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☰
Ocala Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Ocala Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.4 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 2.9
Number of comments: 78 [displaying comments 1 to 11]
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J. D. from FL
(1/21/2013)
"Good hill training" (about: 2013)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Ocala Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This is a great course to run if you are looking to get in some hill training for Boston. There are 2 good sized hills one between mile 18-19 and another after mile 25 right before you turn back in to the mall. I would recommend this race if you are looking for a challenge. There are plenty of flat areas on this course also. My only complaint was the condition of the road in the Turning Hawk housing complex, it needs to be paved, very badly chewed up. This was about 2-3 miles. Overall this was a good peaceful experience running out in the country with the horse farms. Don't forget your watch since there are no digital readouts at the mile markers, except at the half marathon point if you are looking to keep track of your pace. | |
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W. C. from Upstate NY
(1/21/2013)
"Florida isn't completely flat!" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Ocala Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 The course is very pretty, but do not be deceived into thinking it is flat and fast ... it isn't! This marathon has several things that work well: 1.) plenty of aid stations with lots of nutrition options 2.) plenty of porta-lets, 3.) beautiful spanish moss and 4.) fun aerobics workout pre-race. But there are some things that were a bit of a disappointment as well: 1.) No t-shirts at packet pick-up! Really? 2.) Poorly designed course map made it way too challenging to drive the course ahead of time. 3.) no area for a drop bag 4.) incorrectly place mile markers!!! Finally, thankfully I'm not one who needs spectator support, but if you are, this race isn't for you. There were virtually NO spectators any where on the course. | |
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RRRICK Karampatsos from Plant City,FL
(1/26/2012)
"IF you want hlls & fun run this! marathon!" (about: 2012)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Ocala Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Just to add a few extra comments: I have run a marathon in every state -this marathon ranks in the top three with overall effort by the folks who put it together and worked at it! ~ worth the challenge! *author of: HEADING TOWARD THE FINAL FINISH LINE | |
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L. D. from Florida
(2/8/2011)
"Beautiful scenery on a beautiful day!" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Ocala Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Gorgeous weather for the 2011 Ocala Marathon. Mostly rolling hills, some steeper than others. No spectators, but very enthusiastic volunteers at the water stops, which were at every mile, followed by a porta-let. I should say water "buffets," as they were really like a mini convenience store - including Shot Bloks, candy, pretzels, and donuts. The course was extremely well marked - my Garmin registered 26.24, I'm sure due to not being able to use every tangent. I would say great organization except for the confusion on packet pickup - the website stated that all packets were to be picked up on Saturday at the expo, but they allowed pickup on Sunday morning. Would have been nice had they put this on the website, as it created a big snafu for those of us who lived far enough away to not attend the expo, but close enough for to get there early Sunday morning. I did mention this to the assistant RD, and she agreed, saying that it would be fixed for next year. One thing to note: I agree with the previous comment about the traffic. If you're a slower runner, the roads are extremely narrow, and even though there are some cones, cars/trucks get pretty close, and in some spots, I was running on the grass. Didn't care for that in the later miles of the race.... Nice tech shirt and medal, and all in all, a real value! | |
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G. M. from Seattle
(1/25/2011)
"Crisp and scenic" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Ocala Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A cold, frosty 29 to start, and a pleasant 50ish to finish. Aid stations were fabulous with about as many volunteers as runners. Don't normally like double loops but the second time seemed quite different in sunshine as opposed to early-morning frost. Few spectators but they were enthusiastic. Lots of chatting with other runners, which makes for a small but friendly bunch. Pasta feed was great, but they should seat runners together next time. | |
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S. S. from Citrus Springs, FL
(1/24/2011)
"Great event without the crowds." (about: 2011)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Ocala Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 DRC Sports puts on a heck of a race. The course is challenging with constant rolling hills and a few tough, short climbs. The support is good with ample volunteers and a friendly attitude from all involved. This is a race at which to enjoy the scenery and test yourself on something other than a pancake-flat route. It's not for the runner looking for large numbers of spectators; there just aren't many in a rural area. It was a good time and I'll be back for sure. | |
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J. M. from Florida
(2/10/2010)
"Put this on your "must do" list" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Ocala Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 If you consider yourself a real marathoner, you must do this race. This race is truly a hidden jewel! The rolling hills provide legitimate challenge for serious runner/athletes, but it is not necessarily appropriate for the fund-raiser/just-want-to-finish participant. Of the 40-plus marathons I have run, Ocala is at the top in terms of organization and race management support. The water stop volunteers were the best (thanks Hale!). You will be hard-pressed to find a more enthusiastic and supportive group at any race. In response to some of the other posts: of course there were almost no spectators! How many people do you think live on a farm? It is just what most of us would reasonably expect: a beautiful country run past horse farms and extraordinary scenery. | |
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R. M. from Florida
(2/7/2010)
"Great event but wear safety orange" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Ocala Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 In a nutshell, it was well organized and marked, and the water/aid stations were some of the best I've ever seen staffed by exceptionally enthusiastic volunteers. Hills not as bad as I thought. Fans??? I think they must have overslept. I'd recommend this event with ONE exception.... This is not a closed route and traffic can get downright dangerous when afternoon approaches. If your marathon finish time will be over 4 hours, you should wear safety colors and be prepared to dodge traffic. The roads were narrow, I had to deal with lots of speeding cars and many drivers were oblivious to the race going on around them. If the race organizers consider closing at least a lane along the busier portions of the course, I would do this event again. | |
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S. C. from Canada
(2/6/2010)
"A Perfect January Marathon" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 My family came down to Ocala to take in some horse shows. We saw that there was a marathon weekend happening at the same time and decided to participate. The course was as described, with gentle rolling hills and lots of rural horse scenery. A truly perfect way to run 42.2 KM's on a Sunday morning. Volunteers were fantastic. Maybe some PowerAde or Gatorade at aid stations would be welcome. Great horse trophies. I would for sure recommend this as a great small-town marathon. | |
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M. L. from Tampa, Fl
(2/4/2010)
"Small but nice" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Ocala Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 The mid-40 temps with a bit of a breeze, and all the rolling hills with the scenic farms made this marathon enjoyable. As long as you do some hill training, your time and efforts will not suffer. The expo was small but adequate. The overall organization of the event was very good. The only disappointment was the finishing area. There were only bagels, bananas and oranges. Some of the food on the course should have also been at the finish. I do love the t-shirt and the award I received. The volunteers were very enthusiastic. Thanks for a great time. |
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