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☰
New Jersey Marathon Runner Comments
Back to New Jersey Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 464 [displaying comments 121 to 131]
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D. R. from Philadelphia, PA
(5/6/2009)
"One of the best-organized marathons" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I just have to say that after running 17 marathons, this one is one of the best organized, well managed and most accommodating. Superb volunteers, cooperative police, obliging hotels, supportive fans, and everything was great! | |
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R. S. from Atlanta, GA
(5/5/2009)
"Great race, except for pre- & post-marathon" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Having run marathons both large and small, I think the NJ Marathon stands up fairly well as a quality race. I found the race itself to be virtually flawless: wide running paths, well-marked course, large mile markers and digital clocks, reliable Gatorade and water stations, plenty of porta-johns, very supportive spectators and more. However, my experience before the start & after the finish did not meet my expectations: (1) The shuttle bus system was a good idea, but it required a lot of time-consuming walking in the parking lot & from drop-off to the start, a situation not friendly to older or disabled family members. (2) As I approached the finish line I noticed 3 "finish" banners in the marathon lane and didn't know when I should stop sprinting. Nobody told me to keep going after my feet hit the electronic reader under the first banner, so I did, just in case. (3) After I passed under the third "finish" banner with another electronic reader, someone just handed me a medal. It would have been more upbeat for that person to say congratulations or to smile or to put the medal over my head. (4) Finally, there was no direction or sign to any liquid or solid refreshment for runners-- no water, no food. I wandered a little until I found a table inside a tent with a box of half bananas - wow, very anti-climactic. As a former Jersey girl, I enjoyed returning to the shore and I loved running along the boardwalk for a stretch of the course (X 2 loops). Overall, I found the NJ Marathon to be a fine race, but more attention to the pre- & post-race details is needed. | |
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D. S. from Central NJ
(5/5/2009)
"The first time is always a charm" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I was a first-timer with no expectations, so I will remember finishing, and everything else is a blur... sort of. It's a nicely run race; it's pretty organized. Rain hindered support, but the volunteers, water stations, food on the course and assistance were all top-notch. Absolutely wonderful. And the residents could not be any more supportive. My time was among the bottom for finishers, and I guess if I want food after the race, I need to finish faster. That was my main and chief issue. I just finished a marathon and all they had was the last licks of a soup - not even three spoonfuls. Nothing else. There should be plenty of fuel afterward so I don't have to buy something on the pier. But that will not stop me from saying that this is a well run event, and I would do it again in a heartbeat (at about 40 minutes faster so I can eat!!!). Also, please put port-o-johns in the Monmouth Park parking lot, and organize the buses better. Our bus driver went 25 miles to Rumson and through Red Bank to go 4.5 miles, and we were late. | |
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j. t. from nyc
(5/5/2009)
"Great first race" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 My first race!! Course is VERY flat - as in, 2 slopes that last 0.05 miles. Course is loaded with refreshments: GU, Gatorade, water, Vaseline and wonderful volunteers. Even though it was pouring and we had a 30-minute delay at the start, the course was great. Perfect course for a first-timer; although, as a half-marathon I think it'd be better because the course is desolate in many places the second time around. | |
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M. M. from USA
(5/5/2009)
"Well organized and great support" (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was impressed by the organization of this race from the time I signed up. There were frequent email updates, and the race website answered just about every question you could think of. The race director and his staff were always happy to answer questions, and went WELL out of their way to help some friends with planning the logistics for spectating. He even gave us restaurant suggestions for the weekend! You can't control the weather, but the race staff put on a great event nonetheless. Our friend's child enjoyed the kids' events on Saturday, and the expo was great. I think whether the 2-loop course is a positive or negative is really a personal preference, but I was encouraged to see so many spectators out cheering on the second loop, despite the downpours. The water/snack stops were plentiful and there were tons of volunteers. The finishers' shirt/medal/hat are nice and in a reusable tote bag to boot, which is much more environmentally friendly than a plastic bag. Overall, I have nothing bad to say about this race. If there were one thing on my "wish list" for next year it would be more split times - for the marathon it's nice to see more times than just your half time and finish time. But that's just a "nice-to-have"-- not necessary. Overall, A+. If you are considering doing this one, sign up! You won't regret it. | |
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Pablo Cardoso from Milltown, NJ
(5/4/2009)
"My first marathon!!!!!" (about: 2009)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon. It could not be in a better place. Even though it was raining, that just made the run more challenging. After my 20th mile, I fell 3 times because of hamstrings cramps; but I made it all the way to 26.2 miles to fall in my wife's arms. Great energy and support all the way from the runners, the fluid station people, and the bystanders. Thanks. | |
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B. G. from Fairfield, CT
(5/4/2009)
"Maybe the best organized 'small' marathon" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Very impressive event. Wonderfully organized event with the runners in mind. They do the big thing with perfection and don't waste time or energy on the rest. The course is well marked and supervised. There are plenty of drink stations - all fully manned with enthusiastic volunteers. Great shirts, medals and hats given to all finishers. Even warm veggie soup in a tent to warm up the rain-chilled runners. Oh yeah: nice, flat seaside course. It is a double-loop, but it's interesting enough to see twice. Do you think these guys could take over the organization of NY, DC, LA...? Kudos to all involved. I will be back. | |
