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☰
Baltimore Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Baltimore Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.9 
Organization 4.0 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 443 [displaying comments 141 to 151]
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M. C. from Philadelphia, PA
(11/2/2008)
"Good but with minor hassles" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first half-marathon, but have done 5 full marathons prior to this. Signed up with some friends as training for Marine Corps. Expo is decent, but pickup is set up in a way that you're forced to go through all of the booths. Shirt is really nice, but a couple of my friends noted (and I agree) that they were a size too big. Parking for the event was a breeze. Start line for the half could have been improved, with one person on a megaphone directing runners into 3 corrals based on predicted time. This resulted in what appeared to be runners lining up wherever they wanted. The course is hilly, but not a killer. It's a healthy challenge. A friend who was a first-timer said it was fine. Fans are consistently on the course and are very supportive. The area between the food for the runners and the carnival does get crowded. They don't let you back in the food area once you leave, so you have to "stock up" first. The system for the free beer, where you get tickets in the runner's area, then redeem them at the carnival, is confusing. Overall, it was a fun day, but I am not certain I'll be back. The full marathon would be just too hilly for my taste. The half is better, but is very expensive when compared to the cost of the full marathon. | |
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M. A. from Gaithersburg, MD
(10/29/2008)
"Overall Great Event" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The comments from M.S. from Houston are right on; in fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say I ran with this person for 18 miles of this race. I found the course challenging yet charming, giving runners the full local flavor or Baltimore. Locals were supportive in every part of the city. It's a perfect-sized race, not too large to be overly crowded and not too small to where you feel like you're running alone. The "R," "FULL," "HALF" stickers aren't necessary, and many did get stuck to the bottoms of shoes. Water stations were plentiful and the downhill finish into the stadiums was great. I recommend this race and will likely run it again. | |
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M. S. from Houston, TX
(10/17/2008)
"Great race, great course, well run" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I signed up for this one at the last minute because I was going to be in town for another event. I found the starting area to be great (not crowded or cramped at all) and the course, although hilly for a flat-lander, was really interesting, with diverse views of the city. From start to finish, I could not stop commenting on how great the layout of the course was. I found it odd that much of the course had large cones running right down the middle. It was almost as if we were running a trail race and the race director was concerned that we might get off-course, so he regularly positioned cones right in the middle of the course. Next year, cones are unnecessary. Additionally, the race packet had stickers saying, "full" to be placed on the backs of full marathoners. The course was littered with these stickers, as most fell off in the first 3 miles. It was a bit annoying to get this stuck to your shoes. The crowds were intermittent but motivated, loud, and encouraging when present. I would wholeheartedly recommend this race to anyone looking to experience a fun, interesting, and challenging race. | |
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C. H. from Baltimore, MD
(10/16/2008)
"Tough Course - Excellent Organization" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Baltimore was my eighth marathon after running each of the big 3 in Boston, Chicago, and New York. It is a challenging course - the road surface is hard and it is deceptively hilly - but Corrigan Sports does an excellent job with the logistics and the crowd support is very motivating. You need to be careful with pacing in the first miles as you begin a steady incline right at the start. You will make up a little bit of time in miles 5-7 with some nice downhills, and then settle into a mostly even pace for the flat 8-15. At about mile 16, the course turns upward and I needed to fight through some tough stretches until mile 22. The last four miles are downhill or flat, and can reward those that manage their pacing early. The race organization rivals that of Elite-run races - there are ample restroom facilities at the start, great crowd support with gummy bears late in the race, and some scenic stretches around Fort McHenry and Lake Montebello around the city. This is a good choice for a fall marathon, and comes early enough that you can still pick up a late November or early December race if you want to get one more in before year end. Train on some hills, manage your pace early, and enjoy the final miles. | |
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C. F. from Baltimore, Maryland
(10/16/2008)
"First-Timer" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I forgot to say thank you to Geico for sponsoring the pacers. Once again, they were wonderful! Also, I love the Under Armour shirt. | |
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Crystal F. from Baltimore, Maryland
