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Marathon Details - Canton Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > OH > Canton > Canton Marathon

Canton Marathon

Canton Marathon & Marahton Relay, Half Marathon, 10K

Canton, OH USA

~~June 16, 2013~~ - CANCELLED

http://www.cantonmarathon.com

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2012 Top 3 Finishers

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Name:	Julia Dick
Address:
Phone Number:	330-456-9811
Email:

Runner Reviews (21)

Course 3.7

Organization 4.2

Spectators 4.0

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Number of comments: 21 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]

V. J. from USA (8/5/2012) "dont plan to run this one again" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Canton is my 21st marathon-I have run good marathons and bad ones, flat ones and hilly one-Boston 3 times.With that said... why in the world would you choose to have a marathon on Father's Day? Not only is that pretty inconvenient,but it is very hot in mid June.The race was very hilly-especially the second half-adding to the difficulty. And the start of the race was in some pretty rough areas of Canton-why did they choose that? This is how we want people to see our city-maybe their first and last impression? What the heck?! I will skip it unless they move it off Father's Day...and I really think the course was uneccesarily brutal...not a fun day at all!
T. E. from North Canton, Ohio (8/3/2012) "Very good for an inaugural year" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I was really impressed with how the inaugural Canton marathon turned out. This was my first marathon and I had more than my share of concerns regarding the weather and hilly course. Overall, I was very impressed with the support from spectators and the course turned out to not be quite as bad as I thought it was going to be. I would ask organizers to give serious consideration to not having it on Father's Day every year. I felt bad for all of the dads who had to give up their day for this event. I would also recommend considering moving it to earlier in the summer. The predicted high temps forced organizers to give the option to defer to next year but for many of us that would not have been an option. If the temps had been as high as we thought they were going to be, I think it could have been a pretty dangerous situation.
n. c. from Illinois (7/16/2012) "Don't Run This Race Just Yet" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I've never hated a race more. I ran the half-marathon and I love the Cincy, Akron, and Columbus Marathons. Ohio races get a lot of love from my because I live in Illinois and I love the 'scenery' at those races. The Canton Half was the most boring course I have ever been on - and I hate to say this, but the town is just not pretty in places. I ran a 1:45 and around mile 5, there were slack-jawed spectators just watching - no one was cheering, no one was encouraging, nothing. There were about 30 of us with people in the front and back and we called out with hoots and hollers to encourage them and were rewarded by a few smiles and waves. Wut? It's a race, you are sitting, we are running, get off your ass and cheer. There were several tables without cups even for front of pack runners and stops where the table was far from where we were running making the poor volunteers runs back and forth. It's a hilly race but I like hills because they break up the long run. Would I run this race again or do the marathon? Heck yes, but they need to get their stuff together because it isn't worth the hotel and plane cost at all.
L. R. from Columbus, OH (7/9/2012) "Great inaugural race!" (about: 2012) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Being the first year for the Canton Marathon I figured it is my duty to write a review. I really enjoyed the event, but there was definitely room for improvement. The Good: The community seemed to embrace this event and it showed. There was a lot of coverage in the local newspapers and magazines leading up to the race which made the build up very exciting. The spectators were not as plentiful as in bigger races but I was surprised at how many came out given the size of the race. What was lacking in quantity of spectators was made up in quality. The spectators were awesome! They even offered fruit, candy, cooling stations and a 'last chance' bar. My favorite spectators were the nuns at the monastery near Malone College. The volunteers were great too. They were ready with water and Gatorade and a smiling face. A big thanks to all that volunteered! There was water or Gatorade at every mile which was great for a June race. Even the police officers directing traffic offered support as we ran by. The community really came together to welcome all the runners and cheer us on through a difficult course. The finish line was on the fifty yard line of Fawcett Stadium. As we approached the finish line they announced our names and where we were from. That was a nice touch! The Bad: The course was surprisingly hilly for an Ohio race. I thought I had trained on hills to prepare but central Ohio does not have the caliber of hills that we faced in this race. The first hill was not as bad as I thought it would be, as it was a gradual incline over five miles. In my opinion. The worst hills were at mile 13 and 25. But it felt like non-stop hill climbing throughout the whole race, when I got to the bottom of one there was another one waiting just ahead. The course was not completely closed to traffic which can be a little stressful for runners. I had one near miss and another scare during the race. In my opinion the course should have been on less travelled roads that Stark County could easily close to traffic until the end of the race. The Ugly: Road kill on a marathon course is unacceptable. The Canton marathon course had several along the route. I am a super slow runner and therefore I was not crowded on the course. This made it easy for me to spot and avoid the road kill, but I can imagine some faster runners were not so lucky. At mile 23 I was sure that I was going to join the several rotting carcasses on the road. Luckily, I made it to the finish! In the beer tent I mentioned the road kill to a couple race coordinators and they said that they couldn't help it that the city didn't do it's job. My suggestion...have someone with a pick up truck, a spot light and a shovel drive the course early in the morning on race day. I'll say it again...road kill on the course is unacceptable. Overall: An awesome inaugural event. I was happy that I ran this race and I will be back!
