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Belfast City Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Belfast City Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.1 
Organization 3.0 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 76 [displaying comments 41 to 51]
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A. F. from Dublin
(5/5/2008)
"Excellent, well organised" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Belfast City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Just run the Belfast Marathon today for the first time and thought it was very well organized. Plenty of volunteers on the course, a good mixed course featuring some picturesque and more urban areas, nice to have a mix. Really excellent finish area and great to have some bands/singers out on the course, especially in the quieter areas, really made a difference. Comments for improvements, meant in the nicest possible way, would be for Deep River Rock to put their hands a little deeper into their pockets and provide bottled water, maybe every 3 or 6 miles (no need for every water station). This would really help as it is nearly impossible not to gulp at the water in the cup and you don't want to stop. It would make up for no water station along the cycle way. One other improvement would be for better mile signage (none for the first 5 miles (when you are trying to get your pace right) and then some missing, notably half way and 20 miles). Overall though a splendid job done by the organizing committee, congratulations, thanks and well done, I'll be back. | |
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E. C. from Dublin, Ireland
(4/24/2008)
"HOPING it will be better" (about: 2002)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Belfast City Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 Eleven days to go before the 2008 Belfast City Marathon.... My previous experiences of this race suggests it's the Belfast City Relay Race. The marathon plays second fiddle. Organizers should note that if this year's marathon has not improved to what they are advertising as an "international" marathon, I won't be back. Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing Belfast - the regeneration, the fantastic hospitality and the welcome everybody gets. All Belfast needs is a marathon they can be proud of. I read through these comments regularly and people either like it or not. I'm not expecting the incredible time I had at the New York City Marathon; I'm expecting to see respect for the marathon runners, which has been lacking in past years. Keep an eye out for my comments after the race!!! I'll be honest, and I hope I will be returning next year; if not... well, there is always Newry Marathon close by! | |
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C. M. from Newry
(8/17/2007)
"Could be Better!!" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Belfast City Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Well to start I could have done better. The course could be better and the support could be better. Well the last two are linked. The course goes through an industrial estate, which has no support. This is were I started to cramp up. COuld not push myself here at all. Would be better to divert us away from the M2 direction altogether. | |
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Caspar Swales from Belfast
(8/4/2007)
"Lack of energy stations" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Belfast City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I ran this as my 1st ever marathon and had planned to take on energy at Gideon's Green; I was directed to a different lane from the relay runners who seemed to be offered energy drinks and I was only ever offered Vaseline until I got to the last few miles when energy drinks were offered again. As such, my wife spent the day running around Belfast like a mad idiot trying to catch up with me with bottled energy drinks. Apart from her, I would never have finished, although the home crowd were fantastic and kept me going every mile as well. This was as fantastic a marathon as I could ever have imagined!! | |
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P. G. from Ireland
(7/26/2007)
"Very poor for a international marathon" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Belfast City Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Very poor marathon; I had not run Belfast for 3 years and it will be more than 3 years before I run it again. Course was bad - moreso the last 6 miles, which seemed like they ran out of road and they put in parks and car parks, and run you around a couple of blocks near the finish to try and make up the 6. Surely there must be a more straightforward way to finish a marathon in a large city like Belfast. The water stops were a disgrace. Plastic cups are impossible to drink from. Deep River Rock was a main sponsor, but the water on the course came from fire hydrants. Did Deep River Rock not have water in bottles? This was a joke. Did not get or see any isotonic drink. The medal was handed to you at the finish in a wrapper and it was the worst medal Ihave ever received. They could have made the effort to have them taken out of the wrappers.... I found this very poor. We expect better from a large marathon like Belfast. | |
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Wat do you care from Ireland
(5/22/2007)
"Brilliant" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Belfast City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The run was brilliant. I have nothing bad to say about it. There were energy stops with drinks and everything.... I LOVED IT! | |
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C. B. from Belfast, Northern Ireland
(5/20/2007)
"Great Day Out" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Running as part of a relay team, I had a great day! In fact, we all did.... I think the others are very harsh in criticizing but maybe it's just cause I'm new to all this!!! Everyone was great - that doesn't just include the organizers, but the fellow runners were really nice and helpful as well! With my earphones in and head down, I was still offered much support en route than I thought! Viewers were better than I thought, and people should never underestimate that effect it has on the runners! First time running a relay but now I want to do the whole race next year... well, try it anyway! Well done to all runners, especially those in the marathon! | |
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C. B. from Ireland
(5/14/2007)
"Poorly organized" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I walked this marathon - my first one. Finished at 7 hours. The last 3 water stations had packed up. It took us through Belfast's roughest areas. There were hardly any crowds supporting you along the way. The timing clock had been packed away at the end. Expensive medal at £45! | |
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C. E. from Northern ireland
(5/13/2007)
"Sponsored By Deed River Rock... but not a drop!" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 I took part in the '07 Belfast Marathon Relay Walk, leaving from Gideon's Greenn, and doing the last 2 legs all the way to Ormeau Park. At no point in the walk did we see a water station that was still working!! Very poor, considering the sponsor!!! | |
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P. C. from Wigan, England
(5/9/2007)
"Belfast Marathon - Just done my last one" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Belfast City Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I first ran this race in 2005 (the "suspect device" year). This didn't put me off. More so, I admired the organisers reaction to the crisis i finished in 2.56. (being one of the lucky ones who missed the diversion) The following year 2006 was back to the old course I'm told and no complaints apart from walkers sharing the last few miles, I finished in 2:54 that year. This year was an opportunity for a great success and they missed out on it. Granted they needed to separate the runners and Walkers at the finish in the park why not divert the walkers? WHY oh WHY add two loops to an already decent course? The second loop at around 24 miles was a nice half mile detour up an hill through a park!! .. I was 3 minutes faster through 20 miles this year, and despite running much more strongly in the last 6 miles ended up a mere 1.5 minutes faster at the end finishing in 2.52 ... I would really like to get that last 10k measured compared to the previous year. I have been running 23 yrs and honestly would know if my slowing was so bad. That fact, Mile markers incorrectly placed (by up to 20 secs) and the results as clear as mud, no half way timing split and no intermediate chip timings .... For an International Marathon it was all very amateurish and the people who have trained long and hard really deserved better. Like I said the only fault the previous year was the walkers sharing the last 4 miles apart from that everything was great ... This year it looked liked someone who actually knew what they were doing packed up and left and the resultant race was very disappointing in its lack of attention to detail. |
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