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Marathon Details - Pasadena Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > CA > Pasadena > Pasadena Marathon

Pasadena Marathon

Pasadena Marathon & Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, Kids Run

Pasadena, CA USA

~~June 30, 2013~~ - CANCELLED

http://www.pasadenamarathon.org

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2012 2011 2010 2009 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

Inaugural event occupies great place on nations race calendar! Scenic course through gorgeous residential neighborhoods, vibrant commercial districts, and past renowned landmarks. USATF Certified, Boston Qualifier. Come to Pasadena!

Contact Information

Name:	Pasadena Marathon
Address:	P.O. Box 90693 Pasadena, CA 91109
Phone Number:	626.797.7238
Fax Number:	626.797.8881
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (44)

Course 4.0

Organization 3.9

Spectators 3.3

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Number of comments: 44 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]

G. L. from Pasadena, California (7/2/2013) "Love the City, the race organizers are terrible" (about: 2013) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Pasadena Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Pasadena 2013 was my first half marathon. The disappointment started at the expo with no Tech shirts (due to the organizers screw up in the order). During the race several of the water stations ran out of cups, but the most disheartening thing was crossing the finish line and being told they ran out of medals. The icing on the cake was Racewire had no results for me in their race finishing times. Avoid this race.
Loren Brockway from CA (12/22/2012) "I recall three steep hills in this one." (about: 2012) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Pasadena Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Yes, Pasadena is an unforgetable, scenic venue for a marathon. There were three steep hills to overcome. The first was at North Raymond Ave,oh, beyond the Rose Bowl area. The other two were roughly somewhere around mile twenty. It was my first marathon. I learned how to balance my water intake. More is not always better. As a slowpoke (5:30)I noted that cups and water were available, also with the option to help oneself to a gallon jug at each water station. In addition to the water stations, neighborhood people stepped up to offer their water and fresh fruit at various points. This newbie finished feeling proud of his shoes, appreciated the hill challenges and the temperatures (Socal native) and said that he looks forward to running the Pasadena marathon again some day if Pasadena will give it a permit.
Wayne Wright from Orange County, Florida USA (6/15/2012) "Not in Full Bloom" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Pasadena Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:14:51. The Pasadena Marathon was my twenty-fifth 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a great day for a marathon, at least at the beginning: temperature was in the mid-fifties, 99 percent relative humidity, and trace wind. This race focused on the historic structures of Pasadena, and in the first six miles, we were afforded views of Pasadena City College, Caltech, City Hall, Old Pasadena, Colorado Street Bridge, and Tournament House. We also traveled on two miles of the Rose Parade route, noted by the pink line running down the middle of Colorado and Orange Grove Boulevards. We then descended 100 feet into the Arroyo Seco and stayed in the canyon for the next six miles. We travelled alongside Brookside Park and golf course, and in the middle of it all, was the Rose Bowl. Just past mile 12, in front of the venerable football stadium, we had our most serious climb: a 310 foot elevation increase of varying grades over the next 2.6 miles to the highest point at the corner of Raymond Avenue and Montana Street. Heading back down on Garfield Avenue until reaching Washington Boulevard, we then turned eastward toward Bungalow Heaven, a collection of well-preserved Craftsman homes. We were given an opportunity to see the attractive residences on Wilson Avenue at mile 18, where the oak trees alongside the street gave us temporary shelter from the sun. Continuing