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Nov 17, 2024

Bay of Fundy International Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Bay of Fundy International Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.5

Organization 4.6

Spectators 4.5

Number of comments: 23 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

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J. Z. from New York, NY (6/27/2019) "A Special Experience - Should Be On Your List" (about: 2019) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Bay of Fundy International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race is a special experience and must do. Two countries, crossing the border twice, light houses, well organized, well stocked, great event. Wonderful fans and communities who embrace the event and you. Shorter distances available including a kids run, and an ultra as an option too, so the weekend should match nearly every runner's preference. Hills weren't as bad as anticipated but do make for a longer day. No real shade so bring extra sunscreen. Views and volunteers pull you through in the last six miles. Border Agents on both sides are fantastic. A must do!
J. Z. from Lake Placid, NY (6/27/2018) "A 'Must-Do' Challenge!" (about: 2018) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Bay of Fundy International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I needed a late spring marathon in the northeast, and this one seemed to be highly enjoyed by past participants so I gave it a shot. What a find! As other commenters have said, it is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Lubec and Campobello Island have stunning coastal views throughout much of the race, and their beauty is only matched by the enthusiasm of their volunteers. The residents seem genuinely grateful for our being there, and they are eager to cheer you on by name. The course itself was particularly challenging for me. I thought that because I train in the Adirondack mountains that the hills wouldn't be that big of a deal, but they are steep and frequent. I'm sure there were other factors, but this added a whopping 40 minutes to my other marathon time. Even with that disappointment though, the people and location made it all worth it. I can't recommend it highly enough.
S. M. from Ohio (6/25/2018) "Spectacular and fun" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race was amazing. The scenery in particular is rustic and spectacular--Lubec and Campobello are hidden gems. I suspect that, in time, this race will become a rather famous pursuit for runners. The hills were tough, but not as brutal as implied in other reviews (coming from someone who trained for this race on relatively flat roads). The course has an array of wonderful sights--villages, coves, marshland, lighthouses, and, of course, the border. The scenery and the camaraderie with other runners helped mitigate the effects of the hills! The most enjoyable aspect of the race was the people. The residents of Lubec and Campobello put on a well-organized race. Plus, everyone greets you with enthusiasm and hospitality. The border agents, on both sides, made the check-in process quick and efficient--and they cheered you on during the race! Truly, the locals made this event special. The runners, too, are very cordial, for it is a rather small race. Runners started introducing themselves in the local school's 'Hoosiers'-style gym, where packet pickup is. There is a very quaint picnic in New Brunswick, where bib pickup is, and more socializing there. The camaraderie continues on the school bus ride to the starting line, during the race, and at the finishing area. This was a great experience!
Suzanne Nelson from New Jersey (11/4/2017) "Great No frills marathon!" (about: 2016) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Bay of Fundy International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Wonderful experience!!! I loved both Canadian and American anthems at the start line. Very well organized. I drove the course the day before and I am glad I did. It prepared me...so Be prepared for HILLS!!! I do not have a lot of hills where I live so training for a hilly marathon wasn't very easy but if you live in a hilly area, this might not be so bad for you. Take my advise, the first 6 miles are a piece of cake and deceiving when you have lots of gas in the tank. I paced myself the whole way as much as I felt I could run much faster, I kept that steady pace and all those people that ran ahead of me, I passed the last 6 miles when you are running hill after hill. So, take it from me. conserve and hold back you will be glad you did come mile 20 and you're running and passing everyone walking. 2016 was a hot sunny day but I am used to running in hot humid weather. Finish was quaint with a hometown feel.The whole town looks forward to this marathon and they are great! The local food was so so. But then again, I'm a picky eater. Finishers shirt and medal were awesome and unique. Listen to all the others and BOOK YOUR ROOM EARLY!! Overall I loved traveling to Maine and saw Bar Harbor and Acadia National park prior to the marathon and made for a spectacular trip!
