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Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon Information & Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.1 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 4.4 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 3.7 
 
 
Number of comments: 81 [displaying comments 71 to 80]
More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 > ]

 

D. R. from Canton ohio (4/29/2014)
"Pleased with race but a problem at the start" (about: 2014)

1 previous marathon | 1 Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


The course was great and the organization of the race in general was amazing for the first run. The water stations were well organized the entire experience was a one of a kind. My only 2 suggestions is first there was a male in a wheelchair that was being placed onto a bus. There were no handicap busses at the time and he was being carried from his chair to the bus. Once they got to the step he was placed on the steps and then back off the bus on the ground. This had to be an emotional moment for the racer. This was bad.(need better planning for this) 2nd suggestion could not hear the start of the race. Need speakers near start. Everything else was great!!!

 

M. J. from North Canton, Ohio, USA (4/29/2014)
"Enjoyed course and HOF theme, overall organized" (about: 2014)

1 previous marathon | 1 Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 4


This was my first half-marathon and I thought the excitement of the race was enhanced by the spirit created within the backdrop of the HOF. The expo and admission to the Hall was an added benefit that enabled family to participate with the runners and helped build excitement. It was a awesome experience and I'd recommend it all runners. Can't wait until next year's race!

 

M. A. from Canton, Ohio (4/28/2014)
"Best half I've ever done!!!" (about: 2014)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


Thank you organizers!!! You hit it out of the park. You are a true gift to the Canton community.

 

k. D. from Ohio (4/28/2014)
"overall a good race." (about: 2014)

2 previous marathons | 1 Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 2


Transportation/shuttle system could be improved, definitely in need of more music/radio station involvement, some poor road conditions, but loved going through the park and finishing in the stadium. Also, the Friday pre race events were great! Looking forward to running it again!

 

J. Y. from Uniontown, Ohio (4/28/2014)
"Very satisfied" (about: 2014)

4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 2


This was my 6th half marathon and though it was not my favorite it came close. For a first year marathon I thought it was well organized and plan on running it next year.

 

M. H. from Stow, Ohio (4/28/2014)
"Great organization and nice swag!" (about: 2014)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


Very good organization for any race let alone a first year race. Interesting course with long steady rises and long steady downhills but overall a fast course. Great finish line with very nice medals and a fleece blanket for finishers. This race is just going to get better.

 

J. C. from Canton, Ohio (4/28/2014)
"Canton's Best Race Yet!" (about: 2014)

3 previous marathons | 1 Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I couldn't be happier with this race, and I'm definitely running again next year! I'll start out with the problems I encountered first, which are all pretty small compared to the quality of this event:
- The start was just outside the stadium, but runners could not hear a thing when they started the race. Definitely a new sound system should be in the works for next year.
- I hydrated a bit too much before the race and ended up using a port-a-potty around mile 7, but with only 4 at the water stop, I had to wait in line since the race was still pretty crowded at that point.
- On the other hand, once the half runners turned off, the race really thinned out and started going through residential neighborhoods with less spectators.

Now for everything I loved bout this race:
- The expo the day before included free entry into the HOF museum! You could check out the exhibits while you were looking at vendors scattered along the galleries. It was definitely the coolest expo I've been to.
- The bibs features your name in big capital letters in the center with your number tucked to the corner. It was easy for spectators to see your name and cheer for you! Even a couple of kids started chanting my name as I struggled past mile 23!
- The elevation of the course is great. There are some upward and downward slopes, but there weren't any big 'heartbreak hill' situations along the course. For the most part it was relatively flat.
- The course was also packed relatively tight. It would snake up and down 3 or 4 blocks in some places. This took out some of the monotony of long straightaways, and it was great for spectators who were course hopping and cheering. I saw some of the same signs about 4 or 5 times!
- Lastly, the race swag is AWESOME. Beautiful medals that look and feel like footballs, the coolest shirt I've ever gotten (It says 'MARATHONER' in big letters down the back. I may never take it off!), and a fleece blanket at the end that says 'FINISHER.' Everything was just perfect.

This was the first year for this race, and, given how many errors there can be in the first year, it went off spectacularly. I will be recommending it to everyone I know, and I will be back next year. If you are a football fan, if you like lots of fans and smiling energetic volunteers, or if you just want a cool medal, I definitely suggest the Hall of Fame Marathon!

 

M. B. from Fishers, Indiana (4/28/2014)
"Very good experience" (about: 2014)

1 previous marathon | 1 Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 2


I ran the half marathon so all comments are based on that. I thought the course was very fair. It was filled with many rolling hills but nothing major and took you through several different parts of town. The four miles by the park was very scenic. Weather was cold and was probably 5 to 10 degrees from ideal conditions. Organization was very good. Expo in hall of fame was very neat. Price was very affordable considering you got a nice fleece finishers blanket, a nice dri-fit, a cool medal and free entrance into the museum. The major negative was the parking at the state fairgrounds. Most people arrived at same time which led to a backup getting into the lot. There were 26 busses to transport so that kept it moving. The crowd support was fairly sparse. Number of runners was about perfect - enough so you didn't run alone but not too many so you were tripping over people. Overall a very good experience.

 

D. G. from Leicester, England (4/28/2014)
"Wow..what an awesome race" (about: 2014)

1 previous marathon | 1 Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon
COURSE: 3  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 3


For an inaugural marathon, this was simply SUPERB. Right from the very clear and effective communications to the race shirt, goodie bag and a really unique and very cool expo held in the Pro Football Hall of Fame it's self. Also, the organisers VERY generously allowed a guest for the runner FREE entry into the hall of fame and a very heavily discounted rate for extra guests. All finishers received a beautiful football shaped medal and a very cool fleece blanket. The organisers have done a superb job here.

Others might and probably will disagree but I found the course aesthetic and very interesting and varied but very hilly. It seemed like one incline after another and after mile 20 another looming incline totally broke my spirit and totally demoralised me&but a marathon is SUPPOSED to do that, but I was getting increasingly frustrated with navigating one incline after another.

The section through the park past the Mckinley memorial and presidential libraries was simply spectacular. The whole course was varied and enjoyable to run, and the finish inside Fawcett Stadium was simply INCREDIBLE and a wonderful reward for seeing through this course..it really is amazing to run into a stadium and finish at the 50 yard line.


Water/Fuel stations:

As you'd expect, there were several throughout the course and manned by amazing volunteers who were incredibly efficient and very supportive. There was never any shortage of water/gatorade/energy gels/bananas ay ANY point and the attitude of the volunteers was amazing. They clearly loved helping the runners.

Spectators: Ok..for a first marathon, the volume of supporters wasn't particularly high, but what they lacked in numbers thy certainly made up for in providing incredible support and uplift for the runners. Canton as I have discovered is a small town and it's citizens clearly loved this race. This city deserves this marathon to grow and develop.

In summary, this is a simply wonderful marathon and I would be delighted to take part in it again&relentless elevations and all. Don't miss it. It really is very special indeed.

 

A. S. from Ohio (4/27/2014)
"Awesome inaugural event!!!" (about: 2014)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Pro Football Hall of Fame Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


This race was extremely well organized. The unique mile markers were designed in the colors of different NFL teams, so as you ran past each one you could try to guess which team it represented. There were plenty of water stops & port-a-johns along the course. The conditions of the roads were a little rough in spots, but that's not something the race can control. The medal & finisher's blanket were a good quality as well.

 

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