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Marine Corps Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Marine Corps Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 3.9 
Spectators 4.6
Number of comments: 937 [displaying comments 871 to 881]
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A Runner from Atlanta, GA
(10/31/2001)
"Tweak it for Perfection" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The spectators were great as they cheered us on through much of the scenic course, including the new segment in Rock Creek Park. In agreement with other comments, the course can get 5 stars by eliminating the Pentagon parking lot loops. The Marines did a great job in all areas, including the Expo, aid stations, and start/finish. The Marines can get those 5 stars in organization with a little tweaking. Consolidate packet/t-shirt pick-up, chip verification, trouble shooting, and the Marine Marathon Store, while segregating from the Expo vendors. The Marines handled the masses at the finish line most efficiently, but traffic flow needs improvement. As runner traffic flow was one-way, one could not go back for more food or water. It was also difficult to maneuver around the spectators. Finish area layout map not withstanding, the tents need to be clearly marked. Much time was wasted looking for the baggage tent. Race results were comprehensive and posted in real time. The race program indicated that the results of the top 2,500 men and 2,500 women would appear in the Washington Post, but only 1,225 male and 1,264 female results were actually posted. (And there were nearly 50% more male than female finishers.) Take these comments into consideration, earn those 5 stars, and next time I hope to enjoy a nearly perfect Marine Corps Marathon! Great job, Marines, you did us proud!! | |
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A Runner from the Midwest
(10/31/2001)
"Did not meet expectations" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 I ran this marathon in 2001. Had high expectations - heard good things and figured there would be extra meaning in 2001. It was a good race, not a great race which led to my disappointment. Problems started with packet pick-up at the Hyatt Regency. Why is that marathon HQ? It's not near the metro, it's not near the race course, it's not in central DC and it definitely does not have large enough expo facilities. Had to wait over an hour outside in chilly temps to get to packet pickup. Terrible expo - it was in what seemed like a series of boiler rooms for the hotel. At one point you find yourself in the parking garage - not kidding. I found later packet did not include either saftey pins or the clothes bag. Race start was well done. I was brought to tears by the Navy Chaplin and the singing of the Anthem. Course was only ok because we spent so much time in the Pentagon parking lots. Over a quarter of the race is run over, under, around, between and through Pentagon access roads. Didn't really ever see much of the monuments on the mall. Improve packet pick-up with a new and larger expo location and try to do only one loop of the Pentagon instead of three and this could be a fine race. | |
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A Runner from Charlotte, NC
(10/31/2001)
"MCM keeps getting better" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 9th MCM and I believe that each year it gets a little better. I liked the fact that Rock Creek Park replaced Haines Point but I understand that it might go back next year. Everyone can be proud of our Marines who treat everyone with such respect. Course was great, shirt was great and keeping the Pentagon on the course really brought everything into perspective. Will be back next year and years to come! | |
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A Runner from Texas
(10/31/2001)
"Great first marathon" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I didn't think the spectators would help that much but I ran with a smile for much of the race, I enjoyed it so much. Next time I'll put my name on my shirt and it will be even better! If I needed a boost all I had to do was raise my hands and I got a great response. I'm still on a high about the race. I hit a comfortable stride early and was able to maintain it the whole way. I'm glad I ran a lot of hills in training so the final hill wasn't an issue for me, but it was there. I didn't like the finish on the loop as you couldn't see the finish line until you were almost right there, but I understand the Iwo Jima attraction. I can see how the first few miles would be boring except that going by the Pentagon crash site was pretty emotional. Georgetown was a blast. Rock Creek was scenic. By the time I hit the monuments I was focused on the running and didn't pay that much attention to them. Maybe I got lucky on organization. I also have nothing to compare it to as my last organized race was as a high school soph over 20 years ago. I couldn't get to the packet pickup until 6pm Sat and the lines were almost nil, but the expo looked poorly laid out. At the race, I found a map to the baggage tent, so getting there an hour early was easily enough time. Short john lines, and nearby bushes for right before the