Jeff Miller from Westerville, Ohio (6/25/2012) "Beat my expectations for an inaugural marathon" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I was excited to come back to my home town and run Canton's 1st marathon. From growing up in the area, I was very familiar with the course. With that said, it seemed a lot less hilly driving in the car than running it. The course was great and challenging, the organization of the event was outstanding and the spectators were awesome. My concern was going to be the heat for mid-June but it ended up being a mild day with a period of rain that was refreshing. I would recommend this marathon to anyone that is looking for a big race with a small town feel. I can't wait for next year. Great job done by all!! Go Polar Bears!!
F. R. from Massilon, OH (6/21/2012) "Great inaugural race" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first half mararthon and I thought it was great experience. The packet pickup at the expo was easy, although the packet was a bit underwhelming (just a bunch of fliers). The start was also a bit over-crowded because the road was just too small for all the people. It spread out after the first mile. The course was hilly in parts, but manageable (the hill up fulton dr. at mile 12 was killer though). I thought it was a very well organized event and i'm proud to have run my first marathon as Canton's first marathon. Will definitely run again next year, maybe even the full.
M. H. from Cleveland, OH (6/20/2012) "Well done, Canton!!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Knowing that this course was a hilly one, I trained on hills. So, when I was ran the course on race day, the hills seemed minimal. They were not steep, but there were many:) the city streets we ran on were scenic and there were people all throughout! It was clear that the city of Canton and surrounding communities were proud to show off their city and showed support. There were spectators spraying runners with their hoses, passing out gummi bears, oranges and popsicles in their front yard. Those are the types of things that made this race special. My experience was very positive and I would recommend this course...but make sure you train for some hills!
S. R. from Chicago, IL (6/20/2012) "Great Job on a first-time race" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was the most social marathon I've run (compared to Chicago, Seattle and Columbus). I was near the back of the pack, and runners were chatting and offering each other support along the way. As a first-time effort, this race pulled itself together nicely. As a first-time race, some of the organization got off the ground slowly. For example, I registered early and wasn't given the option of getting my name on my bib, whereas later registrants had theirs printed. Some details were slow coming - pace teams, parking logistics, etc. But, it all pulled together nicely on race day. The course is tough. There are few flats. The course is mostly rolling hills, nothing too crazy, but constant. The first half of the course is more interesting with better spectator support than the second half (I was also toward the back of the pack, so that may have been different for earlier runners). The spectator and volunteer support for a small race was wonderful. I was surprised to see the number of families and spectators who lined the course. The aid stations were ample, and other than watery gatorade (not my personal preference), the offerings were good - gu in two places and granola bars at another. The sponsored miles were fun - especially the one by the Factory of Terror. The traffic was extremely well controlled with tons of police, sheriffs and other course marshals offering support to runners. More options for pacing for slower runners would be nice. The pace groups clumped in the 3-4 hour range, but skipped from 4:45 to 5:30. This race also has a half and a 10k, but the course split early for both. This year they were lucky with the weather - cooler and just a bit of rain. If the weather had been hot it would have been a much harder race. I enjoyed the variety of the course. It's my hometown and it offered a great way of going down memory lane. The start was a bit odd with corrals lining up and then walking about 1/2 mile to the actual start line. With such a small race (under 1000 marathon finishers)it seemed unnecessary. Overall, though, I'd do this race again.
D. L. from Barberton, Ohio (6/20/2012) "Too many rookie mistakes." (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 This marathon needs to follow the Akron Marathon's example of getting advice from experienced marathoners regarding race organization and course. Both were lacking. They were lucky the temperatures did not get into the 80s and 90s on this very hilly course with little opportunity for shade. Their hearts are in the right place, but they lack some essential race planning skills. A few things from my long list: No 13.1 mile clock, first split timing mat at 21 miles, start time was pushed back then they started 7 minutes earlier than communicated catching runners unprepared to start, used a staging area for the runners away from start area and walked the 1000s of runners to the start area - very confusing, way to few porta potties, and the list goes on.
J. L. from Columbus, Ohio (6/20/2012) "Nothing but Hills" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Ran this as my second marathon. The race officials should consider making the second half of the course flatter. The huge hill at mile 25 was a little much. Great fans. Great water/gatorade stops. They should assign someone to clean up the road kill the night before. The start would be far more efficient if they had different start times for the half and the full. They should actually assign corals to the runners. Very difficult course.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 > ]



