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Marathon Details - Hartford Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > CT > Hartford > Hartford Marathon

Hartford Marathon

Eversource Hartford Marathon & Half Marathon, Marathon Relay, 5K

Hartford, CT USA

October 19, 2024

https://www.hartfordmarathon.com

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Race Details

Mostly flat with a few hills and travels along CT river and through Hartford, East Hartford and South Windsor with a beautiful finish under the arch in Bushnell Park.Marathon, 1/2 marathon, marathon relay and 5k

Contact Information

Name:	Hartford Marathon Foundation
Address:	41 Sequin Dr Glastonbury, CT 06033
Phone Number:	860-652-8866
Fax Number:	860-652-8145
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (306)

Course 4.1

Organization 4.3

Spectators 3.9

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Number of comments: 306 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 31 > ]

K. M. from Maryland (2/16/2023) "Beware Slower 50 Staters" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 The course was beautiful, the aid was sufficient, the whole event was well-organized, and I got to take a mum from the finish line with me on the the plane home which was cool. However, and it's a big however, it was all for nothing. I had an unfortunate situation back home that I required my attention via phone during the race for 1.5hrs. I'm already on the slower end of the spectrum, so I ended up worriedly asking race officials no less than 5 times if I would be allowed to finish. They were very kind and one even stayed with me for a time to make sure I was safe crossing the street after they took down course support. Every time I asked, they repeatedly assured me I would be allowed to finish. I finished, I was given a medal, and I grabbed a mum before hobbling back to the hotel. I got an email congratulating me on my finish, but there was no time on the virtual certificate, which was weird, but I chalked it up to a technical error. I went into the results and saw my times for the last two check points were missing. Ok, that's fine, maybe something funky happened with the chip, so I email the organizers asking about it and tell them I can supplement whatever data they're missing with my gps. They tell me it was not an error, that they had not published the results because it was after the time limit. My heart immediately sinks and I'm frustrated that they all insisted for several miles that I would be allowed to finish, but I recognize they maybe didn't know that they wouldn't publish the results and were just being supportive in the best way they knew how. ...except then I see several times officially published that were after the cutoff time, and so now I feel cheated. I don't want their times tossed, but I don't see why they would publish some and not others, especially when they have the data. I ask if they can make an exception, explain that I'm trying to do all 50 states, and that it won't count if my time isn't published. They politely refused, but offered to write a letter to say that I did officially finish. The whole exchange just felt like a slap in the face and left a bad taste in my mouth, but it is what it is. It should have been my 29th state, 31st marathon total, but the whole hostage situation with my results means I'll have to fly back and try again. Probably not this one even though I know I'd finish with no problem on a normal day, but my feelings are hurt, so I will most likely do a different one to check CT off my list.
N. S. from FL (12/11/2022) "Good CT Race" (about: 2022) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This showed enough of the city and then had a scenic out and back, which I liked. It got warm, and the sports drink is Nuun (neither is good for me personally). Hartford is a pretty decent city, with a lovely capitol building and the grounds - highly recommend the carousel!!
G. H. from IL (10/13/2022) "A fun time" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran a couple marathons earlier this year and they turned out to be pretty tough due to weather and the courses, so I was really hoping for a great experience in Hartford. I was not disappointed. This should be your Connecticut race if you share with me the 50-state goal. It was quite easy to get from the airport to my hotel and back to the airport again after the race. The city is easy to get around and it was easy for me to find the food and supplies I needed to be ready for a race. Note: The Capitol Hotel is right by the race start, but they do not offer a late checkout for some reason!! General Strengths: * The race organizers offered to mail runners their packets (for a fee) so they could skip the expo. That's a huge plus for anyone coming in from out of town. * Lots of support and volunteers along the course. I would say the water cups could have been a little fuller, but the water stations seemed to be more frequent than your average race so it balanced out. * Nice long sleeve tee and medal. * The course was mostly flat and generally pleasant, running along the Connecticut River, in the area of the capitol, and through different parks. We had good running weather--about 50 and sunny. October races are the best. Opportunities for Improvement: * I think when a race gets to be a certain size, you need to split up the marathon and the half marathon at the start. It's just so crowded for the first couple of miles. Maybe stagger the coral start times? It's hard to get into a groove when you're shoulder-to-shoulder with people. * There needed to be more port o potties near the start line. You shouldn't have to wait in line for 20 minutes before a race right before you run a marathon.
