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North Central Trail Marathon Runner Comments
Back to North Central Trail Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.4 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.3
Number of comments: 128 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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Julie Fitz from Carney, MD
(11/24/2012)
"This is a really nicely done small race !" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 North Central Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Today was windy and cold but still a really pretty course thru a user friendly trail. Look if you want cheering crowds and a lot of hype then go to Philly or Bawlmer Hon ! But for a race of 500-550 runners they gave out a nice wind vest, nice medal, warm gym to wait in, cute little man filling out your certificate right there. Very friendly organizers. Didn't miss a step. Aid/water stations were well stocked and those folks stood out in the blustery wind handing me my cup and I am grateful ! Happy Thanksgiving ! God is so good ! | |
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C. S. from South Jersey
(12/13/2011)
"Beautiful trail run with no hassle logistics" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 North Central Trail Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Second time running NCR Trail Marathon. Weather was perfect (50s) for a marathon. We got lucky for this time of year as last year in the mid 30s was a little cool. Course is very scenic through the woods for 23 of the 26 miles. Beats the big city marathons hands-down on that front. Logistics were very simple and well-organized for the most part. Shuttle getting to and from the start line was convenient and ran frequently. Minor complaint was that there was a lot of traffic over the last mile. Maybe they could have done something different to funnel traffic away from the course although at no time did it become dangerous as there was plenty of room to run on the side of the road which was marked off with cones. There were some bikers and other walkers on the trail during the race but I didn't see it as any hindrance. However, they do need to keep this race limited to 600 participants as with more, some portions of the trail near the top where runners are going out and back at the same time 'could' get crowded. But again, I only had 2 or 3 instances where I maybe wanted to pass someone but had to be wary of oncoming runners. It had no negative effect on my performance. And like some other comments stated, if you need lots of crowd support, this isn't the race for you. It's more of a peaceful race. However, there was lots of crowd support at the water stops about every 2.5 - 3 miles. I used to run the Philadelphia Marathon this time of year but with their price increases, I find this marathon to be not only more cost effective but a much better overall experience. I may not be back every year but it's a race that will I'll always consider this time of year. | |
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J. B. from DeRuyter, New York
(12/8/2011)
"Very disappointed in race" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 North Central Trail Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 My husband (who also ran race and BQ'ed) and I drove from Central New York to run this marathon, and was quite disappointed in whole 'trail' experience. Was very disappointed to find that instead of shirts or hoodies like they gave last year we received coolers, I have NO USE for a cooler please give us shirts!! The course itself was incredibly boring, the start was downhill which was nice then the path led us to the trail, of which consisted of a dirt path that was far to narrow for marathoners esp since there were no signs that indicated a race was going on, it was a mild day for Nov so there were a lot of walkers and bikers out and they were not looking out for us runners nor did they give us the right of way. The course itself was running 24 of 26 miles looking at bare trees, not too exciting. The course is out and back so be prepared to run the last 1.5 miles uphill, great way to end a marathon plus being on main highway the cars were very unforgiving to runners and were going very fast!! The food at the end was more for a 1/2 marathon or 5k, there was bagels, my husband was 'lucky' enough to get some of the 'soup' that was advertised and said that it was 'tastless broth' with no flavor. The medal was nothing special. A very big thank you to the school who was nice enough to let us stay warm and use facilities, it was quite chilly to start the race. To sum it up, no shirt, no food afterward and very boring scenery was my experience of this marathon, glad that this state is complete. | |
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j. h. from upstate ,NY
(12/3/2011)
"Disappointed expected better organization" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Drove from upstate NY to run this with some friends. Packet pickup was easy. People at Charm City were very friendly and helpful. Cooler and hat a nice change. Still would of purchased a shirt of some sort , if they had one. We stayed about 2miles from bus pick up. Went very smoothly. School was warm, able to use restroom in the building. Start of race started off smoothly. As we got further in the course ,it was just plain unsafe. Once we reached mile 8-9 and the fast runners were already heading back , trail was very crowded. The number of bicycles was just too much. I tried to allow those coming back as much room as possible, but the trail narrows up through there. All I heard is 'to your left'. Several times going off trail and stopping because those on bikes did not slow down. I am sure because it was a nice day there was more people out then usual. Also, in their defense there was no signs alerting them ' race in progress'. One portapot along the way which was absolutely gross and one other portapot you did not see until you went by. Heading back last couple miles was even more frightening. The road winded up hill and traffic coming back from the school was awful. Sad thing is they were probably runners who had parked at school and where in a hurry to get out of there?? Whomever they were very disrespectful to those runners still trying to finish. Which is a tough uphill finish. A man fell in front of me avoiding cars. Not one car slowed or stopped to see if he was OK. It took us just over 5 hours. we all went up to school to get something to eat. There was next to nothing. Really wanted that nice hot soup as advertised. Only banana and bread. Terrible. Sat down for few minutes, got up and the chair was taken right from underneath me, they were cleaning up ? Metal was just fair to poor compared to some marathons that I have run and payed much less. Was not impressed, especially with 22 years of running this race. Really need to keep traffic down (bikes,cars) when course when still open, more portapots, minimizing the bicycles esp. in the section between miles 8-19. | |
