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Crater Lake Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Crater Lake Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.6 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 2.6
Number of comments: 51 [displaying comments 31 to 41]
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W. G. from Silver Spring, MD
(8/16/2006)
"Incredible Scenery" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 If you are going to do this race, please read the comments of other racers. They are very helpful. Notably: 1. It is cold at the start 2. No Gu along the race, and the Gatorade is watered down. Bring some Gu. 3. It is rarely flat. Six miles uphill followed by sox miles downhill. Combined with the altitude, expect to walk a good bit and add 45 minutes or so to your normal time. 4. The camber of the road can be tough on the feet. 5. Zero spectators. 6. Top-notch mind-blowing scenery. In general, this shouldn't be your first marathon, but it is well worth the trip. Food and lodging are limited around the park. I would recommend eating at the new Annie Creek Restaurant near the south entrance and village. They have an all-you-can-eat pasta buffet. Also, we stayed at Wilson's Cottages, a mere 15 minutes from the village, and there were still rooms available. I would recommend checking it out. | |
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T. D. from Vancouver, Washington
(8/14/2006)
"Beautiful - and tough" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Crater Lake Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I ran this marathon again after 13 years. I had forgotten how tough the hills were. Probably a good thing. Its a very beautiful course, breathtaking. The aid stations are plentiful and everyone is very friendly. I would expect this marathon to take most people about 40 minutes more than they are used to. I ran with a GPS this year, the cones were off a little at times, but at 6.7, 13.0 and 26.2 that part is perfect. Mile 12 cone was at mile 12.3 but 13.0 came up at the right place, so you get to feel fast for mile 13. The cone for mile 24 had been moved up the hill a bit, so the uphill mile seemed to go on forever, but mile 25 came up quicker so it ended up okay. I would recommend this run for anyone who enjoys marathons and wants a view that can't be beat. When you get your medal from this event, it means more because after 26.2 miles of Crater Lake, you've definitely earned it. | |
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r. h. from bend, oregon
(8/13/2006)
"Wow. Beautiful... deadly... challenging... spiritu" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran the 2006 Crater Lake Marathon yesterday... what a gorgeous route... incredible scenery... but so challenging... miles 10-14 are straight up forever!!! There is a 1,000-foot gain over winding roads... then 14-22 are straight down!!!! But then come the killer miles - 22-24 are straight up a dirt road. I almost gave up with about a tenth of a mile to go on the incline, and then I saw the top and the aid station. The last two miles are all downhill - so tough. Only the tough do the marathon. You will hate it, love it; hurt from total pain and exhaustion; and revel in the victory of finishing. Add 40 minutes to your best marathon - loved it (especially when I finished)... go for it. They have great volunteers, aid stations every two miles with Gatorade and water (every mile the last 6), no spectators (none), the course is closed to the public and virtually impossible to watch anywhere except the finish, but no spectators are needed for this gorgeous battle. There are only pop and watermelon at the finish line. This race is spiritually and physically humbling and exhilarating.... | |
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Evan Riggs from Seattle, Washington
(8/13/2006)
"Wow" (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my third marathon, and my goodness was it difficult. After a short incline over the course of the first mile, it is mostly downhill until about mile 8.5, where you begin a brutal 1,200-foot climb over the course of 6 miles. This is by far the toughest part of any race I have ever done. However, the good news is that most of the second half is run at a steep decline, although this can sure do a number on your quads. Miles 22.5-24.5 are extremely challenging as well, as you climb 470 ft. on dirt. This race was about as difficult as a marathon could possibly be, yet it was a wonderful race. Although you are required to stay at least an hour away in Klamath Falls, it is definitely worth the drive. I came down from Seattle the day before and was pretty sick of driving by the time we got there, but the race sure made up for it. All of the volunteers were extremely helpful, happy, encouraging, and excited to be out there helping the runners. It was as if they kind of felt what we were going through, and tried to do everything they could to make it easier for us. At the final turn-around point at mile 24.5, one of the volunteers making sure we completed the turn-around gave me his water bottle because I looked tired. It was incredible! It was exactly what I needed! The park rangers did allow cars on the course for short intervals during the race, which was fine, because the cars did an excellent job of staying out of the way, driving slowly, and stopping if need be. It was a chilly start, about 44 degrees, which can be somewhat of a shock to your system in August when you aren't expecting it. However, it warmed up and was nearly perfect during the course of the race, about 55 degrees or so. My only two complaints are that the post-race spread was nothing to jump up and down about (which isn't a big deal to me since I can't eat for a few hours after a race anyway, but to some runners this is a very important part of deciding whether or not to do a race) and the t-shirts were cotton.... Oh well, this was a great race and I would recommend it to anybody looking for a challenge, as well as some great scenery. | |
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Brent Fitzgerald from Southern Illinois
(8/27/2005)
"Unforgettable" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Being my first marathon at Crater Lake, I thought it unusual that there were so many repeat runners there. I understood why by the end of the race. Only the bravest and toughest go there. The sense of accomplishment was so rewarding. I counted myself fortunate to be numbered with such elite athletes. Some were the kind you read about in magazines. Others were just every-day people. What an honor. I wish to do it again. I expected huge challenge from the altitude; it effected me but little. I felt that the thin air was as much an asset as a challenge. I noticed that there was less air resistance. It makes a difference over 26 miles. I trained on much smaller hills for the two months previous, and it greatly helped. The sponsors and volunteers were the real heroes. Aid stations were excellent. The registration price was amazingly cheap. God bless you all. I would recommend any seasoned runner to treat his or her self and try this one. Brent Fitzgerald From the low flat lands | |
