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Nov 15, 2024

Long Beach Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.0

Organization 3.6

Spectators 3.6

Number of comments: 242 [displaying comments 131 to 141]

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Paul Moeller from San Diego, CA (10/18/2006) "B minus. Could be better. A little too much hype." (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Pro: Frequent, well-staffed water stops, relatively flat course, easy bib/chip pickup at (small) expo, nice weather, host hotels close to start and finish. Con: Over 13 miles of the course are on concrete, finish line is not spectator-friendly. I finished in 4:13 - the finish festival band had already quit (I heard they were good - too bad 2/3 of the marathon runners missed them), mass-start (marathon and half marathon - 8000 total runners) with no chutes or pacing groups. The course is pretty decent for an urban marathon (better than when I ran it in 2000), though the website hype saying that most of the course is within view of the ocean is much overstated. There are a few bland miles in the second half, but mostly it's pleasant, though unspectacular. There are several bridges/overpasses with inclines to make things interesting and/or frustrating (a reason, perhaps, why they don't provide an elevation map of the course). On-course entertainment was OK, The performers were good (I loved the Red Muffs band), but there was less entertainment than I had expected (mostly duos strumming guitars - I think there were two full bands). I encountered scattered pockets of enthusiastic crowds, but nothing like I've experienced at other marathons such as Flying Pig (a truly world-class marathon), Rock and Roll San Diego, Los Angeles, Columbus OH, or R&R Phoenix. I would compare this, in size, to the Carlsbad Marathon - which is much better overall (and definitely has more of a festive feel). Expo is small (couldn't even find a vendor selling gel - glad I brought some with me). T-shirt (the only premium to go with a goodie-bag full of junk) is crappy, boring, useless, and 100% cotton. Finisher's medal is nice. The whole experience was OK - but not worth the $95 entry fee. Overall, it seems that the organizers strive for something greater than they are willing to invest in. Part of the beauty of marathons is that, as a runner, on race day, undertraining will ultimately catch up with you - there is no hiding from reality. The reality of the Long Beach Marathon is that there is a bit more hype than substance, and it becomes apparent on race day. It makes me wonder how many of the organizers are actually runners. If they paid more attention, and were sensitive to some of the small details, this could be a much better mid-sized, urban marathon.
M. C. from USA (10/17/2006) "Great weather and amazing ocean view!" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I did the half marathon, but both are great events for a first-timer. A few minor hills and several turns, but they handle the huge crowds well. Plenty of bathrooms at start and aid stations are well stocked and organized. The crowds are inspirational and you get first-class ocean view on half marathon course. Perfect for a weekend get-away for family with lots of post-race activities and many restaurants near by and excellent weather! My only concern was the lack of mile markers after mile 10 and having a bike tour during event.
G. H. from US (10/17/2006) "First L.B. Marathon, and my last!!!!" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I've run five L.A. Marathons, and this year my husband and I decided to run Long Beach because we heard how wonderful and fun it is to run. (Wrong!) It was one of the worst organized races we had. For starters, picking up our package was a disaster! They ran out of goodie bags! We waited for over an hour to get them, and when they finally did arrive, the organizers ran out again by the time we got to the front. (You would think they would know how many they needed since a lot of runners were pre-registered.) We ended up just leaving. As we heard from other family members who also ran with us (and were lucky enough to get their bags), they were very upset that there was nothing but a PowerBar and junk papers in them - not even a marathon map or instructions as to starting time, etc. The booths at the convention center were a joke. We were done within 10 minutes of walking around that place. They had nothing!!!! In regards to the course, yes it was very scenic, but for some miles, no one had any idea what mile we were in because they had no signs. Not enough water stations; we had to wait for about two miles before we got to one, and most of them had no cups!!!!! The porta-potties were disgusting!! None of them had paper or any type of Purell dispensers in them. The Los Angeles Marathon at least has paper in their porta-potties and hand-cleaner dispensers. Overall running this marathon was not worth my money or the experience. The scenery was not worth it. I just of just ran on my own on the beach for 2 hours. And had I known what to expect, I would not have wasted my money!!!!!!!!!!!
K. D. from Southern California (10/17/2006) "The organization on this race is POOR." (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 This was the first time I ran Long Beach, and my second half-marathon. The course was fine, the fans were fine, but the organization is strictly AMATEUR. Runners on the course were grousing about it...so it isn't just a few of us wondering, can't you get your act together? You ran out of goody bags TWICE on Saturday afternoon. We stood in line TWICE for nothing. IDEA: Count the people registered, add the same percent as registered on site last year, order that many goody bags PLUS some extras...How much does a goody bag cost, maybe 50 cents? ....Another idea: Inform people staying at nearby hotels that 99% of the streets are blocked off on race day. It took FOREVER to get from the Queen Mary Hotel to the convention center. TELL US ahead. No need for warm up on Sunday, my heart rate was up just wondering if we'd make the race--although we left the hotel at 6 AM!