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V. J. from USA (8/5/2012) "dont plan to run this one again" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Canton is my 21st marathon-I have run good marathons and bad ones, flat ones and hilly one-Boston 3 times.With that said... why in the world would you choose to have a marathon on Father's Day? Not only is that pretty inconvenient,but it is very hot in mid June.The race was very hilly-especially the second half-adding to the difficulty. And the start of the race was in some pretty rough areas of Canton-why did they choose that? This is how we want people to see our city-maybe their first and last impression? What the heck?! I will skip it unless they move it off Father's Day...and I really think the course was uneccesarily brutal...not a fun day at all!
T. E. from North Canton, Ohio (8/3/2012) "Very good for an inaugural year" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I was really impressed with how the inaugural Canton marathon turned out. This was my first marathon and I had more than my share of concerns regarding the weather and hilly course. Overall, I was very impressed with the support from spectators and the course turned out to not be quite as bad as I thought it was going to be. I would ask organizers to give serious consideration to not having it on Father's Day every year. I felt bad for all of the dads who had to give up their day for this event. I would also recommend considering moving it to earlier in the summer. The predicted high temps forced organizers to give the option to defer to next year but for many of us that would not have been an option. If the temps had been as high as we thought they were going to be, I think it could have been a pretty dangerous situation.
n. c. from Illinois (7/16/2012) "Don't Run This Race Just Yet" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I've never hated a race more. I ran the half-marathon and I love the Cincy, Akron, and Columbus Marathons. Ohio races get a lot of love from my because I live in Illinois and I love the 'scenery' at those races. The Canton Half was the most boring course I have ever been on - and I hate to say this, but the town is just not pretty in places. I ran a 1:45 and around mile 5, there were slack-jawed spectators just watching - no one was cheering, no one was encouraging, nothing. There were about 30 of us with people in the front and back and we called out with hoots and hollers to encourage them and were rewarded by a few smiles and waves. Wut? It's a race, you are sitting, we are running, get off your ass and cheer. There were several tables without cups even for front of pack runners and stops where the table was far from where we were running making the poor volunteers runs back and forth. It's a hilly race but I like hills because they break up the long run. Would I run this race again or do the marathon? Heck yes, but they need to get their stuff together because it isn't worth the hotel and plane cost at all.
L. R. from Columbus, OH (7/9/2012) "Great inaugural race!" (about: 2012) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Being the first year for the Canton Marathon I figured it is my duty to write a review. I really enjoyed the event, but there was definitely room for improvement. The Good: The community seemed to embrace this event and it showed. There was a lot of coverage in the local newspapers and magazines leading up to the race which made the build up very exciting. The spectators were not as plentiful as in bigger races but I was surprised at how many came out given the size of the race. What was lacking in quantity of spectators was made up in quality. The spectators were awesome! They even offered fruit, candy, cooling stations and a 'last chance' bar. My favorite spectators were the nuns at the monastery near Malone College. The volunteers were great too. They were ready with water and Gatorade and a smiling face. A big thanks to all that volunteered! There was water or Gatorade at every mile which was great for a June race. Even the police officers directing traffic offered support as we ran by. The community really came together to welcome all the runners and cheer us on through a difficult course. The finish line was on the fifty yard line of Fawcett Stadium. As we approached the finish line they announced our names and where we were from. That was a nice touch! The Bad: The course was surprisingly hilly for an Ohio race. I thought I had trained on hills to prepare but central Ohio does not have the caliber of hills that we faced in this race. The first hill was not as bad as I thought it would be, as it was a gradual incline over five miles. In my opinion. The worst hills were at mile 13 and 25. But it felt like non-stop hill climbing throughout the whole race, when I got to the bottom of one there was another one waiting just ahead. The course was not completely closed to traffic which can be a little stressful for runners. I had one near miss and another scare during the race. In my opinion the course should have been on less travelled roads that Stark County could easily close to traffic until the end of the race. The Ugly: Road kill on a marathon course is unacceptable. The Canton marathon course had several along the route. I am a super slow runner and therefore I was not crowded on the course. This made it easy for me to spot and avoid the road kill, but I can imagine some faster runners were not so lucky. At mile 23 I was sure that I was going to join the several rotting carcasses on the road. Luckily, I made it to the finish! In the beer tent I mentioned the road kill to a couple race coordinators and they said that they couldn't help it that the city didn't do it's job. My suggestion...have someone with a pick up truck, a spot light and a shovel drive the course early in the morning on race day. I'll say it again...road kill on the course is unacceptable. Overall: An awesome inaugural event. I was happy that I ran this race and I will be back!
