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Mount Desert Island marathon Runner Comments
Back to Mount Desert Island marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.8 
Organization 4.8 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 155 [displaying comments 131 to 141]
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T. G. from St. Louis, MO, USA
(7/13/2005)
"My all-time favorite marathon" (General Comments)
50+ previous marathons
| 3 Mount Desert Island marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 MDI is a spectacular course. The scenery is fantastic, the route is challenging, and the volunteers are wonderful. From rocky cliffs over the ocean, to quiet harbors with sleepy fishing boats, to beautiful inland ponds and small towns, there's everything to love about the race. This is one marathon where the journey truly is its own reward. I plan to keep coming back year after year. | |
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Rick Tillotson from Winsted, CT
(3/24/2005)
"Look Around!" (General Comments)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Mount Desert Island marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 We stand there with our hands on our hearts Listening to our anthem play, And soon after that the gun goes off Which send us on our way. Miles roll by and I'll meet a few Runners from across our land, We chat about our past results And today's hopes and plans. But sooner or later as it always does In the race we've decided to run, We spend our time within ourselves As we labor in the sun. But in MDI don't spend too long Looking deep inside, For you don't want to miss too many views As your steps move you (quickly?) by. A rainbow, the mountains, the harbor's boats, Will all help ease your pain, Not to mention the heartfelt cheers Of the great folks of Maine. So yes indeed the course is tough But these sights will surely endear, Send in your app and log your miles And I'll see you up there this year. | |
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Dale Farrell from Kent, Washington
(12/3/2004)
"8 1/2 hours to finish?" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 You read it right. I was a solid last place, taking 8 1/2 hours. The advertising said no time-limit, so it looked like a safe bet for my estimated 7 hours. I had done two 20-milers in the previous 3 weeks with zero problems. At mile 10 my right knee started to ache so bad I had to just walk fast, which was okay on the flats and uphill, but when I got to the first downhill, it hurt so bad I tried walking backwards. That worked for a few minutes until the first car went by! I discovered if I rotated my foot to the right about 45 degrees, I could hobble at a good clip. By now the water stops were cups left on the shoulder, but boy they helped. The worst moment was at the famous tree at mile 14. I could see to the end of the fjord the town marking the 20-mile point, and to my left the finish at the 26th mile. At mile 15 I discovered if I stopped, then both legs really, really hurt, and getting moving again took several minutes. The sun began setting and the wind howled across the lake making me hypothermic, but only for the last 3 hours. At 26 miles I could see the finish but I was in such bad shape I could not hobble over the sidewalk curbs, and they had handicap ramps! I seriously considered crawling the last 100 feet. A big factor in going all the way was knowing that Gary Allen said he would wait there, no matter how long it took me. He and my wife stretched a ribbon for me to shiver through into the waiting space blankets. Every single painful step brought beautiful scenery. My first marathon at 62 years was full of every possible experience. This is the most beautiful place in the world for a marathon. Many many thanks for all the water and Gu left out for the straggler from Kent, Washington. | |
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K. K. from Chicago, IL
(10/31/2004)
"Hardest & most fun marathon I've run." (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Boy, those hills just did not stop. The race info told us what to expect, and finishing it was the greatest accomplishment over the previous 17 marathons I have run. I had to focus so much that I missed much of the scenery, but stayed a few days to go back and enjoy it. I think this is what a marathon should be--very hard and one that makes you leave everything on the course. It was all about the run. | |
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H. B. from Connecticut
(10/25/2004)
"2004 MDI: mother nature at her best" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The 2004 MDI marathon was a spectacular event. An hour before the race there was a crackling lightning storm, and the last drops of rain fell as the gun went off. The sun broke through the clouds as the runners tackled the first of many low angle but long hills with great views of rock cliffs and the pounding ocean. Through the middle of the race the course flattened a bit and curved around the huge fjord of Somes Sound. Then miles 20-24 were the crux of the course, with unrelenting hills, followed by a much needed downhill finish. Cresting the last hill and knowing I could make my goal was a sweet moment. Hats off to Gary Allen, Dick Beardsley, all the volunteers, and Crow Athletics. | |
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Cliff Davis from Clinton, MS
(10/24/2004)
"Great scenery over a very well marked course." (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I thoroughly enjoyed the 2004 MDI Marathon in Bar Harbor. This was my 14th state and 22nd Marathon. Hopefully in the years to come the number of entrants will grow into the thousands. My negatives with this race were few. I am a 57 year young runner and a lot slower than most of the field (4:44:47). The last time I ran a decent time (3:20:45) was 1985. When we slower runners are out there pushing 5 hours for completion time, the aid stations start, in some cases, to begin to deteriorate. The water and sports drinks have gotten almost unpalatably warm by this stage. There were some instances where we competitors found ourselves in oncoming traffic, without warning. However, the course was excellently well marked and there were signs for traffic to beware of runners in the MDI Marathon. These are merely my comments on the race and I plan to be back next year. I?ll work on hills a little more in my training. The Bar Harbor/MDI scenery for this Marathon was awesome to say the least. Thanks for a GREAT MDI Marathon. | |
