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Harrisburg Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Harrisburg Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 3.7
Number of comments: 180 [displaying comments 101 to 111]
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Dave Keating from New Britain, CT
(12/5/2007)
"Terrific marathon experience" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a very good, very well-run marathon. You'd have to be a real curmudgeon to find significant fault with Harrisburg. I went in with a sense of trepidation. I had tried to register for Philly, only to be turned down, and I did not know what to expect. My apprehension was quickly dispelled. From the expo (very efficient) to the pasta supper (nice sense of camaraderie and decent grog) to the hotel (comfortable and quiet), the 18 hours prior to the race got me in the mood. Race morning, a shuttle service took us from the hotel to the start (the shuttle was also available at the end of the race - thank you!). The start of the race was a bit crowded. Runners are advised to get to the front, if they hope to run a competitive time There were ample water stops, marked miles, good surfaces, excellent traffic control and course directions. The course itself was well designed. A fun variety of hills and flats, sidewalks, bike paths, and roads - city, residential, and light industrial. And the finish, with hot chocolate, was awfully pleasant. There is one final thing I especially loved about Harrisburg. The hotel is literally a 7 minute-walk from the Amtrak train station. Years of marathoning have taught me that trains are the best form of transport to and from the race. At Harrisburg, I was able to relax and read, both going to the marathon, and returning back. The race director should consider emphasizing this feature in promotional material. In sum, the Harrisburg Marathon is a little gem. | |
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deann prater from oregon
(11/17/2007)
"Beautiful, varied course. Well-marked." (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I grew up in the Harrisburg Area. I flew out from Oregon to run in the Harrisburg Marathon. It was a great variety of settings from along the riverfront, to graveled trails, and through woodsy trails. It was extremely well organized and runner-friendly. It was a great roll down memory lane for me, visiting so many places I ran and biked as a teenager. | |
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J. K. from Northeast PA
(11/17/2007)
"A great small marathon" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've done several marathons before and seen examples of great organization and very poor organization, and this one ranks up there near the top. I wasn't sure what to expect from the course description since I've never done a looping course like this, but I was very surprised that I liked it as much as I did. There was one kind of lonely area heading up the hill to the HACC, but that was about the worst of it. And the trail section in the Wildwood Lake park was unexpected, but a nice change up from the rest of the course. Overall crowd support was better than I expected and certainly helped at the end when everything is falling apart on you. The expo was small, but nice because you can get in and get out. Same with the pasta party. Even race morning was excellent with shuttle service and plenty of free parking and helpful volunteers both at the start and throughout the race (i never had the feeling I would get lost since I generally stay solo). I've already told my runner friends about this one, its a hidden gem in my mind, great for running a PR (which I also set this day as well). | |
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Tim Draho from All over
(11/17/2007)
"Pretty good race" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Good race, which is to say it was what it advertised to be. My two issues/suggestions to make the race better...Harrisburg 'city' should be featured more in the course. In city races, I always find it fun at least for a little bit to run down streets/between tall buildings that are typically hustle/bustle type areas during the weekbusinesses/gov buildings/capitol building especially! Along second street bars? Secondly, and this is very small, the race may want to go in a different direction for race photos. I hope no one out there runs races solely for a good photo, and I'm no photography expert, but I thought their choice of location for taking pictures was pretty bad. At a water station where the runners are stopping to grab water? Also, I don't think they considered sunlight or background in deciding where they set up. Probably the worst photography in my 13 marathons. Again, small concern, but I'd suggest perhaps looking elsewhere. | |
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M. K. from New jersey
(11/16/2007)
"Potential Five-Star Marathon" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Starting with the host hotel, my experience at the Harrisburg Marathon was a mixed bag. The promised self-park garage across the street was closed on Saturday, leaving only valet parking. The hotel itself seemed to have little to no recognition that a marathon was taking place. The expo was small, but staffed with friendly, helpful race officials. The pasta dinner was a nice opportunity to connect with fellow runners, but was no bargain at all for $15 (pasta, salad, cake, and water). Echoing previous comments, I found some problems with the course route - particularly the initial backtracking loop. The subsequent, numerous course turns and changes in directions also got tiresome. The race volunteers were out there (thank you) and I never got lost, but did get confused. Some mile markers were easy to miss. For me, the worst parts of the course were running on the uneven, cracked concrete path along the river and the late-stage park hills. The final 1.2 miles were marred by pedestrian and stroller traffic across a bridge that provided a choice of running on grates or concrete. The last part of any marathon course definitely needs to be tightly controlled to protect the runners. On the course, the volunteers were great and about the only presence. Local Harrisburg support was almost completely missing in action. At the finish, the heated area made me wish someone would have turned on the heaters at 7:30 in the morning, when they were really needed. All in all, I do feel with increased local involvement, some improvements in the course route, and attention to organizational details, this could really become an excellent marathon. I would suggest taking some clues from the Steamtown Marathon organizers, who start by maintaining a personal relationship with registered runners and continue that warm feeling all through race day. I do appreciate all the efforts by the Harrisburg Running Club members, and offer these comments in a constructive spirit with my thanks. | |