D. D. from Nevada (10/21/2021) "Beautiful choice for your Connecticut marathon!" (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The thing that stands out most for me about this marathon is the volunteers! They were plenty and awesome! From the water stations to the volunteers on bikes, they were the best! The course was beautiful, I thought, with some water, some green, and some lovely homes to look at while we were running. I'm glad I chose this race for my Connecticut marathon!
C. V. from Boston (11/1/2019) "Nice course good PR race" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first time running Hartford. I had several coworkers who ran it and they spoke highly of it. The course was easy and more interesting and scenic than I expected. One item that was a turn off was charging an additional fee to hang out indoors prior to the start time. It did not matter if you did not want food or not. Parking was easy to find and race volunteers were kind enough to offer finishers rides to their cars in their golf carts. Course was easy with minimal elevation climbs. Good race to attempt a PR.
P. H. from CT (10/18/2019) "Very well organized!!!!!" (about: 2019) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Very well organized, no traffic getting to the race, and no lines for the bathrooms (if go to the bathrooms by the Gear Check area). There was also plenty of parking (don't park at the Trumbull St. Garage, which gets crowded quick; park at the other lots). great post-race food, there's food trucks, and the post-race beer was great (actually had Sam Adams!!). There was a surprising number of spectators, in South Windsor area on Main Street (people in their driveways having parties and cheering). Race is relatively flat. Has some minor rolling hills. Founder's Bridge is a small incline, but wouldn't consider it a big hill. Great race to PR!!! I did at this race!! I'm definitely going to be back!!!!!
K. B. from Alexandria, VA (10/14/2019) "Pretty Great!!" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race has it all. The course has a couple hills in the urban part, but nothing super intense, followed by a really gorgeous flat out and back through bucolic, quintessential Connecticut among turning leaves. Support and organization are amazing ... one of the most flawless race executions I have seen in 47 marathons. Lots of volunteers and spectators along the course ... cheering madly. Even one of the police officers was cheering for us. The last mile was especially inspiring with total strangers just losing it for the people like me coming in at the back of the pack. Pretty amazing. The pre-race and post-race support is noteworthy. Again, highly organized with very high quality offerings, including an exceptionally tasty vegan hot meal (wild rice and harvest veggies). As a veteran marathoner who happens to be vegan, this race gave me much more than I expected. Definitely worth the journey!!
J. Y. from Dayton, OH (11/12/2017) "Good times in CT!" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Highlights of what I liked: Nice soft cotton shirt with good design, lots of room in Bushnell Park for the start and finish, plenty of porto-johns at the start/finish and along the course, getting a reusable water bottle and bag with food at the finish, lots of on-course entertainment and good number of spectators, good mix of some moderate hills and flat sections in the course. Overall, it's a very well-organized race and the city seems to support it. Glad I chose this one for CT in my 50 state goal.
T. S. from Indianapolis (10/29/2017) "Cowbell City" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Not sure what store in Hartford had a sale on cowbells, but they must have totally depleted their stock. Can't remember a race where there was a such a racket. Made me smile every time I passed one. There weren't a ton of spectators, but those that were there boasted over-the-top enthusiasm. Nice course with its mix of downtown, parks and neighborhoods. The hills can be problematic for flatlanders like me who don't properly train, but I guess I've finally learned that what goes up does indeed come down. I rate an organization on its volunteers, and Hartford had oodles of them. Very nice that afterward volunteers in golf carts were available to take you to gear check and even to your car.
R. H. from Milwaukee, WI (10/19/2017) "A great finishing experience!" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I travelled to Hartford (from Wisconsin) to complete the marathon as part of the NE Double. I ran Vermont City this past spring so this was part of the unique challenge/third medal. The expo was average size for a marathon like this. My wife and I stayed at the Red Roof Inn Plus across the street from Bushnell park and that was very convenient! The race started at 8 am which I thought was a bit late due to temps in the high 70's by noon. The start was a bit congested as we ran the first mile with all the half marathoners. Once the split came, the race lightened up and became enjoyable. The course was pretty solid as you run a little through downtown, on trails around the Connecticut River, and a nice out and back in some beautiful residential neighborhoods. The spectator support was average and a lot less than what I saw in a comparable marathon of this size - see Vermont City. The best part of the race was the finish line where you run under the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and they announce your name and where you're from. The post race food was limited but the party experience was top notch. Bushnell Park is awesome and the weather proved to be perfect for the day. All in all, I'd recommend this as your Connecticut race if you're looking to do 50 states.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 31 > ]



