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☰
El Paso Marathon Runner Comments
Back to El Paso Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.8 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 3.4
Number of comments: 51 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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J. K. from Minnesota
(3/14/2010)
"Beautiful route; had a great time!" (about: 2010)
3 previous marathons
| 1 El Paso Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The weather was nice for the race - it's sunny 300-plus days a year in El Paso! For the first three miles (which were largely uphill), we got a view of a rainbow resting on the Juarez mountains. The route takes runners through two states (TX and NM) and alongside another state (Chihuahua, Mex.), which was cool. Although the first part of the marathon was challenging, most of the route was remarkably flat. I really appreciated the soldiers from Fort Bliss directing our route and shouting their encouragement. I enjoyed the pasta dinner, the water stops, and the nice shirt. I was glad they had a separate shirt for marathoners, half marathoners, and 5Kers. Two quick suggestions: Have enough refreshments for everyone at the end of the race, and please give safety pins to all runners at the packet pickup. I didn't realize they didn't give me any safety pins until the night before the race, and they didn't have any extras the morning of the race. And after I finished in 4:37, all the beer was gone - even though it's called the Michelob Ultra Marathon! Despite these two minor inconveniences, I really enjoyed my time and would recommend this race to others. | |
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R. M. from Florida
(3/11/2010)
"Challenging, scenic and friendly but needs polishi" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 El Paso Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 PROS: Expo was small but had a little of everything you would find at bigger events. Scenic vista views; a challenging course that requires thoughtful race strategy; enthusiastic and frequent water stops; excellent traffic control; you run literally on the Mexico border (pro for those not from El Paso); there's lots of route support; it's in a surprisingly friendly town; and it had the nicest and most supportive fellow race participants I have ever run with. CONS: The room too small for the expo. Challenging course - not for those who want to find their "happy pace" and go on autopilot. There were confusing directional signs; they used styrofoam cups (NOT cool or eco-friendly); starting corrals need to be segregated by estimated finish time; the width of starting corral needs to match chip detector line; and the finish corral (including water being available) needed to be open and available to those who finish in over five hours. In summary, this race has lots of potential. It just needs more organizational polishing and input from experienced marathoners. And please, don't ever start your marathon again with 5Kers in the starting corral! They need to start after the marathoners are gone. | |
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S. W. from St Louis MO
(3/11/2010)
"Fantastic weather, and a challenging course!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Great job, El Paso! This was my 16th half. The weather was fantastic and the course a challenge. With improvements, this race could be a tremendous draw for the city. *Improve the website with more info. *Organize the start by separating running/walking categories. *The expo was in a small area and a bit unorganized. The inclusion of Ft. Bliss soldiers is a great idea! I would run again. THANKS! | |
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Paul Donati from Pennsylvania
(3/11/2010)
"Good event; needs start-line improvement." (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 El Paso Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The organization of the event and the enthusiastic volunteers made this marathon a very good experience. However, race directors must change the start. The full marathon, half marathon and 5K all start together. Lots of 5K walkers were at the front and completely clogged the first mile. It seems an easy fix would be to start the marathon at 7, the half at 7:30, and the 5K at 8. | |
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D. F. from Albuquerque, New Mexico
(3/8/2010)
"Awesome water/support all the way!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 El Paso Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was looking for a close and cheap marathon. I was not expecting much, but boy was I surprised about the enthusiastic and plentiful water/support stops! They were ALL great! And we didn't need spectators with as many stops as they had. Awesome traffic control, and Army personnel to point out every turn. I would recommend this marathon, not the town. Stay at the Double Tree downtown. They went above and beyond! They had a FANTASTIC goody bag. Better than the expo. Great room, and served a late breakfast just for me! The only bad thing is that they ran out of race shirts. But I showed up 45 minutes before closing too. | |
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Neil Paulson from Orlando, Florida
(3/8/2010)
"Extremely challenging course, and great volunteers" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 El Paso Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This challenging race course should be modified so the first five miles are not up the steep mountain to an altitude of 4,700 feet. The elevation already was high enough for runners from other places. Styrofoam cups should be replaced with paper, so runners can squeeze the tops and run without spilling on their shoes. Volunteers at water stops were crazy and hyper, trying for awards! There was a lot of distance with nobody to spectate. Great views of mountains. The finisher's medal was small and the ribbon cheap, compared to the effort required to finish. There were few runners from out of state. The pasta dinner was small and had no speaker; and the expo was small as well. Most of the runners were there for the 5K. There were only 279 full marathoners. | |
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C. N. from L.A. CA
(3/8/2010)
