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New Jersey Marathon Runner Comments

Back to New Jersey Marathon Information & Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.3 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 4.5 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 3.9 
 
 
Number of comments: 464 [displaying comments 161 to 171]
More Comments: [ < 1 .. 15 16 17 18 19 .. 47 > ]

 

K. C. from NJ (5/9/2008)
"Best planned race I have experienced" (about: 2008)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


I have to congratulate you on an excellent race; the planning and organizing that must have gone behind the scenes was incredible, as the event from my perspective was flawless. I have run NYC three times, Disney once, and numerous half marathons in NYC and the UK. LBH was the best run that I have been on. The volunteers were amazing, and there were ample fluid stations, which were well managed and very capable of dealing with the flow of runners coming through. The zip-lock bag of M&M's, etc., was a pleasant surprise as well as the pretzel and fruit. I did miss the tent afterwards, as I met my father and left the area, but I have heard that the layout in the tent was incredible.

Thanks you to you and your team for the wonderful work that you have done. My hat's off to you all. I am proud to have run this event; thank you for the opportunity to run, and I will definitely be back next year.

 

E. C. from Philadelphia, PA (5/8/2008)
"Great day, great race" (about: 2008)

2 previous marathons | 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


A thoroughly enjoyable marathon. The beach-front start and finish were great, and my legs certainly appreciated the flat course. I didn't mind the two-loop course, as it meant I knew exactly what to expect for those crucial final miles. I was thrilled to get a Boston qualifying time (I made it by under a minute)!

The marathon organization was excellent. On the morning of the race, it was nice to be able to relax and stretch inside the hotel while waiting for the race to start. Plenty of porta-potties at the start and during the race and the volunteers were simply wonderful. Great idea to print names on the bibs, and having spectators cheer me on by name really helped. Lots of fluids and food available on the course, and the food at the finish was great too (loved the veggie soup and the chocolate milk!).

My only gripe is that the the marathon expo was a little small, but otherwise everything was great. I definitely recommend this race to others!

 

V. S. from Bridgewater, NJ (5/8/2008)
"A nice, flat course; fans didn't stick around" (about: 2008)

1 previous marathon | 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 3


The weather was actually really nice, and the race was relatively well organized. The course is flat and the volunteers are excellent, cheerful and helpful, but many of the fans checked out after the half marathon. It can be very challenging, psychologically, to run the same loop twice, especially on your first marathon. Many of the fans disappeared after the half, and when you hit the wall at mile 19 and there is nobody to cheer you on, it can be hard to keep up your spirits. Overall, I enjoyed the course and loved the experience of finishing my first race ever.

 

F. M. from The Beautiful Jersey Shore (5/8/2008)
"Fast, flat and a great oceanfront run." (about: 2008)

6-10 previous marathons | 4-5 New Jersey Marathons
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This is a great course. The race director and the volunteers are to be commended. This is the 5th straight year I've run it and every year we've been lucky with the weather.

I miss the old course, but this one allows for more aid stations and easier spectating for my wife and kids - and it doesn't require busing to the start. Maybe it cold be extended a little farther south (to Deal or Allenhurst) and less inland.

There are only a couple things I would change. The main parking area filled up early - but this is already being addresses for next year.

I would like timing mats every couple of miles. There were only two on the course: One at the start/13.1/finish and one at 9.2/22.3 miles (the farthest point southwest). This only allows for some weird split time points. I suppose I could have set it up on my watch, but there is something about seeing it online that makes it official.

The last thing would be to find some way to let the spectators into the post-race tent. My wife waited hours for me, and then I had to abandon her to get some water and a bite. Maybe sell tickets for $5-$10. That could go to supplementing the post-race snacks.

All in all, a great race. I missed my goal time, but I am looking forward to the race next year!

 

G. S. from Princeton, NJ (5/8/2008)
"I am definitely coming back next year" (about: 2008)

1 previous marathon | 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


This was my first half marathon and it was an amazing experience. The event was very well organized, the volunteers and pacers were incredibly friendly and supportive. In most areas the fans were great; there were a few stretched with very few fans. Overall I had a great experience, and I will definitely be coming back again.

 

C. S. from NJ (5/8/2008)
"First Marathon = AWESOME" (about: 2008)

1 previous marathon | 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 3


This was my first marathon and I really enjoyed it. I paced with the 4:15 pacers and I don't have enough words to describe how AWESOME they were!

The course was nice, though some of the turns got tight during the first half with so many people.

I wasn't crazy about the crowd support. I've run half marathons in smaller towns with more crowd support. At one point I was passing by spectators that were doing/saying nothing. *I* encouraged them to start cheering us on!!

The end support was another story though! That was awesome.

The water stations and volunteers were AMAZING! They were perfectly spaced out, and the fact that they were calling out what was in the cup helped too. They were the best water stations I've seen at any race I've done.

It was disappointing to see the clock messed up when watching my family member come in - tried to take a picture of them crossing but the time wrong was wrong.

I'm also sad that the race photos aren't up yet! But that's out of the RD's control.

Overall it was an awesome first experience and I plan to make NJM my annual marathon. The RD kept us well informed all season via email, and there were no hidden surprises.

A well organized race!

(Thanks again, Jack, Dana, Paul and Brett!)

 

t. L. from NJ, USA (5/8/2008)
"Enjoyed the event" (about: 2008)

1 previous marathon | 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


For a first marathon, this was a good one. Very flat course, well organized race, and plenty of fluid and food stations. The race director was extremely prompt with emails. Great medal and hat at the finish. Thanks.

 

J. T. from Edison, NJ (5/8/2008)
"Fast and well-run marathon" (about: 2008)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 3


Very good PR/Boston qualifier. Weather turned out to be perfect. A lot more half-marathoners - which I think helped me keep my pace at a nice clip the first half. Great traffic support from the police. Would have liked more entertainment/sponsors at the end - especially linked to the restaurants and bars at the boardwalk right there. The website needs to be more user-friendly (finding the expo was not easy). LOVED the free train ride from NJ Transit.

 

C. R. from Gaithersburg, MD (5/7/2008)
"Small-town spirit with big-time support" (about: 2008)

2 previous marathons | 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I chose the NJ Marathon based solely upon convenience - I could visit friends and relatives in NJ during the marathon weekend while getting my first spring season marathon experience - and was pleasantly surprised. I appreciated the frequent race director updates and the thorough website information prior to the race. The course was a lot of fun the first time through, but I found that I'm not a big fan of the double-loop course due to the "been there, done that" factor. There was no lack of supporters during either time around, however, and water stops, GU, fruit, and junk food were plentiful. I felt completely safe on the course - traffic control was unbelievably good. This year's weather was absolutely spectacular. I highly recommend this race to anyone who enjoys a flat course and ocean views.

 

M. C. from New Jersey (5/6/2008)
"Excellent Marathon" (about: 2008)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I wasnt expecting this marathon to be anything special, but I was way off. Great organization, nice course, excellent volunteers, and well supporting spectators. I will definitely be back. This is a great spring marathon.

 

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