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Buffalo Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Buffalo Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 3.8 
Spectators 3.3
Number of comments: 315 [displaying comments 191 to 201]
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D. J. from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
(6/2/2006)
"This is a fast flat course!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Buffalo Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 First a few comments about what others have said. First, I am happy that I found no rodents in my car prior to the race. Second, this course is pancake flat, by far the flatest of my 14 marathons. This is a PR course as long as you don't need crowd support. I don't. First the good: 1) Great prerace pasta party. Free for runners and $5 for guests. My family and I (three kids and wife) ate for $8.00 and it was really good. Even if I don't run Buffalo next year, I may come up (from Pittsburgh) for the cheap (and tasty) eats. 2) Very fast course. Unfortunately, the heat eliminated the possibility of running fast this year. I suggest that Buffalo move the race to early May. 3) Nice small race which I like. 4) Stay in the Hampton Inn which provides free breakfast and has nice pool for the kids (mine are 5,8,10). 5) Close to Niagara. Good for family time before and after the race. Now the bad: 1) Traffic control was not good. Some guy in front of me almost got nailed by a car that the police officer failed to stop. They need better controls in place to handle this. I finished under 3:40 and it was becoming a problem then, I assume it only got worse for the folks out on the course longer. 2) Not enough water stops after 15. It was really hot and the organizers should have considered more water on the course. Also, no GU on the course. 3) Course closed too early. It seemed that the 5 hour runners were already on the sidewalk. The website said there was a 6 hour time limit. You would expect that this meant you didn't have to run on a sidewalk and stop at each intersection. 4) Website had no updates at any point. This was my 14th marathon and I would do this one again because it is a fast course and I think a PR course as long as the weather cooperates. Even if I don't run Buffalo next year, see ya at the pasta party. | |
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R. T. from North Tonawanda, NY
(6/2/2006)
"Beautiful Course Unseasonably Steamy" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Buffalo Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Fifth Marathon and do not understand the negative comments. I must have been at a different race. So easy to park, register, get to the start line. Quite a contrast from some of the bigger marathons. Second time running B-Lo and the volunteers were out in much larger numbers and every corner was manned. The Heat and humidity were absurd but who could plan for that at this time of the year. The course is perfect for a PR if not for the weather. The runners were very friendly and encouraging 'touching the toe' of the Indian Runner's Gravesite was cool. Wish the Buffalo News covered the Marathon better and at least listed the results of the Marathon as most cities do. Perhaps put together a packet for out of town runners so they can find the many excellent down town restaurants and bars especially up Elmwood. Great Marathon and very underrated. | |
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j. k. from dunkirk, ny
(5/31/2006)
"a nice experience" (about: 2006)
50+ previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I ran the half and enjoyed. Thanks to the race director and all. I took family and made a weekend out of it. I will for sure be back next year, but will run the marathon in '07. | |
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d. w. from corning, ny
(5/30/2006)
"excellent well organized marathon" (about: 2006)
50+ previous marathons
| 4-5 Buffalo Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is an excellent small city marathon and I highly recommend running it. This was my fifth Buffalo Marathon and I will be back next year. The event was well organized in all aspects from registration through the finish line. Parking is easy to find near the start/finish areas. The course is a good one, passing through various neighborhoods and scenic areas in Buffalo. Some particularly nice spots are the lakefront area in the first 5+ miles, a loop through a scenic/historic cemetery between 9 and 12 and the straight, slightly downhill stretch from 25-26. There are not many crowds of spectators along the course, which is fine with me. The ~600 marathoners and ~50 teams provided a good number of runners without any tie-ups or crowding. The aid stations were well spaced and I found that there was adequate water/Gatorade, even for the hot day this year. Support personnel, including course marshals, aid station workers and especially the police at road crossings were outstanding. My favorite part of the race was at a cross-street around mile 23 where a policeman, who was letting traffic pass, saw a look of concern re the cars on my face and said with a big smile 'don't worry, I've got you covered and I won't let anyone hurt you.' That was just what I needed to brighten up the last few hot miles. I didn't attend either the pasta dinner or the post-race event so I have no comments about them. Overall, I think Buffalo is an excellent well-organized, relatively low-key event and I recommend it. | |
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t. p. from Akron, OH
(5/30/2006)
"hot and humid conditions made assessment hard" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Buffalo Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 For the money this was a good marathon. The heat and humidity made it feel like July. The police directing traffic seemed exacerbated by the drivers. Book your hotel room early; I didn't and ended up staying 40 miles west of Buffalo. This is a B.Y.O.G. (bring your own goo) marathon. As I opened my car trunk before the start of the race I saw a huge dead rat. I'm happy to report that I didn't face the same demise. | |
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S. L. from New York
(5/30/2006)
