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☰
Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 3.0
Number of comments: 103 [displaying comments 31 to 41]
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s. c. from Louisiana
(10/15/2008)
"awesome trail run" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I loved this marathon; scenery was great; aid support was the best (I've never eaten so much in a marathon before). Just ignore the Negative Nellie's out there; they obviously just have to complain about something. I was glad to get a trail whistle; who needs another medal? I recommend this marathon to anyone who loves the trails and a softer surface. I am a flat-lander, and the 1st 7 miles I was a little winded but my times were exactly the same as in NY and better than Deadwood by 16 minutes. Great job, Eric; don't worry about trying to please everyone - it won't happen. | |
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E. W. from So Cal
(10/15/2008)
"Very cool race and whistle" (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I have run over 100 marathons and this course would have to be in my top 10. My reason for running is the challenge (and this one was a challenge; it was a wee bit nippy and at elevation), as well as the experience (and of course, the beer and my smoochie at the end). Volunteers were great, especially the aid stations. (Special note to Brighton and the guy who offered to carry me to my car!) Susanville is a neat little town (not to be confused with SF or NYC), and while there were no five-star hotels, I managed to find comfortable accommodations. I was there to the run, and I ran and ran and ran some more. | |
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MIchael Patrick Arthur McCullough from Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA
(10/15/2008)
"A Wonderful Trail Marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is my second time at this marathon. I love it because I train almost exclusively on dirt, including a similar Rail Trail in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The course is mildly uphill for 5-6 miles then nearly 20 miles of gradual downhill. Expect sore quads after this race. The aid stations are well stocked and the volunteers are great. This is, I think, my eleventh marathon, and the wooden whistle medal was, I thought, clever, and was a nice surprise. The tunnels, which some people hate, are surreal and somehow mind-blowing as they are very late in the race - sort of a near death experience that you live through! As you can see from the reviews the race director can be rude (he was nicer this year!) - but the race is very well organized and he does a good job. I am a "big, slow runner" and started at nine. There weren't as many people in the back of the pack this year because, I think, a lot of my "colleagues" chose the new early bird start option. My main complaint is the increasing entry fee as the race approaches. It doesn't seem like a good idea to me. There were people there who said they had paid $135! As far as "fans," there really aren't any except at the finish line because the course is so remote. All things considered, this is a great marathon and I plan to continue running it, as it is an ideal surface for my running style, and also the second closest marathon to my home (after Crater Lake). | |
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Dorothy Bensusan from Littleton, CO
(10/15/2008)
"Spectacular Trail Marathon" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 If you are expecting a big expo with a bag full of schwag, and crowds of cheering spectators at a chip-timed event, then go to Chicago. This is a small-town, intimate trail race on a spectacular course. From the "Welcome" banner at the edge of town to the personal greeting at registration, the sing-along of our national anthem at the start to pizza and train whistle medal at the finish, the entire event for me was nothing short of a unique and truly fun race adventure. The gentle downhill grade and trail surface are easy on the body and the scenery is gorgeous. The overall organization with the shuttles, gear drop, water/aid stations and general runner support was more than adequate and everyone we met was gracious, friendly and helpful. While not out to set any speed records, I managed to drop 35 minutes from my previous marathon best time, while my running partner qualified for Boston. It is really neat to see the community so involved - not only with the race but the management and improvement of the trail itself. Without that and the support of the BLM, this race simply would not happen. I am looking forward to running this marathon again next year! | |
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D. J. from Reno, NV
(10/14/2008)
"Very rude guy in a black puffy jacket" (about: 2008)
First Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I ran the half-marathon. I specifically followed the direction to the location given to me by Eric in an email. When I got there, there were no police directing traffic, even though it was stated that there would be. Instead, when I got to the specified parking lot, there were buses everywhere loading people for the marathon (including the driveway to the parking lot). A man in a black puffy jacket actually opened my car door and told me to move my car (with no further direction of where I should go). I've only run three other half-marathons, and this was the smallest. There were no race packets and only two t-shirt choices. Volunteers were very nice. Aid stations were nice. The course is very beautiful, but repetitive; there was not much to break it up. Of course, there were no spectators, as it was a trail run. At the finish there were spectators walking the narrow path right in front of me! I will not run it again. | |
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D. P. from Denver, Colorado
(10/14/2008)
"Laid-Back, Fun and Memorable" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Thoroughly enjoyable marathon. I loved the Wooden Train Whistle Medal. It was a trail over an old train route after all, in the old west and very appropriate and different. It certainly will not get lost among all the other lookalike medals hanging around the house. I gave 5 stars for both organization and spectators. The 5-star rating on spectators was not for quantity, but for heart! I gave 4 stars for the course, which was just a bit too rocky for my liking. But, I am on my way to Boston with a PR and picked up a 1st place-trophy to boot! Everything about this race was just over the top. At the early start, it was 22°, but you would never know it because the start was a kick; our rendition of the national anthem was the best I've ever heard, and everyone was laid-back and happy. No stressing out in sight! I loved that everyone was just there for a good time, even if PRs were goals. If you are looking for a small, laid-back marathon, where you can just enjoy the moment so that you can relax and actually have a chance to PR, this is it! | |
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E. W. from Northern California
(10/13/2008)
"One of the best trail marathons in the West!" (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 We all have different opinions about races. I have run 64 marathons and ultras, and this is one of my favorites. I compare this course to Tahoe in beauty. The aid stations were the best: every two miles, fully stocked, great volunteers. Eric the race director did a great job! I will be back next year. I love the whistles, something different from just another medal. On a 1-to-10 scale, I give Bizz an 11. | |
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H. M. from Scottsdale,
(10/12/2008)
"A WOODEN WHISTLE instead of a medal???" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Yep, folks I'm not kidding. If you want to train hard for a crappy wooden whistle tied to a rope (instead of a medal), then by all means sign up for this race! I was heartbroken that the "fastest in the west" course was one of my slowest marathons, but I truly enjoyed the beautiful scenery and avoided a DNF because I wanted another medal for my collection. I laughed when the woman handed me the whistle and continued to look for my medal. When I saw other runners wearing the rope-tied whistle around their neck, my heart sank. Way to add insult to injury! Also, DO NOT stay at Budget Host Hotel. The rooms were filthy, with wallpaper-thin walls (listened to a squeaky little girl ALL NIGHT LONG pre-race) and holes in the sheets - and the pillows reeked of smoke! For what it's worth, the volunteers were incredibly kind, and as I mentioned, it's the prettiest course I've run. | |
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B. B. from Vancouver, WA
(8/30/2008)
"Good, not great..." (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 The course was fine, but I really found the majority of the course to be unlike the photos on the website. The first 20 miles are pretty monotonous. The last 6 miles are where you can finally see the river and the scenery depicted on the website, but by then I was just looking to reach the end. I think the tunnels need to be much better lit. It was very difficult to see and I really felt like every foot strike was a test of my faith. Seriously. I considered slowing down, but I wanted a top 10 finish so I risked it. Fortunately the footing was good in there. I was quite surprised by how dark the tunnels were. The food was plentiful and of good quality along the way and at the finish. The bus shuttle was convenient. I enjoyed the run. The race director is a bit arrogant and short with people, but I wasn't looking for a buddy, so no worries. | |
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S. M. from West Coast
(12/14/2007)
"Unprofessional RD ruins event" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Bizz Johnson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 *Scenic course *Decent aid stations (water was freezing) *No expo *No race packets/No info *Rude, disrespectful RD and snotty right-hand man Would I run this HM again? Not a chance after the way the RD treated racers. |
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