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☰
Steamtown Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Steamtown Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.9 
Spectators 4.7
Number of comments: 625 [displaying comments 341 to 351]
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B. H. from Ridley Park Pennsylvania
(10/21/2011)
"GREAT! GREAT! RACE" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 GREAT RACE! First marathon, first race I have run in 4 years. Probably would have been a good idea to train, or start out with a 5K but I thought I should jump right back in.Everything was great, well organized. Plenty of aid stations and the fans were the best.I would definitely recommend this race. Great small town race. You do an amazing job. Thanks for everything. | |
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J. C. from Virginia Beach
(10/21/2011)
"Best supported Marathon I've run.... but...." (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I attended the pre-race discussion on taking the hills easy - and I did just that running a fairly conservative first half. Even so - I paid dearly at about mile 17. I live in a pretty flat area and the brunt of my hill training had to be done on a treadmill (-3% to +2% grade). I'd add to the advice that not only taking the hills conservatively but also making sure you pretty regularly train in hilly areas is important. If you're a flat area running looking to go to Steamtown for a BQ - you might be unpleasantly surprised. The downhills are pretty steep and then even the slightest uphills become challenging later on in the race. The trails were nice to run on - the latter part of the trails that had suffered a lot to the rain weren't particularly fun as they were really spongy. The hills at the end are no joke. Mile 24 is pretty steep and mile 25.4->26 is long and drawn out. Tons of spectators and tons of course support from them. There was water sometimes 3 or 4 times in a mile. No worries of getting dehydrated. Some were even giving away Gu! It's a pleasure getting Jim Cummings e-mails - he's quite entertaining and you won't find anything like this in the larger races. I don't plan on returning anytime soon but it's still a nice race. | |
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M. Y. from Hanover, PA
(10/21/2011)
"Couldn't have been better" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've heard about this marathon for years and glad I finally decided to do it myself. I entered Steamtown with a goal in mind and can say I DID it! I trained for the hills and took the advice from Steamtown experts. With all the great pre-race emails,there was not way I couldn't be prepared! Not only did I qualify for Boston but I set a PR. I would suggest this race to anybody and also suggest that they train for the hills. I loved the 'small' town feel and the size of the marathon. The weather was perfect, though a little hot at the end (but that's no one's fault). If I had to search for a complaint it would be the food. After the race I wasn't in the mood for anything they had. Maybe 1/2 hour later that food would have been wonderful but I couldn't get back in after I left. Thanks for a great day!!!! | |
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T. J. from PA
(10/19/2011)
"Please don't run this marathon if you want to BQ" (about: 2011)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a pretty race for anyone looking to have a fun run. Please do not run Steamtown if you want to BQ or PR in any sort of way. I had this in mind and ended up PW (personal worst). The reason many people do is because this race attracts alot of fast runners. If you are looking to do this I suggest you run St. George. The downhills in the beginning should not be run aggressively or you will pay at those end hills. Since it was about 80 degrees at the finish shade would have helped with the heat. There will some moments of depression near the middle where there were no spectators. I would not run this race again. | |
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G. G. from Huntington, NY
(10/15/2011)
"Amazing Race!!!" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I would happen to agree with most of the comments posted on here. Steamtown Marathon has just become my new favorite! I loved the course, the scenery, the people along the course, the organization, the support, the water stops, everything. I will be back to do it again! The medal was a little skimpy (like everyone said already) but that wouldn't deter me from returning to try it again. The hills at the end really added to the challenge and and kept me focus and planning ahead. Great job organizers! | |
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R. A. from Upstate NY
(10/14/2011)
"You really can't ask for anything more!" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I will pretty much echo all the other comments, this race has everything down! From the organization with the weekly emails, race day logistics, mile markers, aid stations, finish line food etc, everything is spot on. The course is of course a net downhill, and actually that didn't hurt my quads as much as people were telling me it would. Obvisouly don't kill yourself in the first 10 miles and you'll be fine. The rails to trails was a relief, getting to run 3 or so miles on a shady soft trail. The last uphill miles sucked, but hey, bring it on! The city is pretty cool, a perfect example of what America used to be, and what I wish we would get back to being. Fans really supported the runners all day long. One thing to be aware of, this race sold out in April, so hop on it early! | |
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A. D. from Poughkeepsie, NY
(10/14/2011)
