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☰
Avenue of the Giants Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Avenue of the Giants Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.0 
Spectators 3.2
Number of comments: 69 [displaying comments 51 to 61]
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Shinji Sakai-Egi from Japan
(11/20/2003)
"Get out fast" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was my first, and it was fast in the beginnng. If you are serious about having a good result you need to get out fast and hit the first, only hill, like nothing else. It was a great, beautiful course. | |
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Himanshu Parida from San Jose, CA
(9/19/2003)
"A beautiful course!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The Avenue of the Giants was my first long-distance run. Therefore I have nothing to compare it with, but I had a great time! The course is an out-and-back trail (6.5 miles and back, another ~6.5 miles in another direction and back). It had been raining heavily for a couple of days prior to race day, and luckily the rain abated in time for the race. The organizers did a great job in spite of the rain. The course was beautiful - very scenic and green; the entire half-marathon was under giant redwood trees and ran parallel to the river! Because it was in the middle of the jungle there was hardly any crowd, but the enthusiastic volunteers who cheered you all along more than compensated that. I noticed that many aid stations were missing. The finisher's medal was OK, but the T-shirt, however, was a letdown. Overall, I liked the race and I look forward to the full marathon in 2004 :). Tip: Arrive early on race day so that you'll get some parking space on the road itself, otherwise you'll have to drive down to the river bed to park and walk back up, not the most pleasant experience if it's been raining for a while. | |
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S. R. from Long Beach California
(7/8/2003)
"Incomparable..." (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The Ave. was my eighth marathon and did not disappoint. The scenery, the solitude of running through a cathedral of ancient trees is incomparable. Be sure to carry a camera with you - I took 2 rolls of film on the course! As a slower runner - 5 hour marathon pace - I practically had the second half all to myself. All the better to take in the solitude of this mystical place. I also loved the organization of this intimate race, which truly has a small cult following. I had a nice conversation with Gary Gilchrist, Race Director. The start, finish, and sign-up areas were remarkably laid back. If you want to see some incredible scenery, you don't want to fight the crowds on the course, and you don't need heavy spectator support, then make the pilgrimage to the Ave! | |
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G. M. from Santa Barbara, CA
(5/12/2003)
"Beautiful scenery, great course, well organized" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my fourth marathon and my favorite. The scenic beauty of this course is stunning. The course has some gentle hills and long, very gradual grades but nothing steep or killer. It's well organized and the weather is pleasantly cool. I have no complaints. It's a wonderful all-around experience. Let's see, how about some music at the finish? That's my only suggestion for an already excellent marathon. | |
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R. O. from SF Bay Area, California
(5/6/2003)
"Too beautiful for words, great team" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first marathon and I cannot imagine a more beautiful location. Running on city streets could never compare to running through a Redwood forest. The organization was terrific with many wonderful friendly people. Not too many fans on the course, but those near the finish line were enthusiastic and supportive. I advise getting there early, as parking is slow. A terrific first marathon experience. | |
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M. M. from Chelsea, Michigan
(12/27/2002)
"Spectacular run through God's country" (about: 1997)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 It's a relatively flat course though you're surrounded by mountains...It's actually sea level--you run along the Eel River. It's an out and back on both sides of the river, the race starts at the bridge that connects the two sides. Plenty of portalets. Lots of Goo and water and gatorade. Great weather conditions too. | |
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A Runner from Fair Oaks, CA
(11/17/2002)
"This is a great run" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Well organized through a beautiful course. Well worth the drive from the Bay Area or Sacramento or even farther. | |
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A Runner from San Francisco
(11/12/2002)
"Hills? what hills?" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 After reading a few of the comments posted above I'm still not sure we all ran the same marathon. I placed second in the marathon last year and ran a 15 minute PR in the process. The course is flat and very fast and the only thing that may slow you down is the lack of competition in sub 3 runner range. The first 6.5 miles has a slight and hardly noticeable uphill grade which is perfect to help you hold back in those early miles where you can blow your race if you aren't careful. After the turn you do notice the downhills a bit but again they aren't very steep...the only problem in this part of the course is that its not possible to run the tangent across the road with all the runners coming the other way. At the half way point you lose the help of the half marathoners and if you're close to the front the next 13 miles are likely to be pretty lonely. The second half of the race is pancake flat apart from one freeway overpass which you have to climb about half a mile from the finish...by that point you are either dead or running on adrenaline so either way it shouldn't be a factor. The great thing about this race is that running in a tunnel of trees not only gives you shelter from the elements but it creates an optical illusion that the road is downhill the whole way...this is especially true in the second half of the race where the road tends to be straighter. This is as fast a marathon course as you are going to find, and I've run a few fast ones; Chicago, California International, Napa, Dublin, so don't be put off by tales of hills. | |
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A Runner from Santa Cruz CA
(5/8/2002)
"It was the BEST!" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a great course! Best weather, which helped, great people---a good time all around. | |
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A Runner from Boulder, CO
(5/7/2002)
"Beautiful, fun, challenging race." (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I enjoyed this race. It was very well organized. It's a beautiful course. The people associated with the race were very nice. The runners that this race attracted were great people. In the months leading up to the race, I was so excited about it that I ignored the comments I'd heard about it being a difficult course. I've run on more difficult courses, but this is definitely not a course for a PR if you already run in the 3 hour range. There aren't any huge hills, but 2 factors seem to tire the legs faster than expected. First, the race starts with a 300 foot climb over 6.5 miles. Any fatigue you accumulate in this stage you carry with you the rest of the race. Second, the whole course is extremely rolling in a very subtle pattern which makes it tough at any point in time to know if you are going up or down. As a result it's difficult to know how to adjust your pace to conform to the terrain. So if you want a race that will challenge your legs but console you with beauty this is the one for you. |
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