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Erie Marathon at Presque Isle Runner Comments
Back to Erie Marathon at Presque Isle Information & Reviews
Course 4.6 
Organization 4.7 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 255 [displaying comments 191 to 201]
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Mervyn Chin from Toronto, Canada
(8/24/2006)
"Just do it" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Erie Marathon at Presque Isles
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 If you reading these comments now, take my advice - just do it. You will not regret it. The organizers are fabulous and the race is an excellent value for the money. I should know since I am an accountant!!! I have now done 36 marathons and I should know since a lot of my marathons are in different cities. | |
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M. K. from Buffalo, NY
(4/17/2006)
"Perfect for a great marathon time!" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Mile markers were easy to see, the course was perfectly flat, there was great scenery, and spectators and volunteers are sparse but give fantastic feedback (they would shout out my name even though it wasn't printed anywhere on me). I ran my own personal best by 17 minutes! Water each mile, Gatorade each mile, gels on many of the 16+ mile stops. A PERFECT beginner's marathon that I will definitely recommend to anyone! Definitely check the course out before the morning, or it will confuse the heck out of you to find the start at 6 a.m. | |
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Mervyn Chin from Toronto Canada
(2/14/2006)
"Best value-for-money marathon" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Erie Marathon at Presque Isles
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I know runners read these comments to decide on races. I do. I have done 33 marathons in many different cities so I can give a fairly good comparison of marathons. My first advice to any runner is to decide what is important to you in a race. If you want crowds and spectators in spots then go to Chicago, Disney, Grandma, NYC, Marine Corps, etc. The Chicago entry fees are expensive and you get a cheap t-shirt, nothing in the goody bag and very little or no food at the end, plus the hotels are very expensive. The Chicago director has to take the runners' fees plus sponsors' money to pay for the so-called elite runners. There are a lot of favorable comments on these big races because of what I call a "runner's high" - meaning a runner is very happy just to finish and often cannot compare it with other races. If you are looking for a race that gives you value for money then go to Erie. - Erie has one of the lowest entry fees. - Erie has a good technical shirt worth about $25 retail. - Erie has probably has some of the best food at the end. There are Panera buns, very good Subway subs, fruit, chips, drinks, etc. They even had subs left over!!! - The course is scenic with the lake on both sides of the road. - Gels on course. - Hotels were inexpensive. - Nice finisher's medal. - A very good, inexpensive pasta supper before the race. - An early start for runners to choose. - Ability to take a dip in the lake after the race, which I did. - I believe that they have a policy where very slow runners can self report at the end. I am not in this category. I love big expos; lots of runners and lots and lots of spectators also, but after doing 33 marathons I have come to realize what means most to me is the small things that a race like Erie does. I train alone most of the time so spectators do not figure into my equation. The comments that I have read from other runners about the Erie are very fair and correct. The temperature can get a bit hot around 10:30 a.m. but if that bother runners then take the early start like me. You will get to see the sun rise over the lake, which is beautiful to watch. Some runners want the race to start at 7 a.m. The early start is 6:30 a.m., so there is not much of a difference. There are not many spectators since the race is in a park and the only spectators are runners' families. The marathon is two laps around the lake but that does not bother me since you are surrounded by the lake all the time. The race is organized by fellow runners who are receptive to runners' ideas. What I have suggested to them is to bring back their draw prizes, which are probably donated by local businesses since it gives the race a nice local touch. This race is for runners by runners. What more can anyone ask for in a race?? In general what I have found is the smaller races have a far more personal touch and the directors want to do well and attract runners. Go and try the small races and help out the directors. On the other hand, the big races like Chicago treat you like a number and need your fees to pay for the elites. The choice is yours. I will do Erie again if I am available at that time, and I urge other runners to do it too. | |
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T. C. from Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
(1/27/2006)
