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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 311 to 321]
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K. M. from St. Louis, Mo
(4/5/2004)
"Super race that keeps getting better every year" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 2 GO! St. Louis Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Wonderful experience from start to finish - this race was done first-rate. I recommend participating in the St. Louis Marathon to all level of runners. The race keeps getting bigger and better every year. I can?t wait for 2005, to set a new PR. Registration- 5 stars Packet pick up- 5 stars Fitness expo- 4 stars Course- 5 stars T-Shirt and medal to all runners- 5 stars Fans- 4 stars After-race festivities- Massages, bagels, Gatorade, bananas, oranges, pretzels, and of course you?re in St. Louis: Free Anheuser-Busch products. | |
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J. G. from Lenexa, KS
(4/5/2004)
"Very much enjoyed this race" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The weather was perfect. It was 37 degrees at the start and never got above 55. I really enjoyed the course. There was plenty to look at, and the the hills were long but not too steep. The crowd support was very supportive and loud though there were some parts when you saw no one for a while. I thought the water stops were well stocked and often, but my time of 3:06 had me toward the front so I don't know how some of the mid-pack runners were effected. You do have to start avoiding the half marathon runners/walkers from mile 15-20 as you pass them but I enjoyed the distraction. There were a lot of people at the finish yelling and they said your name and city as you crossed the finish line. I would recommend this race. | |
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P. Z. from Indiana
(4/5/2004)
"More organization needed" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I would have to agree with all of the comments that BV from Atlanta made in the last comment. I was able to complete the marathon with a PR beating my best by 7 minutes. Pluses: 1.The route through Forest Park was absolutely beautiful. 2. The hills were challenging but nothing that should scare anyone away. Minuses: 1. Even though I finished the race in 3:31, I guess I should have run a little faster to get some food. They had run out of food and could only offer a bottle of water after the race. It seems as though all of the walkers and half-marathon runners cleaned them out. Very poor planning! 2. Getting through the mass of half marathon finishers and the intersecting paths of the marathon made the course and mile markers confusing to follow.\ 3. For anyone that tries to drink and run, most marathons offer fluids in paper cups. On this course they served water in plastic cups that were difficult or near impossible to drink from. Out of the 16 aid stations, less than 5 offered water in paper cups. | |
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B. V. from Atlanta, GA
(4/5/2004)
"Needs more organization" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 This was my fifth marathon -- and I was very disappointed in the overall organization. First the good: 1. Course was nice -- hills weren't too challenging and it was scenic. 2. The Omni Hotel was 2 blocks from the start/finish! A terrific hotel and a great location. 3. Closing down the streets was very welcome! 4. Small but enthusiastic crowd. Now the bad: 1. They changed the course so the loop to the Brewery was the last 5 miles instead of the first 5. By the time I got to the 3 hour mark the wind was brutal going down to the Brewery and back. 2. The half-marathoners got all the food and drink! I finished in 4:07 and there wasn't anything left!!!! Shame on the organizers. 3. The mile markers were very difficult to see -- I missed quite a few. No timers -- and only 1 person calling splits. 4. The marathoners joined the half marathon route at the 14 mile mark -- I was running into half-marathon walkers from 15-20 and having to dodge them! 5. The marathon and half-marathoners started in different places and the beginning was very disorganized. It was hard to determine if the mile markers were for the 1/2 or the full. 6. Very uninspired expo. I spent 15 minutes there. 7. The water stops were plentiful for the marathoners -- but way too small. One table at each stop????? Some folks were having to wait in line for water. 8. The volunteers need more instructions -- I only take in liquid at every 3 or 4 miles and I had volunteers blocking my way to try to hand me water at every stop! I was having to push them away from me. Although I PR'ed - I would not recommend this race. | |
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J. D. from St. Charle, MO
(4/4/2004)
"If you can, do this marathon" (about: 2004)
3 previous marathons
| 2 GO! St. Louis Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Just got done with the 2004 Spirit of St. Louis Marathon. A nice challenging course, some long hills. Organization was good. Spectators were fair in number, but very enthusiastic. It is a surprise that there were not many people around the course, since the weather was just about perfect. Basically, the course is challenging, the organization is good with a lot of written information about the course for the runners and families, and spectators were very enthusiastic. One other thing, if you do this marathon, do your hill training. | |
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T. R. from St. Louis, MO
(2/17/2004)
"Scenic and challenging course" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Obviously the weather was not ideal, but I think the spectators had it worse -- I was at least warm! The course took us through all the charming neighborhoods of St. Louis and had flat and hilly sections. This race in '03 was my first marathon, and when I line up in '04, it will be my fourth. Fortunately, the course is being altered slightly this year. Half-marathoners will break off at the (roughly) 6 mile mark (vs. 9 mile mark last year), clearing the course out a little. Also, the flat section from downtown through the brewery and Soulard will now constitute the LAST 6 miles, not the first (a welcome relief). Perhaps the organizers heeded the advice of one sign-wielding spectator in Soulard: he stood on his porch with a sign that read 'If you lived here, you'd be home by now.' Can't wait to see you all again! | |
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Mark Dingmon from Lenexa, Kansas, USA
(11/8/2003)
"My Shoes Are Still Wet!!!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Things I liked about the Spirit of Saint Louis Marathon.... 1) Challenging course 2) Running thru brewery 3) Running thru SLU's (mile 24 up hill) beautiful campus 4) Friendly people 5) Supportive volunteers 6) City landmarks along the course 7) Enthusiastic spectators 8) Convenient downtown hotel settings 9) Convenient expo (small but adequate) 10) Nice downtown restaurants 11) Cool finisher's medal (and large!!!) 12) Mile 25 downhill!!! Things I disliked.... Can't think of anything, look foward to 2004!!! Despite the rain, sleet, icicles, etc., had a great time, and recorded my 2nd fastest marathon time on this course. Thanks to all who supported and participated in this event!!! | |
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D. H. from Glen Carbon, ILL.
