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GO! St. Louis Marathon Runner Comments
Back to GO! St. Louis Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.9 
Organization 3.9 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 357 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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K. E. from O'Fallon, IL
(4/10/2016)
"Want to Run in MO? Find a different race." (about: 2016)
1 previous marathon
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Course: there are some hills, but nothing unreasonable. However, the width of the course waxes and wanes from three lanes to one and back with little warning. Roads have a lot of flaws/potholes. It's not terribly scenic at all, either. Crowds: Lots of enthusiasm. Organization: When you could find information, no problem. BUT. Go St Louis is terribly lacking in communication. Don't count on emails race week to give you parking/expo/bib details, because there was no email. Final race instructions? Hunt for it on the website. Even the social media presence was hit or miss. I saw a lot of FB questions go unanswered. For a race that's been running this long, this lack of attention to detail is inexcusable. Bottom line: if you want a MO race with a great course and stellar organization? Not this race. Try Mo Cowbell in the fall. | |
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R. D. from Upstate New York
(5/4/2015)
"Hills?" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 2015 was the first time I ran the GO St. Louis Marathon, so I'm not experienced in the 'Holy Hills' of past years. I had read about the 2015 course being better, and I was reasonably satisfied with the layout. The bridges and the journey into East St. Louis was a nice start, and organization and fan support was great. The race suffered from the usual loneliness of a crowded half-marathon course that splits into a sparse marathon field, but some of the earlier comments complain about the hills in the course. There are a couple of grades that in my opinion make it interesting, but it is by no means a 'hilly' course like you might encounter in Atlanta, or elsewhere. The organizers did a great job, the course was decent, and it was fun. | |
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D. G. from Hobart, IN
(4/21/2015)
"Toughest road marathon I have run" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 GO! St. Louis Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran this race for the second time this year after running it in 2010. For its 15th anniversary this year, the organizers changed the course so that we ran across the Mississippi into Illinois and then back into Missouri (on two different bridges). I find bridge crossings to be unique and fun, and these were no different. Moreover, the bridge crossings made up a race within a race, wherein the speediest runners over both bridges received separate awards. This new course still has a tremendous number of hills, but after having done it in the past, I was ready for them. Some highlights are the hills, running through the Anheuser-Busch complex and seeing one of the famous Clydesdales brought out for the runners, the bridge crossings, and the beautiful Forest Park (a very hilly section from miles 17-22). The course is well-marked, the aid stations were plentiful, and organizers had Gu gel available throughout the course. Post-race food is plentiful, and the bag check volunteers saw me walking up and had my bag to me by the time I reached the door. The only downside to the race was a bit of a bottleneck at bag check. Because of the hills, this is still the most difficult road marathon I have run, but if you crave this type of challenge, Go! St. Louis is a good choice. | |
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Dave Graves from Volga, SD
(4/17/2015)
"Top marks for GO! St. Louis" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Certainly by my standards this was a big marathon 1,322 in the full, 12,000 in the half. I was in corral F and was across the start line in about 8 minutes. Plenty of aid stations, which were well organized and the volunteers were supportive. Crossing two Missouri River bridges was neat. Running a mile (maybe) in East St. Louis was culturally interesting. Forest Park made a nice place to visit for five miles. Part of the course is out and back, so it's good to be able to encourage others on the route. Well organized on all aspects. My only complaint would be the food area. You could not re-enter, which meant grab what you wanted and then go visit your family. That took away from the social aspect after the race. Water, beer and warm cups of Gatorade were the only post-race beverages. While some cold Muscle Milk or chocolate milk would have been great, that certainly didn't ruin a good experience. Plenty of supporters throughout the race, even on the second half of the marathon, where things thinned out considerably. Downtown St. Louis is a lively place. A good place to stage an event. | |
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M. K. from Washington, DC
(4/15/2015)