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Marcus Grimm from Lancaster, PA
(11/15/2007)
"Great choice for first marathon." (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon. I chose it because it's very small (700 runners), so there are zero logistical - where do I park, where is my family? - issues. Because it's small, there are some lonely miles - some people don't like this. I don't mind. Course is basically easy, except for a couple rolling miles @ 18 and 19. Without these miles, I suspect it'd be a good PR course. The small town and small field make it ideal for a low-stress option, in my opinion. | |
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J.R. and Peggy Ankney from Crozet, Va
(11/13/2007)
"Good Course, Great Organization" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Having run a marathon the day before, AND a 54-mile trail run the week before, I wasn't expecting much. However I was pleasantly surprised by a number of things in the positive column, and have some constructive criticism in the other column. The Good: 1. The volunteers were absolutely top-notch! They were cheerful, helpful, and very supportive throughout the race. 2. The course was good - not great. Mostly flat, and, as others have mentioned, a rolling section from 17-19 or so. 3. The technical wind jacket was really superb! Combined with the very low entrance fee, this was a great race to do for the schwag! 4. Nice finish line area-heated with coffee, donuts, bagels, massages, bottled water, etc. Volunteers were there to help with chip removal. 5. Yay for whoever arranged for ultra-late checkout from the race hotel! It was nice to come back after the race and take a shower. Areas for improvement: 1. Course marshaling could have been better for the back-of-the-packers. I was running my second marathon in two days, and was surprised at how little help some of the course marshals gave us in keeping us on course. 2. The section from 12-17 was especially unattractive. Running on industrial road with large semis was absolutely no fun, and then we turned into a really long section in a parking lot? There must be better sections of Harrisburg! The short, hilly section in the nature center with the rolling hills was very nice. I would really rethink the section from 12-17. 3. The "expo" was a fairly small event, but was easy to grab your bag and get out if that's what you wanted to do. Really a non-event. | |
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George Rehmet from Daly City, CA
(11/13/2007)
"Great small-city marathon." (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I really enjoy running along the river. For a small city, the crowd support was great. Aid stations were great in meeting my needs. I was in Baltimore for a conference and it was great just to come in the morning to get my bib and chip instead of arriving the day before. The price is such a bargain for a marathon. Hats off to the Harriburg Running Club for a great job. | |
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Tim Schneider from Allentown, PA
(11/13/2007)
"Easy course to follow" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a small marathon. Running a 3:34, there was someone providing me directions at every turn, despite what was written about this race in the past. And, I tend to keep separation from other runners. The course is a 4-star versus a 5 only because you share the road with cars in a few spots - the cars were always going slow and I felt safe. The course provides a lot of variety (bridges, river run, island park, trails, neighborhoods, industrial parks and city) and has many spots where you can pick up the pace and get in a rhythm. The short, but steep, hills through the nature trail about miles 18 and 19 are difficult for about a mile of up and down, and many runners slowed down through there. I slowed down about 1 minute yet passed many runners through there. However, you can then fly from there to the finish, provided you pace properly from the beginning and run within yourself through the nature trail. The org. was a 4-star versus 5-star only because I missed about 3 mile markers. The organizers will fix this, based on how they keep improving everything. The refreshments were overwhelmingly excellent (chicken broth, water, energy drinks, energy bars, donuts, candy, bagels, peanut butter, bananas, etc.). The baggage check was simple and quick - no line 30 minutes before the race. The portable potties were plentiful before the start. The spectators were minimal, but I like that, and great in key spots... but I cannot give them a high mark (reserved for large crowds at Boston and NYC). | |
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L. M. from NJ
(11/13/2007)
"Great All-Around Experience" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was a fantastic event. The host hotel was wonderful, reasonable and close. There was an abundance of free parking at the start. The weather was perfect. I did not mind the industrial out-and-back area that others counted as a negative. I found plenty of spectators along there and it was great to see the leaders pass by. I was feeling great at 17 and became humbled by the winding hills of the park. I highly recommend this marathon! |
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