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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 311 to 321]
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M. P. from Houston, Texas
(3/23/2004)
"Fast course but race needs more organization" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I ran the Austin Marathon and while the course is fast the race itself could use more organization. The course is fast, no doubt about it. There are more downhills than uphills but there are a few uphills. Be prepared, save some energy for the last 6 miles. Here's what I liked: the half marathon finishes halfway through the race so you don't have all the half marathoners and walkers finishing with the real marathon. Here's what I didn't like: They put the water stations directly in front of the mile splits. You couldn't get an accurate split time and take fluids. There was also no one (except for at mile 18) calling out splits. The volunteers were poorly trained on how to pass out fluids. You literally had to lunge for water or Gatorade at each station. They were also very bunched up which caused the runners to bunch up as well. The expo is terrible. I got the wrong size T shirt, no one knew where to send you, it is small, and RunTex seemed to be the only vendor there. There were no bargains on clothes or shoes and it took forever to check out if you wanted to buy something. I will also agree with previous comments that the race was expensive. How could you have a handling charge for registering online? The finish area was beautiful right along Lake Austin but it was also disorganized. For $80+ no finishers T shirt was a bummer. This was my 17th marathon overall and all in all I give the race a solid C. | |
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F. G. from Houston, Tx.
(2/28/2004)
"No Bang for the Buck" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 After running it for the first time, I was disappointed when I found out that not everything about this marathon is great. Even though it is a great Boston qualifier and the course is nice, it lacks good organization. The shuttle buses were a mess - thank God I was dropped off at the start line by car - and there were no signs or people showing the way to that area (fortunately we checked it out the previous day). Also they didn't let people know that we could use both lanes of the avenue at the start (about 70% of us lined up on one side). I thought that the other side was for the half marathoners. The live bands were great and spectators did a good job on that chilly day, though they created a very narrow funnel at mile 20 that was overlooked by officials. Having water stations at every mile is unnecessary; instead those people could have been used at the finish line (where it was total chaos) to direct runners; I missed the photo area. They didn't provide us with the Mylar blankets they had advertised, much less with a finisher`s shirt. The family reunion area was nonexistent. Parking is another problem, unless you have lots of cash to use the overpriced garage. The maps were not clear either. The organizers could learn a thing or two from the HP Houston Marathon, which I`ve run twice back home. Overall I think that this an overpriced event for what you get, and I would rather travel to another city for marathoning before considering coming back to this one. | |
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J. F. from Western Springs, Illinois
(2/27/2004)
"A Very Good Race" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Austin Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Overall, this was a good race and a nice experience. By topic, here are some specifics: Weather: This factor made the race, in my view, near perfect. Of course, this factor is also something over which the race organizers have no control. It was 30 degrees at the start, and around 50 degrees at the finish. Virtually no wind. Nice sunshine. This is the first marathon that I didn't have to pour water over my head to cool off. I was never too warm or too cold. Course: The Austin course is hilly. The first half is mostly downhill and would be ideal for a 1/2 marathon PR. The second half of the race was 'rolling.' It became more challenging. As you know, after your legs get tired and sore, any type of hill hurts. In fact, I found the downhills, which became a little steeper, to be quite rough on my quads. Organization: I would say that the folks in Austin put on a pretty good event. Decent crowds. Lots of port-a-potties. Water/Powerade at every mile. Clif Shots later on. Fruit, etc., offered from 18 or so through the end of the race. Some folks were offering beer at 24. Other: The medal was very nice. Big, solid & nice looking. The expo was okay. Not too many exhibitors. The post-race party was a bit of a rip off. They essentially opened up a couple bags of chips and then sold everyone beer & soda ($2.50 for a Coke). Also, they charged for the bus ride to the start ($3 on top of the entry fee). One notable fact is that Motorola is NOT going to sponsor this event next year. So, I would caution any before deciding to do this race to see who the main sponsor is. If it's a solid organization/entity, I'd recommend this race. If not, I'd wait a year & see what people have to say. | |
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B. P. from Vancouver, BC
(2/27/2004)
"HIGHLY RECOMMENDED" (about: 2004)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 As this was my 1st marathon, I wasn't sure what to expect. My husband & I took the shuttle to the start from the Hyatt Hotel without any delays. I had to use the porta-potties 3x before the start, but the line-ups moved quickly. We could not have asked for better running weather (cool temperature & a beautiful sunny day). Water & Powerade at every mile was much appreciated. At mile 10, my leg locked up (due to chondromalacia patella/runner's knee) when I stopped at the water station. I tried UNsuccessfully to jog/hobble it out for the next few miles. I felt like crying & was faced with the dilemna of whether to continue or stop. The spectators encouraged me to continue, 'just walk it out!' The extra motivation from the crowd & volunteers helped me finish the race even though my legs were sore & swollen. I think it was wonderful passing the 1/2 marathon finish line as a full marathoner. The crowd cheered on both groups of runners giving me an extra boost to continue on. After the race, it was convenient that our hotel was so close. My husband & I were able to walk back (or in my case limp). Although the pasta dinner left much to be desired, the after-party was a relaxing event to complete the weekend. The city of Austin is both beautiful and hospitable. It makes a great location for a mini-holiday. Great tourist attractions (restaurants, live music venues, State Legislature, LBJ Library, U of Texas, Town Lake, etc). It was difficult to stay off my feet before race day, but I wanted to enjoy the whole experience as opposed to just running. | |
