffic and the off road areas were not very taxing for those not used to trail running.no backups at aid stations, i would recommend this marathon to anyone, like me, tired of the big congested races, who just want to run! not chip timed.
Kami K. from Corpus Christi, TX (4/18/2012) "Heat+Humidity+Hills+Wind=Tough Marathon!" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Davy Crockett Bear Chase Marathon Groveton, TX Saturday, April 14, 2012 7:00 AM Groveton is a small town in Davy Crockett National Forest in East Texas. The packet pick-up was on Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Groveton Elementary School. Each runner received a long-sleeved cotton T-shirt. We were also treated to a pre-race spaghetti dinner. There is no hotel/motel is Groveton. I spent the Friday night in Crockett, about 27 miles north of Groveton. The start and finish lines were at the Groveton High School stadium. The race day temperature ranged from low 70s to mid 80s. We ran the same out-&-back route twice (half marathoners ran it once). A total of 6 miles was on hard-packed dirt roads & footing was less than desirable. The rest was on a concrete country road. There were more hills on the way back than on the way out, which made the last 5 miles of the marathon challenging. We ran alongside pastures & through the forest. There were cows & horses which served as spectators! There were water/sports drink stations at approximately every other mile. Snack items were also available on the course. Each finisher received a nice medallion & a stuffed bear. There were a variety of recovery food items & drinks at the finish area. It was a humid morning. The weather remained overcast during the first half of the marathon, which was helpful. Then sun was out & it became quite hot. We had to deal with some head wind too. And of course the rolling hills. In short, it was a well-organized marathon which offered a scenic, yet challenging, course. There were 101 (67 male, 34 female) finishers in the average time of 4:57:35. The winning times were 3:05:08 (overall male) & 3:43:33 (overall female). There were 215 half marathon finishers, & the winning times were 1:31:23 (overall male) & 1:44:38 (overall female). There were 70 5K finishers, & the winning times were 19:14 (overall male) & 23:16 (overall female). Personally, it was my 94th marathon run.
Dr. Matt Tillinghast from Richardson, TX (4/12/2011) "The Bear Chase & Groveton ROCK!!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran this race based on previous runners' comments, especially those of Cheryl Murdoch from Pensacola, FL. She's right; this race is AWESOME. I slept in my car right next to the stadium, and the athletic complex (bathrooms and showers) was open at 5:00 a.m. on race-day. Great course with fantastic scenery - horses in pastures, blooming flowers, majestic canopy of pine trees. I loved being able to see runners going both directions, especially on the dirt roads in the forest! Though Mother Nature didn't cooperate - hot, humid, windy - I had a great time running with Nathan, Abby, Courtney, Lee, Gary, and David, just to name a few. Steve and Paula have created this hidden gem in Groveton - free pasta dinner, great course, friendliest water stops in the business, and hot dogs, drinks, and candy after the race. I can't recommend this race enough and I will run it again.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]



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A. G. from Dallas, Texas (5/21/2018) "Great Small Town Race" (about: 2018) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The Davy Crockett Bear Chase Marathon is a pretty cool little event. It starts and ends at the high school track, which is pretty neat, and it's a double out-and-back, so you have a turnaround on the track as well. There's a couple miles of rocky roads that lead out to the highway, then a 3-4 mile stretch of asphalt highway before you enter the woods on a jeep road for the turnaround. I think this would be pretty awesome, as the jeep road was pretty easy on the feet, but it rained hard the night before so it was very muddy and the footing was pretty tricky. Honestly, I think most people probably lost a couple minutes to the footing in the forest. That said, it got better on the second trip through. There was very little spectator support, but the folks who came out were enthusiastic, as were the water-station attendants and the cops helping with traffic. There were only 38 marathoners this year, which looks to be about half of the usual turnout. I'm not sure what accounts for the low turnout. All-in-all it was a good race though, and the hot dogs and other concessions at the stadium for the finish hit the spot. Also, it's always nice to have a shower available at the finish line even if it was stone cold. It's a great race for the low price they charge, plus it's one of the last in the Spring if you're a Texas runner. Note: there is nowhere to stay in Groveton proper unless you are camping. We stayed about 45 minutes away at a farmhouse B&B in Kennard that was really nice. Also nice was being able to show up at 6:50 for a 7am race and still have time to use the restroom!
M. B. from Sherman Texas (4/15/2018) "Small Town Change of Pace" (about: 2018) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I ran this race in Groveton Tx yesterday. Very small town with minimal retail spots. Maybe 50-60 marathoners and 75 half marathoners, but it did not feel lonely on the course due to the out/back/out/back layout. This was my 11th marathon, and definitely smallest and most laid back feel. But that was a good thing. Course starts on the local track, heads down a couple of white rocked roads. You run about 4 miles on pavement before turning into the national forest for about a mile of much softer sandy/pine needle trail running. Although there was mud from the previous nights storm, this surface felt really good throughout the race. Not a lot of fan support, but the ones manning the water stations were very positive and supportive. You run around the track at the midway turn around and the finish. Loved that. Weather was perfect, but that may not always be the case. BQ course and looking at precious results, pretty fast course. I BQ'd by five minutes. Due to only about 16 or so miles on pavement, I woke up feeling much better than I normally do leg wise. Nicely put on, low key small town race that I would definitely run again and encourage others to as well. Nice, cute long sleeve t shirt, an amazing looking medal for a small town race, and a small bear with a place finisher number as an added bonus. Well done.