"Definitely worth the trip to Erie!" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I had a great time in Erie this past fall. Although it was warm and the race started a little bit late, it was a great event. I found the first half very comfortable and the second half a real challenge, mostly because of the heat. This race is very well organized. The people involved really know what they're doing and you can tell they are passionate about running and know what a runner's needs are all about. The course is flat and mostly shaded. There are lots of opportunities for your favorite spectators to see you (up to 4 times) throughout the race because of its two loops in the park. The course winds its way through the state park and it is quite picturesque and peaceful. As a marathoner with 15 races under my belt, I can say this is one of the best races I've run. If you're looking for huge crowds, you won't find them, but if you're looking for very enthusiastic, energetic spectators and race marshals, then that's what you'll get scattered along the route. Although it was warm (and I'm not particularly strong in hot conditions), I would do it all over again. One suggestion, let's try an earlier start, maybe 7 AM or so to get another 45 minutes or so in cooler conditions. Thanks Erie - you were great! | |
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C. W. from Warren
(1/7/2006)
"I made a mistake in an earlier posting" (General Comments)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Erie Marathon at Presque Isles
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I have seen on the Erie Runner's Club web page that the race in 2006 starts at 7:30 am as was the case in 2005. I made a mistake in my earlier review and listed a different start time. The Erie Marathon could be improved if the start time went back to 7:00 am as it was for 2002, 2003, and 2004. I hope that the organizers will consider the earlier start time for future years. | |
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C. W. from Warren
(12/31/2005)
"The weather is usually hot but it is a good race" (General Comments)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Erie Marathon at Presque Isles
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have run Erie 6 times, starting the 1980s. Erie has always been a hot, summer-like race. The present, 2 loops around Presque Isle course eliminates a lot of the heat problems by staying completely inside Presque Isle State Park, where, depending on the time of day and location in the park, usually offers moderate to heavy shade from the nearby trees. The course design during the 1990s had severe heat problems as the course started and ended downtown with only 1 loop through Presque Isle State Park. The present, 2-loop design is much better than the old course design. The Erie Marathon had the right idea when it started at 7:00 am, right at sunrise, as was the case for the 2002, 2003, and 2004 race. The 2005 race was scheduled to start at 7:30 for some reason and didn't actually get started until about 7:45. This 45 minutes made a difference for the 2005 edition of this marathon. The Erie website indicates that the 2006 race will start at 7:00 am so this may help solve some of the heat problems that made the 2005 race so difficult. I am hoping to run Erie in 2006. Even with the unbelievably flat course, the September heat usually prevents me from setting a PR or even coming close. If the weather is unseasonably cold, then Erie would be a PR-type course. | |
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B. K. from Bethesda, MD
(12/4/2005)
"Great Race Early in the Season" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 For anyone who wants a PR and a BQ time, this is the race to run. The Course: The course, as billed, is flat and is a looped course. The marathon entrants run the course twice. They have a 'hill' at mile 10/20 or so, which ascends for about 30 feet. The course is on a peninsula on Lake Erie, and is quite beautiful. The race is run in the left lane of a two-lane road; this is significant because when the sun gets overhead, there is no shade. If the course was in the right lane, the trees would indeed give some cover. The shade that is advertised to draw the runners disappears after the first half of the race. By 10 a.m., there was very little shade to speak of in any event. As you loop around the course, you have a great view of the City of Erie and then Lake Erie on the other side. It was quite beautiful and calm, especially in those spots where there were few or no spectators. The course is flat as a pancake, but this year, it seemed as hot as a skillet. Still, the course is nice and very forgiving. There is a water station with water and sports drink every mile and Gu at 8 and 21. The organizers let me put my own bottle of sports drink (Amino Vital) at the 13th water stop (remember, it's a looped course so 13 was back at the beginning), and one of the volunteers was right there with the bottle as I ran through the water stop. I thought this must be what the elite runners get at every water stop! I was daydreaming for a split second during that water stop. Weather: At the start of