east toward Pasadena High School and mile 20, we started to feel the effects of the warm weather, compounded by the lack of cloud or tree cover to shelter us from the sun. Past the school, we took a detour on Washington Boulevard toward St. Lukes Medical Center; along the way up the 80-foot hill, we were given an unobstructed view of the San Gabriel Mountains in front of us. The final six miles were in mostly residential areas as we headed back to PCC. By noon, the temperature had swelled to the mid-to-high-eighties, with 36 percent relative humidity and 5 mph wind. ORGANIZATION: Starting with the good, the expo, located at Santa Anita Park, provided a well-documented guide emphasizing the landmarks we were to see during the race, giving us a heads-up on what to look for. But there were plenty of SNAFUs. For starters, the Pasta Dinner was cancelled-refund pending. A race marshal error in front of City Hall extended the course by 0.3 miles. Mile markers 4 and 8 were significantly misplaced. Most of the beverage stations after the halfway point were bereft of cups, not good for the back-of-the-packers without containers on this very warm day. Finally, at least seven of us had timing chip problems, which to the credit of Eternal Timing, was quickly resolved and subsequently posted on the marathon website. FANS: A decent turnout of Bungalow Heaven and East Pasadena residents on hand to cheer us on. CONCLUSION: Pasadena is an attractive venue, and this marathon does a good job of showcasing the city's landmarks. Sadly, in its four years of existence, the number of finishers has decreased every year. It is evident there are some wrinkles to be ironed out. It is also evident most of the participants live in Southern California, where there are over a dozen marathons competing for the local runners attention. It is hoped that not only will this marathon survive, but will thrive in the future.
k. k. from St Louis, Missouri (6/13/2012) "pretty good race" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Pasadena Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Pros: -course was great, nice mix of hills and out-and-backs and scenic areas -fans, there weren't tons of people out there but but the ones who were out were great, especially those that had were handing out bottled waters towards the end of the course, thank you! Neutrals: (things that could have been a bit better) -Expo was bit far away. This was probably not a problem for most people but I flew in for the race and didn't have a car so took the bus (had to wait almost an hour on the way back). Since it was held outdoors, I wonder if they could have just held it near the race start where most out-of-towners were probably staying. Cons: -Cups at aid stations were too flimsy and just fell apart of collapsed when you grabbed. Few stations didn't have cups at all .. had to grab one out of trash to get water. Overall it was a good experience and I would recommend it to others. It was my first time in pasadena and I really enjoyed the stay there as well as doing stuff in LA which was easy to get to via metro.
j. h. from Los Angeles, Ca (6/4/2012) "Tough Course" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Pasadena Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my second time running Pasadena marathon. There were few tough uphill miles at the beginning and especially after mile 20 with two back to back hills. That was tough. I love everything else, good water stations, good free parking, good goodies after the race.
B. P. from Glendale, CA (5/22/2012) "Perfect day for a marathon1/2 marathon this time" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Pasadena Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I like the early start. Being a Founders Club member, I appreciate the preferred parking and VIP tent.