"Perfect size, good course" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Wide streets mean this race provides an unusually non-claustrophobic experience for an event of its size. The course has very few sharp turns and isn't very hilly; I ran three or four minutes faster than expected. There are plenty of water and GU stops (they advertised three GU stops, but one was one an out-and-back and fueled me in both directions). There weren't many spectators, but the priest sprinkling runners with holy water at about mile 6 was fun. You see a lot of downtown, cross the Mississippi twice, visit the Budweiser brewery (of course) and spend a few miles in beautiful Forest Park. Different shirts for marathoners and half-marathoners. Expo is very efficient. One very, very minor quibble: although the water stations were plentiful and the volunteers friendly, it would be even better if there were consistent use of white cups for water and green for Gatorade. I've run 26 marathons and highly recommend this race. | |
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K. J. from Dallas, Texas
(4/13/2015)
"Great course, not flat" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a well-organized and well-supported run. It was advertised as 'flatter.' It is not a flat marathon along the lines of Chicago - I would compare it more to Boston. Lots of gradual ups and downs. No crazy hills, but many 1-2% gradients that last more than 4-6 blocks. However, it has great views of the city, you run in two states and you tour a beautiful park (Forest Park). It probably isn't your PR marathon, but worth the trip if your looking for an April race. | |
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R. W. from IL
(4/13/2015)
"Not happy" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 GO! St. Louis Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have been an avid but loyal hater of the GO STL marathon. So I was very happy to hear that the course had changed, and would not be as hilly. This was not the case if you ran the full marathon. The first half was wonderful, I enjoyed the bridges, especially the crowds waiting at the end. It was relatively flat. But the second half was just as hilly as previous years. My only question is, why do you reward a runner who has just run 20miles, with an onslaught of rolling hills for the last 6 miles? I am not one to shy away from a challenge, but this is like a slap in the face. | |
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W. W. from Palmdale, California USA
(6/15/2014)
"No Blues in Saint Louis" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:15:45. The GO! St. Louis Marathon was my twenty-ninth 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was the perfect day for a marathon: a cool 41 degrees with no wind to speak of at the dawn start. With four corrals to separate us, we started three minutes apart with half-marathoners of equal ability. The two-lane-width start chute on Market Street near the intersection of 15th Street provided for a congested beginning. Heading east gave us our initial view of the Saint Louis skyline accentuated by the Gateway Arch towering in the background. Our view of the 630-foot architectural wonder was short lived; one block later, we turned right on Tucker Boulevard and headed south. The six-lane Tucker Boulevard did not provide sufficient width to relieve the congestion, and turning left onto the four-lane Choteau Avenue just before mile 1 did not help. The problem was further exacerbated when the traffic was narrowed down to two lanes as we headed south on Broadway toward the gigantic Budweiser sign that identified the home of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. Mind you, we were able to keep pace, but it took some effort getting around some of the slower runners. Only after two miles were we able to set our own course. We were given our first test as we started up the incline provided by Victor Avenue which upon successful completion, we turned south on 12th Street. We reached the brewery at mile 3, where upon departing the source of Buds creation, we returned north toward downtown on Broadway which afforded us a second, this time profile, view of Eero Saarinens stainless steel structure. Just past mile 5, we traversed past Busch Stadium, home of the Saint Louis Cardinals baseball club. Following a succession of turns onto Market Street and Tucker Boulevard at mile 6, we turned onto Olive Street heading west, which was to commence our effort up Holy Hill. Holy Hill was the marathons two mile-race within a race, where prizes were awarded to the fastest three participants in each division. While noteworthy, the incline was not made of the same stuff as, say, Big Surs Hurricane Point. Nor was it entirely uphill: there was a downward interlude before proceeding toward the second incline, where we ran alongside Saint Louis University. At mile 9, we continued outbound from city center on Forest Park Parkway. Just before mile 10, we parted ways with the half-marathoners and continued west. Given we were outnumbered by over four to one, all of a sudden it became a solitary affair as we headed into Forest Park. Some may claim the three miles set in Forest Park to be most pleasant part of the course, and who could blame them? The winding course through the rolling grasslands and the absence of sound gave pause for relative relaxation as we meandered our way past mile markers 11 through 14. The lack of any foliage on the trees gave indication