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☰
Pittsburgh Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Pittsburgh Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.6 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 4.6
Number of comments: 228 [displaying comments 141 to 151]
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C. L. from Washington, DC
(5/4/2010)
"Has great potential..." (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 First off, the course was great - it showcases the city and the climbs really aren't that bad, especially considering the location. There was a lot of crowd support despite the horrible weather and lots of on-course support too. The expo was great and we got a lot of nice stuff for the entry fee. However, they really need some help in organization of the start/finish areas. The start was a zoo, and I was weaving through walkers for the first 5 miles. If you are going to walk, stay to the side, or better yet, use the walker start (one hour earlier). And don't walk 5-people across! So, next year, use corrals and a wave start. Also, the finish area: where was the food? I think it was farther down the road, but, I saw the chance to turn left and escape the crowd, so I did that. The only other complaint is about the road closures. Not all of this is the race's fault or anything they can control - Pittsburgh, especially downtown, is really a mess with tons of construction closures (even on ramps to the highways) and detours. It was very difficult for people to try to follow me on the course because of this, and the fact that when they would block off a street (for the race) they would block it off several blocks away, and then again right before the actual course. SO, if you are from out of town, trying to follow runners is almost impossible. Overall, a great course, and great support from the city and its residents, but I think this year it was a case of growing too fast, too soon. A wave start and better directions for spectators from out of town would do tons to improve the experience! | |
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f. b. from Shippensburg, PA
(5/4/2010)
"fantastical" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Pittsburgh Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Race organizers did another wonderful job. Thank you. I started running this marathon when the start line was at the zoo; there have been many changes and significant improvements since then. Thanks too for the crowd support despite the rain. | |
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C. M. from Pittsburgh
(5/3/2010)
"Pittsburgh now a big marathon" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Pittsburgh Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Pittsburgh has now stepped into the second tier in terms of size. Granted, it's not New York- or Chicago-big, but it's much larger than most. Over 16,000 people run all of the different races put together, with 4,011 for 26.2. That's a problem of sorts when you have half, relay, and full all in a three-block area to start the race. I understand the photo-op, but the start was too congested. The course is hilly, and you do cross four bridges. The weather was tough - very humid, and rain for most of the day. The medical staff was awesome! They were all over the place. The water stops were so numerous that there were too many! The finishing chute was far too congested as well. The planners should consider re-routing to Point State Park. The food after the race was in good supply. The sponsors were well represented and should be proud. The finishing medals are nice and very solid. The expo was very informative and large. The spectators were sparse on such a poor weather day, but the ones who showed up were great. Oranges in Shadyside, water in Homewood from two cute little kids, candy, etc... the people of Pittsburgh were very nice. Overall, well done Pittsburgh! | |
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C. V. from Pittsburgh, PA
(5/3/2010)
"Great Fans, Scenic Course" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 The fans at this marathon could not have been better. There were so many bands, DJs, cheering squads, marching bands, and even volunteers handing out water who weren't associated with the marathon. It was pouring rain, but there were still so many people out all offering support. I was pretty impressed with the course as well. It was a very good tour of a lot of Pittsburgh, and it managed to avoid a lot of the steep grades that are all over Pittsburgh. That being said... it is still a very hilly marathon, and you must come prepared. The only part of the course I would complain about were the relay exchanges... they took up a lot of space and were very chaotic, which was distracting. Although the organizers made a huge effort, I believe there are many things that could be improved. First, 16,000 runners were way too many... the crowd was really tight until the half marathon split off. Second, I think the relay should be eliminated... it really detracted from my experience between the exchanges, and people around me constantly not running at a similar pace. Third, there were nowhere nearly enough porta potties at the start. Fourth, a lot of things - like packer pickup and gear check - were not clearly marked, and none of the volunteers we asked had any idea where these things were either. | |
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M. M. from Virginia Beach, VA
(5/3/2010)
"Great organization and great fans!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Pittsburgh Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 There is a reason why Pittsburgh is known as the City of Champion: it is their spirit. It is obvious that the race organizers take pride in their work, as this was a first-class event. They mobilize a team of volunteers that is second to none. Race day was a great experience due to the fans, bands, and cheerleaders; and it was raining! There were water stops, music and fans for 26.2 miles. The expo was big-city. A sincere thank you to the volunteers and sponsors. | |
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R. V. from Pittsburgh, PA
(5/3/2010)
"Great race, but some problems." (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I ran the five-person relay in 2010. The course was great, but the timing system somehow malfunctioned, as it didn't register our last runner finishing. Due to that, none of us can view our times. Also, there were shuttle buses from the relay points back to the starting line, but there was an hour or more of a wait at every point. It took less time for me to walk the 3 miles back to the start than it would have taken to wait and ride. Overall, the fans were amazing though - there were plenty of people even though there was a steady rain for the entire race. | |
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C. D. from Charlotte, NC
(5/3/2010)
"First-Time Marathoner" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Having been from western PA, I knew it could be a challenging first marathon, but I was very impressed with the route and it was challenging - mostly Forbes Ave., the rest being pretty flat. Miles 22-24 were downhill- a blessing!!! It was awesome to see the different parts of Pittsburgh close up and crowd support was incredible, especially since it rained from miles 2-23!! The water/Gatorade stands were plentiful and overall it was a great first marathon! Also, I must add that the free technical T's and medals were awesome, considering many participants from the previous year said they were rough-looking! I would recommend this race! | |
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G. G. from Pennsylvania
(5/3/2010)
"Great marathon on a very tough course" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The course is visually beautiful, over rivers and bridges, through a skyscraper-filled downtown, old and new neighborhoods with interesting architecture, and small enclaves that came out to cheer even under a steady rain. The organization was superb and the start area was the most composed and stress-free I've seen, with no one crushing toward the front even with voluntary corrals and a field that stretched hundred of yards. There were also plenty of easily accessible potties near the start right up to the gun. The course is as tough as the Flying Pig's, with over 1,000 feet of uphill running. Only about 1% of the field (55 of 5,000) was under three hours; 2% is typical for a tough but fair course, with fast courses having about 3 to 4% under three hours. | |
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V. V. from Virginia, USA
(5/3/2010)
"Amazing experience and well organized" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I was extremely pleased with the overall organization and crowd support. The volunteers did an amazing job given the fact that it was raining almost all the time during the race. As much I hate running in rain, I was surprised to see that I really enjoyed the rain and it also helped with keeping my heart rate in check. I shaved 22 minutes off of my PR, and what else could I ask for? The Gatorade and water stops were plentiful and probably the best of all five marathons I've run. The course, though hilly, was very well organized. Every mile was clearly marked and it was good to see the mile markers spray-painted on the road. They organizers did a pretty good job with the finish festival, even with the rain. Good job and thank you for putting together a wonderful race experience!!! | |
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K. R. from Ohio
(5/3/2010)
"Fantastic race!" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was a wonderful race despite the rain. The course was relatively flat, crowd support was terrific, and there were more water stops than I can count. Post-race was a bit challenging and could be improved if things were spread out. Overall, a great race. I recommend it and will do it again! |
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