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G. H. from Houston, Texas
(2/23/2004)
"Finish line support is weak...." (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This is the second year I have run the half-marathon. The food for the post-run was weak! A banana, a bagel and some cookies. I think making people pay $20.00 for a finisher's shirt is wrong. The shuttle took up to half an hour, standing in a line is not what you want to be doing at the end of a run. The support during the run was good. They need to work on the finish line activities. Houston takes much better care of its runners. | |
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D. P. from Vancouver, BC, CANADA
(2/23/2004)
"Great weather, great city, great race!!!" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I've come to realize - runners are a very critical bunch! Obviously, any person's perspective on a race will be colored by their own experience, but in all, I came away with mostly positives from this race. It was an interesting course that took you through a range of neighborhoods; there were bands and lots of spectators distributed around the course (yes, they weren't everywhere but I still appreciate the people who came out and the bands that played for us - no one forces them to come out early on a Sunday and they don't get paid for doing so); we only had to wait 10 minutes for a shuttle from the Hyatt to the start (we got downstairs at 5:30 a.m.); there were plenty of porta-potties at the start and along the course (the closer you got to the start of the race, the longer the lines got, but that's how it goes); liquid (Powerade and water) was readily available at the aid stations; and I appreciated the shirt and the medal (I didn't care too much about the knapsack). I think my favorite part of the race was running past the large crowds on Congress with the State Capitol at your back. I also appreciated the pace groups covering a range of target times. I ran with the 3:10 group for awhile before pressing on. The expo was fun as well, but for myself the focus was the race - and the weather for that was near perfect 33F at the start, mid-50s at the finish. My wife and I also loved the city - nice size, lots to see and very clean. Someday we'll come back, but next year we're off to Boston (ran 3:06 in my 40-44 age category). For those with all the complaints, come your next race day the words 'don't fret over what you can't control' might serve you well. Thanks Austin... | |
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A. C. from Texas
(2/22/2004)
"Room for improvement" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Communication was poor. 1. I purchased online bus bands for my three 10-and-under kids. Did not like to find out that 10 and under rode for free. 2. The maps did not indicate where the bus stop was. Moreover, it was not clear whether the bus would drive from the starting line to the finish line. 3. Other than the the above, I had a great time. I'll be back. | |
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j. k. from chesterton, indiana
(2/22/2004)
"Like Billy Crystal said, " (about: 2004)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 After reading the RUNNERS WORLD article, I told my employer (ISG STEEL) that I wanted my vacation to coincide with this event. Besides host city, visited Fredericksburg, San Antonio, S. Padre Island, etc. Cannot say enough about the Texas hospitality from almost all I met. (Makes a Northerner feel somehow guilty of 'appearing' rude). Didn't want to hobble around for 6 days after the race in order to get a PR, so I only ran the 'half' and considered the event as a 'fun run' 'happening'. Anything is better than plodding through 6' of crusty snow. Note to all beginning runners: PLEASE PACE YOURSELF. The first 5 miles were indeed 'trying'. In addition to being constantly boxed-in, I had to hop around at least 4 runners who were burned out at an early stage of the race cause they apparantly went out 'too fast'. A beginner's mistake, but an unnecessary mistake nonetheless. I personally know of a runner who got his heel stepped on, fell and can no longer run, so I was somewhat tentative the first 5 miles. Still finished with a respectable 8:31 average. As far as race organization goes, this was above average, but could stand improvement. For myself, the BEST is always the Detroit Free Press Canada to US Marathon, and best overall race the 25k (15.56 miles) River Bank Run in Grand Rapids. The Indy Half Marathon is also a great race, but it's already filled up, so try Grand Rapids (June 6th or 8th) instead. Plan on returning again next year for another week vacation. (If anyone want a place to stay for the Chicago Marathon, I'd be glad to trade for next year's accommodations at your place.) Enjoyed the photos, medals, and volunteers. Please eliminate the shuttle bus 'mess' next year. C ya'all next year... Sincerely, John Kosmatka sunfish31@comcast.net | |
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S. T. from Indiana
(2/21/2004)
"Fast course, great crowd" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great course, and spectators. Good first marathon. One of the best I have run. | |
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Tom Roberts from Dallas, Texas
(2/21/2004)
"Hard to beat anything in Austin!" (about: 2004)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Hey, first marathon and had a blast. Logistics, if one were domiciled at the Hyatt Hotel, were excellent. Course wasn't as scenic as I hoped, but happy to make it around with these bones. Water/Powerade at every mile was a huge help. Finish was disappointment with no blanket, t-shirt (unless you wore Mizuno shoes), but, again, happy I finished. The idea of traveling to run is attractive to me (I'm in Dallas) but will likely add another venue next time around. Still, Austin is a blast!! |
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