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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 291 to 301]
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A Runner from runner from buffalo
(5/31/2002)
"Don't waste your training on this one!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 You have enough to worry about when running a marathon other than such things as: Will there be enough food at pasta feed? Will my gear actually reach the finish line? Will I get yelled at by drivers and nearly run over? For all those reasons, a great city with many lovely areas to run through should rethink whether it can put on a decent marathon. Under current race management the answer should be 'no.' Buffalo gets enough negative press for its bad weather and bad economy, there's no reason to add the inability to organize a first-class marathon. To borrow from the American Express ads 'traffic control -- priceless'....in this case it was 'worthless' | |
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A Runner from Arlington, VA
(5/30/2002)
"Relatively flat course, good value" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The course is relatively flat and fast. The weather was windy this year. The race could be better organized. Traffic control, the web site, and mile marker signs could all be improved. The half-marathon course overlaps with the marathon for the first several miles and the mile marker signs are the same design with just a different color. The race could probably use some additional co-sponsors, maybe a sports gel to give out around mile 17 or so. The pasta party had a long line to get in. All in all, for $25.00 it was a good value. Maybe for a few dollars extra more they can make some improvements. | |
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A Runner from Ithaca, New York
(5/30/2002)
"OK race, Organization needs some work" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 If you're looking for a PR, this might be the place, but if you're looking for a well organized event, keep looking. From the relocation of the expo to the tremendous delays at the pasta dinner to the lack of traffic control and directions on the course to the bizarre food at the post-race (you can keep your donuts and soda - how about a bagel and a banana?), it all had the feel of an event with organizers who had never done anything like this before. To read about the winner of the race missing turns because of a lack of volunteers giving direction and being nearly run over while on the course (which they advertised would be closed to traffic) is disturbing. On the positive side, the people at the water stops were great, and despite some hills and some winds, most of the people I talked to posted good times. As I told a fellow runner after the race, there are too many other options for Spring marathons for me to want to do this one again. | |
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A Runner from Medford, MA
(5/29/2002)
"Flat, Fast and Fantastic" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I was really impressed with this course. It flowed nicely through the residential neighborhoods of Buffalo and some suburbs. There were a lot of turns and straightaways. I don't think I was bored once. We even ran through a cemetery in the first half. It is a great course to qualify for Boston! I was able to do it for the first time here after failing three other times on other courses. I liked the fact that there were no major hills. There was a small one in the cemetery and one right before mile 24. The last stretch of 2 miles or so is all a downward slope. There were more spectators than I thought there would be. | |
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A Runner from Mighigan
(5/29/2002)
"good bang for your buck marathon..." (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Definitely needs more port-a-johns and the people doing traffic control need some orange vests to go with those cardboard signs. Also, the web site is not kept current. Only found out about a course change right at the start of the marathon. Nonetheless I would do it again. Course basically flat except for the cemetery. | |
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A Runner from Washington, DC
(5/28/2002)
"Only run if you want to dodge traffic" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 It's a great course, and if the roads were actually closed, it would be a decent race, but there were several times where I was forced over to the side of the road because of traffic. It's unheard of that a race this size wouldn't close the roads to traffic. There were also virtually no spectators on the course at all. I shouldn't complain though, I got a PR, and met my goal of qualifying for Boston. | |
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A Runner from Chicago, Illinois
(5/28/2002)
"A race worth looking into" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Very little was wrong with this race. There was no gear check and the course was not closed to traffic. The former was a problem for me since I had no hotel room or car to put my stuff in. The latter wasn't really a big deal as I thought the traffic control was quite good. And other than those two things, this was a well-organized race in every way. The course is flat, fast, and mostly straight, with few hard turns. The mile markers and 5k markers were all there and accurately placed. The spectators were a bit sparse, but those that were out there were great. The water stops were all staffed well. I highly recommend this race. | |
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A Runner from Detroit, MI
(5/28/2002)
"Bang for the buck, can't be beat..." (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 They definately could use some more restrooms on the course, as well as better marked restrooms at the start. Also, packet pickup and course change info was not relayed affectively to runners via the website. The traffic situation was at times quite entertaining; probaby need to get the word out about the race a bit better. All in all a good race, thanks to the race organizers and the race volunteers. | |
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.ca from Canada
(5/28/2002)
"Best marathon ever" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run a lot of marathons in many different US and Canadian cities and compare this marathon from experience. This marathon is probably the best marathon that I have run in terms of value for money. The cost of this marathon was $25 and for that you got: a very nice sweatshirt, a cap, a very nice pasta dinner with a t-shirt thrown in, and beer; a great FLAT scenic course and a great party at the end with beer, beer, beer, pasta, pizza. I honestly do not know how marathon runners judge a race. Runners want flat courses; spectators; good t-shirts etc. What I like in a race is where the directors gives value for money. This race had no or very little prize money for no name elite runners but instead gave everything back to the runners. Take Chicago and New York for instance. These races cost approx $90 and the runners get a cheap, cheap t-shirt and would be lucky if they get a 3 day old stale bagel at the finish. Instead these directors take all the money to pay no name elite runners. How many runners remember who won these races? How many runners care??? I ran the Baltimore marathon last year and got no food at the end !!!! The Buffalo marathon did not have time chips and maybe little advertisement, but the director has a small budget and gives back a lot to the runners. This is all runners can ask for. I love big races , big Expos but I have found that the best races are the small ones like Buffalo, New Orleans, Rhode Island, Hartford etc where the directors try very hard. Give these races a chance and forget Disney, Chicago, rock and Roll etc I wish that I could speak to fellow runners because you have to believe me when I tell you that races like Buffalo are the ones to enter. This is the best marathon race that I have been to. It is truly a Peoples Marathon. Do this marathon and you will not regret it. I wish all marathons could be like Buffalo. | |
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A Runner from Virginia
(5/28/2002)
"Absolutely Needs improvement" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I thought that the course was very good. It was flat and fast as described. The scenary was very good. I truly enjoyed running through the cemetary. Now for the complaints for which there are many. There was absolutely no traffic being stopped during the course which makes for very dangerous running conditions. I have run in smaller races, in terms of number of people, than this put on by running clubs where the enitre course was blocked off and the police were there to make sure everyone was safe. I can't say that you get what you pay for because in those smaller races I paid less than I did for this race. Secondly I was running towards the back, but still making good time, however there was absolutely no one to direct me as to which way I was to run for the race. I got lost twice and this was extremely frustrating. Also I saw no porta-johns along the course except for at the beginning of the race. It seemed like an extremely poorly organized race. The website was completly inaccurate for details. The hotel that was said to be 'the hotel' for the race did not have any special rates. I would not recommend this race to anyone. There are many more races out there that have greater fan support, better organization and are much safer in terms of not having to dodge traffic. |
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