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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 141 to 151]
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K. S. from Landisville, PA
(11/14/2005)
"Another Fantastic Job HARRC" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Harrisburg Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Let me just say that the Harrisburg Area Road Runners Club should be extremely proud. This year's version of the race was wonderful. The course is scenic and relatively flat, and the support on the course (volunteers, police, fire police, etc.) is terrific. There are a few areas where cars were driving along side of runners without any barriers, but the drivers were respectful and courteous to the runners so this wasn't a problem. The weather cooperated fabulously, and with the Fall foliage still ablaze, I found myself running among a beautiful mixture of urban, suburban, and natural areas. The organization at this marathon is top-notch. The race started right on time (actually about a minute or so early, which is fantastic), and the course is well-marked and staffed with plenty of people to assist you and point you in the right direction. The only negative thing that I can say about the race (and this is no reflection at all on the organizers) is that spectators were few and far between in many areas. Some of the miles got pretty lonely, although I had my iPod so I was golden. I will say that the folks that did turn out were great and very encouraging, and I rated the spectators at three stars as opposed to two solely due to the enthusiasm of those who were nice enough to support us. The HARRC has been putting this race together for 33 years, and as the city of Harrisburg is looking to revitalize itself, they should be using the marathon as a beacon to rally around. It is so well put together, and the city really needs to make much more of an effort to get behind the race, and use it as good PR for the city. Once again marvelous job by all involved. By the way, I crushed my PR by over 15 minutes. Thank you Harrisburg! | |
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J. M. from Connecticut
(11/14/2005)
"Won't be small for long" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 If you're looking for a solid race in mid-November, I highly recommend this one. PROS: -Fast course with enough short, rolling hills to keep it interesting. Definitely a PR/BQ course - I pr'd by almost 10 minutes (3:32). -Course is very accessible to spectators. The race also provided a detailed narrative on the best places to watch from. -Varied running locations. Running along the river and across the bridges was excellent. The two running trails (at miles 4 and 17) provided a nice break. -The hills in the second trail were not bad - steeper than I thought they would be but, extremely short in duration (and always followed by a downhill or flat section). -The replenisher they supplied was excellent - I drank it from mile 10 on. I also consumed 3 of the Gu's they provided from miles 12 or so, on. My energy level has never been better. -Weather was ideal, 48 at the start, 58 at the finish, very light wind, no humidity. Best I've had in 21 marathons. -Baggage check was simple and efficient -Small, yet enthusiastic crowds mainly around the bridges, the island and the relay exchanges. -Inexpensive race - $45. Coolmax Shirt and medal were decent. -Host hotel was very convenient to the start, plus allowed for a 3pm checkout (race started at 8am). -Very well organized - course marked off very well with clearly visible mile markers. No chance to get lost. CONS: -Expo was small, but, this is common at small marathons. -Out-and-back portion at mile 16. This was a 1/4 mile out, a turn-around at a cone and a 1/4 mile back. It was good in that you could see other runners; but, I would think they'd be able to add 1/2 mile elsewhere on the course (maybe extending the run along the river??). -Running through the industrial park - although it was extremely flat. Overall it wasn't a big deal, keep this get rid of the 1/2 mile out and back. -Quite a few sharp turns - again not a huge deal. -No chip timing. This race is getting big enough where chip timing should be utilized. Overall, it's an top tier course as far as speed and beauty. If you have a mid-November opening in your marathon calendar don't think twice about entering this one - definitely do it! | |
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B. J. from Coatesville,PA
(11/14/2005)
"Excellent First-Time Marathon" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I loved this race! It was my first marathon. The course was set up very nicely and the volunteers are terrific! Very friendly and helpful. Spectators were very encouraging and now I am reminded how much fun a race can be!!! | |
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Larry Zalewski from Pittsburgh, PA
(11/14/2005)
"Very Well-Organized Small-Town Marathon." (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race had 700 runners.... Just a nice enough size that you're not elbow-to-elbow. Course is very varied.... Trails, roads, rivers, historic buildings. I'm surprised Governor Rendell wasn't out there making the most of a photo-op. Though, he isn't exactly an example of fitness, what with a local fattening messy burger on a soft pretzel named in his honor. My only complaint was the starting gun, or the lack of it. I was 3 rows from the starting line and heard nobody say 'runners... go!', if you can believe that. Also, no electrolytes until mile 7 or 8.... They really should have been at every water stop. The infamous hills at mile 18/19 through Wildwood Park were actually a good change of pace, and a good time to use some different leg muscles. There was also an official giving inaccurate times at mile 10 and 20 (way too fast!!!), but this will teach me to start wearing a watch again. To the good stuff: the Cytomax drink instead of Gatorade (or even worse, Allsport) was a superb added bonus. This drink is superior to anything I've ever used. Thank you. All in all, a spectacularly organized small race which, again, makes me wonder why the idiots in Pittsburgh - my hometown - can't get their heads together and bring back their marathon. I highly recommend running Harrisburg. | |