(10/14/2008)
"My First, but Defintiely Not My Last" (about: 2008)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and what a wonderful experience. First, I have to give praise to the four-hour pacers, especially the lead pacer (I think his name is Bob). He was so energetic, getting the spectators to cheer for us and making sure the "4's" were ok during the race. I wished I would have stayed with them throughout the entire race (I went ahead around mile 8), because they ended up passing me at around mile 21. But, I enjoyed it and now I am hooked - thank you, pacers! Cons: * Cones were in the middle of the road during the course (I don't know why). * "Full" stickers kept falling off and sticking to runners' shoes. * The tent to pick up the Maryland Double Dare medal was not well marked and in a congested area. All in all, I recommend this race to anyone if you want a challenging, hilly course. | |
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Sid Busch from Charleston SC
(10/14/2008)
"Great Support" (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Baltimore Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first time back in Baltimore since 2002, and it was a great experience. The inner harbor is a really neat place, and the expo and all of the activities are within walking distance of all of the hotels. The volunteers did a great job, as well as the people of Baltimore; my thanks to them for getting me to the finish. The police not only made us safe, but offered encouragement as well, and without them, I am sure I would have been run over more then once. I originally entered this marathon this year because of the mess I was involved in at Chicago last year, but now I will enter it again because it is just a really well run event, and has less of a mob feel than Chicago. | |
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M. S. from NJ
(10/13/2008)
"Elite 8" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Baltimore Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I have run the Baltimore Marathon all 8 years and have seen it grow from a marathon in the shadows of the Marine Corps Marathon in 2001 to a perennial shining star in 2008. Managing the growth of Baltimore has been the biggest challenge, not only from an organization perspective, but also from a running perspective. I was critical last year of the merge with the half-marathoners and the finish area. As always, Corrigan sports tweaks the marathon as needed to provide the best experience possible. I believe the wave start of the half-marathon helped the merge with the marathoners. The runner finish area seemed more manageable this year, but the transition to the celebration village and getting to the bag check area was a challenge at best, especially after running 26.2 miles. Marathoners, be aware that is is a running festival and features distances for everyone. Other than the elite and sub-3:15 marathoners, most of the rest of the marathoners will take a back seat to the half-marathoners and relay runners. However, it is a great event, with some of the best sponsorship and city-wide support in the sport. I always feel welcomed in Baltimore to run the marathon, unlike in many of the other big cities. This one is not just a marathon; it's an event, a weekend at a great venue. The course is fair yet challenging. Once you are done, you don't just feel like you have finished a marathon. It feels like you had an experience. | |
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D. B. from Maryland
(10/13/2008)
"Great course, uneven crowd support" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The course is challenging, with a Boston-like hill in the late teens, but it's also fair and offers good views throughout the city and its various neighborhoods. But if you're someone who really relies on great crowds and distractions like live music, this may not be the race for you. Crowd support was very uneven - great at the start and finish, in Patterson Park and Charles Village, but pretty weak everywhere else. Miles 17-21 are a bear and offered very few spectators, and no bands or other distractions. Baltimore is really nice, but I'm not sure I would run this race again with all of the other great marathons in the Mid-Atlantic. | |
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F. D. from boston, ma
(10/13/2008)
"Fine course but needs some improvements" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Baltimore Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was my first marathon, and at times, it was disappointing. Reading the previous comments made me run this marathon, but there were some differences. First, the marathon and half-marathon started at different times and different places. The half-marathon starts at mile 13, but you do not meet up with the those running the marathon until mile 16. There were more runners doing the half, and therefore, when we met up, it was as if we were starting the race all over again, which made for a slower time. Also the water stations were only on one side of the course and at times the water was not ready and had to wait. At the end of the race they had two sections for runners and non-runners. Sounds good, but they put the gear check in the section where the non-runners could go. After running for so long, the last thing I would have liked to have done is walk through a crowd to get to my stuff. Overall, Baltimore is a great city and the marathon needs little improvement. |
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