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Hartford Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Hartford Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 306 [displaying comments 91 to 101]
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francis kwok from New York, NY
(10/17/2011)
"Great marathon organized by runners 4 runners" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 So why did I choose Hartford? An easy 2 ½ hour Amtrak ride from NYC, another state crossed off my list and fairly inexpensive compared to Chicago. The course featured easy rolling inclines, versus Baltimores quad busters, and I wanted to race in every ING sponsored race (hey, we all got goals in life) It was a perfect race day morning, at least for me, with temps in the low 50s and in the mid 60s when I crossed the finish line. The dreaded forecast of stiff winds wasn't much of a factor the first 16 miles, but the last 10 featured head winds. The race started in Bushnell Park and meandered through downtown Hartford for almost the first five miles, crossing the river a couple of times and through the river walk area. We headed into East Hartford for a long out and back, almost 14 miles, from miles 10 to 24, where it was mostly residential neighborhoods. Saw the lead mean and women race by as I had another 13-14 miles to go. Lots of spectators ringing their cowbells (my ears can still hear them) and volunteers riding bikes handing out GU the last few miles. One last DJ kept playing by mile 22 which was very nice, but most were packing up by 1:30 pm. Water and Gatorade stations were nicely spaced, but one ran out of Gatorade. My big complaint is the website said roads would be open at approximately 2 pm and I would have assumed it would be AFTER 2 pm, but Hartford's finest told us at 1:30 pm to move to the sidewalk as the roads were opening. This forced us to move up and down curbs and to run with traffic at mile 24-25. This also forced us to walk down 2 flights of stairs at mile 25.5, which forced me to wait at a red light. I missed coming under 6 hours by 10 minutes because the stairs and the traffic signal. If you are going to advertise a 2 pm road opening, keep to the schedule and do not open the roads at 1:30 pm! Thank god an awesome bike volunteer allowed to draft behind him for the least 300 yards. Me and another finisher waited while the volunteer handing out medals was so preoccupied loading them on to her arm and walked right pass us before she realized we were waiting for our medals. The Harpoon IPA was awesome as was the pretzels. It was nice cool down walk back the Hartford Marriott. Thank god I didn't bring a bag as the pick-up was at the XL center, which is 4 blocks away, but 4 blocks in the opposite direction of my room. No big deal, but why couldn't bag drop off and pick-up be at park? While Hartford is run by runners (so take that RnR) and there were a lot of volunteers and people cheering, the shirt, medal and expo were ok, I probably won't run Hartford again in the foreseeable future. A nice little race, nicely organized and a great alternative to Chicago. Pros: Seeing all the Marathon Maniacs at the start, along the course and the finish! Nice fairly flat course Great volunteers Great spectators Great road closures manned by cops Great organized goodie bag pick up. Beer at the end! Lots of porta potties and some even had TP by 1 pm! Small but decent expo Cons: Opening of roads before the stated 2 pm time! Two flights of stairs at mile 25.5. Really? Lost count of how many times I crossed the river. Mile Barkers were an interesting experiment, but only one was truly entertaining. Keep bag drop off and pick inside the park. | |
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R. F. from Queens, NY
(10/16/2011)
"A Very Nice Mid-Size Marathon" (about: 2011)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 My wife and I ran this marathon yesterday, it was my second one and her third. I managed a PR and I'm excited about it. The marathon course was nice, ran through downtown and under some nice bridges and trails. It then goes out and back into the suburbs of East Hartford. It was scenic and nice in the fall weather, though it's apparently not nearly as nice as the half marathon course through much nicer and more affluent West Hartford. Organization was top notch, plenty of port-a-johns, volunteers and lots of things to do. My wife and I got separated at the end and the volunteers could not do enough to try to help us out. I can't thank them enough for their help, again a 5-star organizational effort. Had some nice bonuses like free massages at the end of the race which my wife really enjoyed. As for spectators, the ones that were there were enthusiastic. Noticed some great signs and appreciated the support. As is the case with many smaller marathons there were some really lonely stretches. One last note, the marathon didn't have any major hills but it had a long stretch on the back-end that was a slight incline. So not nearly as flat as they advertised but not too bad. So do I recommend? Without hesitation, they work hard to put on a good event, plenty of hotels nearby, one of the best small ones. Run it. | |
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S. C. from Westchester County, NY
(10/15/2011)
"Fantastic from start to finish!" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a GREAT marathon. From the police presence keeping the streets safe to the enormous numbers of cheery volunteers!! Despite the running of 3 massive events, there was never any doubt where you personally belonged. Kudos to the event planners and organizers! The course is beautiful with lots of entertainment along the way. Never a shortage of water and gatorade stations as well as gels. A volunteer biker even approached me offering gels.I was throughly touched by this race and ran a PR. My waiting daughter and I hugged for a long time when I crossed the finish line....she knew this had been a special run for me. | |