Eddie Hahn from Rancho Cucamonga, CA (10/16/2006) "Nice Post-Race Concert, Cool Medal" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Pro's: o Excellent view of the famed Queen Mary ship, and water Canon Salute from the harbor o Vaseline "boards" are an innovative idea for runners prone to chafing, not seen much in other marathons o Finisher's medal clearly distinguished marathon from the half, nice multicolored palm tree design, full medal slightly larger than the half medal, and even suspended from a different colored ribbon (I wish other dual event directors of half-marathon/full marathon races would employ this concept) o "Eye of the Tiger" support fan at mile 23 - you rock! o Reggae band at finish line concert area and free beer for finishers o Free aquarium ticket o Due to the nature of the course, fans can observe marathoners 3 or 4 times, rather than just the start and finish Cons: o Frequent bottle-necking in early parts of the course due to narrow course confines and volume of runners in early stages o Overall congestion in the first half due to the half marathon field being at lease five times larger o The concrete sidewalk along the oceanfront made for a very unforgiving running surface o Second half of the race is through rural residential areas and passes a factory, and is not particularly scenic o Post-race refreshments somewhat unimpressive Thanks for listening to the crowd from previous years. I loved the bottled glacier water by the way!!!
Robin Mayne from Long Beach, California, USA (10/16/2006) "True Beach Running" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I just ran in the Long Beach Marathon yesterday (10-15-06). I actually only ran the half marathon, but was so impressed by how well organized, and what a beautiful race it was I felt compelled to share my experience. I was about to post my comments but first read though some of the past comments. The comments I read were regarding last years (2005) race which was an unseasonably hot year, and from 2004. I cannot comment on the race in 2005 as I did not run it, but this was my second half at Long Beach and my first was 2004. If you are looking for a mostly flat race for fast times, and a course with beautiful scenery and fantastic running weather, Long Beach is the race you are looking for. If you are looking for a beach run, the course is mostly a beach run and 80% of the entire race...half or full...is on or within sight of the ocean. For those looking for different terrain too, there is a section where you can actually run on the sand right near the ocean. The sand was hard packed too, but not sure if that was because it had rained just enough the day before to wet and pack the sand maybe more than normal. You can run on the sand for a solid 3+ miles. The rest of the course is a mixture of mostly asphalt and concrete, but you can find some dirt and grass if you want to mix it up. For those looking to qualify or to try for their PR, the dirt, grass and sand is not their choice. I race for the competition but not to win, so I enjoyed the availability of a mixed terrain. Running along the beach has its perks with the weather too. It was about 65 degrees the entire run with not too much wind, great clean salt air, and a view to die for. :-) Normally the weather in Long Beach in October is in the mid 60s, so last year (2005) when it was so hot was an anomaly. If you check the weather reports beforehand as part of your preparation the weather in Long Beach should never be an issue. It is typically very mild. I happen to be a Long Beach resident, and running on the course made me proud to live in Long Beach. The course showed off our beautiful and varied city. Other visuals and attractions along the Long Beach course are that you run by the Queen Mary, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the downtown 'Pike' area of rainbow harbor, Long Beach State...it is a very beautiful run. As I only ran the half though I cannot comment on whether or not the later stages were boring or not. I do know that for the half marathon the course was never boring and with great scenery the entire time. Boston, LA, and NY are considered the 'big races' and get the most attention. I believe that the Long Beach Marathon is underrated as it is a qualifying event, but Long Beach is next door to LA which gets all of the focus. Long Beach has better weather, better views and scenery, is VERY fast, and it is on the beach. How great is that? This was my second half marathon, so at times it can be intimidating for a novice runner like me to think about participating in a big race. There were 15,000 people participating in all of the different events. Fortunately the race was very well organized with lots of volunteers to help out every mile, and a great expo the day before with lots of helpful information, free goodies, stuff to buy cheap, and maps of where to park and info about the course. Being so well organized helped make novice runners like me feel more comfortable. I never felt alone on the course, and always felt like I could get help if I needed it. There was LOTS of water at every station which I took full advantage of. I have run in smaller 10ks before where they did not have enough water stations, and/or the water would be gone. No problem at the Long Beach Marathon. As far as past remarks about the water being from a hose, or warm, if that was the case last year it was an exception. This year every mile had bottled water provided by sponsor Icelandic Glacial and they kept us hydrated with great chilled water. Lots and lots of water at every mile. The sports drink was sponsored by EAS this year, and I did not experience any cramping like