the difficult winter St. Louisans endured this year. Departing Forest Park and continuing west on Forsyth Boulevard, we passed along side Washington University on our right, at around mile 15, there was a sign noting the site of the third Olympiad held in 1904. Leaving Wash U , we entered into Claytons residential area and at mile 16, the commercial heart of the city. At mile 17, we turned north and later entered into University City, where at mile 18 we reached the westernmost extreme of the marathon route. Turning right on Delmar Boulevard, we stayed on the same street, heading east, for three miles, initially through residential areas (and rolling hills) before passing through the lion gates into the Delmar Loop, home of cafes and clubs. At mile 21, we turned right onto DeBaliviere Avenue and headed south before returning to Forest Park Parkway, this time heading back to city center. We would remain on the same road for the rest of the way, albeit under a different name, Market Street, after passing by SLU at mile 24, where we would encounter a notable incline. At Jefferson Street, with seven-tenths of a mile to go, we ascended our final peak, and it was all downhill to the finish line. Temperature at the finish line was 54 degrees, with a refreshing easterly breeze of 8 mph. ORGANIZATION: Average sized expo for a marathon of this size with a limited selection of marathon-logoed merchandise: technical tees, caps, and a coffee mug. For the most part, the event itself was well-organized. Hats off to the very well-equipped and responsive personnel at the water stops, the best I have seen in recent memory. Within the City of Saint Louis, we had the road to ourselves, but in Clayton and University City, we shared the streets with vehicular traffic while the police controlled the flow of automobiles trying to cross our path. No mishaps to report. FANS: Average for an event of this size with enthusiastic and supportive crowd. Of note was the parish priest sprinkling (more like dousing) holy water on willing participants on the right side of Olive Street just after turning from Tucker Avenue near mile 6. The number of bands on hand was sparse, I counted only three. CONCLUSION: The perfect weather and relatively easy course made this a very enjoyable race. Well done, Saint Louis. POSTSCRIPT: Race-walkers are few and far between in events such as these, and rarer still is to find one of similar ability. Gene, a national-class race-walker who participated in the half marathon, was instrumental in keeping me on pace between miles 2 and 10, which I was able to maintain for the rest of the race. While not the fastest, it was the smartest marathon race I ever participated in. My thanks to you, fellow pedestrian! | |
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J. R. from Tampa, FL
(4/21/2014)
"Great race full of Midwest charm" (about: 2014)
2 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Coming from Florida, the hills were a bit of a surprise. Everyone talks about Holy Hill and Clayton. They are nothing compared to the mile 22-26.2...all uphill to the finish. The weather was a cold 38 degrees at the start (again, I'm from Florida!) but turned out to be absolutely beautiful in the 60s. Everyone from the fellow runners, spectators, and volunteers, were so nice. My only disappointment was that the finish area seemed to cater half-marathoners. I finished in less than 5 hours at the middle of the pack, and they were already packing up the music stage. Other than that, I had a great time. | |
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Michael Mack from St. Paul, MN
(4/19/2014)
"Decent Marathon; Plenty of Room for Improvement" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Go! St. Louis is a pretty good marathon, but not great. The course is nice overall, with a challenging amount of hills. Holy Hill was probably the highlight of the race, as there was a priest sprinkling holy water as runners passed. There were some lonely stretches, but that's the case with a lot of marathons. The biggest complaint I have is that the course was too long. When I crossed the finish line, my GPS had 26.43 for the total distance. I talked to another guy who finished near me, and his GPS watch had 26.47. I think all the mile markers were slightly off because my watch hit one mile well before I reached any of the actual markers. This is a significant error that needs to be addressed. Two tenths of a mile is too big of a difference to be ignored. The last thing you want in a marathon is a course that's long. Another complaint is that the expo was subpar with hardly any freebies available. Also, Nike could vary its shirts a bit. The light blue/orange color scheme is identical to the shirts given out at the Columbus Marathon that I ran in 2012. It's practically the same shirt. And why not a long-sleeve tech tee, given that race fees have increased exponentially over the years. Finally, I don't understand why Go! St. Louis awards prize money to half marathoners only. Yes, it's become the more popular event, but why diminish the importance of the marathon? Anyway, despite these complaints I did enjoy the race. I just see some aspects that could use improvement to make it a top-notch event in the future. |
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