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Fred Matthews from Clarksville TN
(10/23/2004)
"Tough, but great race!" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The race website stated the truth, this was one tough race course. Run on beautiful Mount Desert Island, beginning in downtown Bar Harbor, and working its way past mountians and coves in Acadia National Park, this was one tough course. The volunteers at the packet pickup were friendly and helpful, one providing me with an excellent dinner suggestion with accompanying reservation phone number, and another remembering me the next day and cheering for me multiple times throughout the race course. But those hills made this one tough course. Bar Harbor was a delightful town to spend the day prior to the race, as well as to revisit after the race; the shops made shopping for my family a pleasure, the restaurants made eating a luscious experience, and the people were just down-home friendly. But those hills, over and over again, made for one tough race. Race morning was beautiful, more so after a thunderstorm passed by 30 minutes before the start, but as one local told me 'if you don't like the weather in Maine just wait a few minutes and it'll change'; change it did with a beautiful crisp day, full of sunshine and a clear blue sky. Then we were off, running hill after hill after hill. I know there had to be as many downhills as ups, but it sure seemed as if we gained hundreds/thousands of feet in elevation. Being from middle TN I'm accustomed to running hills and thought I was prepared; but I was mistaken. When the Virtual Running Partner on my Forerunner told me I should be finishing the race, I'd just passed the 23 mile marker. One tough race course. I was able to run the last mile continuously, and after having walked so many uphills in the second part of the race, I was thrilled to run one continuous mile. I was told after the race that the finish line announcer had given our names and hometowns as we approached the finish line; I never heard my name since I was yelling at myself 'KEEP GOING' through the finish line. The volunteers were helpful and cheerful throughout the race and at the finish line, one lady even peeled bananas for me to eat since I was so beat. Wonderfully hot showers and a bus ride back to the start line were greatly appreciated, and I got to see those long, tough hills once again. Although you may get the idea that I thought this was a tough race, it was a great race and I highly recommend it. This was my 18th marathon in 14 different states, and by far the most difficult course I've run so far. But the reward of the race is crossing the finish line, and it's never felt so good before. The race directors and volunteers were superb, the website continues to be top notch, the long sleeve shirts and finisher medals were great, and Bar Harbor was a wonderful little town in which to relax both before and after the race. | |
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K. A. from Moncton, NB, Canada
(10/20/2004)
"Fantastic - a must do marathon!" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The event was wonderfully run. Even with the limited spectators I never felt alone - the ones that were there were wonderful. Volunteers - great at every point. My only issue was with coming into Southwest Harbour - very busy, uneven road surface with the pylons not really helping. It was in the last kilometer, so did not take from the event. The organizers and volunteers were excellent at this spot. | |
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Dick Beardsley from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
(10/18/2004)
"A Spectacular Marathon!" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mount Desert Island marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 What an AWESOME race! I've known Gary Allen for a few years and like myself he loves the marathon! I knew this would be a runners race and very well organized but it went beyond my expectations! It is a breathtaking course! It is not easy and flat by any means; it has numerous hills but no matter what level of runner you are the scenery seems to take your mind off the hills! The aid stations were great! The small expo was excellent, the host hotel, outstanding, the pasta feed put on by the local high school was wonderful and the people of Bar Harbor could not have been more friendly! I would recommend this race to anyone that wants to run a small town race with with big time fun!! | |
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Jeff Newcorn from Buffalo Grove, Illinois
(10/31/2003)
"Stunning Scenery Grabs Your Attention" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 For the marathon runner who makes breathtaking scenery a top priority for a marathon, MDI Marathon is where you want to be in 2004. Even a cloudy day and 40-degree temperatures could not disguise the peak fall foliage, the gorges, the beautiful homes, and a frequent view of the Atlantic Ocean. I ran Big Sur in 1997, and I'll admit I never thought I would run a race that could compare with the beautiful scenery of Big Sur. I was wrong! Like Big Sur, there is no hiding the hills that challenge the runner that has only prepared on flat terrain. But the race directors coach you to save your legs for the latter part of the race when the hills really kick in, and they were dead on. With that knowledge I was able to run almost an even split. Although they admit that this is not the course to choose for a PR, I ran my third fastest time here (out of 12). The race is kept small by design. Having run Chicago with 29,000 of my closest friends in 2000, I was anxiously looking forward to a cozy, personal, almost neighborhood feel to a race and I got it at MDI. The race director is very visible throughout the weekend, personally making sure you are enjoying yourself. Give yourself a gift of running a true intimate and rewarding marathon and come to Maine in 2004! |
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