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Jul 7, 2024

GO! St. Louis Marathon Runner Comments

Back to GO! St. Louis Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.9

Organization 3.9

Spectators 3.5

Number of comments: 357 [displaying comments 141 to 151]

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 13 14 15 16 17 .. 36 > ]

B. E. from Naples, Florida (4/28/2007) "Nice Marathon" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is a nice marathon. Good course, good weather, good race support. Fan support was lacking but runners were friendly and that compensated. It is hilly - especially if you are from South Florida where there are no hills to train on. The course was well designed and enjoyable. One complaint - post-race food and beverages were lacking. There was nothing interesting to drink or eat - and this needs to be corrected. Overall, a great marathon. I strongly suggest other runners try it if they have not done so already. Ps. Thanks to the pacers. Great job.
C. L. from Cleveland (4/25/2007) "CHARGED FOR AWARD!!!!!" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This is an update to an earlier comment. I mentioned I really liked the race and was impressed... no longer true! I finished 5th in my age group and was just informed that if I want my award, then I need to send a check for $7 to cover shipping! This despite the $85 entry fee!! Also they have still not got back to me about why they marked up the merchandise at the expo. I, for one, will not go back or even recommend it to anyone!
C. H. from St. Louis,Mo. (4/25/2007) "Hilly, with poor support" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 3 GO! St. Louis Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I've done 4 full marathons and 4 halfs.... I've done this half twice and only because it's in town. I wish the half included Forest Park - the half course was ugly and hilly. I could handle the hills if there was scenery and spectators! The Post Dispatch should print all the times, and there should be more banners encouraging runners along the way (i.e., on buldings: "Some people won't even DRIVE 26.2 miles today.") Being a major city, you'd think it could be more like Chicago - shut down the downtown area and run there, too.
J. A. from Chicago, Illinois (4/23/2007) "Hilly!" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was my second marathon - Twin Cities was the first. I felt like this was WAY harder than I anticipated. It seemed like I was going uphill or downhill more often than not. I was really suffering during the final push to the finish line. I heard the guy say, "It's all downhill from here" - and I rejoiced. Sadly, that was far from true. Lots of water and Gatorade were provided, which was awesome. Spectators were not really enthusiastic. I agree that the finish area was very disorganized.
J. Z. from Michigan (4/23/2007) "Better than expected. Hills not that bad." (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Based on the feedback from 2006, I was expecting a poorly organized race, but that was definitely not the case. The expo and the course were well marked. I loved the mile markers. Each had a work of art (running related) and each was very easy see. As for the much-discussed hills, I guess I was expecting hills, but I was still surprised at how many there were. However, all of the hills were manageable and never too steep. The downhill section around mile 25 - 26 was a nice touch. Great job, St. Louis!
C. L. from Cleveland (4/22/2007) "VERY GOOD MARATHON" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Overall, St. Louis was a very pleasant surprise. Yes it's hilly, but nothing extreme. The problem with the hills came later on in the race from about 22 miles on. Seeing the final hill get bigger and bigger as you are going downhill over the last mile is a heartbreaker! There are bigger hills on many courses (Hatfield McCoy springs to mind), but the so-called positioning of the last few is what really makes St. Louis challenging. Having said that, I really liked the course. As usual below are my pros and cons: Pros: 1. Expo - Definitely one of the best. Deals are what most people are looking for at the expos and unless you were buying the souvenirs (see comments in cons), then this was one of the better ones. 2. Water Stations - Color-coded Gatorade and water (great idea!) 3. To eat, go to "The Hill" (I believe it's St Louis's Little Italy) - great pasta, great prices, but get there early! 4. Downtown has a lot of interesting places. 5. The course? Tough, yes! But doable! Cons (for the most part I'm being real picky here as none really detracts from the race): 1. My only real beef was the souvenir station at the expo. One minute they are telling you to buy because they are all out, and the next, more stuff appears. Seemed like you were at a used car lot! But the biggest problem was that they MARKED UP the merchandise. I bought a sweatshirt for $35 + tax. I thought I had seen it cheaper on the their website. I went home and checked. It is advertised as $20!!! I e-mailed two of their contacts and have not had a reply. DO NOT BUY OFFICIAL MERCHANDISE AT THE EXPO.... Buy it online! 2. Take your own gel on the course. I absolutely agree with the person who said it was too thick. After the first gel station you had to run at least a mile to the next water stop. 3. I'm getting real picky here but the shirt had a feminine look to it. Great quality though. 4. Mile markers were definitely off at times. Overall, great race.... Just don't buy the official merchandise at the expo!
D. A. from Morris, IL USA (4/20/2007) "Nice Race; Pretty City!" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I enjoyed the race a lot though the course was a bit deceiving. The first 9.5 miles were a breeze until you start hitting the hills. Not very steep but long, long gradual hills. This is the first time I ever hit "the wall" and I hope it will be the last. The organization was fine - plenty of fluids and bathrooms. Two GU stations was nice (most races only have one). Could use a bit more support at the end. Otherwise - beautiful city, fine weather, nice fans. I'd do it again, after a bit more hill training!
M. P. from Nashville, TN (4/20/2007) "A "very good" race at all levels." (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I truly enjoyed this marathon. Other than the excellent weather, the race was "just right"... not over-produced and sponsor-driven, like some of the other over-hyped races (read, Country Music and Rock & Roll). It had the feel of a neighborhood block party with a run thrown in. Very comfortable race. The pacers were the best I have experienced. The hills were no worse than some other courses I have run... I find that they break up the pace and help. Only real complaint is that next year please add a few more medical aid stations. Vaseline would have been nice at the 20-23-mile mark when the bloody nipples nicked in. I definitely will return next year. By the way, how can you beat "The Hill" for the pre-race pasta load and outstanding eats?
T. L. from USA (4/20/2007) "Improving race struggles to make big time!" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ GO! St. Louis Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Born and bred is St. Louis, I've done this race for 10 years and it's getting better every year. The post-race set up was very confusing and cluttered. Where was the masssage area? Outside the runners' area? And WHY, with the town's newspaper (The Post Dispatch) as a major sponsor, could they not print ALL FINISHING times? If Chicago can do it for 45,000 runners you'd think we could for 10,000?????????
T. P. from Missouri (4/19/2007) "Enjoyed it." (about: 2007) 2 previous marathons \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 This is my second half marathon. I had never run previous to my first, but really enjoy it. I enjoyed the course itself, especially the parts through the brewery. The finish area was somewhat frustrating in that my family was not allowed to meet up with me. The volunteers were rather rude to my family as well. Overall, it was a great experience and well worth the hard work. I would like to address a previous comment made by "J.S from Wisconsin." I am a "half marathoner" myself and was slightly offended by his/her comment regarding "too many half marathoners." I feel that everyone should run the distance they are comfortable with running. Everyone has their own reasons for running. Everyone who finished the race (half or full) should feel very proud of their accomplishment regardless of time. Speaking as if someone that is choosing to run the half is "in your way" is very inconsiderate. I congratulate all who finished the race, and look forward to seeing you next year.

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