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K. M. from Maryland (2/16/2023) "Beware Slower 50 Staters" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 The course was beautiful, the aid was sufficient, the whole event was well-organized, and I got to take a mum from the finish line with me on the the plane home which was cool. However, and it's a big however, it was all for nothing. I had an unfortunate situation back home that I required my attention via phone during the race for 1.5hrs. I'm already on the slower end of the spectrum, so I ended up worriedly asking race officials no less than 5 times if I would be allowed to finish. They were very kind and one even stayed with me for a time to make sure I was safe crossing the street after they took down course support. Every time I asked, they repeatedly assured me I would be allowed to finish. I finished, I was given a medal, and I grabbed a mum before hobbling back to the hotel. I got an email congratulating me on my finish, but there was no time on the virtual certificate, which was weird, but I chalked it up to a technical error. I went into the results and saw my times for the last two check points were missing. Ok, that's fine, maybe something funky happened with the chip, so I email the organizers asking about it and tell them I can supplement whatever data they're missing with my gps. They tell me it was not an error, that they had not published the results because it was after the time limit. My heart immediately sinks and I'm frustrated that they all insisted for several miles that I would be allowed to finish, but I recognize they maybe didn't know that they wouldn't publish the results and were just being supportive in the best way they knew how. ...except then I see several times officially published that were after the cutoff time, and so now I feel cheated. I don't want their times tossed, but I don't see why they would publish some and not others, especially when they have the data. I ask if they can make an exception, explain that I'm trying to do all 50 states, and that it won't count if my time isn't published. They politely refused, but offered to write a letter to say that I did officially finish. The whole exchange just felt like a slap in the face and left a bad taste in my mouth, but it is what it is. It should have been my 29th state, 31st marathon total, but the whole hostage situation with my results means I'll have to fly back and try again. Probably not this one even though I know I'd finish with no problem on a normal day, but my feelings are hurt, so I will most likely do a different one to check CT off my list.
N. S. from FL (12/11/2022) "Good CT Race" (about: 2022) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This showed enough of the city and then had a scenic out and back, which I liked. It got warm, and the sports drink is Nuun (neither is good for me personally). Hartford is a pretty decent city, with a lovely capitol building and the grounds - highly recommend the carousel!!
G. H. from IL (10/13/2022) "A fun time" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran a couple marathons earlier this year and they turned out to be pretty tough due to weather and the courses, so I was really hoping for a great experience in Hartford. I was not disappointed. This should be your Connecticut race if you share with me the 50-state goal. It was quite easy to get from the airport to my hotel and back to the airport again after the race. The city is easy to get around and it was easy for me to find the food and supplies I needed to be ready for a race. Note: The Capitol Hotel is right by the race start, but they do not offer a late checkout for some reason!! General Strengths: * The race organizers offered to mail runners their packets (for a fee) so they could skip the expo. That's a huge plus for anyone coming in from out of town. * Lots of support and volunteers along the course. I would say the water cups could have been a little fuller, but the water stations seemed to be more frequent than your average race so it balanced out. * Nice long sleeve tee and medal. * The course was mostly flat and generally pleasant, running along the Connecticut River, in the area of the capitol, and through different parks. We had good running weather--about 50 and sunny. October races are the best. Opportunities for Improvement: * I think when a race gets to be a certain size, you need to split up the marathon and the half marathon at the start. It's just so crowded for the first couple of miles. Maybe stagger the coral start times? It's hard to get into a groove when you're shoulder-to-shoulder with people. * There needed to be more port o potties near the start line. You shouldn't have to wait in line for 20 minutes before a race right before you run a marathon.
D. D. from Nevada (10/21/2021) "Beautiful choice for your Connecticut marathon!" (about: 2021) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The thing that stands out most for me about this marathon is the volunteers! They were plenty and awesome! From the water stations to the volunteers on bikes, they were the best! The course was beautiful, I thought, with some water, some green, and some lovely homes to look at while we were running. I'm glad I chose this race for my Connecticut marathon!
