Nov 14, 2024
Current Year Results
Results Search
Biggest/Best Boston Qualifier
2024 Results
2023 Results
2022 Results
2021 Results
2020 Results
2019 Results
2018 Results
2017 Results
2016 Results
2015 Results
2014 Results
2013 Results
2012 Results
2011 Results
2010 Results
2009 Results
2008 Results
2007 Results
2006 Results
2005 Results
2004 Results
2003 Results
2002 Results
2001 Results
2000 Results
☰
Twin Cities Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Twin Cities Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.8 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 4.9
Number of comments: 455 [displaying comments 41 to 51]
|
n. k. from atlanta, ga
(10/6/2014)
"Didnt meet expectations" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Twin Cities Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 My niece and I picked this race because of all the publicity about the course being the prettiest urban marathon. We were both disappointed. There were several issues. First - Minneapolis is a beautiful city! But - you don't see any of it on this course. After a while, all the small lakes look the same. Second, the paths around the lakes are narrow. As Galloway runners (4:1 intervals), it was hard to get out of the way for other runners. And.... the day was chilly.... and several spectators built fires on the course. Even at mile 25, someone built a fire! Come on...ever think what it's like to run through smoke when you're running 26 miles? Finally - the Expo was a pain to get to for out of town runners. 45 each way on the train + shuttle. There are better courses. Wouldn't run it again. | |
|
Will O'Keefe from Minneapolis, Minnesota
(9/14/2014)
"Nothing like it" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Twin Cities Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I can't say enough good things about this race. I've run a handful of other marathons and it took me running those to understand just how fortunate I am to have the Twin Cities Marathon right here. It's a nicely sized marathon in terms of runners (12,000+/-) and the crowds are incredible (more than 300,000). The course is beautiful and the volunteers so supportive. Seriously, if you've never done this race you've got to put it on your list. This is a true community event that the entire metro area takes part in. | |
|
T. L. from Minneapolis, MN
(6/25/2014)
"Beautiful and Loud" (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Twin Cities Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Living along the course, the Twin Cities Marathon was my first marathon and one that I've run a few times so I chose not to review it until I'd run a handful of other marathons. While it's not a megarace like New York or Chicago, Twin Cities is big - unless you're a sub-2:40 marathoner you'll probably have people around you for almost the whole course. The expo, the pre-race space at the Metrodome, the bag drop, the aid stations, cheer zones, finish line, and post-race village are all very well organized. Aid stations consistently give powerade first and water second, and provide plenty of space for all participants to get in and out without running into each other. There are very few enclosed spaces at the end and so in cold or wet years it can be hard to stay warm at the finish, but they do provide what they can to help out. The race stays entirely within the urban core of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, but by following Minneapolis' amazing parkway system through the Lakes, Minnehaha creek, and the Mississippi River, and ending along Saint Paul's Summit Avenue, the whole thing presents the peak of fall color and the beautiful urban wild spaces of the host cities. The course is gently rolling until a sharp rise at mile 21 as the course runs up Summit Avenue, and the last five miles present some significant uphill before a beautiful, scenic run down toward the State Capitol at the end. Other than a few miles of concrete at the start, the course is almost entirely asphalt. If you don't like crowds and noise, this isn't your race. The crowds are so thick, so loud, and so constant that even if you like crowds you may wish you had just a *little* break to collect your thoughts occasionally. On the other hand, you won't go fifty feet without cheering and shouting, and by Summit Avenue it feels like a hundred thousand people are collectively pulling you up the hill and toward the finish. The finish is an intense wall of screaming spectators. Thousands of volunteers staff the course, and they're generally well educated about the race and good-natured. Aid stations, medical stations, street corners, and key course locations are well staffed. I run a different spring marathon every year, and I'm sure I'd enjoy doing a different fall marathon - Chicago, Kansas City, Des Moines come to mind - but it's hard to think of running a marathon that's not this one in the fall. Weather is almost always perfect, and the views are beautiful. | |
|
J. T. from Raleigh-Cary-Durham, NC
(12/15/2013)
"Great Marathon" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Twin Cities Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Twin Cities is a first-rate marathon. I really enjoyed the experience, the course was beautiful and offered typical challenges, and the crowd support was pretty awesome. Marathon supporters were virtually everywhere on the course. Kudos to Minneapolis-St Paul- keep on doing what you're doing for this marathon. | |
|
Jen Fike from Ann Arbor, MI
(11/16/2013)
"Beautiful course & great spectators" (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Twin Cities Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 What a beautiful course with the fall colors, lakes, & architecture. Church bells were tolling during the first few miles which were gorgeous. The aid stations were well marked, had plenty of volunteers, and the crowd support was amazing with spectators lining the entire route. Great having the Metrodome open at the start for bathrooms & warmth. A few minor complaints - if you stay in Minneapolis, there is no marathon-sponsored transportation to the Expo which is in St. Paul (race starts in Minneapolis), although, the bus system is good (a cab will run about $40). No response from organizers when I inquired about it. The official merchandise was lackluster, with most of the decent stuff gone by the morning of the second day. I don't agree with 'finisher' shirts having been injured multiple times trying to get to the start. I've paid an entry fee & should receive a shirt at the Expo. Be aware that pacers are a bit erratic. I started with but then ran ahead of the 3:35 group although they were close behind most of the race & I was shooting for a 3:30. They passed me in the last mile and I finished just under 3:34 which means they were under 3:35 by a couple of minutes. Will consider this race again. | |
