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☰
Space Coast Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Space Coast Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.7 
Spectators 3.6
Number of comments: 90 [displaying comments 81 to 90]
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D. G. from Tampa Bay area
(11/29/2005)
"Very scenic small-town race " (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Space Coast Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Yeah, we all love the hype of those big city marathons and of course they are nice on your running resume. But once you get those out of your system, everyone should try one of these 'low key' events such as the Space Coast Marathon and just run for the joy and pleasure our sport gives us. Why? The course along the Indian River in Cocoa is beautiful with the rising sun. With only 175 starters you stroll to the front of the starting line 90 seconds before the gun. No wait for those dreaded port-o-lets. Water and Gatorade stations every mile with friendly high school cross-county athletes lending a helping hand. Very friendly locals who make you feel welcome. A first-class pasta dinner the night before and some guy named Bill Rodgers as our weekend speaker; great shirts and medals, great race photos online within 12 hours of the race. And the beat goes on. A bit leery about a loop course? Well that can be mentally challenging, but with the scenic water front course, it really did not drain us mentally. Can it be hot in late November along the Florida coast? Yes, but again, come to this one to enjoy the merits of our sport and take the pressure off. Oh, one last thing.... Homemade goodies at the finish line! I never run Chicago but I doubt if the race volunteers there make homemade banana bread and chocolate chip cookies. We had plenty! Great job and thanks to Denise the race director and her fine staff of volunteers! | |
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Bubba Gillis from Hilton Head Island, SC
(11/29/2005)
"Beautiful course" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Space Coast Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is a beautiful course. I really enjoyed this race. It was as flat as advertised. The only hills may have been knee high. It is a double-loop out-and-back. I loved that. I knew what to look for on second loop. There were not many marathoners on the second loop, but plenty of half marathoners to pass and look at. There were only pockets of spectators on the course. Only at the turnaround did you ever get more than 20 feet from the beautiful river. The wind was a little rough on the second outward loop. The temperature was warm, but I love running in the heat. If you like double loops, you could not ask for a more beautiful course. I would recommend this race to anyone that wants a small race with beautiful scenery. | |
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Josh Liebman from Miami, Fl
(11/28/2005)
"Fun Run in the Sun" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Space Coast Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I am reluctant to share my comments online, because this is the type of marathon you want to keep a secret. In over 20 marathons, I have never run and out-and-back once, let alone twice, but I loved it. The course is beautiful. You run underneath a canopy of oak trees with Spanish moss, with estates on one side of the street and the water on the other with 100-foot-plus docks. Everyone has their name printed on their bib #, so it makes for a very friendly run. The medals are creative, colorful, and sizable. Included in the entry fee is a pasta banquet with Bill Rodgers. How can you beat a post-race party with ice cold beer, pizza, and frozen fruit bars? The truth is that spectators do not get a 5-star rating like NY or Chicago, but that should not detract from this event. As I mentioned, the benefit of the out-and-back course with your name on your bib is that you have the fellow runners cheering for you in place of spectators. Further, the lack of spectators and noise allows you to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Hope to see you next year.... | |
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R. M. from Alabama
(11/28/2005)
"Beautiful course!" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Space Coast Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran the half marathon. The scenery is fabulous - the course is a palm tree-lined, shaded street along the river. The event photos are spectacular - they truly show off the Florida landscape. The weather was a little warm for my tastes but the scenery, post-race party, support, medal and t-shirt made up for it. It was very professional and well organized. I would definitely recommend this event to anyone. I don't think I could have done the full marathon with the weather being so warm and running the same loop twice, but others might find that fine. If I am in Florida next Thanksgiving weekend, I will do this again and hopefully attend the event the night before, which I have heard is nice. And I will hope for temperatures in the 50s!! | |
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A. S. from Florida
(10/17/2005)
"Great for a first timer" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Space Coast Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran this half and full marathon. For a first timer it was perfect; it was small and the people were friendly. The weather was perfect and you couldn't ask for a more beautiful run along the river. The only thing I can criticize is that the full marathon is a repeat of the out and back half marathon, so it is a little monotonous. The previous year the race followed the river in the opposite direction; if both ends of the river were utilized, you could avoid this double loop. The refreshments and award ceremony were great and the whole event very well organized. | |
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Chuck Ard from Crystal River, Florida
(12/1/2004)
"Even BETTER than last year!" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Space Coast Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I had a great time last year. This year was even better. Course was different than last year but still on nice quiet roads along the Indian River. Great views! The finish at the park was special. Great medals. Awards are so-so, but everyone is made to feel like a member of the Space Coast Runners family. | |
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Chuck Ard from Leanto, Florida
(12/11/2003)
"Great small marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Wonderfully organized race. I have to admit that I was a little skeptical about running 2 loops AND sharing the course with 1/2 marathoners. But this club pulled it off without a hitch. It never got crowded. Volunteers were enthusiastic. Just a great, small marathon. | |
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J. S. from Louisville, Kentucky
(12/8/2003)
"Nice Little Marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I agree with the previous writer's comments, this is a nice little marathon. I especially liked the pasta dinner (included in the entry fee) the night before the race with Hal Higdon as the guest speaker. The course wasn't flat, but the hills weren't steep either. The terrain was just pretty rolling. On the negative side, the course didn't smell too good in a couple of places, as if there was a sewer that had overflowed. The weather this year was very good because the temperature was in the 50's with overcast skies most of the time. Overall, I'd recommend this marathon. | |
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R. N. from Central Florida
(12/2/2003)
"Small, but nice" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This route consisted of 2 half-marathon loops on a flat, paved and mostly shaded road that generally parallels the Indian River in Cocoa. The marathon starts 45 minutes before the half-marathon, so the course has the full complement (someone said 500 signed up) at one time. Even though this was an open course (i.e., there was car traffic), it was not especially crowded on the road. There is very little traffic on this road early on Sunday morning, except close to one church that had services. I think that the race could have accommodated at least 50% more people. After the half-marathoners (who were clearly the majority) finished, the course seemed notably empty. There were water stops, apparently manned by students from local track teams, every few miles and porto-lets at the start and turn-around as well as at several construction sites in between. Gels were handed out in the second lap of the marathon. There were very few spectators, but they did have some young cheerleaders at the turn-around cheering for you and goading you on. Nice touch. There were only a few policeman, but there was hardly a need for them. The neighborhood seems quiet and principally residential. Refreshments at the end of the race were plentiful, and included fruit pops, pizza, cut-up bagels, fruit, etc. The tee-shirt is a nice long-sleeved lightweight shirt that is good for running in Florida on a cool day. Overall, a nice little race with a scenic flat course (except for a few 'Florida hills') that would be good for a PR. Although this race cannot be compared to Disney or even Hops-Tampa Bay for size and scope, it is a very nice little race, apparently aimed mostly for locals. About the only negatives were that I found it difficult to find the starting line, not being familiar with the area, and parking was a very long way (about half a mile to the municipal parking lot in Cocoa Village) from the starting line. Get there early. | |
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J. M. from Tampa, Florida
(12/1/2003)
"Great Half-Marathon Race and Weekend!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Really enjoyed the location of the race. The Cocoa Beach area is beautiful. The course was fairly challenging with a few small hills but other than that is pretty smooth and flat. I was able to see some dolphins in the water during my run and the scenery was gorgeous. It is a great race for beginners since it is not too large and the people were very friendly. The dinner and speakers the night before were great. I would recommend the half-marathon. The marathon was two loops of the same half marathon course, so if you don't mind the repetitive laps then it would be okay. |
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