C. V. from Boston (11/1/2019) "Nice course good PR race" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first time running Hartford. I had several coworkers who ran it and they spoke highly of it. The course was easy and more interesting and scenic than I expected. One item that was a turn off was charging an additional fee to hang out indoors prior to the start time. It did not matter if you did not want food or not. Parking was easy to find and race volunteers were kind enough to offer finishers rides to their cars in their golf carts. Course was easy with minimal elevation climbs. Good race to attempt a PR.
P. H. from CT (10/18/2019) "Very well organized!!!!!" (about: 2019) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Very well organized, no traffic getting to the race, and no lines for the bathrooms (if go to the bathrooms by the Gear Check area). There was also plenty of parking (don't park at the Trumbull St. Garage, which gets crowded quick; park at the other lots). great post-race food, there's food trucks, and the post-race beer was great (actually had Sam Adams!!). There was a surprising number of spectators, in South Windsor area on Main Street (people in their driveways having parties and cheering). Race is relatively flat. Has some minor rolling hills. Founder's Bridge is a small incline, but wouldn't consider it a big hill. Great race to PR!!! I did at this race!! I'm definitely going to be back!!!!!
K. B. from Alexandria, VA (10/14/2019) "Pretty Great!!" (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race has it all. The course has a couple hills in the urban part, but nothing super intense, followed by a really gorgeous flat out and back through bucolic, quintessential Connecticut among turning leaves. Support and organization are amazing ... one of the most flawless race executions I have seen in 47 marathons. Lots of volunteers and spectators along the course ... cheering madly. Even one of the police officers was cheering for us. The last mile was especially inspiring with total strangers just losing it for the people like me coming in at the back of the pack. Pretty amazing. The pre-race and post-race support is noteworthy. Again, highly organized with very high quality offerings, including an exceptionally tasty vegan hot meal (wild rice and harvest veggies). As a veteran marathoner who happens to be vegan, this race gave me much more than I expected. Definitely worth the journey!!
J. Y. from Dayton, OH (11/12/2017) "Good times in CT!" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Highlights of what I liked: Nice soft cotton shirt with good design, lots of room in Bushnell Park for the start and finish, plenty of porto-johns at the start/finish and along the course, getting a reusable water bottle and bag with food at the finish, lots of on-course entertainment and good number of spectators, good mix of some moderate hills and flat sections in the course. Overall, it's a very well-organized race and the city seems to support it. Glad I chose this one for CT in my 50 state goal.
T. S. from Indianapolis (10/29/2017) "Cowbell City" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Not sure what store in Hartford had a sale on cowbells, but they must have totally depleted their stock. Can't remember a race where there was a such a racket. Made me smile every time I passed one. There weren't a ton of spectators, but those that were there boasted over-the-top enthusiasm. Nice course with its mix of downtown, parks and neighborhoods. The hills can be problematic for flatlanders like me who don't properly train, but I guess I've finally learned that what goes up does indeed come down. I rate an organization on its volunteers, and Hartford had oodles of them. Very nice that afterward volunteers in golf carts were available to take you to gear check and even to your car.
R. H. from Milwaukee, WI (10/19/2017) "A great finishing experience!" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Hartford Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I travelled to Hartford (from Wisconsin) to complete the marathon as part of the NE Double. I ran Vermont City this past spring so this was part of the unique challenge/third medal. The expo was average size for a marathon like this. My wife and I stayed at the Red Roof Inn Plus across the street from Bushnell park and that was very convenient! The race started at 8 am which I thought was a bit late due to temps in the high 70's by noon. The start was a bit congested as we ran the first mile with all the half marathoners. Once the split came, the race lightened up and became enjoyable. The course was pretty solid as you run a little through downtown, on trails around the Connecticut River, and a nice out and back in some beautiful residential neighborhoods. The spectator support was average and a lot less than what I saw in a comparable marathon of this size - see Vermont City. The best part of the race was the finish line where you run under the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and they announce your name and where you're from. The post race food was limited but the party experience was top notch. Bushnell Park is awesome and the weather proved to be perfect for the day. All in all, I'd recommend this as your Connecticut race if you're looking to do 50 states.

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Marathon Details - Hartford Marathon