A. T. from San Francisco, CA (5/20/2012) "Has potential" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Pasadena Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It was a sunny and warm to hot day. Half marathoners (3 times more finishers) started with the marathoners. As a small to mid-size race (876 marathon finishers), Pasadena has the potential to be a good, solid mid-size race. The course could have gone through more interesting streets (e.g. showing the grand houses of Pasadena). A bit too many out-and-back spurs (there were four). A number of mile markers were incorrectly placed - some were off by 1/4 to 1/3 mile. Overall, the course is mostly flat with one long gradual climb of 300 feet between miles 13 and 16. Organizationally, the volunteers were plentiful and helpful. A number of water stations did not have cups and kept telling the runners to keep their water cups. There were plenty of Clif Gel Shots at four water stations. One had orange slices. Spectators were sparse but enthusiastic. Some people shouted encouragement from inside their homes while others were on the sidewalk offering vocal support. The best part was the convenience of staying at the Saga Motor Hotel. The Start/Finish is almost in front of the motel. Not only that - the motel management was very supportive of runners. Late checkout - no problem. Race starts at 6:30am? We'll start breakfast an hour earlier at 5am. When we got back to our room the day before, we were surprised to find a couple of ziplock bags containing a granola bar and a bottle of water in each on the table. A nice touch for runners. Highly recommended if you need a place to stay for the Pasadena Marathon. Would I run the Pasadena Marathon again? If I am near Pasadena and I want to run a marathon, yes. Otherwise, no.
arnold breckman from California (6/19/2011) "IT WAS REALLY GREAT PSADENA MARATHON!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Pasadena Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Pasadena 05.15.11 - The ultimate challenge is to run another marathon the day after a PR. But in the rain? It rained the first 11 miles. (I thought it did not rain in Southern California.) I should have returned to the car and driven back to the hotel. Here we go again with the half marathoners and the marathoners running together until mile 10. I was running but my legs couldn't sustain it after mile 10. I walked for 2.5 miles and ran every 3 minutes for the race during the hills. No electrolyte drinks for almost 5 mile stretches. No pretzels, salt, or other 'push you through' food. Shout out to the neighborhood family that gave us Vanilla Wafers and Jolly Ranchers in a Ziploc bag. Nothing like running with a Vanilla Wafers bag but this was my 'electrolyte'. I had to stop at a local store to get a Mountain Dew to finish the race. The nerve of one of the race coordinators to ask where I got my Mountain Dew when they had no Gatorade on the course. Paramedics were plentiful and not Kaiser Permanente. Thank goodness. Overall not well organized.
a. b. from United State (6/18/2011) "pasadena marathon" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Pasadena Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Pasadena 05.15.11 - The ultimate challenge is to run another marathon the day after a PR. But in the rain? It rained the first 11 miles. (I thought it did not rain in Southern California.) I should have returned to the car and driven back to the hotel. Here we go again with the half marathoners and the marathoners running together until mile 10. I was running but my legs couldn't sustain it after mile 10. I walked for 2.5 miles and ran every 3 minutes for the race during the hills. No electrolyte drinks for almost 5 mile stretches. No pretzels, salt, or other 'push you through' food. Shout out to the neighborhood family that gave us Vanilla Wafers and Jolly Ranchers in a Ziploc bag. Nothing like running with a Vanilla Wafers bag but this was my 'electrolyte'. I had to stop at a local store to get a Mountain Dew to finish the race. The nerve of one of the race coordinators to ask where I got my Mountain Dew when they had no Gatorade on the course. Paramedics were plentiful and not Kaiser Permanente. Thank goodness. Overall not well organized.
Bob Patterson from Alta Loma, California (6/5/2011) "Age Discrimination." (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Pasadena Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Everything was wonderful until the finish, where there was little food, no tp in the portajohns, and most importantly, no age-group awards for us old folks. I was promised one by the Director, but 3 weeks later, numerous emails and phone calls are still being ignored. I call that age discrimination.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]