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S. A. from Brighton, MA
(11/14/2005)
"Beautifully Diverse" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My first 3 marathons have been big (20,000+) so I was wary of a smaller marathon such as this one. The expo was small, but the people there were great, and very helpful. The pasta dinner was a lot of fun. The course was great, it starts at the steps of the capital building, runs through wooded, cinder trails over a RR track, along and over the Susquehanna for many miles, through a nature preserve and ends over a footbridge in a park. In one word, gorgeous. For much of the course it is quiet with few spectators, but the ones that are out there were fantastic and we as runners can't thank them enough for their support. There was plenty of water along the course, ALTHOUGH, during the last few miles, especially miles 21-25 there could have been another water stop - I was dying! All of the volunteers who really make this marathon happen were wonderful. This marathon does have its share of hills, especially the wild rolling ones in the Wildwood preserve, but all in all I was very, very happy with the course, the spectators and the organizers for putting this marathon together. They have truly made me appreciate smaller marathons and it will be hard to go back to a big one after this. It didn't hurt that I beat my PR by 14 minutes, but I owe that to a woman who volunteered to be a pacer for 4 hours. Having pacers is a great idea and something maybe the race could look into in the future, as well as chip timing, but as it is, I would highly recommend this marathon to anyone who is tired of being one of 30,000, having to push through a crowd and unable to find their own pace and appreciates beautiful scenery and really nice people. | |
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G. L. from State College, PA
(11/13/2005)
"Great small marathon" (about: 2005)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon -- convenient, only 90 miles from home. 2005 had good weather: start in low-40s, finish in mid-50s, and wind along river did not develop as threatened. I prefer overcast to sun, but it was mostly sunny, a beautiful day. There were something like 500 runners and 120 relay runners preregistered -- a relatively small race, but perhaps the largest ever here. One advantage of this size is that there's no long delay in reaching the starting line after the gun. And there are still enough runners so that you always have others in sight, usually many. The organization was terrific. The HARRC did a fantastic job, from registration to post-race. Water stations were numerous and well-staffed. Everyone was friendly and helpful. The music and cheers at mile 10/22 provided a nice lift. The course is nothing, if not varied. Starts downtown, circles the state capitol building, heads south for an out-and-back (details of routes differ, some on greenbelt paths), then west out to the island and back, north for an out-and-back (along the river, then through residential, industrial, HCC, and Wildwood Park areas), ending on the island. The course is mostly flat, with some hills in Wildwood Park. The many turns might slow the fastest runners a little, but it might be a good course for the rest of us to get PRs. I especially enjoyed the very pretty bits along the river and in the parks. The spectators seemed to be associated mainly with the race (HARRC volunteers) or friends/family of runners. They were scattered along the course, with concentrations in the central downtown/island area. If you need large, cheering throngs to run well, this isn't the race for you. The spectators who were there were great. Two thumbs up on this one. An excellent first-race experience. | |
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A. S. from Pennsylvania
(6/8/2005)
"My Hometown Marathon" (about: 2002)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Harrisburg Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is a nice, small November marathon. I live in the Harrisburg area, so it's a logical choice for me. I've run it two times - 2000 and 2002. Everything went well in 2000. In 2002 it was warmer than normal and the second water stop was dry(?) when I got there (middle of the pack). I never caught up on my hydration and I was dizzy and walking for most of the final 8 miles. A good race to have a family member or other support person at a couple of spots along the course, as it can get a bit lonely. Overall, the organizers of this race should be commended for keeping it going for so many years. | |
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Tom Leitz from Bethlehem, PA
(12/6/2004)
"I will be back" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The course was great and the few spectators that showed up were great. I have no complaints whatsoever. Make sure you do sufficient hill training for this race. The course is flat, but if you are not ready for the hills, the section from 17-19 will humble you. | |
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J. K. from York, PA
(11/18/2004)
"Small, but a quality event." (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and the experience was fantastic! The course is scenic and, although relatively flat, is deceptively challenging (especially the path around Wild Wood Lake). This was one of the best organized races I've seen. My family appreciated the detailed directions provided for spectators to watch the race at various points. The course was well marked, safe, and staffed with plenty of volunteers handing out drinks and gel along the way. The spectators were a little sparse at times, but were very enthusiastic. My favorite part of the course was the street in front of the high school where inspirational messages to the runners were written on the road in colored chalk. The rush of crossing the foot bridge onto City Island and heading into the finish line with all the spectators cheering was awesome! Don't change anything about this race. You really have a gem here! | |