was reported by last years participants with the other drink and it seemed like this drink was better received than last years drink. This year they did have GU energy gel at the 10 and 20 mile markers too. It appears the organizers listened to past criticism and did indeed listen to complaints and issues that were brought to their attention. There were live bands and musicians along the entire course too which really helped keep all of our spirits up, and I felt the bands that were playing had a good mix of different music for us too. It sure was nice to have some fun music help keep us going! As far as the traffic, one previous posting shared that it is all part of the preparation. You research to get ready to run, you should research to find the best route to get downtown and where to park before the race. This is a urban race. There were not a lot of police directing traffic until you got close to the course. I felt it was sufficient. Plan ahead! All in all, great fast race, great course with fantastic views, well organized, well manned. I will do this race again.
K. C. from Glendora, CA (10/16/2006) "Could Be Much Better" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Let's start with the expo on Saturday. My sister and I arrived at 3:00 p.m. Saturday and were able to get our bibs and timing chips quite easily; however, we were then directed to an area to pick up our goody bags only to be informed that there were no more bags and that we would have to wait 10 minutes for more to arrive. No big deal except 10 minutes actually turned into an hour! I enjoyed hearing the national anthem at the start of the race, and there were plenty of clean porta-potties. The event started out well, and as a first-time marathoner, I was on course to finish in under six hours until my left knee gave out at mile 10. However, I decided to continue with the full marathon because I had trained for five months and did not want to quit. As I hobbled along the course, the spectators cheered me on and were great. On the other hand, the police were quite rude when they started directing the "slower"/injured runners to the sidewalk, so they could reopen the streets much earlier than they were supposed to. In fact, participants were supposed to be given seven and a half hours to complete the event, and by the time I was able to get to the finish line, I was at seven hours and fifteen. Surprise! The race crew had torn everything down including the finishing clock, and there was no one there to take pictures of the last runners. I strongly believe that every runner should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of when they finish. Alas, that was not to be the case. In fact, when I reached out to get my medal, a little kid turned to another adult and said that they had run out. The adult then said, "Well, just get her name, and we will mail it to her." At that point, I had had it. I created a stink and got my medal. I doubt I will run this again as I have heard there are much better.
Richard Daymont from Northfield, MN (10/16/2006) "Only good things to say about Long Beach!" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Excellent marathon from the expo to the post-race party! I'm glad I ran Long Beach. Expo had everything you need, although I would have liked to have been able to buy a pin or a patch. Plenty of porta-potties at the start area, and it was great to have water at every mile. EAS drink tasted fine. Course had a lot of concrete in first half, but it got easier when we got to the paved roads later on. I was concerned going in that it would be totally flat and was happy to have the gradual hills over bridges and roads to give my legs a change.
B. S. from Los Angeles, CA (10/16/2006) "Worst organized race I've ever run" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I've run four marathons and many half marathons and 5K's. This was the worst organized race I've ever run. I paid over $100 to enter (after the extra Active.com fees, etc). Their website had very little about the race (i.e. a lot of links that said "coming soon" and never actually resulted in anything, no elevation charts, etc.). The expo ran out of goodie bags well before the end. They serve EAS sports drink on the course, which nobody ever trains with (and tastes terrible by the way). The course closures were often not really "closures," as many runners got in the way running the opposite direction on a narrow beach path, and at one point I almost got hit by a car that pulled out right in front of me. Finally, the post-race "party" consisted of a couple of people on the stage giving a sermon - not quite my idea of a post-race celebration. With all that said, there are a lot of nice people that run, which makes it enjoyable, and the field is small and the course relatively flat and scenic (although much of the course is on a hard, concrete beach path). Spectators, while fairly spread out, give out a lot of stuff like fruit and seem to have a lot of fun - there were actually several giving out beer and blasting their stereos, which kept it interesting. For me, the fairly flat course doesn't make up for the poor organization. I won't be running this one again in the future. I'll be spending my entry fees on better organized events.
J. P. from Huntington Beach, CA (10/16/2006) "Great race and perfect weather" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I really enjoyed this race. The course transverses a large part of Long Beach and is very scenic. The overcast skies and mid 60's temperature were ideal. The bottled water was a big improvement this year! Thanks to the sexy coeds who paced me through the last couple of miles. Maybe it's just me but everyone kept saying the last miles were downhill but it seemed like a never-ending upslope until the last 200 meters. I'll be back next year for a 26.2-mile victory lap.

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