race. Good water stops, though one caught me by surprise (unmarked?). I finished under 4 hours so there was plenty left, I'd have hated to have missed one even though the weather was cool (perfect for me). A couple times they had someone calling out times but not at mile markers...about 1/8 mile before 25, for example, which was disconcerting especially at that point. Post-race was smooth too, though a little crowded coming out of the food tent. They should have flipped the baggage tent entrance as there was some crowd-fighting to get around to it. I don't know how people were able to find friends/family afterwards, I heard the meeting areas didn't exist. I was on my own so after I ate, drank and recovered, I just hung around and got some pictures and cheered some other finishers on. | |
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pat from Charlotte, NC
(10/30/2001)
"Start and Finish poorly organized" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 The course was great and had a good cross section of Washington. Weather was perfect for running!!! Seeing the Pentegon brought chills and tears. There was too much chaos at the start and finish areas---not well marked. Tents for bags were poorly organized and chaotic. The finish was way too crowded for runners to grab water and get out of the crowd. Keep spectators at a further distance so runners can make their way through. Weren't as many spectators as I had thought there would be. | |
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radar from Alabama
(10/30/2001)
"Great Race" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Once again a great race. It was not as smooth as last year but with 9-11 and the security I just want to thank the Marines for not cancelling this race. My one complaint is that the spectators trying to find their runners made it impossible to get to the baggage tent. They were awesome out on the course, so I'm not too mad at them. Thanks to the Navy Corpsmen too. Great course no more Hains Point!!!!! Semper Fidelis see everyone next year. | |
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A Runner from burnsville minnesota
(10/30/2001)
"great marathon, must do" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 25th marathon and I am glad I chose the Marine Corps Marathon. The marine's did an excellent job considering all the security concerns. I was never so proud to be an American and proud of our armed serviced as I was on that day. God bless america and thank god we have the Marine Corps Marathon | |
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A Runner from NYC
(10/30/2001)
"Fabulous Fans----Gatorade needs to sponsor it!" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I wasn't a big fan of Ultima at the aid stations. It was fine up until mile 18 when I needed a gatorade and the sugar to help me through the last few miles. Good thing the fans were so helpful, I got a bottle from a spectator! | |
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A Runner from McLean, Va.
(10/30/2001)
"Great course; mediocre organization" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 The beauty of the course and the enthusiasm of the fans make this a very good marathon. But as someone who has run both this race and Big Sur twice, I find this marathon somewhat disappointing. The organization leaves a lot to be desired. To begin with, the registration process was a nightmare. This alone will deter me from running the marine corps again. No marathon is good enough to justify that much hassle. I found the volunteers at Big Sur to be extremely welcoming and helpful. In contrast, the marines tended to be stiff and rather distant. The process for checking and retrieving bags was a mess. One of the mile markers (9) was misplaced by almost half a mile. The markers themselves were rather small and sometimes hard to locate. The marines did not provide containers for the post-race meal so that exhausted runners were walking around with full hands (and often dropping their food.) The post-race scene was mass confusion and the marines were not particularly helpful in steering people to the right places. It took me the longest time to locate the tent where the bags were, and I came across lots of people who were encountering enormous difficulties locating their families. Although running this race is a stirring experience, there are lots of flaws here that one would not expect of a great marathon. I will continue to run Big Sur every spring as long as my body holds up, but for the future I will find another marathon to run for the fall. | |
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A Runner from Washington, DC
(10/30/2001)
"What a great experience!" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon. What a great first it was! Although there were a few minor problems, like no water in Rock Creek Park, and few toilets toward the end of the race, this was amazing! The marines that passed out water and lined the course were polite, friendly, and full of pep. Those cheers and nudges they gave really helped a lot of the runners continue on. The crowd, too, was fantastic! Although I am sore today, it was worth every minute! |
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