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G. L. from Pasadena, California (7/2/2013) "Love the City, the race organizers are terrible" (about: 2013) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Pasadena Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Pasadena 2013 was my first half marathon. The disappointment started at the expo with no Tech shirts (due to the organizers screw up in the order). During the race several of the water stations ran out of cups, but the most disheartening thing was crossing the finish line and being told they ran out of medals. The icing on the cake was Racewire had no results for me in their race finishing times. Avoid this race.
Loren Brockway from CA (12/22/2012) "I recall three steep hills in this one." (about: 2012) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Pasadena Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Yes, Pasadena is an unforgetable, scenic venue for a marathon. There were three steep hills to overcome. The first was at North Raymond Ave,oh, beyond the Rose Bowl area. The other two were roughly somewhere around mile twenty. It was my first marathon. I learned how to balance my water intake. More is not always better. As a slowpoke (5:30)I noted that cups and water were available, also with the option to help oneself to a gallon jug at each water station. In addition to the water stations, neighborhood people stepped up to offer their water and fresh fruit at various points. This newbie finished feeling proud of his shoes, appreciated the hill challenges and the temperatures (Socal native) and said that he looks forward to running the Pasadena marathon again some day if Pasadena will give it a permit.
Wayne Wright from Orange County, Florida USA (6/15/2012) "Not in Full Bloom" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Pasadena Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:14:51. The Pasadena Marathon was my twenty-fifth 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a great day for a marathon, at least at the beginning: temperature was in the mid-fifties, 99 percent relative humidity, and trace wind. This race focused on the historic structures of Pasadena, and in the first six miles, we were afforded views of Pasadena City College, Caltech, City Hall, Old Pasadena, Colorado Street Bridge, and Tournament House. We also traveled on two miles of the Rose Parade route, noted by the pink line running down the middle of Colorado and Orange Grove Boulevards. We then descended 100 feet into the Arroyo Seco and stayed in the canyon for the next six miles. We travelled alongside Brookside Park and golf course, and in the middle of it all, was the Rose Bowl. Just past mile 12, in front of the venerable football stadium, we had our most serious climb: a 310 foot elevation increase of varying grades over the next 2.6 miles to the highest point at the corner of Raymond Avenue and Montana Street. Heading back down on Garfield Avenue until reaching Washington Boulevard, we then turned eastward toward Bungalow Heaven, a collection of well-preserved Craftsman homes. We were given an opportunity to see the attractive residences on Wilson Avenue at mile 18, where the oak trees alongside the street gave us temporary shelter from the sun. Continuing east toward Pasadena High School and mile 20, we started to feel the effects of the warm weather, compounded by the lack of cloud or tree cover to shelter us from the sun. Past the school, we took a detour on Washington Boulevard toward St. Lukes Medical Center; along the way up the 80-foot hill, we were given an unobstructed view of the San Gabriel Mountains in front of us. The final six miles were in mostly residential areas as we headed back to PCC. By noon, the temperature had swelled to the mid-to-high-eighties, with 36 percent relative humidity and 5 mph wind. ORGANIZATION: Starting with the good, the expo, located at Santa Anita Park, provided a well-documented guide emphasizing the landmarks we were to see during the race, giving us a heads-up on what to look for. But there were plenty of SNAFUs. For starters, the Pasta Dinner was cancelled-refund pending. A race marshal error in front of City Hall extended the course by 0.3 miles. Mile markers 4 and 8 were significantly misplaced. Most of the beverage stations after the halfway point were bereft of cups, not good for the back-of-the-packers without containers on this very warm day. Finally, at least seven of us had timing chip problems, which to the credit of Eternal Timing, was quickly resolved and subsequently posted on the marathon website. FANS: A decent turnout of Bungalow Heaven and East Pasadena residents on hand to cheer us on. CONCLUSION: Pasadena is an attractive venue, and this marathon does a good job of showcasing the city's landmarks. Sadly, in its four years of existence, the number of finishers has decreased every year. It is evident there are some wrinkles to be ironed out. It is also evident most of the participants live in Southern California, where there are over a dozen marathons competing for the local runners attention. It is hoped that not only will this marathon survive, but will thrive in the future.
k. k. from St Louis, Missouri (6/13/2012) "pretty good race" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Pasadena Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Pros: -course was great, nice mix of hills and out-and-backs and scenic areas -fans, there weren't tons of people out there but but the ones who were out were great, especially those that had were handing out bottled waters towards the end of the course, thank you! Neutrals: (things that could have been a bit better) -Expo was bit far away. This was probably not a problem for most people but I flew in for the race and didn't have a car so took the bus (had to wait almost an hour on the way back). Since it was held outdoors, I wonder if they could have just held it near the race start where most out-of-towners were probably staying. Cons: -Cups at aid stations were too flimsy and just fell apart of collapsed when you grabbed. Few stations didn't have cups at all .. had to grab one out of trash to get water. Overall it was a good experience and I would recommend it to others. It was my first time in pasadena and I really enjoyed the stay there as well as doing stuff in LA which was easy to get to via metro.