the race, it was in the mid to high 60s, kind of balmy. The race got a late start by almost 20 minutes and it just got warmer as we stood around. By the time we finished the first loop, the temps were already in the 80s and there were no clouds whatsoever. In any other sense, the weather was absolutely gorgeous, but for running, it was hot. The pre-race literature said something like 50-60s at the start and low 70s as a high. That day, the weather reports all predicted (and this came true) high 80s. Organization: The Erie Running Club put on a great race. This was helped by having a ready-made course with the amenities to support the race. In fact, the Club put on a marathon, half marathon, relay marathon, 5K, and a kids' fun run all in the same event. The park where the race is run has a community center with a full kitchen and a multipurpose room that allowed for easy packet pickup, pre-race hanging out, bag check, pasta party, and post-race events. If the park designers didn't know it, they sure created the perfect marathon course facility. There were plenty of bathrooms: Clean, modern facilities, shower facilities with bathrooms by the beaches, and port-a-johns. The marathon uses Champion Chip timing, and records split times as well. Registration was easy and cheap. The early registration fee was $40, for which you get the post-race party (explained below), a Dri-Fit long-sleeve t-shirt (and it's nice, too), finisher's medal and a finisher's certificate (suitable for framing!). Race day registration was a whopping $50. The post-race party was great. At the finish line, they gave you the medal, water and there were bagels (from Panera Bread), water, watermelons, and bananas. Back in the kitchen area, Subway had donated all kinds of subs, chips and cookies. The food was plentiful as were the drinks (water, soda, and coffee). A local radio station provided music giving the race the feel of a nice event, before, during and after the race. For a small marathon, crowd support was pretty good. Of course, there were bare spots, but there were spurts of good cheering sections. As for volunteers, the race organizers got plenty of volunteers to man the water stops and had a separate (obviously well trained) kitchen staff (they called themselves the Erie Runners' Kitchen Crew). The kitchen crew did the pasta party (they made all the pasta and prepared them three ways!) and served the post-race food. The course marshals were mostly high school students from the local high school(s) (does Erie have more than one HS?). Lodging: There are several 'host hotels,' ranging from the Marriott to local motels. I stayed at the Inn at Presque Isle, which was billed as just 3.5 miles from the start. The Inn at PI is actually one mile from the entrance to the State Park and you have to drive 3 miles to the start within the park. If all you want is a clean room with a bed, a bathroom and TV, the Inn at Presque Isle is a great location (I got lucky and had a kitchen in the room). It was only $45/night and it is as close as you can be without being in the park. But if you want other creature comforts like internet access, wake up call, clock radio, etc., go to the Marriott or something like it. The Inn at PI was adequate, but it reminded me of a classic 1960s motel. There was nothing wrong with it; it's just that most of us are probably used to a different standard in lodging accommodations these days. It worked well for me (who needs the internet, anyway?). All in all, this is a great race. I'd do it again, but the 6.5-hour drive from where I live is a significant consideration. | |
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T. S. from Hartford, Ct
(11/30/2005)
"Great race if you're looking for a fast time" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Despite the heat, I ran a 21-minute PR. This was my 8th marathon and the flattest course I've ever run. Fluid stops every mile!!! Small and low-key, but well run. I will be back. | |
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James Bockey from Temperance, MI
(10/12/2005)
"Awesome Event!!!" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a small marathon that is put on like a 'major' marathon!!!! Organized very well, plenty of restrooms, and top-notch volunteers. This is my first marathon but I am without a doubt coming back next year. The course is nice and flat & there are two GU stops on the course. This is a great marathon; don't miss out on this one!!! | |
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C. D. from Fairfax, VA
(9/27/2005)
"Just a Great Marathon" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Erie Marathon at Presque Isles
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a marathon organized by runners with a lot of experience, and it shows. The course is one of my favorites - fast with lots of shade. The volunteers are the real stars. There are a lot of them and they know what they're doing. Plus they do it in a very nice way. Water/energy drink stops available every mile. This is the second time I've done this, and it remains an impressive experience. |
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