R. G. from McMinnville, OR (7/19/2017) "Awesome, but be ready for hills and heat" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This is a fun, well-organized race, with lots of hills. It was a hot day for this year's event, which made the 7am start seem later than appropriate, especially given that sunrise occurs around 4:30am. Since morning temperatures can be much cooler (they were on the days leading up to the race), I understand not starting earlier (for the sake of volunteers as well). Packet pickup is an adventure, as you get passport approved and checked off with both Canadian and U.S. border officials. It wasn't at all onerous; everyone was nice throughout the process. Do you want to drive the course in advance? That depends. Some I talked to were glad they hadn't because the hill profile was intimidating even in a car. Others wished they hadn't. Some were glad they did (I was - I can't change what the conditions will be, but at least I can mentally prepare for them). Like many small town races, it was easier to get to know the other runners. I shared drugs (naproxen) with one on the bus ride to the start; another I coached/encouraged as he finished his first marathon. We also enjoyed the small town hospitality; it's clear the residents of Lubec and Campobello Island take pride in this event and look forward to putting it on and supporting the runners. Despite it being a small town, there were lots of people cheering on the runners, even if from their porch high on an overlooking hill. My enjoyment of a marathon doesn't depend much on cheering fans - I enjoy them if they're there and embrace the solitude if they aren't. If big crowds are important to you, small town races generally aren't for you (or at least you might rate the spectators lower). If you're able, give yourself a few days in the region to visit Campobello Island and Acadia National Park (a couple hours to the southwest). Acadia has some 161 hiking trails, plus carriage roads that are great for non-technical trail running. We flew in and out of Boston, so we were able to visit a number of sites along the way. Lubec has great restaurants but not a ton of lodging, so make sure you book early. We were fortunate to book at the Betsy Ross, so our room overlooked the finish line (and the walk to the starting shuttles was about 1/4 mile). The post-race food was awesome (chocolate milk, soup, bananas, bagels, oranges, etc.). The medal was nice. The long sleeve tech shirt design was nice; the actual printed version was heavier than previous years, but otherwise good. Make sure to enjoy some lobster while you're there. Great event
D. R. from Cincinnati, OH (7/4/2017) "Loved this marathon!" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Bay of Fundy International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a small marathon in Lubec, Maine and Canada, but will likely remain one of my favorites. Lots of aid stations and music given the size of this race. Very organized packet and bib pickup as well as transportation to the start and back to the school after the finish. Soup, chocolate milk and chips at the finish. Hand-crafted medals. It was very warm this year, so was more challenging than normal. I highly recommend this marathon.
John Walker from San Diego, California (8/10/2015) "Excellent Cold weather marathon in June" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Bay of Fundy International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 33rd marathon, and it was humbling to end up in the 'medical library' after finishing with a core temperature of 94 degrees. As an MD myself, I am very grateful to the efforts of the attending medical personnel who effectively and rapidly treated my hypothermia with 2 liters of warm iv solution. The organization and volunteers were superb! The severity of my hypothermia was exacerbated by waiting in cold rain for my wife to finish. As it turned out, she had finished her half-marathon race minutes earlier. Attentive, cheerful, thoughtful volunteers were able to find her and reassure our kids who were in the marathon's daycare. I agree with earlier comments. The marathon course was very hilly, the half far less according to my wife. The determination of volunteers and spectators to support runners on a very cold and windy day certainly made up for lack of numbers. Only disappointment was that the marathon website indicated that 'walk-in' tickets could be purchased for the pre-race meal onsite. This did not turn out to be true. We were turned away both at pasta dinner in Lubec and lobster bake in Canada. Would advise buying tickets in advance as it was difficult to find a good pre-marathon dining alternative. Also on the border your cellphone will not reliably work. I could not contact my wife because of this. Even worse, your cell will ping off Canadian towers. ATT charged me for hundreds of dollars in roaming charges even though the phone was in airplane mode when we crossed the border. I would definitely run this marathon again! The course beauty and the warmth of the local Lubec and Campobello Islanders made BFIM a fabulous destination marathon for our family.
