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☰
Austin Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Austin Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.0 
Organization 4.0 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 421 [displaying comments 151 to 161]
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K. M. from Houston, TX
(2/18/2008)
"Too bad..." (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Overall, a mediocre experience. Given the scenery and usual enthusiasm that Austin has to offer, the course and spectators were a disappointment. We expected the hills, but surely a more runner-friendly, inspiring course could be found.... Long corral at end was very inefficient, long waits to get to the t-shirts, etc. This event is small enough to avoid the crowding and back-ups; too bad. | |
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D. N. from Salina, Kansas
(2/18/2008)
"A marathon worth running" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first Austin Marathon and I will probably run it again next year. It was well organized and the support from spectators was great, especially the music. The shirt at the end of the run was a welcome added touch, could have been more sponsorship in the way of gel-packs and jelly beans or other forms of energy snacks. Prerace organization as far as starting location time blocks was lacking. Spectators in the already greatly congested starting blocks should not be allowed and the time blocks need to be in position in a more timely fashion. It would probably be beneficial to the overall organization if there were a centralized parking location and shuttle buses. Packet pick-up was a breeze but the fees incurred for parking, and parking, and yes, parking can really increase your expenses quickly. Free parking, or at least a reduced parking fee, should be granted for race participants. It was difficult to get reunited with family and friends at the end of the race due to all of the fences and partitions that had been erected. All in all this was a very enjoyable event and I greatly appreciate all of the time and effort put forth by those who took part in ensuring the successful accomplishment of the marathon. The course was challenging, especially because of the hills. | |
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j. p. from NYC
(2/18/2008)
"Nice Winter Marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 A tough, yet fair course surrounded by a nice Austin weekend. The fans and city embrace this race and made the support great for a city of this size. Aid stations were plentiful and the finish line is very well organized. Along the course, mile markers were absent for certain parts of the race. There were no timing splits provided for popular markers (10K, half, 20K, etc). Another complaint is the AT&T sms time messages never got sent out. None of my family got the text messages. So much for AT&T. But overall, a good mid-sized winter race. If I had to do a winter marathon, however, I would still do the Miami Marathon. | |
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c. h. from Texas
(2/18/2008)
"no longer the best in Texas" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Austin Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran Houston and Austin this year and Houston has become the clear front-runner in TX. The Austin expo was a hassle due to traffic and we were charged $7 to park. Porta-potties were difficult to locate before the race. The start was much better than last year. The course is just plain tough. The hills between miles 9 and 13 along with gradual uphill and upwind climb from 13 to 18 really take it out of you. Unless you train for this course it's hard to take advantage of the relative downhill finish. The crowds and bands seemed sparse between miles 15 and 25. The finish line amenities were excellent. | |
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J. H. from Wichita, Kansas
(2/18/2008)
"really well done" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I ran the Austin Marathon for the first time yesterday. I have to give it a great review. I'm not a particularly fast runner and I struggle with hills (live and train in Kansas). Despite that, I thought the hills in this course were totally "do-able" (esp. if you train for them) and I couldn't get over the crowd support. Similar-sized marathons in the Midwest have probably 1/3-1/2 of the spectators as Austin. And the aid stations/medical aid were absolutely fabulous. And more musical acts than I could count. I bonked at 22 and had a pretty rough last three or four miles, but I still have really nice memories. Suggestions: (1) actual corrals at the start line (2) a corral for walkers (why do they think they need to be in the 9-minute mile pace group???) (3) maybe a little more time of the course on campus if possible (4) maybe split the 1/2 an full off sooner. It was PACKED until mile 10 when the 1/2 split off. Uncomfortably packed. All in all, though, I would tell anyone who is up for a bit of a challenging marathon to run Austin and enjoy the sights. | |
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Lynda Riggs from Broken Arrow. Oklahoma
(2/18/2008)
"great race, grueling course, wish for more spectat" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 10th marathon; we trained hard and I am certainly grateful. The hills were very challenging; I did not make a PR but due to my training I certainly did MUCH better then expected. I loved going through the neighborhoods; many spectators had bananas, oranges, pretzels, and candy for us - VERY much appreciated. I also can never say enough about the volunteers. I have been one myself and appreciate each and everyone out there, they dedicate their own time to help us through. Again, I loved the race; very hilly, loved the challenge. Great job, Austin!!!! | |
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Terry Mechler from USA
(2/18/2008)
"Well organized run and great course and support" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon. My first half marathon was here last year. The course was a good mix of some hills and flats. The race was well organized. The city's support for this race is tremendous. There were fans all along the way giving you all sorts of fruit and snacks and encouragement. The only improvement I would suggest would be a larger area for the finishers so there is room to stretch out. The finisher's area was long and narrow with the food and shirt booths and very little area to stretch before exiting into the spectator's area. | |
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k. B. from Austin
(2/18/2008)
"Perfect!!" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first time in the Austin 1/2 Marathon - the organization and support were outstanding! I recently completed the 3M 1/2 Marathon - they should take some lessons from this race!! Thanks so much. | |
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Holly Odom from Austin
(2/18/2008)
"A marathon full of courteous, friendly people." (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and it was an experience I will never forget. I want to thank all the volunteers and local residents who came out to give support. I never got in a bad mood (despite all my muscle discomfort) because I never had the chance! There was so much positive energy that I was able to get carried to the finish line. Thank you!! | |
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C. F. from Texas
(2/18/2008)
"Good marathon, hills are tough" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Austin really does a great job with this race. The start was well organized and easy to get to, the fireworks at the beginning were a nice touch, and they did a good job of having the course go through all different parts of town and mix it up in that way. The crowd support was great and I honestly cannot remember a single time that there were not people at least a few feet apart on the course. Not only were they were but almost all of them were cheering, clapping, and encouraging every single runner that went by. There were also something like 40 bands along the course, which was really cool and a big boost. The music was good and the musicians really seemed be enjoying what they were doing. Plenty of water, sports drink, and tons of medical stuff for those who needed it. As far as this being a really fast course, I would not say that it is. The hills definitely wear on you, especially the rolling ones from about 11-15. It seems like those will never end. A great finish in downtown Austin with TONS of crowd support really topped this one off. |
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