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Vermont City Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Vermont City Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 4.7
Number of comments: 303 [displaying comments 261 to 271]
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R. B. from Orlando, FL
(5/29/2003)
"Wonderful marathon experience!!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, so I don't have much to compare it to. That said, I would guess it will be a long time before I have a better marathon experience than the one I had at Burlington. Crowd support was awesome! I had my name on my shirt, and it seemed like thousands of people cheered for me by name. There were people along the way handing out apple pieces, pretzels, vaseline, and water between 'official' water stops. My only suggestion would be more porta-potties along the way (on the connector road, lots of people were having to 'go' beside the road), and in the first 8-9 miles there were not enough water stops. For me was not much of an issue, since I carried my 'Fuel Belt', but if I hadn't had it, I would definitely have been short on hydration. The whole city comes out to support this one. The Taiko drummers were phenomenal. The cloverleaf route is great for having spectators see you often, though could be perceived by some as a downside. | |
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J. C. from Great Lakes
(5/29/2003)
"Burlington supports this race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The City of Burlington really supports this race. The out-and-back from miles 3-9 isn't bad, as it's early in the race and you get to see all the other runners. This is not a particularly fast course, as there are a few rolling hills and some tight turns, but there's nothing severe. The hill at mile 15 isn't as bad as I expected. It added about 15 seconds to that mile's split for me. The size of this race is about right. There are plenty of runners around, but not so many that it's a logistical problem. The free parking downtown was ample. The spectators were concentrated in a few areas so there were stretches that were kind of lonely, but the Church Street area and the Battery Park area, especially the finish, were quite loud. A very good marathon and one that I'd recommend to anybody. The city really embraces this race with many of its inhabitants participating in the relay. | |
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D. K. from Gilbertsville, PA
(5/29/2003)
"Great city and race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I met my projected time goal, so maybe I'm a little biased. But, I did love the way the course looped back into town three of four times. It was a shot of energy and a chance to see your friends/family and all the fans. The drums on the hill were awesome, and the hill itself was pretty easy. I will agree that the 2-mile stretch along the road after the hill was tight, but let's face it: they can't shut the whole city down. The finish in Waterfront Park was great. All of the wonderful volunteers made for an easy time at the water stops. Burlington is really a beautiful mid-sized city, and the whole weekend up there was a blast. | |
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S. J. from Nyack, New York
(5/28/2003)
"It was GREATTT....but" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Yes, I agree it is a great small marathon, but it is not without some negatives. Mile 15-18 was on a road that had cars going in the other direction, which was somewhat of a distraction at that point in the race. Also, there were about as many relay runners out there as marathoners, so if you are like me and want to see many people share in your pain around mile 25, those relay zoomers definitely don't help. The beer stop at mile 25, however, was a great help. Also, for those coming from New York: it's about six hours away, and not the four hours that one may have been expecting when they signed up in December. But, Burlington is a super, small town!! | |
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K. O. from Boston, Massachusetts
(5/28/2003)
"A fun race for the laid-back marathoner" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 VCM is a fun marathon. I had done NYC in 2002 and this was a great change of pace. Much more laid-back runners who were there to enjoy the entire marathon experience. The crowds were terrific - though sparse in some stretches of the course. The run has some nice rolling hills and gives you a good taste of Burlington. The services and volunteers were fantastic as well, providing everything from Gatorade and food, to sunscreen. Only draw back was the running on roads with traffic (especially in the later part of the race - after the Battery Park Hill). Aside from that, I would strongly recommend this race and hopefully will be back to do it again in the future. | |
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Dave D. from Boston, MA
(5/28/2003)
"Perfect smaller marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you're tired of all the hoopla and pricey marathons (Chicago, NYC, Boston, etc.), this one is perfect. Great course - some rolling hills and mostly downhill the last 9 miles. You 'cloverleaf' in and out of Burlington, and it makes for a perfect run. The support and volunteers are great too. I'm definitely going back. | |
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M. A. from Connecticut
(5/27/2003)
"Great experience for a first-time marathoner" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and it was one of the best experiences ever. It is definitely a great marathon to do for your first one. Everybody is real supportive. Burlington is a great place to visit and it is a great long weekend. The big hill is not so bad, and the support really helps you get up it. I loved all of the drums throughout the marathon. I felt, though, that there was not enough water early on. The weather was beautiful and the sights were gorgeous. The connector part was not even that bad because you got to see all of the runners both ways. I would definitely recommend this marathon to anyone who is considering it. | |
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C. F. from Philadelphia, PA
(5/27/2003)
"Awesome!!!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I am glad it was. Burlington is a great city. The spectators were great. They helped keep the momentum. The music group around mile 6 was great. So were the drums right before the hill at mile 15. There were also other spots where spectators were playing music. Loved it! It was a great motivator. The views of the lake...unbelievable. Being that this was my first marathon I had concerns about water stops and support. Both were great. I will definitely run this one again. The hill at mile 15 wasn't as bad as some of the reviews I read made it seem. | |
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Anthony Ubriaco from Watertown, NY USA
(5/16/2003)
"Overall an awesome experience" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've run Vermont Cities twice, and those are the only marathons I have entered so far. The only thing I can compare the event to is the Utica Boilermaker. The organization is on par with the Boilermaker. The crowds aren't quite as big, but very enthusiastic. | |
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r. s. from hatfield,pa
(2/11/2003)
"this one is worth the trip guys/gals" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 have run this beauty last four years, coming for my fifth. every year has been different, but rewarding. course is better now that the connector length is not as long. gets a little lonely out there on the open highway. fan support is great at most every place you need them. i say the hawthorne suites is the best hotel out there. i don't like to be so close to the start that i can't enjoy the amenities that this place has to offer. besides, some of you runners have no manners at those close hotels. check out hawthorne suites in winooski, worth it. driving 350 miles from philly, worth it. breaking 3:20 this year, priceless. i don't care about the t-shirts, that is no reason to run. medals are metal-memories of surviving 9000 strides. proud to have 4 vcm medals on the wall, don't care what color they fill it with this year, they do a good job in providing a first class marathon. nice to see vermonters out to cheer us all on. |
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