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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 421 to 431]
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A. B. from Boston, MA
(10/14/2009)
"Run this marathon!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I am pursuing the 50 states and chose Steamtown for my PA marathon based on the positive reviews on this website. It did not disappoint!! The organization was superb from the day I registered to the minute I left Scranton. EVERYTHING was super-smooth! What makes this marathon, though, is the people. The amount of support we got from local residents along the course was truly humbling. So many of them set up their own water and aid stations (and believe me, these came in handy at many points as I need more fluids than every two miles, which is what the race provides). The community members were just so amazing that I could write a separate review just about them. I do wonder, though, if bad weather would negatively impact this aspect of the race. The section on the trails was a welcome relief to my legs, and it was so incredibly scenic. Many of the official volunteers along the course were high school students, and they were very enthusiastic. My only suggestion for the race is to have electrolyte replacement fluids at the finish. I finished in five hours and there wasn't any there (I don't know if there was any earlier). They ran out of food right before I finished, but after waiting for fewer than 10 minutes, it was replenished. These are minor complaints; overall, this marathon is TOP-NOTCH. I am concerned that, as I pursue the 50 states, I will now be disappointed after experiencing the awesomeness of Steamtown. (Side note: I stayed in the Radisson downtown right near the finish, and they nearly tripled their room rate the night before marathon. Shameful!) | |
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A. W. from Virginia
(10/14/2009)
"Well organized... a must-run marathon!" (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The support and organization of this marathon are unprecedented. From the expo, to the bus ride, to the race itself, to the post-race accommodations, there are not many setbacks. If anything, I would simply suggest water stops every mile following the second (instead of having them every other mile). Train for downhills and you will be just fine. I BQ'd with ease, and if not for the final three miles being uphill, I would have clocked a sub-3:00. But, there is always a next time! Put this one on your schedule for 2010. | |
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J. F. from Bend, Oregon, USA
(10/14/2009)
"Other marathons can take notes" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Why don't all early morning marathons first assemble in the local high school gyms? Why don't all marathons have men's and women's port-a-potties? Why don't all marathons have really great valuable information emailed by a wannabe comic? I really enjoyed running through all the towns and asking people where we were. The spectators seems to really enjoy the runners. It was fun to discuss who would win the World Series. And with all of this, a very interesting mid-course break: beautiful trails by the river. I loved it. | |
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J. B. from West Chester, PA
(10/13/2009)
"Well organized race, but respect the hills" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I didn't get the time I was shooting for (3:15). The downhill for the first half of the race really beat me up. I was right on pace until mile 20 (7:18/miles) but my quads started cramping after the trails. Not good - especially knowing that there were some hills to contend with around miles 23-25. You can certainly run a PR here but be sure to train, train, train for downhill. I thought I had trained properly but the course still took me for all I had. The race was VERY well organized and the spectators along the course were terrific. It seemed like every little town had multiple water stations. Tons of people in Scranton congratulated me after the race. Very nice. | |
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J. L. from Maryland
(10/13/2009)
"Great Race All Around" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my eighth marathon and first time running Steamtown. I love everything about this race - from the pre-race communication to the transportation to the start, to the awesome course and host city. The course is definitely fast, but do keep in mind that there are some good hills from 23-25 that can slow you down if you've pushed too hard too early. I had a six-minute PR here and would come back again better prepared for the final hills. | |
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Jeff Ellis from Bear, Delaware
(10/13/2009)
"Awesome Race!!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is probably one of the best organized races you'll ever run. Fantastic point-to-point course (marathon only, which is great). I enjoyed the rails-to-trails portion as a nice mix-up from the pounding of the pavement. Tremendous fan support (there were many unofficial aid stations with bottled water and food). It was easy to access buses with no waiting. The locals were awesome and came out to clap or cheer you on. One lady gave me a smile and told me to "Relax and enjoy it." The kids of St. Joe's were awesome as well. It was very emotional to run past them. There was also many groups of people that had music blasting. The one near the final hill was amazing!! The old fire chief in the wheelchair that welcomed the runners to the town with, "Welcome to my town... now get out!!" or, "Keep running... run faster!!!" was hilarious. All in all, it was a great experience. I actually tied my second fastest marathon to the second (guess I shouldn't have stopped to talk to my family twice) - despite having a minor injury, which hindered my training. I didn't hit my goal, but did still manage to come in under 3:50, so I was happy. Great job to all of the volunteers, the race director, the runners, and the fans. This is a top-notch race, and I look forward to coming back. I recommend this race to anyone who enjoys a small-town race with a big-race feel. Beginners be warned: train on hills. Even the net down has a lot of ups. With the weather, the course, and proper training, this is absolutely a PR or BQ course!! I'm looking forward to running it again. | |
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P. P. from Concord, MA
(10/13/2009)
"Truly a Great "Smaller" Race" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my fifth marathon and first "non-major" (having run Boston twice and NYC twice). This is a great marathon. It certainly lacks the end-to-end crowds of the bigger races, but the people who are out are very supportive and enthusiastic. And the organizers and volunteers are top-shelf all of the way. The rail-trail interlude in miles 15-19 is a nice break from the roads, and the wait for the start couldn't have been easier and more comfortable. And yeah, by the way, a 32-minute PR didn't hurt either!! Do some downhill training, and you'll be fine. You've gotta run Steamtown! | |
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J. M. from Ottawa, Canada
(10/13/2009)
""IS THIS STEAMTOWN ORGANIZATION FOR REAL?"" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 MY AMERICAN BROTHERS AT STEAMTOWN, What a great, organized race. Firstly, I want to thank all of the volunteers who helped out with this race. The high school volunteers who put in the time and effort to make all us runners feel as comfortable prior, during and following the race. Thank you very much. To the organizers who put in so much of there time to put on this race, THANK YOU. I had a great visit to your fair city and hope to return in the future, but only if I properly train for this event (ouch). I am sure that the organizers are well aware of the flaws (wood chips and mud to track around) and will be looking after this stuff for the next race. I thank you for giving me the opportunity to visit and run in Scranton, PA. | |
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J. S. from New York, NY
(10/13/2009)
"Race directors take notes" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Attention all Marathon Race Directors: Please go to Steamtown, watch the race, and talk with the organizers, because these guys/gals know how to put on a point-to-point marathon. The organization was nothing less than spectacular - from the warm gym at what would have been a very cold start, to the very funny pre-race e-mails. I have done several point-to-point marathons, and I have never seen one go off this smoothly. Bus service to the start was smooth and efficient. Port-a-johns were plentiful enough. Baggage transportation to the finish went flawlessly. I cannot say enough about the superb organization of this race The course is exactly as expected: tons of downhill early, with some significant uphills in the last three. If those uphills occurred anywhere in the first half of the marathon, they wouldn't be noteworthy in the least. Overall, it's a very fast course if you can keep the pace slow in the first seven miles. The spectators exceeded my expectations for a marathon of this size. A ton of very enthusiastic people came out to support this race - thank you. | |
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William Tichenor from Dallas TX
(10/12/2009)
"I Love this Race!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 What a great event! Super downhill course. Great neighborhoods and excellent weather. It has everything! |
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