Back to Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Information & Reviews
J. A. from Natalia, TX
(7/17/2006)
"I will do this again." (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I ran the half marathon with the intent to return next year and run the full marathon. I enjoyed the experience very much. The course is attractive for the most part. Downtown OKC and Bricktown are nice. The people are very friendly. I was born in OKC, and I still have relatives there, and every time I go visit, I go to the Memorial. I think it is superbly done, and I always get choked up, especially when I go to the fence where people leave photos, poems, flowers, and all sorts of other things. I hope to re-visit this event every year. | |
Krupakar Revanna from Falls Church, Virginia. 22042
(7/13/2006)
"Run this marathon every year" (General Comments)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 In 2005, ran this memorial marathon, and loved the atmosphere so much that I did it again in 2006. My wife ran half-marathon both these years. At the expo, we had great runners like Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers giving us tips and advice for running well. I give five stars to the organizers for having them there, and also making the whole race experience a pleasant one. The course is not an easy one, and it is quite challenging, which makes it more interesting. Throughout the race, Oklahomans are there to cheer us. There are plenty of fluid stations and support groups on the way. As you know, it is one of the "12 Must-Run Marathons" mentioned in the Runner's World. We think this marathon should be a "Must Run Every Year." | |
C. B. from Edmond, Oklahoma
(6/30/2006)
"Excellent and memorable 1st marathon..." (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a great and memorable run to remember. This was my first marathon I ran with my father who was 55 years-old. Luckily, I beat him by 13 minutes with good training, since he is a seasoned runner. ;) Great weather and very friendly volunteers surrounded this event. They had 168 seconds of silence to remember those fallen, which is quite the pre-race motivation to finish a marathon - let alone one's 1st marathon. Great spectators at finish and along the course motivating you to run. This race definitely gives you a great reason to run. This is a superb event and I will definitely run it again! | |
M. R. from California
(6/24/2006)
"Eartly start was nice, but..." (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The organization and volunteers are the very best. People were extremely friendly and nice. The Memorial Museum is soooooooo beautiful. Must see. The organization kind enough for us to start earlier, but I really didn't know they will not support water or sports drink until later. I was dehydrated for the rest of the race, and felt very weak. So if you decide to run early... make sure to take enough fluids with you. About mile 20-23, I got to see elite runners pass by me - really cool!!! Only thing was... I thought the course had too many/frequent mini-turns.... Compared with other marathon races, I was busy making turns rather than enjoying the stride. | |
m. m. from ft worth,tx
(5/29/2006)
"I liked it" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was a great race. The crowd was great. The course was a little more hilly than I expected, but I struggled through. My only problem with the race was the start. How come everyone started at the same time? You had 5k, half marathon and full marathon starting at the same time. This was a real problem, because you had a lot of pacers, and good marathon runners who couldn't get on the the course because it was filled with 5k runners. I've run 10 marathons so far, but this was....come on... You can't start the 5k runners 30 minutes after the big boys. Other than that and the heat, it was a nice race. | |
M. H. from Tulsa, Oklahoma
(5/18/2006)
"This is a tough course, but I love this race!" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great run, I really enjoy doing this one. The volunteers are so friendly and the hotel staff at the host hotel were friendly. I really enjoyed being out there supporting the Oklahoma City Memorial families by taking part of this race. There are so many events to choose from, its a race that everyone can take part in somehow. | |
Jim Skibo from Cedar Hill TX USA (Dallas)
(5/13/2006)
"Well organized & staffed. A moving experience." (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I planned on the OKC Marathon because I had never been there before and the Finisher's medal looked cool. I got both of those, but along the way I was deeply moved by the OKC memorial. It is far more than I ever expected in scale and scope and is, in my opinion, one of the most well-designed and executed memorials in the United States including the Washington Mall. The race, the Memorial, runner bibs, T-shirts, all carry the 'Survivor Tree' image. So does the bronze Finisher's medal. It is very nicely done in bronze with very fine detail. It's circular and then cut-out so the image of the Survivor Tree floats in its center. LODGING: If you happen to be military or a government employee, you can stay at Tinker AFB lodging for $30 a night in a large non-smoking suite of rooms that's 8 minutes from the Start line. COURSE: My rating is not for elevation but for 'interest'. Except for the Memorial, the Capitol and the lake, it's kind of boring. It's not flat and has 847' of ascent. Nothing steep-lots of gradual ups and downs. 19 thru 25 are a very gradual ascending city street. ORGANIZATION: Great. They had plenty of H2O and Power Aid at every stop and they were always very fully staffed and ready for runners. They stayed enthusiastic for the runners no matter what pace you were running. I didn't need them but they seemed to have enough porta-potties if that's a concern. SPECTATORS: Enough, but I don't care if there are cheering masses or not so the few along the route were just fine. PROS: --------- ** The Expo was larger than I expected for a race this size and had plenty of goodies and some really good prices on running gear. **The free Memorial Museum pass ($8) was a nice touch and I hope you use it because it is worth your time. **Incredible Race Day Access. One hour before the start there was plenty of FREE street parking! If you got there even closer to the start time, there were plenty of parking garages that were FREE on Sunday. You won't find that in very many city races. **Plenty of food at the Finish no matter when you finished. **Superb job by the OKC and outlying police departments. Never had to wonder if cars were going to stop or not-the cops took care of it well in advance of all intersections. They had a real sensitivity for how runners run. **Nice touch. Organizers said they wouldn't collect anything the runner's tossed along the course, but someone did because there was a 4' high pile of 'stuff' at the Finish area. CONS: ** The pasta dinner was not on par with the rest of the experience. Everything was rationed. I'd gladly pay $15 to $20 and have it done right. **I like a bit more variety to the course-a few less long straight sections. Wind it thru the neighborhoods. | |
T. H. from Corona, CA
(5/11/2006)
"Great For First-Time Marathoners" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A buddy of mine talked me into making OKC my first marathon. Thanks Mike! Aside from not completing my training (a good lesson learned), this was a blast. Having lived in OKC before, I was looking forward to the trip back but had no expectations for the race since this was my first. I now believe I'm addicted to the marathon experience. OKC has to be one of the best marathons for beginners as it's a relatively flat and diverse course (urban, suburban, and a lake), has great support (Oklahomans are the best people in the world), and you get the added encouragement of hearing your name at the Finish (a very emotional experience). Of course the reason for the marathon is the Memorial which is a must see and visit for every American. The best kept secret is the church (First United Methodist) near the Start and Finish ... forget the portapots and use their facility - they want you to. Thanks OKC - you're the best! | |
A. W. from Alexandria, VA
(5/11/2006)
"Great City, Slow Start" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Overall I loved my experience in Oklahoma City. It was my first time there, and I found the people to be very friendly. The course was fast, and the weather was beautiful. Mile markers were enormous flags that were highly visible from far away. This was nice as in most races I usually miss at least one marker. The downside was a slow start, and awards based on guntime instead of chip time. I was stuck in the back and still passing walkers through the first mile, and didn't get to start running my desired pace until mile 3. I understand that overall results should be based on gun time, but in a large race like this everything else should be based on chip time. Isn't that what chips are for? It was disappointing to see my place posted as 49th when my chip time would've given me 32nd, and even more disappointing to see I was a full minute and a half ahead of 5th place in my age group (who recieved an award) and I got nothing for 7th. | |
B. F. from Irving, TX
(5/9/2006)
"A very memorable experience" (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third half marathon, and definitely the most memorable. The course was very well supported, and the mile markers and clocks were greatly appreciated. Good job, and I'll be back next year. |
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