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Veterans Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Veterans Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.8 
Spectators 4.0
Number of comments: 65 [displaying comments 31 to 41]
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Charlie Ross from Michigan, USA
(11/13/2011)
"Recommend this marathon" (about: 2011)
50+ previous marathons
| 2 Veterans Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run this marathon twice.. In 2009 and 2011.. I ran it yesterday (11-12-2011) and it was my 80th overall marathon.. A rave course and 10+ organization. | |
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J. E. from IN
(11/13/2011)
"Wonderful, small marathon" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Veterans Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Ran this race for the second year in a row and enjoyed it immensely. The organizers really put the runners first. The course is a joy, a tour of rural Indiana. It was also a wonderful way to honor America's Veterans. There were two officers from Ft. Campbell, KY who took an early start and walked the entire marathon course in full ACU uniforms, plus loaded packs. They got a lot of love and persevered. They were an inspiration. Aid stations were well-prepared and well-spaced. Course was basically flat with a few rollers in the 2nd half. I heard some runners complaining about the 'hills'...they have not seen hills...these were modest inclines, when they existed. Highly recommend this race...it's a winner. | |
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P. S. from Chicago
(11/12/2011)
"Outstanding Race" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Veterans Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My experience with this race very much matched the many positive comments below. The race is well organized, the spectators, though sparse, are extremely friendly and supportive, and the course is a pleasant tour of rural Indiana. It is rolling throughout, but nothing too tough. And there is something to be said for the low stress of a small race. I showed up 25 minutes before the race and had plenty of time to pick up my packet and go to the bathroom. If you are looking for a small marathon in a rural setting, it is hard to imagine there is a better one out there. | |
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Justin Gillette from Goshen, IN
(10/31/2011)
"Great organization, a runners course." (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 2 Veterans Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have won this marathon the first 2 years and found the course to be easier then what people believe. The first year I ran conservative thinking there would be large hills to tackle, sure there are some bumps in the road, but nothing major. The second year I ran 2:32 just by knowing the hills are not a big deal. Nearly 20% of the field qualifies for Boston, which is high for a small-town marathon. The awards are custom made and honor the military, the course has good crowd support and a variety of terrian. I would suggest this marathon and half marathon to anyone looking for a small-town race. Eating a local diner afterwards only adds to the experience. Justin Gillette | |
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J. A. from Fort Wayne Indiana
(12/29/2010)
"Small-Town, Heartland Americana" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Veterans Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you want small-town Americana, where people say, "Good morning" when they pass you on the street, then this is the race for you. The weather was perfect the course was great. I needed a race to help me get ready for the HUFF 50K ULTRA trail marathon in December. The temperatures in the late fall are always hard to prepare for. Though, I knew I couldn't wear the new, great, fleece Veteran's Marathon jacket. No lines for packet pickup on race day. When I registered on line with a credit card I had no problems. What a great deal this marathon is for $55.00. I switched to a long-sleeve winter shirt with a new Veteran's Marathon headband that I bought from Mama Bird. I was surprised that Gary Bird remembered me from the first year. As race director, he put on a great race. The porta-potties had lines about 5- to 10-deep but the wait was less than 5 minutes. The local church and city hall bathrooms were open too. I still was shaking and got nervous and teary-eyed when they sang the national anthem at the start of the race. You can't help but well up at this race if you have an ounce of patriotism in you. I even got a couple of dollars discounted for being a veteran and they put "ARMY" on my bib. There were American flags everywhere and everything else was red, white, and blue. The local high school band played music with the VFW, and Boy Scouts were honor guards. Breakfast was available, or warm drinks in the morning for a small, good will donation. Small-town America at its finest. BOOM - off goes the honest to goodness, big cannon, and we start the race. We ran under some huge flag the firemen hung across the road. I started out with an ad hoc 8:30 pace group. We headed east from the town. The course is really flat, especially the first half. Seven water stops on the first half. The Columbia City girls' cross-country team blew by us like we were standing still. They were 13th in the state meet a couple of weeks earlier. There were red, white and blue stripes across the road at the mile markers and signs with the sponsors' logos. All throughout the countryside, people came out from their farmhouses and really supported the race. Those spectators were very enthusiastic and supportive. They yelled, clapped, waved flags, played music, made signs, and rang cowbells. The first half just went by really quickly; it didn't seem like almost two hours. It was great coming back to the town square. People cheered for the runners all throughout the town. It was very inspirational. I dropped off my headband and gloves and headed back out into the country now west of town for the second half. Then the race got lonely. There were about half as many runners because the halfers had finished and the runners who were left had all strung out. The second half was flat, too. It had warmed up and became a beautiful fall day, which was a lot different from the cool first half of the race. With most of the corn and soybeans already harvested, and the leaves fallen