"Hills, Hills, Hills! Challenging Course!" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 El Paso Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The weather was great, and the hills were challenging (first 4.2 miles of the course). I did the half-marathon, and even though I trained on a lot of hills, it was tough, but I was able to place high in my age division. The course didn't offer Gatorade until around mile 7.5, and it was sparing throughout the course. There were 80 misdirected half marathoners (short half marathon) by the police officers, and it cut their course short by 1 mile. You would think that the police officers would have studied the course more closely. The course along the Rio Grand was long and boring, and there were no spectators to help cheer us on. If you want a low-key race, this one is one you can do and check off. | |
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Chew Gilbert from Singapore
(3/8/2010)
"Great Marathon" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 El Paso Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Kudos to the organizers of the marathon. Generally, it was well organized and executed. I am impressed with the support rendered by the local community towards the conduct of the event. It was a real privilege to have participated in the marathon. | |
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L. R. from Los Angeles, CA
(3/6/2009)
"An excellent Texas marathon" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 El Paso Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a well organized, friendly, enthusiastic marathon through the city of El Paso and a bit of New Mexico. Fans were sparse but enthusiastic. The aid stations were plentiful and cheerful - competing amongst each other for the "best station" award. Police were friendly and efficient, keeping the traffic well away from runners. The few rolling hills helped to relieve tired muscles (although the headwinds were less helpful). The beer and massages at the finish were most welcome. The technical shirt was nicely designed and the medal was good (as were the age-group awards). I stayed at the historic Camino Real Hotel, less than a block from the start, finish and expo, which I'd highly recommend. I now feel I know El Paso. All in all, an excellent marathon experience. | |
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Bob Kroeger from Cincinnati
(3/5/2009)
"El Paso: Truly a Destination Marathon" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 El Paso Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 As a race director, I know how much time and effort goes into preparation and logistics for a race. And, having personally run in over 30 marathons in the past four years, I can offer a contemporary perspective on this marathon. I don't often give five stars all the way across, but the El Paso Marathon deserves them. Yes, the fans and crowds were small, but their enthusiasm compensated for their lack of numbers. It's all about quality, not quantity. First, being a Caucasian from the Midwest, I found it a unique experience to be a minority: El Paso has an Hispanic population of over 80 percent. These are not new immigrants but true Americans whose roots go back many generations. From the hotel staff (the Hilton Garden Inn was great!) to the people we met on the street and in the malls to the race volunteers, there was nothing but kindness. These happy people made us feel welcome. If you arrive two days early, don't miss the Archaeological Museum near the airport and the Franklin Mountains State Park nearby. Both are worth seeing. You'll learn about the Spanish conquistadors who came through El Paso (named for this pass through the mountains) in the 1500's as well as the many Indians dating from 12,000 years ago to more recent times. You'll have Saturday to take a tour of the cave paintings done by these Indians, dating to thousands of years ago - the best-preserved and oldest in North America. Simply fascinating. However, you must call the park to reserve your spot (entrance is restricted to reservations). Hueco Tanks State Park is also known for its "bouldering" competitions (one happened when we were there), where young, fearless climbers challenge vertical faces of gigantic boulders in this park. Then, if you have time, visit the oldest (1680) Spanish mission in Texas, Yselta Mission, preserved very well and on the way back to El Paso (if you visit Hueco Tanks). And, if you have the energy, there are lots of museums downtown and the Santa Fe bridge to Juarez is an experience in itself. The nearby streets buzz with Mexicans shopping on Sunday afternoon. However, we did not venture into Juarez. Too tired and a bit too dangerous. Now for the marathon. Nice, short-sleeved tech shirt, correctly sized. A very good pasta dinner, reasonably priced: simply spaghetti, with red sauce and a salad. And a chance to meet a new friend with whom I ran. Plenty of water stations that also had Gatorade. Gels given out later in the race. A nice mix of uphills and downhills in the first seven miles; a run through a stylish residential area of New Mexico; and then several miles back along the Rio Grande (just imagine the conquistadors with their curved helmets crossing it). The purple and lime green homes of Juarez across the river added color. A slight uphill over a bridge near the end is not that difficult, although a stiff breeze in the final eight miles was challenging. Michelob beer was available at the end as was food and energy drink. The age bracket prizes were classy Lucite awards and first place finishers received a pair of Spira running shoes, unique with internal metal springs. My only disappointment was that the Tarahumara Indian runners from Creel, Mexico, could not be admitted this year. I was looking forward to running with them. These extraordinary runners don't use conventional running shoes: they run in homemade sandals that they make from auto tires and leather thongs. And they run like the wind. If you're lucky, they will be running with you next year. Only one suggestion: the volunteers handing out the gels should not open them. The contents were quite sticky. Of all the marathons I've run, El Paso was an incredible adventure that I hope to repeat someday. |
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