|
J. V. from New York City
(10/13/2013)
"Beautiful, organized, and well-supported." (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Twin Cities Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The 2013 marathon was great. The course is very flat, and very scenic. It wraps around several lakes at the south end of Minneapolis, and the air was cool and crisp. A perfect fall run. There were spectators pretty much lining the whole course (even towards the end when it was raining), and they were LOUD. I've never seen anything like this (although I haven't done New York yet). The only spots where there weren't many spectators were around the lakes, and I appreciated the silence anyways. The staff was great, and have clearly thought about all choices on the course. For instance, Powerade before water at fuel stops, which is clearly the superior ordering for runners that take both. Both the start and the end villages were very-well organized, and the course was clearly signed. Expo was pretty typical. No complaints. I stayed in downtown Minneapolis, so I was walking distance from the start, I got bussed directly back to my hotel (the Radisson). The area is a little dead on the weekend, I would pick a hotel closer to Uptown if I visited again. Also, be sure to get a Juicy Lucy at Matt's after the race. You'll probably burn your mouth, but it's one of the few uniquely Minneapolis/St. Paul things you can do. Hockey tickets are also comparatively cheap, check out the Wild. | |
|
D. S. from Nebraska
(10/11/2013)
"Very well organized and executed marathon." (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Twin Cities Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 7th marathon, and so far I've run everything from my local race to the very large (Chicago - 45K) to the very small (Little Grand Canyon - 400). This race by far was the best organized and executed marathon I have experienced. There was an abundance of volunteers and spectators. It is very obvious that they have been running this race for 32 yearsit's a well-oiled machine. The course itself is gorgeous, winding through different parts of Minneapolis and St. Paul, and around lakes and over rivers with beautiful fall foliage and perfect temps for racing. Every aid station had probably 100 volunteers holding cups, shouting encouragement, clarifying who was holding powerade and who was holding water, etc. Lots of spectators and nearly all the volunteers were calling out names of runners or, since I was wearing a Nebraska shirt, 'Nice job Nebraska' it was a very encouraging environment and there was a lot of support start to finish. The finish line was well managed, with medical right away for those that needed it, followed by solar blankets, water, chocolate milk, and different kinds of food. My family got to watch me cross the finish line online back at home, and the texts with updates kept them in the loop on my progress all day long. My racing buddy, who was sidelined with an injury but came along to cheer me on, was able to see my at 7 different spots along the course, and had no problem getting around the city, parking and getting to a spot to see me. The course itself felt like it was all down hill for the first 20 miles. There was a stretch of 3 miles at that point that were mostly uphill, but perhaps if my training had more hills I wouldn't have noticed. The last mile or two is almost all downhill again, which makes it easy to finish fast and strong. This was a really great experience all around, loved the finisher's medal, finisher's shirt, and the cotton gloves given in the swag bag, as well. Plus my kids loved the thunder sticks medtronic was giving away at the expo when I got home. This would be an excellent first marathon, and is definitely a fast course if you are trying to qualify for Boston. | |
|
W. F. from Brooklyn, NY
(10/9/2013)
"Great Race!" (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Twin Cities Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first Twin Cities Marathon (TCM), and my seventh marathon overall. Generally, TCM is a great race, which I would definitely recommend to others. Pros: -The start in the metrodome (no port-o-potties, no shivering in the cold) -Absolutely wonderful crowd support -Rolling hills that were not nearly as tough as advertised -Knit gloves in the goodie bag! -An actual 'finishers shirt' that you only receive after crossing the finish line -Great communication from the race organizers leading up to the race Cons: -The aid stations were a bit too spread out for my taste -The course narrowed in places which seemed to cause the odd bottleneck -The medal - while classy, is a bit understated -The branded race merch at the expo was a bit underwhelming Also, as an out-of-towner, I was a bit unprepared for the dramatic weather shifts that took place during the race. If I could offer advice to others for next year, I would say wear a cap and be prepared for any kind of weather (we had sun, heat, rain and cold). Overall, TCM is a great race. It has the crowd support of Chicago with the smaller field of a more mid-size race. Definitely worth doing! | |
|
M. K. from Austin, TX
(10/9/2013)
"Just Perfect for a First-Timer" (about: 2013)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Twin Cities Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It's a beautiful course - starting in Downtown Minneapolis and running around the lakes, the Mississippi River, and then into Downtown Saint Paul. There are spectators along every part of the race, even in a 40 degree drizzle! I loved the organization, the medal, the shirt, the way results and photos were so promptly emailed. The course was relatively flat and even the hills at the end aren't too bad. Highly recommended! | |
|
Jason Hall from Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
(10/8/2013)
"Everybody watches...everybody." (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Twin Cities Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The people of Minneapolis and St. Paul put on an amazing running experience. From start to finish along city streets, suburban streets and the river, the course is lined with what feels like the entire population. The weather is ideal for fast running. The course trends downhill for 20 miles before climbing to the finish. But the elevation change is well below the benchmark fluctuations in Boston and New York. Organization is seamless across number collection, gear drop-off, start, water stops, finish area and return transport. |
Quick Links
Marathon Search
Upcoming US Marathons
Upcoming International Marathons
Search Marathon Results
Latest Running News
Recent Newsletters
Race Director Tools
© 2000-2024, All Rights Reserved by MarathonGuide.com LLC
