Back to Santa Clarita Marathon Information & Reviews
C. G. from Valencia, CA
(11/8/2004)
"2004 version is a much better course..." (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Santa Clarita Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The new course is soooo much improved over the old course - the route now starts out at the Town Center in the streets then traverses through the paseo system which Valencia is known for. It is a fairly fast route, though it is not all a downgrade as the sponsors describe it as. The worst part is the end where they have you run on walkway overpasses 1/2 mile before the finish line. Those inclines are steep and narrow and just plain dumb for a marathon race. Other than that, it was a great course and a lot of enthusiasm from the people that came out and supported it. | |
J. B. from Los Angeles
(11/8/2004)
"Nice 'Smallish' Marathon" (about: 2004)
50+ previous marathons
| 2 Santa Clarita Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Nice size race, well organized from the expo the day before the race, the staging area at the start and throughout to the finish line. All around good experience. Relatively flat and fast course. Even the weather cooperated and was well suited for a marathon; rain came about 3 hours into the race but it was moderate and in a sense refreshing. If you live in or are visiting the area and are looking for a low-key, all-around good marathon - this is worth a run. | |
r. r. from LA
(9/10/2004)
"Need to improve course" (about: 2002)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Santa Clarita Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Running through the housing estates is absolutely horrible. Its easy to get lost, even if you've run the race before. On the plus side, it's fast, well-organized and sensibly starts at 7am (unlike Long Beach & LA Marathons where they try to kill people by starting late and making people run in 85+ degree heat). | |
k. a. from Seal Beach, CA
(8/13/2003)
"Not a whole lotta good about this one." (about: 2002)
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 From a runner who loves small races: there are a whole lot of better ones out there if you're looking for a small race with good organization and beautiful scenery. The scenery just wasn't there, and the start of the race was terribly dry, windy and unsheltered. Thanks to the few fans who came out and put out a great effort. Good organization... would recommend a change in the start, and not having the finish line in sight of the full marathon course. I won't be back again! | |
K. M. from California
(7/10/2003)
"This marathon was awesome." (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have never seen a race so organized. I felt so taken care of - they even had gel packs and vaseline every few miles. The fans were great, consisting of everyone from cheerleaders to musicians. This race blew me away. The course was surprisingly beautiful too, running along fields and a river. I definitely recommend this course for anyone. | |
C. B. from Oxnard, CA
(3/1/2003)
"Great Local Marathon" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Santa Clarita was my 9th marathon, and I've not run the same marathon twice. I rate SCM in the top third of my marathon experiences. The start was the worst part--in a gravel pit, windy, cool, and a late start, not good when runners are anxious as it is. The marathon course was varied; there was plenty of water, gatorade and other supplements; enough porta potties, good traffic control; crowd was good for a small marathon; refreshments better than most. The split at mile 13 was tough when the half marathoners were finishing and us marathoners had another 13 miles to go! The finish was great with my family waiting for me at the end of the chute--something you won't get to experience in the large marathons. I highly recommend this marathon. | |
jeanine wynton from New Haven, CT
(1/4/2003)
"organization good, crowds meager but enthusiastic" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Santa Clarita was my first marathon ever! Though I found it difficult to walk the next day, I'm completely hooked! It was an amazing experience and I can't wait to run another! As a novice, I chose this course because of the downhill start and the close proximity to LA. It began fast and easy. Crowds were spirited as were the runners. However, around mile 13 everyone vanished! I soon discovered why. Around mile 14 or so, the course took a strange jaunt through residents' backyards for several miles. Though shady, the course was dreadfully boring and hard follow. The race staff was terrific though as were the cute pre-teen spectators dressed in their Halloween costumes cheering me on! After the jog around the neighborhood, the hill was a welcome challenge. It felt like climbing Mount Whitney after an easy path through suburbia! The flat switch back towards the end was a nice idea though the area wasn't picturesque and the spectators were virtually non-existant. Plenty of H2O to the finish line though!! Overall, it was a great experience. Thank you Santa Clarita!! | |
A Runner from LA
(12/2/2002)
"good marathon - could be great" (General Comments)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I've run the marahon twice & have enjoyed it, setting a PR both times. However, the meandering through the pathways in the housing estate is the worst section of any marathon I've run. Not only is there no spectators, but it is unclear where to go at several points. If there was any way to eliminate this portion & the hill that follows, the marathon would be fantastic. The organization is top notch. | |
A Runner from Oak Park, Ca.
(11/7/2002)
"A crampingly good time" (General Comments)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Once again the organizers did extremely well. The only snafu was the morning 'traffic jam' parking. This delayed the start time. The weather could have been a bit better. Windy and cool turning windy and warm. Other than that, I enjoyed the course change from last year. Thank you for not taking us over the 5 fwy. I was on my way to a SCM PR until my legs totally cramped after the 22 mile mark. I still managed a respectable time. While waiting for my friend to come in I got to know the race director and some of his staff. Very nice people. I highly recommend this race. | |
A Runner from Granada Hills, CA
(11/6/2002)
"Very well organized" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the half marathon and virtually every aspect of this race was well organized. Everything from the shuttle buses to street closures to water stations went off without a hitch. There was Gatorade at each water station and most of the volunteers were kids groups which added a lot of enthusiasm. The course wasn't particularly scenic but it was mostly downhill and much of it was on a riverside bike trail (ok, the river is one of Southern California's classic concrete-line rivers) which kept street and lane closures to a minimum. The course was nice and fast. I hadn't trained and still came within 4 minutes of my PR. |
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