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Memorial Day Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Memorial Day Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.9 
Organization 3.7 
Spectators 2.6
Number of comments: 37 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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J. T. from Massachussetts
(7/11/2011)
"pretty but a long climb to the finish" (about: 2011)
50+ previous marathons
| 2 Memorial Day Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 For a marathon runner you are given the same support as a 10K, the race lacks the celebration of fun marathons. The start/finish is not set up in a runner friendly way, there is no place to sit under a tent and there were only bagels and bananas at the end. It was a bit of a let down after a hard marathon. There needs to be more Gatorade on the course and aid stations every mile for the last 6 miles. The course is pretty and well marked. Downhill for 6 miles, flat for 14 and uphill for 6.2. I would run it again, because it is close to home, but I wish it was a little more festive. | |
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K. A. from New York City
(7/5/2011)
"Memorial Day HALF MARATHON" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Memorial Day Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have run the Half Marathon of this race day for the past two years. It is a challenging but extremely beautiful course. If you enjoy a country race with magnificent scenery but challenging hills this is the race for you. The day offers a distance for everyone from a 10k to a full marathon. That being said this is not a race for PRs at all. You will however have a terrific time. You receive personalized dog tags as a medal and strong post race support. I have completed 23 full marathons and over 100 half's. This race is one of my favorite running experiences. I highly recommend this for a wonderful weekend away in a stunning setting. | |
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Chris Kubik from Williamsburg, VA
(6/29/2011)
"Tough course, but well-organized and fun" (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Memorial Day Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was a super event. Yes, it was tough, and the hills kicked my butt at the end, but I thought it was very well organized, and very well supported - one of the best I've participated in (4 now). Thank you very much for the great event!! And the dog tag is really a nice, creative memento! | |
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m. k. from NYC
(5/31/2011)
"The Hills are alive with runners" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Memorial Day Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 The second annual Memorial Day Marathon in Lenox, MA. It was a beautiful, scenic run through the towns near the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, MA. As for the race itself, the course is by far the most difficult marathon course I have run in (20 completed). The last 10k is basically a nonstop, unforgiving uphill. This is not a course for PR's or BQ's. If you are a good runner add at least 15 minutes to your time and for slow runners 30+ minutes. I was actually 45 minutes slower than my best. The towns and the scenery are beautiful. Beautiful Mountain views, with streaming lakes and landscaped lawns and breathtaking homes. The course is not blocked from traffic. The side of the road is blocked by cones, as cars drove by cautiously. I encountered no trouble with drivers. The mile markers were easy to see. The day started out very humid and then the sun started to come out making it very hot to run, but many areas were shady. Spectators were few and far between, though it is easy for your family and friends to follow you in their car. The water stops were every 2 miles. Being a hot day this was not good. The water stations need to be every mile after mile 14, and the water & Gatorade need to be kept cool. The hot day warmed up the water filled cups in some spots. It is best to carry your own gels. The organization was great and the start and finish were easily accessible and parking was easy. Most of the runners were for the shorter races. The price was below average with a nice runner's shirt and a unique finisher's medal, some may like it and some may not. It is basically a set of military dog tags, fitting for Memorial Day. One tag is the race name and logo, the other (if you pre registered before May 20) was your name, city and race finished engraved in the tag, similar to an actual dog tag. I liked it, while others might complain about the size. Post race had plenty of food and drinks but mainly bagels, muffins, Gatorade and chips. The organizers even asked for your post race opinions to improve next year's race. If you like to make it a weekend they have great packages at some B&B's in the area in the quaint small towns. There is also a shopping outlet within a few miles. Overall it was a nice small race, the people are great but the course is extremely difficult. | |
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M. A. from Newton Mass
(5/30/2011)
"BEAUTIFUL COURSE, WELL RUN, CHALLENGING" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Memorial Day Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Scenic course on entirely quiet wooded country roads alongside river and lake - last 10 miles very hilly. Support fantastic, with many water stops right up to the end. Run for fun and not for the fast time. Should have real food at the end for famished runners. I will definitely run again. | |
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M. H. from NY, NY
(10/9/2010)
"Beautiful Run through the Berkshires" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Memorial Day Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The inaugural Memorial Day Marathon was an awe-inspiring run through the most beautiful landscape New England has to offer. This race serves as the perfect alternative to other Memorial Day weekend races such as Burlington, VT and Buffalo, NY. Besides having superior scenery and beautiful quaint towns to run through, the organization of the race made everyone feel cared for throughout the race. | |
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G. G. from NYC
(8/30/2010)
"Fun, well run and challenging!" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Memorial Day Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Inaugural races always have me worried... and this was a pleasant surprise! These guys really pulled off a great race. Yes, there were hills, but the course runs through three of the most beautiful towns in New England. This race is sure to improve as the years go on as the organizers seem committed and genuinely to care about the runners. Highly recommended! | |
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K. B. from NY, NY
(7/9/2010)