(7/6/2003)
"Coolest Thing I Ever Did" (about: 2000)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 OK, I know that if running a marathon is the coolest thing I ever did, then I need to get out more. It was my first one, though: quite an experience. Keep in mind these comments are from a first-timer. The expo was smaller than I thought. I signed up for the 5 hour Clif Shots pace team, a very wise move. The start was rough, the rain started about 5 minutes before we took off. The first water station was a bit overwhelmed by the time we got there, but all the rest were fine. The volunteers were the real heroes of the race. I remember seeing an older lady standing in the rain, blocking traffic as we passed. She looked miserable, but still hung in there, as did all the rest. Kudos. The course was very nice. I have lived in the area my whole life, and apparently haven't seen it all. I had heard the course was hilly and was expecting really bad ones. Really only one that got me near the end of mile 23, through St. Louis U., but was rewarded with a cool fountain at the top. The crowds were very sparse. The Team in Training people were around and cheering for everyone, bless them. One group of guys, somewhere around mile 23 I think, had a 1/4 barrel and were handing out cups of beer. (I passed). The finish was amazing, the announcer calling out my number as I rounded the final corner. Nice finishers medal. Super time... 4:57:12. Glad I chose it as my first | |
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j. s. from Memphis, Tennessee
(5/31/2003)
"Loved this marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 10th marathon and I loved it. I love running in cold weather, and even enjoyed the sleet(something to talk about when sharing war stories!). My biggest complaint was that the t-shirt was rather plain. The official marathon logo is better than the t-shirt art. When your complaint is about the t-shirt, that means your digging deep to even find a complaint. Very scenic course. Hills were not all that challenging, even for an old guy from flat western Tennessee. Hotel near start/finish was convenient on race day. Great fountain to run up to and around, late in the course, on campus. Had some great food the day before 'On the Hill'. Highly recommend this run! | |
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C. L. from Atlanta, GA
(4/27/2003)
"Truly a 'kick butt' marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 St. Louis is a beautiful city & this was a great way to tour. But I was disappointed in some aspects of it. WEBSITE: I would have appreciated an elevation chart so I could have been better prepared (mentally) for the hills. As it was, I got a literal pain in the butt from what seemed like a continuous uphill starting at mile 14. Also would have liked a verbal description of the course in addition to the map -- for people who don't do well with maps, reading where the route will go is a huge help! EXPO: somewhat disorganized (several volunteers poorly informed--had to run to 3-4 different locations to get all my questions answered). Very small. I think the expo in Green Bay was bigger. Not at all what I expected. BAGGAGE CHECK: very confusing instructions! If you are going to provide a tag, do so. I was so concerned that I just asked my family to hold on to my gear. START: On arrival, a lot of people were confused about where the start was--after all, the announcer was on the opposite block. And please start on time! SPLITS: My watch battery died that morning. 'No problem' thought I, 'I'll just count on the splits being called'. Much to my dismay, there were very few mile markers where splits were called. In fact, some of the mile markers were difficult to identify (missing or knocked/fallen/blown over). WATER STATIONS: Fine in the second half, but several in the first half were a disaster!! One card table for all the runners, with people stopping & standing 5 deep, is hardly satisfactory!! TRAFFIC CONTROL: There were occasions when the traffic travelling by the runners was a little too close for comfort. And having to stop to allow traffic to proceed through intersections is not a 'welcome rest break'. SPECTATORS: The fans who were out were terrific. I'm not sure whether it was the weather or poor publicity (my mother-in-law lives in SL & she & others expressed that they didn't even know there was a marathon being conducted until I said I was running), but there were lots of places without spectators. SPIRIT STATIONS & ENTERTAINMENT: Great! The various bands & the organized spectator were wonderful! (Although the idea of Krispy Kremes & Beer by St. Louis University was a little obnoxious in the 22nd mile!) OTHER: Thank you for the early walker start--that allowed the runners to begin without the clutter of walkers who line up near the front. Also, the finish area was great. I think, with a little work, this could become 'world class', but for right now, this was 'small town'. |
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