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D. G. from Richmond, VA
(12/1/2011)
"A Good Alternative to the Mega Races" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 North Central Trail Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 If you are the type of person who does not need a lot of ancillary things to run a marathon, this is a good race for you. The course is an out and back with most of it on the relatively flat North Central Trail. Getting to the trail at the start is a wonderful mile plus down hill. Getting back at the end is up those same down hills. Being on the trail is nice as it is quiet and deserted. So if you are a person who needs the crowds, the bands, etc to run a marathon, the solitude of the trail would not be for you. If you are relatively self sufficient while running, the race is your baby. Well organized. Plentful water stops (Bring your own gels). Starting and finishing at the school means you are not standing around in the cold pre / post race. The people are wonderful (I had some people running in another runner adopt me which helped at the end). They also understand that not everyone wants just another T shirts...this year we got knit hats and a neat cooler) If you have anyone watch you, the course has several roads that wind around the trail and it is super easy for them to get around) Nothing I can really say bad about this race. | |
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T. K. from Southern New Jersey
(11/21/2011)
"Beautiful course, tough hill at end, sparse crowd" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 North Central Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I enjoyed the race, great course, but it's not one for a person who needs crowds for motivation. You will run alone a good deal of the time. Killer hill at the finish, be warned! | |
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T. S. from Monkton, MD
(12/6/2010)
"A Quality Experience" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 North Central Trail Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A well-run race on my home course. The trail is a wonderful surface to run on but the course is tougher than may appear, with the slight upgrade going out and the hills in miles 25 and 26 (this year made more difficult by a nasty headwind). It is a fair but challenging tract. Who can complain about spending pre-race time in a heated building with all of the comforts of home, especially on a cold, windy morning? The event hosts let everyone know when its time to walk to the start, so runners can stay warm right up to toeing the line. This race is well-organized, and has great premiums, including a very nice medal and thematic age group awards. Post-race refreshments and recovery area are superb. The event pays respect to the beautiful resource that is the North Central Rail Trail. Thanks to BRRC for a great race. | |
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C. S. from South Jersey
(12/4/2010)
"Scenic course; good small-marathon logistics" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 North Central Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 First trail marathon. Scenery far better than I've seen on any road marathons I've done. Moderately tough course, especially over the last 1.5 miles if you're used to running on the flat (like me, in South Jersey). Out and back with big downhills to start. Be careful not to start too fast; the majority of runners, including me, did so over first 2 miles. With 22.6 miles of trail, we were pretty much shielded from the wind. Trail was about 8 feet-wide most of the way. It wasn't rough but had small rocks. Unlike a road race, you have to be a little more conscious of your footing but that is to be expected on your typical trail. All tree-lined. Spectators generally at the road crossovers every few miles. Water stops every 2-3 miles included Gatorade that wasn't watered down. Recommended as a very scenic marathon with great logistics. Bus transit 5 minutes from the start/finish ran frequently. Another big plus was packet pick-up on race-day morning. Great for price-conscious runners. Only minor negative is that it's a tough course to PR on due to hills, terrain and likely cold this time of year. | |
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B. H. from Richmond VA
(11/30/2010)
"Well organized, small, non-technical trail maratho" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 North Central Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run on the NCR Trail before when visiting my family and was intrigued when I discovered that the marathon takes place the same Saturday after Thanksgiving. What a great excuse to eat extra stuffing and mashed potatoes while carb loading. It runs out and back, on a slight uphill grade with rolling hills; it's also mostly downhill at the beginning and obviously mostly up the last 2 miles. Great start and finish area at an elementary school. It was nice to stay warm before the start on a cool and windy day. Perfect marathon weather this year (high in the low 40s) except a little windy, and the non-technical course was well supported at the aid stations with enthusiastic volunteers and fans. Nice sweatshirt and even a medal too. Great finish line support; they placed the medal over my neck and handed me my space blanket. Thanks to those who put it on. This might become a tradition for me. | |
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M. B. from DC
(11/27/2010)
"Small Marathon with Big Heart" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 North Central Trail Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Just completed my first NCTM today. The course is out and back, wooded, and rustic, with really pretty scenery. I especially liked how quiet it was; I don't need the thousands of spectators (well not for every race). A nasty headwind plagued us throughout but that can't be helped. Hills at the end are tough but, hey, this is supposed to be tough, right? The on-course support was great, with plenty of fluids, snacks, and small pockets of enthusiasm. Sparks Elementary was an awesome staging area - warm with plenty of space. Loved that hot soup at the end and shuttle buses were well timed. Definitely one I'll be back for. |
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