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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 261 to 271]
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F. B. from Indianapolis, Indiana
(4/13/2005)
 "Overall: Good Experience" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I had a good time running this event. I thought the course was really pretty, especially Forest Park and Washington University. I was prepared for the rolling hills, and therefore, I wasn't too bothered by them. There weren't too many bands or entertainers, but I thought the spectators did a good job of distracting me. I really thought the other runners were fun; at about mile 21, one runner started singing Wings and Neil Diamond songs. I was disappointed with the crowded expo, and very disappointed with the water stations prior to the split with the halfers. I felt like a wee bird in the nest, begging for a worm. I appreciated the volunteers who were there, but there were too few for so many runners. The Spirit will have to do better next year. I really liked the event though. | |
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Dave Lineback from St. Louis, MO
(4/13/2005)
"Rather Disappointing" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 GO! St. Louis Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Having run here in St. Louis for the 7th time, I can say I am disappointed in the course and organization for this race. The first two rest stops were utterly disorganized and runners were forced to come to a stop and stand in line and wait for water or Gatorade around a table. This also happened at a rest stop around the 7 mile mark, where runners were told it was only runners at the '12 or 25 mile mark' in their race. Also, the lead runners for the half-marathon had to fight their way through the back of the packers for the marathon in order to reach the finish chute, since the route was the same for both races. Additionally, I thought the race course was a little bland going out Forest Park Boulevard, which is not an attractive area for out-of-towners to see. I know the organizers can't control the heat, but they can set a different date for the races. This marathon used to be held in October, and it was great weather to run in, plus the color change is great in Forest Park, but that was directed by the local running club, plus it was a large circle route of the City, rather than the mostly out and back course we have now. I guess I expected more for the premium entry fee they charge. | |
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Sean McCormick from Cincinnati Ohio
(4/13/2005)
 "Great course and great city" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Overall I had a great experience at the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon but let me share with you the good and the bad. THE GOOD - The course was awesome and every neighborhood we ran in had its own unique look and charm. The course is free of any ugly industrial stretches or boring scenery and the city seemed very clean. The fans were awesome and all over the course, the medals were very cool and distinctive. THE BAD - The water stations for the 1st 8 miles. They ran out of water for the first two stations and you had to wait in line as everyone crowded the one table set up with just a few overwhelmed volunteers. They need much more tables and need to make them on both sides of the street to avoid that. If you need constant time reminders on the course, I did not see any clocks and the post-race food left a lot to be desired. Overall, though, I really did enjoy the great run through a great city and would suggest this race to people. | |
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D. D. from Minneapolis
(4/12/2005)
 "Poorly organized marathon in 2005" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 This was my 5th marathon and first STL. I had heard how good this run was in the past years, but this year it was not good. Had issues with water stops, and the finish was a disaster when I crossed it. The start did not go smoothly and I was very disappointed in the expo - not even worth walking around. Hope that they will pick it up for next year; it was a nice course path, just bad organization. | |
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Stephanie Surratt from Nashville, TN
(4/12/2005)
"Not a very good marathon at all..." (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I ran the St. Louis Marathon this past weekend and was very disappointed. (This was my fourth full marathon.) First of all there were NO TIME CLOCKS throughout the race at all. There was the start and finish clocks! This is tough for someone who does not have a watch. There were not a lot of spectators and some areas with none at all. Also they claimed there was all this entertainment and I think I only saw 2 bands. I will not run this marathon again. | |
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E. S. from St. Louis, MO
(4/12/2005)
 "Really fun and exciting" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great first-time experience - the course featured fun 8-foot-tall statues created by local artisans, numerous musicial groups and performers helped to boost the mood, fans and spectators filled all the painful gaps with encouragement. Gel was available at 2 spots near the end - great pick-up. Water and Gatorade was plentiful throughout the entire course. | |
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R. P. from Des Moines, Iowa
(4/12/2005)
"Hills & Heat" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The 2005 marathon was a great experience in a fun city. The hills and the heat took their toll - but it was worth it at the finish. It is a well run event with only some minor water station delays. Crowd support was good and the park was beautiful. The walkers weren't the best idea, since many started before the runners and failed to yield (sometimes 4-5 abreast!) when runners were passing them. Sodas at the end would have been a welcome carb load. | |
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L. K. from St. Louis, MO
(4/12/2005)
 "Hills, hills, hills . . ." (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Do your hill workouts if you plan to run this marathon! The course was tough with lots of long hills. Aid stations in the first 9-10 miles were not ready for the runners. We were holding empty cups waiting for someone to pour water into them!! This got better after the 1/2 marathon runners turned off. Also, the kid's fun runs the day before were very unorganized, nobody knew where to go or when things were happening! Could be a great event with a little more work! Thanks to the volunteers & the police who were directing traffic! | |
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R. T. from Virginia
(4/12/2005)
"An enjoyable challenge ? when the weather is right" (about: 2005)
50+ previous marathons
| 2 GO! St. Louis Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 T.S. Eliot once wrote, ?April is the cruelest month.? Indeed, fickle April will occasionally toss out some unkind weather. When she does, as with the 2003 Spirit of St. Louis Marathon, a cold, windy day with a sprinkling of stinging ice pellets, the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon can be quite a cruel race indeed. That was not the case in 2005. A quite gorgeous, nearly perfect day greeted more than 1,600 marathoners, brought out decent crowds and made this hilly course a challenging, but fun addition to a marathon schedule. Not enough can be said about the hills. Even with the removal of the torturous hill at St. Louis University, this course can be likened to an infinity sign, undulating terrain that seems to go on ? well, to infinity. The hills really kick in during the second half of the race. Starting at mile 14, the course is constantly rising and falling, including a very tough stretch from miles 21-23. Outside of the hills, the race is a gem. An organized start, 17 water stations (including one every mile after 18, when you really need them), views of parks, universities, the Budweiser plant and the Gateway Arch. The post-race area is perhaps the best I?ve seen, with plenty of everything, and precautions taken to see that non-runners are kept away from the goods. The downtown start and finish is convenient to many hotels if you?re visiting from out of town, and parking is plentiful for the rest. Two other words of warning: The water stations are quite crowded and somewhat inadequate early on, when the half-marathoners and marathoners run together, but after the split at mile nine, they are well-stocked and full of friendly, supportive people. Also, there is a dearth of restrooms at the starting line, so be prepared to wait awhile. Bottom line, it?s worth taking a chance on St. Louis... just train for hills and pray for good weather. | |
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H. C. from Kansas City, USA
(4/12/2005)
"Needs more planning" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 This was a fun race, but the bathroom situation really needs to be addressed. At one point I asked a volunteer where the next bathroom was, and he didn't know. Everytime there was a bathroom, there was only one or two, and a line of several people. I know this cause delays in time, because I ended up waiting over 7 min, and I would not have waited if I didn't really have to go. There needs to be a restroom every mile, and there should be no less than 5 port-o-pots at each one. With over 10,000 people running, you think this would be planned out better. The mile markers were VERY hard to see...they need to be bigger and higher - maybe eye-level - and there were only maybe 5 pieces of art for viewing. The so called entertainment was on break the whole time I was running...I ran by only two bands, so I don't know what happened there either. I will not run this race again until the bathroon issue and the mile marker issues are addressed. |
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