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T. M. from Conncecticut
(5/4/2009)
"Great Race for a PR" (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The weather definitely "dampened" things a bit (I've got the blisters on the bottoms of my feet to prove it), but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The course was flat and fast, it was well supported with fluids and fans, and I made my BQ time. Seems like the race is going through some growing pains, with a new remote parking and busing arrangement, but the organizers' reputation suggests that they'll get it perfected for next year. Nice shirt, hat, and medal. Thank you, NJ. | |
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J. T. from Edison, NJ
(5/4/2009)
"Very well done, mid-sized marathon" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 New Jersey Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Great course again - flat and fast. Weather was better than expected, which also helped. The course organization of volunteers and traffic police is awesome. I took a star off because of a delayed start. There were rumors about a late NJ Transit train and bad set-up for the shuttle from Monmouth County Park. Regardless, I took the free NJ Transit train and it is a perfect way to get there (even if it was 15-20 minutes behind schedule). I love the location, with the bars and restaurants at the finish line. The weather at the end was bad, so it dampened the mood, but that's not anyone's fault. I got my first ever BQ - after 8 marathons - so I am biased! Having a double-loop with half-marathoners in the first loop helped me a lot with pace, so I prefer it. | |
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Dotty Maddock from Phoenix, AZ
(5/4/2009)
"Organization Was Inexcusable!" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Where do I start? On the positive side, there were lots of porta-potties on the course! And I enjoyed the course itself, as it varies between some cute "Main Street"-type streets, a ritzy "mansion" area, a nice lake view, and, of course, several miles along the ocean. It was also nice that the host hotel convention center was open for us to stay (get?) warm and dry prior to the race. If I were to do this again, I would take advantage of the "bag drop" (which is really a large room in the oonvention center inside where you leave whatever bag of stuff you have) and take a shower there (for $15). Or stay at the host hotel, if you can afford their prices and the 2-day minimum-stay requirement. Which leads me into the issues.... First, the expo is only open until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, so this was challenging for us, traveling from a distance (I live in Arizona). They do offer a service through Bosco's Buddies for race day pickup (for $25), which I took advantage of "just in case" there were flight delays, etc. The real problem is traffic. I got from Newark to Long Branch in about 50 minutes. Then I spent the next 50 minutes trying to get through the remaining 4 miles to the coast and the expo tents. So I made it there by a little after 5:00 p.m., but was glad I had a back up option arranged. Traffic continued to be an issue the entire time. The expo isn't much, but everyone was friendly and helpful. Now, the race. It is understood that the race director can't control the weather, and in fact I liked the race conditions (cool, slight showers, low wind, cloudy). However, the race director can and should control the buses, start time, and other logistics. I decided to follow the request to use the parking at Manmouth Race Track, where buses were supposed to start transporting us to the starting line at 5:00 a.m. I was there at 4:55 a.m., and was expecting the first bus to be waiting. Just picture hundreds of us waiting out in the dim pre-dawn light with 50-degree weather and light showers... for an HOUR! Inexcusable! The first buses showed up at 5:58 a.m. (about when the LAST bus was supposed to leave the parking lot). Then, wet and shivering, we were dropped off about half a mile from the convention center (near the other parking, which the race director discouraged us from using because it was limited and on the course). There was at least a little time to warm up in the convention center, until I went out again at 7:15 a.m. for the 7:30 a.m. start. I'm deaf, so I couldn't hear the announcements, but apparently something was delaying the start (still busing people from parking?? other traffic issues??). We finally started at 8:00 a.m. - half an hour late in the chilly, wet weather. Again, inexcusable! Like I said, the race itself I enjoyed. It was fun running right by the finish when the half-marathoners split off, as then I could envision my finish the next time around. But the rest of the logistics were poorly managed. Now, post-race. I came out of the finish area and didn't see any food or water. I saw the "info" tent where results were posted, but it was jammed with people trying to get out of the rain. Besides, I had late checkout (1:00 p.m.) at my hotel, and since the race started 30 minutes late, I needed to rush back and get cleaned up and out. To my shock, there was a line over 2 blocks long waiting for the shuttle buses to take you back to the parking lot. So, after running 26.2 miles in those conditions, we were forced to stand in line another 20 minutes with no cover in the rain (which was now coming down more strongly), waiting to get on a bus. I think I started to experience hypothermia! Oh, did I mention that they didn't even give out space blankets for "ecological reasons." If I had known my way around, I would have walked to the parking lot! Again, inexcusable! And the buses were transporting not just runners, but families, strollers, you name it - and some people (spectators) felt they needed two seats so their purse could be "comfortable!" Horrible! THEN, when I left the parking lot, there was a huge traffic jam on the main roads out of town. I mean, bumper-to-bumper, barely moving. I fortunately had some maps along, and discovered a route off the main strip that allowed me to get to my hotel at 1:05 p.m.! The good news is that the hotel was accommodating and I was out of there by 1:25 (record time), and was able to make my flight out of Newark at 4:45 p.m. Bottom line, while I enjoyed the race course itself (and loved not having to wait for a porta-potty on the course), there is no excuse for having buses show up an hour late, having the race start 30 minutes late, and then torturing tired, wet, cold runners by making them stand in line with no cover for at least 20 minutes to get a bus back to their cars. I would NOT recommend doing this one, unless you have the money and time to stay at the host hotel, or are greedy and ignore the request of the race director to park where he'd like you to. And build LOTS of extra time into your itinerary for traffic! |
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