D. B. from Houston, TX (4/26/2015) "Great Marathon in the Country" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is was my 1st running of this race, and I greatly enjoyed it. While there is always a risk of warm weather this time of year in Texas, we got a great day with pleasant temperatures and low humidity. The wild flowers were in full bloom and it was beautiful. This race is very low key, but is well worth the price. https://gulfcoasting.wordpress.com/2015/04/25/davy-crockett-bear-chase-race-recap/
Mathew Mapram from Kochi,India (4/11/2015) "A marathon superbly organized for runners ." (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Davy Crockett Bear Chases COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Aid stations manned by enthusiastic and most helpful volunteers. A little bit of country road, some trail, some black top, a perfect mix. Everything geared towards the comfort of the runners. Because the Almighty Dollar is not the goal of the organizers, this is organized with the runner in mind and therefore this is a cool marathon.
R. D. from Texas (6/1/2014) "Awesome people, great race!" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Small venue, but great hospitality! Every one was great! The course didn't have too many hills, but it did have a few. Overall it was a great experience!
s. A. from texas (4/14/2014) "not easy" (about: 2014) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 You better be ready because you will get your moneys worth from this one. Everyone involved was first rate.
J. B. from Austin, TX (4/15/2013) "Best Little Marathon in Texas" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I read several of the comments on this guide and decided to give the marathon a try. What an experience! Down-home good hospitality! Local church ladies providing a nice pasta dinner the night before. Friendly, personable organizers and volunteers who really care. Where would you find a water station volunteer that would peel a banana for you? The course is not flat, but not too hilly either. The weather in 2013 was a little chilly but perfect for racing. You see a lot of people while running the in and out couse twice, but mostly you are on your own. Makes for a completely different racing experience. I'll be back for 2014!
trese markko from rowlett, TX (4/14/2013) "most enjoyable marathon i have ever run" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 flat course, beautiful course, wonderful and supportive spectators and volunteers. so nice to run a small race, no lines at the toilets and no jostling at the start! we never ran with any traffic and the off road areas were not very taxing for those not used to trail running.no backups at aid stations, i would recommend this marathon to anyone, like me, tired of the big congested races, who just want to run! not chip timed.
Kami K. from Corpus Christi, TX (4/18/2012) "Heat+Humidity+Hills+Wind=Tough Marathon!" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Davy Crockett Bear Chase Marathon Groveton, TX Saturday, April 14, 2012 7:00 AM Groveton is a small town in Davy Crockett National Forest in East Texas. The packet pick-up was on Friday from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the Groveton Elementary School. Each runner received a long-sleeved cotton T-shirt. We were also treated to a pre-race spaghetti dinner. There is no hotel/motel is Groveton. I spent the Friday night in Crockett, about 27 miles north of Groveton. The start and finish lines were at the Groveton High School stadium. The race day temperature ranged from low 70s to mid 80s. We ran the same out-&-back route twice (half marathoners ran it once). A total of 6 miles was on hard-packed dirt roads & footing was less than desirable. The rest was on a concrete country road. There were more hills on the way back than on the way out, which made the last 5 miles of the marathon challenging. We ran alongside pastures & through the forest. There were cows & horses which served as spectators! There were water/sports drink stations at approximately every other mile. Snack items were also available on the course. Each finisher received a nice medallion & a stuffed bear. There were a variety of recovery food items & drinks at the finish area. It was a humid morning. The weather remained overcast during the first half of the marathon, which was helpful. Then sun was out & it became quite hot. We had to deal with some head wind too. And of course the rolling hills. In short, it was a well-organized marathon which offered a scenic, yet challenging, course. There were 101 (67 male, 34 female) finishers in the average time of 4:57:35. The winning times were 3:05:08 (overall male) & 3:43:33 (overall female). There were 215 half marathon finishers, & the winning times were 1:31:23 (overall male) & 1:44:38 (overall female). There were 70 5K finishers, & the winning times were 19:14 (overall male) & 23:16 (overall female). Personally, it was my 94th marathon run.
Dr. Matt Tillinghast from Richardson, TX (4/12/2011) "The Bear Chase & Groveton ROCK!!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Davy Crockett Bear Chase COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran this race based on previous runners' comments, especially those of Cheryl Murdoch from Pensacola, FL. She's right; this race is AWESOME. I slept in my car right next to the stadium, and the athletic complex (bathrooms and showers) was open at 5:00 a.m. on race-day. Great course with fantastic scenery - horses in pastures, blooming flowers, majestic canopy of pine trees. I loved being able to see runners going both directions, especially on the dirt roads in the forest! Though Mother Nature didn't cooperate - hot, humid, windy - I had a great time running with Nathan, Abby, Courtney, Lee, Gary, and David, just to name a few. Steve and Paula have created this hidden gem in Groveton - free pasta dinner, great course, friendliest water stops in the business, and hot dogs, drinks, and candy after the race. I can't recommend this race enough and I will run it again.

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Marathon Details - Davy Crockett Bear Chase