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J. S. from Cedar Hill, Texas (Dallas) USA
(11/18/2004)
"Stunningly beautiful race." (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 SUMMARY: This is a great race with superb organization and care for the runners. It is what the sport is all about and you want to put it on your short list of races to run. I give long reviews so I can include significant aspects that may be of interest... otherwise why are you reading the reviews!!?? This was my 11th marathon and I really liked it... all of it: the people, the city, the organization, and the beautiful course. Harrisburg has a really nice balance of urban amenities yet has a small town ?Mayberry, USA? atmosphere. I?m from Dallas and the Harrisburg locals all seemed amazed that anyone would fly to their city to run their marathon. That?s an interesting humbleness you don?t often find. My thought is that they probably take their gorgeous scenery for granted... because it WAS gorgeous. THE COURSE: I really like courses that are varied rather than long, straight lines, and the Harrisburg course didn?t disappoint; it was certainly VERY varied and quite interesting. The route takes you from the state capitol building through some downtown streets and then across the Susquehanna River to an island in the middle. There, you do a loop of the island and then cross back over the river and proceed several miles along the shore. You even run right in front of the Governor?s Mansion on that segment, and for added effect, there were several flocks of wild geese ?parked? right alongside the running path. How often have you ever run by a flock of wild geese sitting alongside the path?! The route then takes you through some light commercial/suburban areas, through a short stretch of industrial park, through a community college campus and then into a really stunning nature preserve. I think there were several miles of the nature preserve. It was really just beautiful and the MANY up and down roller-coaster hills in the preserve (think this was about mile 19 or so). From there, you retrace the course back to the river and then over a pedestrian bridge to the finish. I do agree with some of the other comments that the finish line was a bit deceptive. I?m totally zoned out at that point and I didn?t really realize that I had another 0.75 miles to run after I crossed the bridge. Need some sort of sign... but that is very minor point. SUPPORT: The support staff of this race takes considerable time to be sure every runner is OK. I?ve never before seen such a degree of care and concern for the runners. It is really exceptional. The aid stations were quite sufficient and what you?d expect in a well-organized marathon. The temps were cool so I just stayed with water, but they did have Cytomax sports drink as well. I?m not familiar with it so I stayed with H2O. I had a really personally scary experience. The weather was quite cool (high 20?s) at the start so I hedged my bet and wore shorts but I also wore a pair of thrift store throw-away sweats. At mile 3 when I was all warmed up, I started to pull off the sweats and reinjured a previously-strained hip flexor (the Iliacus for the technically-minded). When I tried to resume running, it was agony. I shocked by the reality that I might have to throw in the towel. Doing nothing wasn?t an option so I tried walking to see if the strained might work itself out a bit. I didn?t want to throw in the towel after traveling so far to run the race and, psychologically, I didn?t want to add a DNF to my list of firsts. As I passed aid stations, the volunteers paid extreme attention to the fact that I was in pain and an EMT even examined the strain to be sure it was just a strain rather than a tear. I kept walking another mile and then tried running again and, amazingly, I was able to resume. I think the EMT must have done something, because it seemed that quite a few aid stations for the rest of the race kind of knew I had a significantly strained muscle... and, the same EMT was there at the finish to see that I was OK. The support was superb. The aid stations had Cytomax, but I am not accustomed to that so I stayed with water. The temperatures were cool, so you do not need the electrolyte replacements as much as you would in a warmer climate where you would sweat considerably more. SPECTATORS: There really weren?t any, but the locals who stopped what they were doing to cheer you on, made up for the lack in numbers. So that?s a 5. OTHER: Go to the pasta dinner, it isn?t one of those over-priced things like most races have. It was well-stocked and they had interesting speakers. MEDAL AND SHIRT: The shirt runs a bit big, but it is really one of the best-looking ones I?ve received. It is a technical fabric, long sleeve black with deep purple insets for the back and front with multi-color race graphics imprinted on the front and a pleasantly discreet sponsor ad on the back. I like it so much, I?ve been wearing it around Dallas. The finisher?s medal is a neatly crafted casting with bronze finish that evokes the shape of the capitol dome with superimposed runner images. The full name of the race, the date and the sponsor are clearly and neatly incorporated into the base relief design. The name of the local race club is embossed on the obverse of the medal. It is nicely sized and something you can wear for a few days to announce your achievement. I always wear mine after the race and for the return flights because it guarantees I?ll have runner-related Q&A sessions at every restaurant and in every airport! -Kamikaze (Dallas, TX) |
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