off of the trees, you could see for miles on either side of you. Then about mile 16, I saw the leaders coming back at me. The kept telling me, "Good job" and "Keep at it." It's great that these guys were inspiring me. The GU at the mile 17 water stop really helped. For the next mile we ran on a soft gravel road that was easy on the feet, then over a couple of small, rolling hills. It seemed about half of the people running were not from Indiana. I caught up with one of the guys who was cramping up, but there was no way he could D.N.F. - his extended family was out their supporting him all the way. He was hurting bad but because of his support team he was not going to stop. It's easy for support people and spectators to get around the course. On the lonely country roads, it's a must to run with someone for the last 10K. You pick each other up so youll both run faster. With two miles to go we passed a guy who was doing his 99th marathon. He had bib #99. I think the race director will bend over backwards to help anyone out. Just past mile marker 23 we made the last turn toward town. I could see the courthouse dome on top of a hill off in the distance. Finishing in front of the courthouse was great. Miss Whitley County put my medal on. There was plenty of good food at the finish: bananas, oranges, cookies, pretzels, Gatorade, chocolate milk - everything you could imagine. They still had hot food too. At the finish I ran into other people I had finished with the year before. It was a great end to a marathon. I had to sit for a while and no one cared. They just took off my chip and let me sit for a few minutes - not like another Indiana marathon, where the ushers push you off of the football field grass when you finish. I'm sure next year I can improve by a few minutes more and qualify for Boston. If you want small-town, heartland Americana, where people are courteous and kind, and say, "Good morning," when they pass you on the street, then this is the race for you. The whole town did a great job. I'm looking forward to doing it again next year. This is must-do Indiana race. - Joe A. | |
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n. e. from hickory Hills, IL
(11/30/2010)
"Wonderful, intimate race!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Veterans Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Running this race based on the positive comments from 2009 inaugural race, I was not disappointed. The day was weather-perfect, the people were a great source of support, and the water stations were plentiful. I could have done without the hills in the second half, but they were still manageable. Running only big marathons, I loved the small marathon. There is something great about being able to park a block away - no hassle. I would encourage all to give this a try. Way to go, volunteers and organizers!!! | |
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M. K. from IN
(11/23/2010)
"Overall a good experience" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Veterans Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I agree the course is not flat, especially the second half. It got lonely out there with so few marathoners but the runners were all friendly and the few spectators were great. I finished around 4.5 hours so I know I'm not fast by any means, but by the time I went to get the hot food, it was all gone (except some sausage - I'm vegetarian). That was very disappointing. Luckily I'd packed food in my car. Loved being able to pick up my packet the morning of the race, getting to use real bathrooms, parking so close, etc. Water/Gatorade/GU stops/volunteers were great though maybe make their locations on the map more clear (or have a list with more exact locations, e.g., mile 11.5, 13.5, etc.). I started the race with arm warmers but took them off around mile 7. A mile or so later I saw a guy on the side of the road and asked him to put them in my gear bag - and he did! How awesome - thank you! All in all, I enjoyed doing the 26.2-mile race on my 26th birthday! ;) | |
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M. b. from Indiana
(11/23/2010)
"great race!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a great race for the minimum price! Pros: I parked 2 blocks away (actually on the marathon course so I could drop my jacket halfway through) and runners could wait in the very warm City Hall building until just before the race. Packet pickup was quick and efficient and the volunteers were super friendly. The marathon course goes (literally) inches from the finish line for the half, which I would usually consider a con, but in this case it worked out well since I ended up doing the half due to a sprained ankle (not incurred on the course!). However, each marathoner who passed the halfway point had his or her name called out by the announcer with clapping and cheering from the crowd, so it would have worked well either way. Cons: They ran out of my size of the fleece, but that's not really a con since I received it in the mail just 8 days after the race. I will definitely be back next year (to finally complete the full :)). | |
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G. B. from Jackson Michigan USA
(11/22/2010)
"Great, Middle America, small-town race" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a very well run race; everything was organized and went off perfectly. The weather can be very iffy this time of year, but we totally lucked out: it was a beautiful day. I thought with only 300 full marathoners I might be lonesome out there, but I was always seeing someone (usually as they passed me). The rural roads and cornfields are where I train, and the course was beautiful. The spectators were all nice and everyone in the whole town seemed to be friendly. The shower at the YMCA afterward was great! Depending on my schedule I would certainly do this one again. Thanks! | |
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M. G. from AZ
(11/20/2010)
"Small-town charm all the way" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Veterans Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Friendly from beginning to end - packet pick up a breeze, priced right, long-sleeve fleece shirt, race started on time, course well marked, plenty of aid stations, very friendly volunteers, superb post-race amenities (soup, hot breakfast, goodies, etc). Some rollers but nothing too tough. Highly recommended. |
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