j. h. from Los Angeles, Ca (6/4/2012) "Tough Course" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Pasadena Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my second time running Pasadena marathon. There were few tough uphill miles at the beginning and especially after mile 20 with two back to back hills. That was tough. I love everything else, good water stations, good free parking, good goodies after the race.
B. P. from Glendale, CA (5/22/2012) "Perfect day for a marathon1/2 marathon this time" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Pasadena Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I like the early start. Being a Founders Club member, I appreciate the preferred parking and VIP tent.
A. T. from San Francisco, CA (5/20/2012) "Has potential" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Pasadena Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It was a sunny and warm to hot day. Half marathoners (3 times more finishers) started with the marathoners. As a small to mid-size race (876 marathon finishers), Pasadena has the potential to be a good, solid mid-size race. The course could have gone through more interesting streets (e.g. showing the grand houses of Pasadena). A bit too many out-and-back spurs (there were four). A number of mile markers were incorrectly placed - some were off by 1/4 to 1/3 mile. Overall, the course is mostly flat with one long gradual climb of 300 feet between miles 13 and 16. Organizationally, the volunteers were plentiful and helpful. A number of water stations did not have cups and kept telling the runners to keep their water cups. There were plenty of Clif Gel Shots at four water stations. One had orange slices. Spectators were sparse but enthusiastic. Some people shouted encouragement from inside their homes while others were on the sidewalk offering vocal support. The best part was the convenience of staying at the Saga Motor Hotel. The Start/Finish is almost in front of the motel. Not only that - the motel management was very supportive of runners. Late checkout - no problem. Race starts at 6:30am? We'll start breakfast an hour earlier at 5am. When we got back to our room the day before, we were surprised to find a couple of ziplock bags containing a granola bar and a bottle of water in each on the table. A nice touch for runners. Highly recommended if you need a place to stay for the Pasadena Marathon. Would I run the Pasadena Marathon again? If I am near Pasadena and I want to run a marathon, yes. Otherwise, no.
arnold breckman from California (6/19/2011) "IT WAS REALLY GREAT PSADENA MARATHON!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Pasadena Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Pasadena 05.15.11 - The ultimate challenge is to run another marathon the day after a PR. But in the rain? It rained the first 11 miles. (I thought it did not rain in Southern California.) I should have returned to the car and driven back to the hotel. Here we go again with the half marathoners and the marathoners running together until mile 10. I was running but my legs couldn't sustain it after mile 10. I walked for 2.5 miles and ran every 3 minutes for the race during the hills. No electrolyte drinks for almost 5 mile stretches. No pretzels, salt, or other 'push you through' food. Shout out to the neighborhood family that gave us Vanilla Wafers and Jolly Ranchers in a Ziploc bag. Nothing like running with a Vanilla Wafers bag but this was my 'electrolyte'. I had to stop at a local store to get a Mountain Dew to finish the race. The nerve of one of the race coordinators to ask where I got my Mountain Dew when they had no Gatorade on the course. Paramedics were plentiful and not Kaiser Permanente. Thank goodness. Overall not well organized.
a. b. from United State (6/18/2011) "pasadena marathon" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Pasadena Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Pasadena 05.15.11 - The ultimate challenge is to run another marathon the day after a PR. But in the rain? It rained the first 11 miles. (I thought it did not rain in Southern California.) I should have returned to the car and driven back to the hotel. Here we go again with the half marathoners and the marathoners running together until mile 10. I was running but my legs couldn't sustain it after mile 10. I walked for 2.5 miles and ran every 3 minutes for the race during the hills. No electrolyte drinks for almost 5 mile stretches. No pretzels, salt, or other 'push you through' food. Shout out to the neighborhood family that gave us Vanilla Wafers and Jolly Ranchers in a Ziploc bag. Nothing like running with a Vanilla Wafers bag but this was my 'electrolyte'. I had to stop at a local store to get a Mountain Dew to finish the race. The nerve of one of the race coordinators to ask where I got my Mountain Dew when they had no Gatorade on the course. Paramedics were plentiful and not Kaiser Permanente. Thank goodness. Overall not well organized.
Bob Patterson from Alta Loma, California (6/5/2011) "Age Discrimination." (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Pasadena Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Everything was wonderful until the finish, where there was little food, no tp in the portajohns, and most importantly, no age-group awards for us old folks. I was promised one by the Director, but 3 weeks later, numerous emails and phone calls are still being ignored. I call that age discrimination.

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Marathon Details - Pasadena Marathon