Jeff Miller from Westerville, Ohio (6/25/2012) "Beat my expectations for an inaugural marathon" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I was excited to come back to my home town and run Canton's 1st marathon. From growing up in the area, I was very familiar with the course. With that said, it seemed a lot less hilly driving in the car than running it. The course was great and challenging, the organization of the event was outstanding and the spectators were awesome. My concern was going to be the heat for mid-June but it ended up being a mild day with a period of rain that was refreshing. I would recommend this marathon to anyone that is looking for a big race with a small town feel. I can't wait for next year. Great job done by all!! Go Polar Bears!!
F. R. from Massilon, OH (6/21/2012) "Great inaugural race" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first half mararthon and I thought it was great experience. The packet pickup at the expo was easy, although the packet was a bit underwhelming (just a bunch of fliers). The start was also a bit over-crowded because the road was just too small for all the people. It spread out after the first mile. The course was hilly in parts, but manageable (the hill up fulton dr. at mile 12 was killer though). I thought it was a very well organized event and i'm proud to have run my first marathon as Canton's first marathon. Will definitely run again next year, maybe even the full.
M. H. from Cleveland, OH (6/20/2012) "Well done, Canton!!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Knowing that this course was a hilly one, I trained on hills. So, when I was ran the course on race day, the hills seemed minimal. They were not steep, but there were many:) the city streets we ran on were scenic and there were people all throughout! It was clear that the city of Canton and surrounding communities were proud to show off their city and showed support. There were spectators spraying runners with their hoses, passing out gummi bears, oranges and popsicles in their front yard. Those are the types of things that made this race special. My experience was very positive and I would recommend this course...but make sure you train for some hills!
S. R. from Chicago, IL (6/20/2012) "Great Job on a first-time race" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was the most social marathon I've run (compared to Chicago, Seattle and Columbus). I was near the back of the pack, and runners were chatting and offering each other support along the way. As a first-time effort, this race pulled itself together nicely. As a first-time race, some of the organization got off the ground slowly. For example, I registered early and wasn't given the option of getting my name on my bib, whereas later registrants had theirs printed. Some details were slow coming - pace teams, parking logistics, etc. But, it all pulled together nicely on race day. The course is tough. There are few flats. The course is mostly rolling hills, nothing too crazy, but constant. The first half of the course is more interesting with better spectator support than the second half (I was also toward the back of the pack, so that may have been different for earlier runners). The spectator and volunteer support for a small race was wonderful. I was surprised to see the number of families and spectators who lined the course. The aid stations were ample, and other than watery gatorade (not my personal preference), the offerings were good - gu in two places and granola bars at another. The sponsored miles were fun - especially the one by the Factory of Terror. The traffic was extremely well controlled with tons of police, sheriffs and other course marshals offering support to runners. More options for pacing for slower runners would be nice. The pace groups clumped in the 3-4 hour range, but skipped from 4:45 to 5:30. This race also has a half and a 10k, but the course split early for both. This year they were lucky with the weather - cooler and just a bit of rain. If the weather had been hot it would have been a much harder race. I enjoyed the variety of the course. It's my hometown and it offered a great way of going down memory lane. The start was a bit odd with corrals lining up and then walking about 1/2 mile to the actual start line. With such a small race (under 1000 marathon finishers)it seemed unnecessary. Overall, though, I'd do this race again.
D. L. from Barberton, Ohio (6/20/2012) "Too many rookie mistakes." (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Canton Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 This marathon needs to follow the Akron Marathon's example of getting advice from experienced marathoners regarding race organization and course. Both were lacking. They were lucky the temperatures did not get into the 80s and 90s on this very hilly course with little opportunity for shade. Their hearts are in the right place, but they lack some essential race planning skills. A few things from my long list: No 13.1 mile clock, first split timing mat at 21 miles, start time was pushed back then they started 7 minutes earlier than communicated catching runners unprepared to start, used a staging area for the runners away from start area and walked the 1000s of runners to the start area - very confusing, way to few porta potties, and the list goes on.
J. L. from Columbus, Ohio (6/20/2012) "Nothing but Hills" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Ran this as my second marathon. The race officials should consider making the second half of the course flatter. The huge hill at mile 25 was a little much. Great fans. Great water/gatorade stops. They should assign someone to clean up the road kill the night before. The start would be far more efficient if they had different start times for the half and the full. They should actually assign corals to the runners. Very difficult course.

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Marathon Details - Canton Marathon