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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 511 to 521]
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Mike & Gina McGee from Latrobe, PA
(10/9/2006)
"Great mid-sized marathon with fast course!" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 We have run Steamtown three times. I have run a PR twice, and my wife has PR'd all three times, qualifying her for the Boston Marathon Elite Women's Start each time. The mostly downhill course is fast if run correctly. The race organization and volunteers are unmatched in a race of this size - a great experience all around. | |
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Elizabeth Galloway from Ludlow, Vermont
(5/14/2006)
"Best race I've ever run!" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The organization and crowd support of this race make it a perfect choice for a first marathon, then as a return favorite every year after. | |
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M. G. from Philly burbs, Pa
(1/25/2006)
"fantastic and fast!" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great race from start to finish. The expo is small, but after picking up my number we went to a church service held there in the auditorium. A service given by a priest that had run all but one of the marathons. I did not plan on running this race fast. After about 10 comfortable miles I noticed that if I kept up my pace I could PR, and I did. The course is absolutely great. A perfect mix of town and country. It seemed as if the majority of the people in these small towns came out to cheer everyone one. It is a tough but short hill at about mile 23, but after cresting the hill it was worse; I had to go down the other side with beaten up quads from the earlier declines (did not do any hill training). A great, gentle, downhill finish. My favorite marathon thus far, and plan on returning next year. | |
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G. T. from Chicago, IL
(1/24/2006)
"Not as fast as I thought it would be." (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have been chasing a BQ for 2 years now. Ran a 3:37 in Chicago in 2004 and thought that with some harder training and the right course I might just be able to do it. I did spring speed work and interval training this year, which is something I had never done. So I entered marathon training in a lot better shape and with a lot more speed than in the past. I trained for a 3:20 finish time. I gave up my scenic routes in lieu of something that had hills. I ran all my runs on the hill course, and despite that, all my times were significantly faster per mile than in previous years. Friday's were hills and intervals and I peaked at 20 hill repeats (7 miles) during training. I finished the training schedule pretty fresh as we had a really cool summer in Chicago. I thought Steamtown was going to be a cinch. I arrived on Friday to get adjusted. On Saturday I picked up my packet, drove the route to mentally prepare for the race, ate dinner and got a good night's sleep. I think I would of had my BQ if it were not for the two hills at the end. One hill would have been plenty. I particularly did not like the Electric Street hill; it winds as it goes up and you can't see where it ends. The finish hill into town is manageable. In spite of my additional training and harder training I only managed a 3:32 on a perfect day. It was a PR by 5 minutes, but with the additional work I put in toward training I was expecting a little better. The organization was excellent and I really liked the small size. I would run this marathon again and I may do it again in 2006 now that I know the course a little better. | |
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Patrick Lynam from Arnold,PA
(12/28/2005)
"Mid-size marathon, small-town charm" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Organization of this race is absolutely FIRST-CLASS! It seemed to me like all bases were covered. Porta-potties a plenty (no more than a 5-minute wait at the start). Volunteers everywhere, course clearly marked, great finish area and post-race food tent. The course is excellent, except for the small section of wood chips. The hill at mile 24 is a challenge, but if you do hill training, you will be fine. One final comment: allow time to ATTEND THE COURSE PRESENTATION, as the information you get there will be INVALUABLE. If you register for this one and expect a great experience, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!! | |
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K.A. Mattie from New York, NY
(11/2/2005)
"Great first time marathon experience" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a great first experience for me. The course is mainly downhill, which I later learned would be tough on my quads--but it allowed me to have a great fininshing time. The hills at the end aren't terrible, at all. The crowds were sparse but super fun and enthusiastic when you came into each of the towns. It was super organised and the race director kept in touch with funny and informative e-mails. They really go out of their way to put on a great event. The weather was overcast and cool---which was perfect. All in all, a great experience that I would definitely recommend. My thanks and appreciation go out to everyone who helped make this happen and cheered along the way! | |
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C. S. from Ottawa, Canada
(10/20/2005)
"A BQ and a PR!" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My first marathon was in 1987. In Steamtown I not only set an all-time PR, but also qualified for Boston for the first time. The course was very hard on my legs but it gave me extra energy so I never hit a wall, and could have gone faster at the end had my legs not been in agony. The size of the race was great - enough other runners to keep you company, but no need to dodge people. It was very well organized, and a fun race! | |
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Al Storie from Bowmanville Ontario
(10/20/2005)
"Steam Team Loves Scranton" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Running Pals: There were 15 runners from Canada who made the trip to Scranton; we had heard that this marathon was a good one from reports. We traveled 7 hours in pouring rain, but race-day had perfect weather to run a marathon. We called ourselves the Steam Team. For most on the team it was a first marathon (it was Gord's 26th). Everyone had a GREAT experience in Scranton. The Steam Team is planning on returning to Scranton as the experience at the Steamtown is HARD TO BEAT! Thank you to everyone in Scranton. STEAM TEAM OF CANADA | |
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Larry (Bag Man) Byrne from New Windsor, NY
(10/20/2005)
"Just a wonderful race, couldn't be better!" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Steamtown Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second Steamtown, and it was every bit as great as my first one back in '99. The fans really made the day, as did the other runners, especially the Beer Women! Thanks for sharing your carbs with me, ladies. Everything was first-rate - the organization, the volunteers, the fans - I'm already thinking about next year. See you then! | |
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A. H. from Columbus, OH
(10/19/2005)
"my favorite marathon so far!" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Steamtown Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I picked Steamtown based on comments on this site, and reviews in the Runners World online forums. I wanted a fast course, and was impressed with what I read. The event itself far exceeded every expectation I had! Even before race-day, there was great communication from the race director - I've saved many of his emails, they were so amusing! The expo was tiny but bib pickup was nice and quick. Bus transport out to the start was incredibly well organized, and somehow they even managed to get us perfect running weather! The tiny details are really what made this race; high school cheerleaders greeting us at 6am, a nice warm gym to wait inside. This is the first place I've ever seen men waiting in line for porta-potties while women walked right in to their own (they were gender-assigned). I really enjoyed the course, posting my first ever negative split on a course that had a downhill first half! Spectator support was decent, and I was really impressed with the food offerings through the course (donut holes, fruit, pretzel sticks, bagels DURING the run!). That darned hill on mile 25.5 can be hard to deal with but I was given the wonderful advice to 'focus on the second traffic light, it's downhill from there' and that carried me through. I set a PR by over 8 minutes, and wasn't even overly sore the next day. I'd definitely recommend this marathon to anyone (but I'd suggest some hill training first). |
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