M. R. from VA, USA (7/19/2015) "Big Race Amenities w/o the Crowds" (about: 2015) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Bay of Fundy International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Although this was my first marathon, I have run other distance races, including several with 20,000+ runners. This marathon had fewer than 200 runners! I don't think I'll ever run another mega event after this charmer. BFIM was extremely well organized and had great community support. The swag was better and more meaningful than your average race: shirts made in the US by a Maine company out of recycled plastic bottles; medals hand cast from pewter by a local artist (and they can actually be worn as jewelry!); lobster bait bags for your gear; carved pottery trophies (gorgeous trophies) by a local artist for the winners. You felt like a guest welcomed to the town; not just a number. The bibs had our names on them, which in a race this small had the same effect as name tags at a cocktail party people actually referred to you by name. Now some people probably wouldn't like the course because once you're on Campobello Island it really starts to roll a lot (my quads don't usually hurt from hill work but they did from this). However, I still gave the course a 5 for two reasons: 1) it's mentally engaging; 2) having the turn for home from the second light house at mile 16 works really well psychologically I never hit a wall. It was about getting to that turn, and then it all felt downhill from there (even though it was actually uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill, etc!). It was also a very pretty course; and the air in Maine is just brilliant. Support on course was excellent and locals were scattered throughout the course cheering us on. Water and Gatorade were available every 2 miles; while race marshals and paramedics circulated the course on bicycles (there was also a paramedic vehicle patrolling). The only improvement I'd make is to add another bathroom in the stretch before the turn around. Finish line amenities were also really good and clearly runner savvy: hot soup, chocolate milk, fruit, salted snacks, ice cream, and more. I also have to commend the medical team. It was 55 and raining during the race. While perfect for running it also presented a risk of hypothermia and/or dehydration cases and there were several reported. Medical personnel were watching the runners in the recovery area to protect us from our own stupidity. They were quite vigilant about sending people into the medical area set up in the library. I ended up getting some assistance myself and it was a really great medical team. I finished this feeling relieved I didn't have to run it again any time soon, but I also couldn't wait to run it again! Definitely will return in 2016. If you want to feel like a rock star instead of a number, you should run this race too!
S. S. from Dallas, Texas (7/13/2015) "Bay of Fundy 2015" (about: 2015) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 If you are planning on running the Bay of Fundy International Marathon here are a few things you'll need to know: 1. Book your lodging early! (The Eastland Motel was great!) 2. Make sure your passport is current. Bib pickup is on Campobello Island while bag pickup is in Lubec - they do this because you have to get your passport checked at the border. Plan to wait in line on the Roosevelt Bridge going both ways. 3. We had the pasta dinner in Lubec simply because we were staying in Lubec. The other option is a lobster dinner on Campobello. Chose the one that is closer to where you are staying. (One of my friends' name was not on the list for the pasta dinner and was turned away.) 4. The course is HILLY!!!! We had temps in the low 50s, a little rain and overcast skies. The course doesn't offer much shade so we were glad for the clouds. 5. Don't expect to find many restrooms on the course. And if there is one on the opposite side of the road you will NOT be able to use it. (Personally I had a problem with this. I understand the safety aspect but human compassion should kick in at some point.) 6. The spectators were awesome! 7. Cool race shirt with a great design. 8. The area around Lubec and Campobello Island is beautiful! We saw bald eagles, explored the East and West Quoddy lighthouses and visited FDR's Campobello. The people were welcoming and friendly. I'm giving 4 stars for the organization because of the bathroom situation on the course and my friend being turned away from the dinner. Otherwise it was a great race!
C. Y. from Texas (7/4/2015) "No time listed for early starters" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Bay of Fundy International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 The web site stated the course closed in 6 1/2 hours. I looked at the elevation chart before I registered. It is a challenging course and I did not think I could run the marathon in under 6 1/2 hours so I opted for the early start. I was not told until I lined up at the start that the time for early start people would not be counted. We would be given the clock time when we crossed the finish line & would have to figure it out. We did cross over an active mat at the start line, along the way and at the finish line. I did finish in just under 6 1/2 hours but cannot find the clock time on the website anywhere. I do have it on my Garmin. Runners taking the early start who finish in under 6 hours are disqualified so no elite runner will start early just to go home early. At least I have my bib & medal for the 50 state club. There is no reason not to count the time in such a small race. They might get more entries. Runners who crossed the road for any reason were to be disqualified. There was a PortiPotty at the start and the next one I saw on my side of the road was at mile 11. I know they cannot close the roads but traffic was very limited. Volunteers were numerous and fabulous. Spectators were few but enthusiastic. Food and cover at the end were wonderful. The hot broth was greatly appreciated because my last 3 hours or so was in the cold rain. It is a beautiful area but I would not run this again because of the timing issue.

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