"Awesome volunteers and fans!" (about: 2011)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I pretty much agree with everything that the other reviewers of the 2011 Steamtown Marathon had stated. I would like to re-emphasize the great support provided by the volunteers and the local residents before and during the marathon. While I was walking to the buses from my hotel, which was a little more than a mile away, a couple of enthusiastic volunteers actually stopped their car, turned around, picked me up, then drove me to the buses along with another runner whom they had picked up! So many residents from Forest City to Scranton were really into the event - loudly cheering, displaying signs - there were even church bells ringing for several minutes in a couple of small towns as the runners came through. I trained for the hills and ran the race according to the advice provided by the race director and others - 'bank the effort and not the time' on the steep downhills. During the last three miles, I realized that I would have a new PR but would miss my goal time. Despite a little pain, I still enjoyed those uphill miles by giving high-fives to almost every kid with his hand out, running through water sprays that were set up for the runners, and thanking a few of the many Scranton residents who were out there cheering for people they had never met before. Other marathons may have bigger expos and flashier medals. But in my opinion, the marathon volunteers and local residents make the Steamtown Marathon definitely a running event worth coming back to! | |
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Eliot W. Collins from Raritan Borough, NJ
(10/13/2011)
"Highly Recommended - Will Return Again in 2012" (about: 2011)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Steamtown is the same year after year. Everyone associated with the race (organizers, volunteers and spectators) does an outstanding job of making everything enjoyable for the runners. They are some of the nicest people that I have ever met. I definitely got my money's worth, and I look forward to returning for the tenth time in 2012. | |
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T. H. from Baltimore, MD
(10/12/2011)
"best volunteers ever" (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have NEVER seen an army of volunteers as enthusiastic and helpful as at Steamtown. This is a small city that knows it has a world class event, and it sparkles with pride. I was shocked getting off the bus at the start line in Forest City. I can't imagine too many high schoolers who would want to get up before 6AM on a weekend to hand out water, take out trash, and walk through the parking lot with a sign that says 'follow me'. Of course, I appreciated the volunteers along the course watching traffic and handing out water. Local bands and cheerleaders kept us entertained. The ski rescue team patrolled the course on bikes. Even the local civil war enthusiasts started the race with a cannon. And the fans along the course were amazing. I loved being welcomed to each neighborhood by its residents. I loved the fans quickly looking up my race number in the newspaper, then cheering for me by name. I loved the mass of red-shirt people encouraging us up 'homestretch hill'. This is not the best place to watch runners, but it's where we badly needed it. And most of all, the AWESOME locals who put out a hose or handed out water. It was a scorcher this year, and the residents were vital to my finishing. In the last few miles, I dumped several glasses of water over my head from random people. I could not have finished without this. Steamtown Committee, you put on a flawless race (in less than ideal conditions) this year. And while you have perfected the logistics of this race, it is your amazing community that puts it over the top. My only hope is that it doesn't sell out immediately next year. | |
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Paul Hackley from Leesburg, Virginia
(10/12/2011)
"Fantastic marathon - everything they say is true!" (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 From the perspective of a 41 year old male with BQ aspirations - I did not get my qualifier but I had a blast and ran a PR of 3:23 in Steamtown. Everything about this race was great - the informative pre-race emails were a hoot and I looked forward to each one. The race was immaculately organized and everything went exactly to plan. The bus ride to the start at Forest City High School in the dark was an opportunity to make a new friend with my seatmate whose daughter had written 'Go Dad!' on his hand. The Forest City high school kids were enthusiastic volunteers and there were port-a-potties a-plenty. Staying warm in the gym until racetime start was a bonus. Then the cannon blast to start the race! Wow! Everyone involuntarily jumped and shouted when it went off. Then it was all downhill. Literally! The first half of the race went by like a breeze on the rural highway and the October scenery and tree colors were fantastic. Then the spectators at the small towns along the course were just hooting and hollering. I can't believe so many people would turn out to cheer us on. The weather felt perfect with the start in the high 40s and the finish in the low 60s, and clear as a bell the whole time. The trail section was beautiful and then running through the neighborhoods at miles 23-25 was so uplifting with all the people cheering and waving and spraying us with hoses! The hills at the end are every bit as tough as they say but so what - the whole thing can't be downhill! A great race - I would do it again in a minute. The best part was the spectators - So much support! Even the clerks at my hotel wished me good luck! I'll be back in 2012 if my wife lets me. What a fun time! |
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