"Where's Waldo?" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Buffalo Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Everyone paid $45 for this race. Too bad only the fast runners got all the benefits of this race, including directions on the course (except for the lead pack when they went the wrong way in LaSalle Park). This race is advertised as a 6-hour time-limit marathon. With the heat slowing us down, I knew that I would be asked to go up on the sidewalk and I didn't have a problem with that. However, I did have a problem with the lack of course markings! There were so many people wandering around looking to find which way to go after that Delaware park and someone running behind us kept whistling and pointing the way for us. Why were there no markings for out-of-town people as to where they were going? At one point, 2 people went one way and 4 people went another! I was skeptical of this race from the very start because of past negative comments about traffic. Traffic was not an issue, especially through that cemetery where there were at least 20 race people pointing the way. Use these people for the course and use cones or signs in the cemetery. HELLO?! ANYONE LISTENING??!! Nothing like making a long day even longer by having to ask spectators where streets were. Maybe a little arrow at corners?! How about a cone? We finished within the 6-hour advertised time limit with no photographer, little water and Gatorade (was that even Gatorade?), and the party had beer, apples, and stale bread. Big whoop. $45; 6-hour limit; post-race party - stick to your promises. | |
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E. O. from Buffalo, NY
(5/30/2006)
"Don't do it." (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Buffalo Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 You have to be kidding me. This was my first ever marathon and I was let down. +'s: 1. I finished. 2. I didn't have to travel to get here. -'s: 1. You needed a map and compass to find your way around. 2. No food or medical station at finish line. 3. Organizers closed race course earlier than planned. 4. After Mile 20, they switched from Gatorade to "Gatorade." If anyone is planning on running next year, save your money, time, and energy. They cut every corner possible to save money. I ran the Disney Half and Rock and Roll Half.... Plan on those... a million times better. | |
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Erik Oehler from Corfu, NY
(5/30/2006)
"A good first marathon" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Buffalo Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and I had read the comments on this site the day before, and was admittedly a little nervous. That being said, I think a lot of the criticisms were a little harsh. Maybe they'd made improvements this year, but I never had a problem following the course. The spectators were as good as you'll find considering Buffalo isn't as popular a spot as NY or Chicago. North Buffalo's sidestreets made for a tough miles 14-18. And I agree with the previous comment that more water stations towards the end would've been very helpful considering how hot a day it ended up being. (near 80 degrees 4 hours in...I thankfully finished in just under that) But for $40 entry, the amount you get definitely makes this an enjoyable experience. It was not a problem for me, but if you don't do well with crowns in roads, you will not enjoy much of this course. A pro though is that there aren't many elevation changes, and there's a nice comfortable downhill miles 25 and 26. I will definitely run this race again. | |
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M. G. from VA
(5/30/2006)
"the marathon needs work" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Buffalo Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I was disappointed at the lack of direction on the course. I had to make sure I keep people in sight so I wouldn't get lost. I was given a map to help out, but when you're running the last thing you want to do is pull out a map and see if you're heading in the right direction. The weather was hot, and even though this can't be controlled, the amount of water and Gatorade on the course can. When I came out of the cemetery they were already out of the Gatorade. When it's hot, things need to be out on the course to help out. Sorry but I wouldn't run this again. I do thank the volunteers that were out there for their help and support and the people with hoses to cool us down. | |
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D. M. from Colden, NY
(5/30/2006)
"late stage traffic control obscenely bad" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I timed this race for many years before retiring from the timing business. Each year, but especially in the last 5 or 6 years, I've heard complaints about traffic control in the last 4 or 5 miles. I didn't dismiss them -- in fact I always passed them onto the race director -- but I didn't know for a fact that there were serious problems, because I was never out there myself. Now that I've run the race (at a 5 hour pace) I know for a fact that traffic control after 20 or so miles (roughly beginning after leaving Delaware Park for the last time ) is staggeringly, dangerously, bad. Non existent, in fact. Delaware/Nottingham on one's own? Crossing Elmwood at Bidwell without any marshall? Very dangerous. All the traffic circles past Elmwood were unguarded. At the left turn off Richmond into Summer, a couple of people were doing their best, but it wasn't very good. In fact they were on the sidwalk, not in the street. Niagara Square? Nothing! This race has an explicit 6 hour time limit. That being so, it's the race administration's absolute responsibility to maintain course safety for 6 hours. If they cannot, and it seems pretty clear that they can't, then they should put the time limit back to 5 hours. As I said, I've heard these complaints for years, and now I know for sure that they're true. However -- I hasten to say that traffic control up to about Lasalle/Delaware (in Kenmore) was really excellent. After that, it became progressively worse, hitting bottom at Elmwood/Bidwell and beyond. When I got into the convention center to look for some food, there was nothing left. Again -- I finished at 5:13, and if there had been a 5 hour cutoff I would be making none of these complaints. But if you're going to let people finish to 6 hours, then at least make sure there's some food for them. |
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