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Philip Lawrence from New Orleans, LA
(8/27/2005)
"Inspirational Run!" (about: 2005)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This was my 70th marathon and my most difficult so far. It's not a good marathon for first-timers; I recommend having a few marathons under your belt before you tackle this one. It's at altitude and has long vertical inclines. I was running up Greyback Ridge (miles 22-24) and was passed by several walkers, which was a humbling experience. I had to pinch myself to make sure I was really there at the start line at the Watchman; it really was that inspiring. And the scenery throughout Crater Lake National Park was simply breathtaking. This was a fantastic race and I would consider running it again. | |
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M. T. from Castro Valley, CA
(8/23/2005)
"gorgeous" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This really is way gorgeous, as well a great excuse to see one of our great national parks. I run lots of trail ultras, so thought the hills would be nothing, but combined with the altitude, this was one very tough race (I was 40 minutes over my PR). Even walking up most of the final hill, my head felt like it would explode from the pounding. My wife had a great time waiting with our baby near the finish line hanging out with a very friendly and fun spectator crowd and staff. | |
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L. M. from Arbroath, Scotland
(8/23/2005)
"A very challenging run but very beautiful!" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 What a great place to run a marathon! We always pick our holidays based on where we can run a Marathon & this was one of the best. I personally prefer running these quieter routes, not being deafened by big crowds - the enthusiasm of the helpers is enough encouragement. I hadn't properly prepared for the altitude - don't know how I could living at sea-level but this did not detract from a great day! | |
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raging stallion from Seattle
(8/19/2005)
"Great run!" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Quiet, peaceful; I run alone for nearly the entire course after the pack thins out. The inclines at the beginning go by fast, the declining side is a coast. Miles 22-24 can go away and then it's over before ya know it. No spectators and that's a big plus. Be sure to leave the middle of the road and look over the edge of the crater rim when the lake comes into view! | |
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Gavin Kentch from Portland, Ore.
(8/18/2005)
"yes, as pretty as advertised" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Crater Lake Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The run truly is as pretty as everyone else has noted; the lake is certainly gorgeous, and the chance to run much of the way around it, on a road closed to all other traffic, is an appealing one. I won't try to further praise the lake, then, but will note a few logistical matters that I wish I'd known -- they're not as exciting as the scenery, of course, but perhaps someone else will appreciate these quotidian things. So: - The road does not literally circle the rim of the lake the entire way around. Rather, it goes inland for large stretches -- not much more than a quarter or half mile from the lake, but enough so that you can't see the lake for large periods of time. This hardly makes the course ugly, and it makes the returns to where you can see the lake that much more dramatic, but it does mean that you're not running right alongside the lake (with the lake in view) the entire way. On the other hand, this also means that there is more tree cover on the first 3/4 of the course than I had anticipated. Hailing from Alaska, as I do, I had feared the heat more than anything else, so was pleased to realize that much of the run was in the shade, and that we soon gained shelter from the nasty wind at the start. - The incline at mile 22-24 is not just a relatively steep uphill at the end of the race... rather, it is a steep incline at the end of the race run on a relatively sandy surface, with little protection from the sun. It's not too soft, so you're hardly sliding backwards as you run -- but it is a fairly trying ending to the race. And it's definitely sand, rather than the gravel back road that you might expect from the map. - The rim road, which you cover in a clockwise direction for miles 0-19, has a fairly significant camber to the right. You might take extra precautions in band-aiding or otherwise preparing your left big toe, on the inside; I got a massive blister there, which is out of character for me given my running style, and which I attribute almost completely to the camber. By the same token, you may well find yourself running in the middle of the road, or even on the outside of the curves, just because the camber is so much less dramatic here than on the inside of each curve. - The course finishes 1000' lower than it starts, and drops ca. 3500', total, against an overall gain of only about 2000'. Whether this makes it an easy run may be a matter of debate; what it certainly means is that you should practice your downhill running as well as your uphill. Miles 15-22 are literally one long downhill, after all; if you're prepared to run down for such a long time, you can give yourself a break after the ascents of the first half, and likely pick up some time, too. - They meant it when they said there's no food on the course. The aid stations were great and copious, and everyone was glad to let me take one cup for me, then three more to fill up my water bottle. So there are absolutely no complaints there... but if you're hoping for solid food nearer the end, or anything other than water and Ultima, you're on your own. - Some first-half mile markers were off this year; by mile 10, the marker came at mile 10.18, according to my GPS watch. So if you've run the race before you'll probably notice the discrepancies from years prior, but if you're doing it for the first time and are trying to pace yourself, you might take your calculations with a grain of salt. All that aside, it's a truly lovely run, and a great chance to cover the rim road with no one else out there save a few other runners. I highly recommend it, while hoping that these logistical comments prove useful to someone else. |
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