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M. N. from Syracuse, NY USA
(10/15/2011)
"a MUST-DO for 50 staters or anyone in the NE" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Great marathon overall: Course was mostly flat which takes you through downtown Hartford (surprising a really nice city) and down a really nice rural road with some beautiful old New England houses. Decent course support, and a great medal and t-shirt. The pasta dinner at $20 per person was a little overpriced for what you get, though. Overall, this marathon is TERRIFIC. | |
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P. N. from Longmeadow, MA
(3/6/2011)
"A really well organized smaller marathon" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Hartford Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Hartford is a well organized smaller marathon, ideal for a first attempt or for someone trying to get their BQ. The route mixes downtown Hartford with scenic South Windsor and is relatively flat - the new route has put the hills near the beginning. Crowd support is good, there is plenty of music along the way and 2010 was a perfect running weather. Everything around the start was well planned out (some lines for the portapottys but no biggie)and the post race beer tent had everything we needed; i.e. beer. This was my third Hartford and my impression is that they work hard to improve it each year. This years medal was a copy of the archway in Bushnell Park which is the rather spectacular finish to the race. I'd definitely run it again some time and I'd say that it was well worth traveling to from out of state if you are looking for a marathon that is a little lower key than the big city events like Boston, NY, etc. | |
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f. b. from Torrington,CT
(11/19/2010)
"Good race but can be improved upon." (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 The Hartford Marathon (2010) was my second marathon. I thought the marathon positive points outweighed the negatives. I would recommend the Hartford Marathon in a heartbeat. The positive points are as follows: First, the race was awesome, and the course was fairly flat. However, the last mile and a half was uphill... not bad. Second, I was pleasantly surprised by the spectators turn out. There were a good showing of support from the public to cheer on runners. Both runners and spectators were really friendly. Thirdly, the aids station were well stocked with water and Gatorade. The roving bike patrols to assist with first aid (if needed) and to hand out energy gel was a nice touch. Lastly, the finishing medal was a nice keepsake. The negative points were as follows: I thought the starting corral was tight (shared it with 5k and 13.1 runners). Second, there were no port-a-johns in the starting corral, which explained why there were dozens of runners within the first mile running off into the sidelines "to visit nature." Lastly, the post-race "party" was anything but a party. The food was average and the portions were too small be be considered a snack (really a half of a bagel... cheap). My kid sister was nice enough to BUY me a sausage and pepper sandwich because I was STARVING. Overall, the Hartford Marathon was a good experience and a fun race. | |
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B. S. from Mebane, NC
(11/12/2010)
"Two thumbs up!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran the half marathon and, overall, this is a very good event. The first mile or two were very crowded, causing more dodging than I prefer, but it eventually settled down. The start and finish are an easy walk from any of the downtown hotels with a lot of great post-race activities to enjoy. The expo was a decent size and also conveniently located downtown. The pre- and post-race communication and advertisements for this race are excellent, as well as the free finisher's certificate you can download after the race and a very nice finisher's medal. This is a well-organized event that seems to mean a lot to the City of Hartford. There really is nothing lacking here and it is one of the few events held on Saturday instead of Sunday. You will not be disappointed if you participate in this one. | |
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e. j. from Ohio
(10/20/2010)
"great organization" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 62nd marathon across the country and the organization of this marathon was second to none. Great course and support with no traffic issues at all. Well run marathon!! Would encourage any 50-Stater to not miss this gem!! | |
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F. W. from Florida
(10/19/2010)
"A well executed race in delightful New England" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Mostly flat with a few highway elevations. Nothing serious. In 2010, we lucked out with great weather. The spectators seemed very happy that we were running through their neighborhoods. Lots of folks came out to sing/perform for the runners. | |
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S. M. from Quebec, Canada
(10/18/2010)
"Great!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Enjoyable course. Efficient organization. A beautiful place if you're traveling with family. As for the course, it was easy enough. There's a small part next to the river. There were lots of water stops and musicians playing along the way. The medals were truly beautiful. Truly super. (I didn't want around for the food.) |
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