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☰
Harrisburg Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Harrisburg Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 3.7
Number of comments: 177 [displaying comments 91 to 101]
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Julie Fitz from Carney, Maryland
(11/13/2008)
 "Great, Small Marathon!" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I will not complain about anything in this race! We had a picture perfect fall day. Anytime you run near water, you will have some wind, but it didn't beat me up too terribly. The hills at mile 17-19 were challenging, but if you do some hill work in your training they are manageable and short-lived. From mile 20 to the end, you are running mostly downhill and the wind is at your back! That was sweet! I would give this race a thumbs up to anyone! The volunteers and organizers were great - very friendly. You can tell this race has been around for many years! | |
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P. B. from Newark, Delaware
(11/12/2008)
 "Great day for a marathon!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 What a perfect day for running a marathon (with the exception of the headwind along the river)! The course was nice, with a stretch along the water, the trail and the 2-mile hilly section through the woods. I liked getting a wind jacket instead of another t-shirt. The volunteers were bright and full of energy, even though they appeared to be chilled to the bone. Great fanfare at the finish, too! | |
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Mike Senko from Havre de Grace, MD
(11/12/2008)
 "A great marathon!" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Harrisburg Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third Harrisburg Marathon, and I'm already planning on a fourth. Everyone was great: the fans, the runners, and the volunteers. Out of the entire experience, the only complaint that I can come up with is that there wasn't a lot of water at the finish area. There was a whole bunch of everything else, but not water. If that is the only thing that I can think of, then there is really nothing to gripe about. For the third year in a row, hat's off to the race director and the volunteers. Thank you once again for a great experience. | |
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j. e. from wrightsville, pa
(11/11/2008)
"very friendly, but tough hills at mile 17-19" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Harrisburg Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Excellent organization and very friendly staff and volunteers. It was very pretty, but they serve Cytomax (yuck) and the hills come too late in the race (miles 17-19). It was a perfect size, with decent weather (except the wind). Post-race treats were appreciated. I loved the chicken noodle soup. They gave a wind jacket that was embroidered, so that was a nice change from the t-shirt. I can't complain about this... especially for the price. | |
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Dotty Maddock from Phoenix, AZ
(11/11/2008)
 "Nice, Small, Late Fall Run through PA" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was a nice smaller race to use to check off Pennsylvania. The start/finish area is pleasant for family to cheer you on several times during the race, and the weather was almost perfect (a little windy). First the pros: - I like the "wind shirts," as a change from the traditional race shirt. - The instructions, maps, and other information on the website were clear, accurate, and helpful. - The volunteers at packet pickup were knowledgeable and very friendly! - Starting the walkers two hours early was GREAT! As a result, there was not the usual starting line congestion when walkers "over place" themselves. - Some of the sections of the course were beautiful - "greenbelt" type paths through the woods in two sections. I loved it with the fall leaves! And a nice loop around Harrisburg Area Community College. - Parking at the race start/finish was convenient. Looping around allowed me to drop off my gloves at my car while on the course at about mile 6! - The finisher's medal is nice (but aren't they all?!). Now the cons: - They couldn't (or were unwilling) to accommodate use of my own Champion Chip. Not a big deal, but this isn't hard to do and helps at the finish. - There really was no expo... just a packet pickup. - The race was on "World Run Day," and they didn't leverage this at all. Sorry... just thought they missed an opportunity there. - Parts of the course are painfully boring! Mile after mile running up Front Street with a strong headwind off the Susquehanna River - UGH! And a couple of sections that were just plain "industrial ugly." - I couldn't find the results at the finish. I looked everywhere, and then just decided they'd have to ship me an age group award if I had won one. - Speaking of age group awards, I came in 3rd in my age group (F50-54) and a Boston Qualifying time, which I was happy with, especially since I had just run a marathon the weekend before. But I learned from their website that they only go two-deep in my age group with awards! They go up to as many as six-deep in some of the male age groups, but only two to four-deep in the women. I know this is probably based on number of participants, but would it hurt to go at least three deep, like all other races do? Some people might complain about the hills at miles 17 - 19, but it was so beautiful running through Wildwood Lake Park that I found I didn't mind at all. The race started right on time, and although there are some areas for improvement, I would recommend this race for someone looking for a nice, small, late fall run through Pennsylvania. | |
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R. M. from Lockport, NY
(11/10/2008)
"I thoroughly enjoyed my marathon experience" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 If you're looking to run an inexpensive marathon, with a moderately difficult and scenic course, and where the volunteers are enthusiastic, plentiful and friendly, then this is a marathon worth a try. | |
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D. B. from New York, NY
(11/10/2008)
"Friendly, small, old-school marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Really enjoyed a smaller marathon for a change. Well organized, and decent course (though the hills between miles 17-19 were problematic). | |
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Rob G. from Philadelphia, PA
(2/19/2008)
"Recommended Race" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 PROS: 1) Nice course - scenic with some great "along the water" running. About a 2-mile hill section around mile 18. Same start/finish with a loop around to the start near mile 6. 2) Fairly well organized - clean, timely start, good water stations, a couple of gels given out. Easy access and parking close to the start/finish. 3) Fan friendly - your supporters get to see you 3 times (start/finish and loop around). 4) Good-size race - not crowded at all. CONS: 1) Some issues with roads not being closed and motor traffic moving through at certain points. 2) While the course was nice, I can't say Harrisburg is the greatest town around, so if you like to stay overnight before the race or check out the area, you might be somewhat disappointed. 3) I'm not sure of the course distance accuracy. My GPS gave me a distance of 26.4. It's usually more accurate than that. OVERALL: I finished strong, PR'ed, and the weather was a perfect fall day, so this was an overall good experience for me. I will most likely run this race again and I recommend it. | |
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M. W. from Pennsylvania
(12/30/2007)
"Brilliantly Done..." (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Pros: $45 entry fee Windbreaker jacket Finisher medal Food at finish Space blanket Most of the course, especially the loop behind PennDOT, where its all trail A lot of support from the crowd Beautiful day Cons: Lonely on miles 22-24 (needed spectators to boost), but at least the course was flat at that point Moving out of the way for 18-wheeled trucks (didn't mind that) It was just a perfect day to run a marathon... a 38-minute PR said so. | |
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Dave Keating from New Britain, CT
(12/5/2007)
"Terrific marathon experience" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a very good, very well-run marathon. You'd have to be a real curmudgeon to find significant fault with Harrisburg. I went in with a sense of trepidation. I had tried to register for Philly, only to be turned down, and I did not know what to expect. My apprehension was quickly dispelled. From the expo (very efficient) to the pasta supper (nice sense of camaraderie and decent grog) to the hotel (comfortable and quiet), the 18 hours prior to the race got me in the mood. Race morning, a shuttle service took us from the hotel to the start (the shuttle was also available at the end of the race - thank you!). The start of the race was a bit crowded. Runners are advised to get to the front, if they hope to run a competitive time There were ample water stops, marked miles, good surfaces, excellent traffic control and course directions. The course itself was well designed. A fun variety of hills and flats, sidewalks, bike paths, and roads - city, residential, and light industrial. And the finish, with hot chocolate, was awfully pleasant. There is one final thing I especially loved about Harrisburg. The hotel is literally a 7 minute-walk from the Amtrak train station. Years of marathoning have taught me that trains are the best form of transport to and from the race. At Harrisburg, I was able to relax and read, both going to the marathon, and returning back. The race director should consider emphasizing this feature in promotional material. In sum, the Harrisburg Marathon is a little gem. |
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