"Hilly as hell but a beautiful course nonetheless" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Memorial Day Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 Tough course, to say the least - the hills were non-stop, culminating with a pretty bad one at mile 25! But it was a beautiful, scenic course. So if you are not looking for a BQ or a PR, then it could be an enjoyable marathon. I was not prepared for such a course, and when I realized at mile 6 or 7 what I was in for, I just took it easy and enjoyed the run. I had a great day despite my time (the worst/slowest of my 12 marathons). It's a small race with I think about 125 full marathoners and about 225 halfers (you split at about mile 5). The roads are not closed off; there are just cones along the route to guide you, but they are pretty far apart. Cars are driving alongside of you, but its not very busy, so the cars are few and far between. (But they ARE there.) In fact there were several cars with friends/family members of runners following their runner, which is nice since there really are no spectators! Well, very few anyway. There were some locals sitting outside of their house and a few people out doing yard work that would give a shout out as you passed. Some biking groups passed by as well and gave good support. But really, you are alone out there. Since there are so few runners it's possible that there will be a great distance between you and the runner before and after you (especially in the last 5-6 miles) and so you are really alone! But again, scenic course, and if you love running, just enjoy! One major negative: water stops every other mile. That's really bad planning, especially when they ran out at mile 14, and so we went from 12 to 16 without a water stop. The 3 guys at that mile 16 water stop were very loved!!! And I'm sure they heard about the mile 14 fiasco from almost every runner. There was a woman with a wagon full of small water bottles at about mile 17. She seemed like a local and not an official volunteer, but it was great; too bad she wasn't closer to mile 14!! At the finish they had said the mile 14 water situation was quickly resolved but I don't how quickly because it was a turn-around, and when I passed that water table again (like a mile and a half or so later) it was still full of empty water bottles and there were no people there. Some of the last water stops (3 out of 4) had ice, which was great. The water stop people were also great and supportive! Although I heard complaints about the weather being too humid/hot, I didn't find that to be an issue. Many miles are in the shade and it was hot, but not too hot. It's a low-budget race, so don't expect any great give-aways or special effects. The expo was one small tent with about 5 or 6 vendors, and they didn't have course maps. But volunteers were all really nice and helpful. No D-tag; it was old school with a chip that had to be returned and no start mat or mats along the course - just a finish mat. Which is fine, but don't expect to get your splits. I didn't wear my Garmin, but if you want splits or a more precise time, then wear it. The finish was kind of a letdown, but again, it's not a big-city/big-budget race. No real hype at the finish (maybe the halfers had a bigger reception, but by the time I finished, not many people were around). No technical T; instead, we just got a basic, nice, cotton one, which I have worn many times already. Oh, and the medal... uhhhh, not a medal. Dog tags. I'm not a medal junky as many marathoners are, but I still kind of like it to weigh more than a few grams. Oh, one more thing: I only saw mile markers at a few spots. I don't know why some were there and others weren't, but I know I like them at every mile. I know I listed several negatives, but the truth is that I had a great time. I just included those things to let you know what you can expect if you sign up OR for the organizers (if they read these things) to know what they can improve on. I compliment the organizers, as this was their first time doing this. Although there are things to improve on overall, they did a good job and I'm happy that I was part of it! | |
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T. M. from Berkshires
(6/21/2010)
"Beautiful, Challenging, Small, Friendly" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Memorial Day Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I agree with most of the other comments below. It was my first marathon and, considering I live 6 miles from the start and know the roads, I was prepared for what I was getting into. However, those hills became mountains after mile 18! I plan to do this event again next year. It is so cool to have an event like this in my backyard; it pushed me to accomplish something I had previously considered and am now planning my second marathon for the fall. I'm sure the minor glitches will be worked out for next year. I missed many of the mile markers and only knew where I was because of my local knowledge. Second half markers were for the half or 10K. No big deal if you knew you had to add 13 miles to get the correct mileage, but they should have included the full distances too. Gatorade towards the end was a big help in the heat. Porta-johns were a plus too. | |
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K. W. from Massachusetts
(6/7/2010)
"Challenge yourself and run Berkshire" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Memorial Day Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This race is a great challenge for any marathoner looking to test their skills. The course: As others have stated, it is very beautiful, very hilly, and the toughest climbs are in the second half. The organizers were very forthright about the hills and it was evident from the elevation chart that the final miles were to be tough. The hills should not be a surprise to any runner who does their homework. It is a great feeling to conquer those beasts and cross the finish line. Organization: This is a small race (fewer than 150 marathon runners) but the water stations were well-tended and it was good to have real Gatorade, not a gritty, made-from-powder mix. The course was well marked with orange cones (which made for good point-to-point markers on the hills) and the volunteers were fantastic. Parking and packet pick-up were so easy. It was an inaugural run, and kudos to the organizers for doing an excellent job. Weather: The weather threatened to be hot and humid; the organizers gave runners the option to drop to a shorter race (half, 10K, 5K) or to defer for one year - a very classy move. Collectively the weather cooperated, but it could have been an additional challenge. Final notes: Don't expect a PR or a BQ; and I would not recommend it for first-time marathoners. I carried an empty, hand-held water bottle and filled up along the way; the last miles are slow going and it was reassuring to have extra water between stations. You need to carry your own GU, gels, pretzels or energy bars. |
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