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Jul 3, 2024

Gasparilla Distance Classic Runner Comments

Back to Gasparilla Distance Classic Information & Reviews

Course 4.5

Organization 4.6

Spectators 3.7

Number of comments: 182 [displaying comments 111 to 121]

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C. K. from Tampa, Florida (1/1/2005) "Excellent, Well Organized Race" (about: 2004) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Gasparilla Distance Classic COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you are considering running this marathon, I highly recommend it!! After running 11 marathons in ten states, this is still one of my favorites. I ran the full in 2004 (as part of the PT Cruiser Challenge) and the two-person relay the only two years that it was offered, December 2000 and January 2003; they offered a half marathon in 2002 (as opposed to the relay, the marathon was not run in calendar year 2001 as they moved the date from December to January 2002). I will skip format for efficiency; following are the thing I liked: ? 100% closed course, something I have learned to appreciate after running great marathon courses that run ?partially? on busy highways (Maui & Mount Desert Island Maine... also good marathons worthy of consideration) ? Beautiful scenic course that runs through numerous waterfront residential neighborhoods, Davis Island, Bayshore and historic Ybor City (not waterfront) ? Course is 95% asphalt (I have run too many miles on concrete... lol) ? Great support on the course, gels at numerous stops with plenty of enthusiastic friendly volunteers ? Easy access to the start (starts downtown Tampa accessed from I-4, I-275 and the cross-town expressway) ? Plenty of parking ?close? to the start (numerous parking garages downtown) ? Open finish area (hate being bunched up like cattle at the finish) ? Great race amenities ? If it is cold (which it can be; one never knows what the temp will be in Tampa the 1st week in February... anywhere from 32 to 92... lol) the convention center is open with plenty of mingle room (large clean bathrooms) ? The expo is very nice and larger than is typical for a marathon of this size, as the marathon weekend is combined with the Gasparilla Distance Classic 15k & 5k runs the day before. Both Gasparilla runs have 4 to 7 thousand runners in ?each?. ? The race organizers do a great job. The marathon is put on by the Gasparilla Distance Classic Organization (organizing Gasparilla runs for over 25 consecutive years). Things I did not like... hmmmnnn... the unpredictable weather... Anyway, good running!!
Kim Nguyen from Tampa, Florida (12/31/2004) "One of the best marathons I ever ran!" (about: 2001) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Gasparilla Distance Classic COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Hops Marathon was my very first marathon. Since I only ran 3-6 miles at most in my lifetime, the course was nice and flat with the most beautiful scenery of Tampa Bay. Also, the setup was great with all the water breaks, some food for energy, entertainment, encouragement and medical assistance if needed. I would love to do the Tampa Bay Hops Marathon again! I definitely give it 5 Stars!!!
C. B. from metro NYC (7/16/2004) "Great race for a mid-packer" (about: 2004) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Gasparilla Distance Classic COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran this race to redeem myself after a disappointing NYC Marathon three months prior. It was perfect. I arrived in Tampa on Saturday morning (after a 5 day cruise!) and headed straight to the expo. It was well organized, not too big, but had some great booths and goodies. I stayed at the Hyatt, which was literally a 5 minute walk from the start. Having run two huge marathons (Chicago & NYC) and one smaller one (Long Beach), I was looking forward to a civilized race with a smaller field of runners. One of the best things about a smaller race like this, is no waiting (at the start, at the porta-potties--which were plentiful, at the water stops, etc.) Considering the early gun time, there were a number of spectators who had set up lawn chairs or boom boxes to encourage us as we ran in the dark (which was very cool, though I did crunch someone's glasses who must have lost them in the dangerous melee at the start). As the sun came up, the crowds grew and although not as deep as NYC or Chicago, they were plentiful enough and very supportive. As the race progressed, I was thankful for the 6 am start time, as it was really beginning to warm up around noon and there was little shade the last few miles. Having run my 3 prior marathons all within a few minutes of each other (4:36-4:40), I was thrilled with my new PR of 26 minutes (yep, I cut 1 minute/per mile) finishing in 4:10. As someone who does not enjoy running in a pack from start to finish, this race was simply perfect. I highly recommend it to other mid-packers who wish to avoid the big 35,000-plus fields.
JP West from Hawthorne, Fla. (2/22/2004) "Great race for a PR" (about: 2004) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was a great race for a PR. This was my 5th marathon (a couple of small events and a couple of 'megathons'). Everything went off well, for the most part. I didn't get mixed up in the crash at the start that others have commented on, but I wasn't too thrilled with the very dark start either. The course was flat, as advertised, and I managed to knock 10 minutes off my PR and qualify for Boston. It was especially nice to have the convention center to warm up in prior to the race, as well as the clean restooms! Crowd support was very slim but the water breaks were plentiful, well stocked and full of enthusiastic volunteers. We live and train in North Fla. so we are pretty familiar with the Tampa area. We opted to stay out near Busch Gardens and got a well appointed suite for about half of what friends paid for a basic room downtown. The ride to the start posed no problems at 4:30 am on a Sunday morning and parking was ample and close. My wife ran the 1/2 and we even managed to run into each other out on the course. All in all, a well run event. Great course with lots of support from the volunteers. Crowds could be bigger, but with a 6 am start I guess that's to be expected.
Brian Seybert from Baraboo, WI (2/16/2004) "Put this one on your to do list" (about: 2004) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I would give this one a 9 out of 10... not a perfect 10 due to no lighting at the start when a pile up could have been a disaster. A beautiful course... light crowd support, great volunteers. Expo was OK, pasta dinner was less than average... no seconds??? Good place for pasta is in Ybor City Spaghetti Warehouse. Medal better than average, shirt just OK... Overall a darn good marathon that I gladly would do again. Thank you to the organizers, support people and the small army of volunteers.
midwest runner from kc mo (2/10/2004) "A very scenic course" (about: 2004) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I am in the process of trying to run all 50 states and represent the 'back-of-the-packers', and usually get a somewhat different view of the race from the frontrunners. First of all, it was very pleasant to start the race at 6am. I read others comments about tripping in the dark, etc. - but the race was just very peaceful, and you had the opportunity to watch the sun come up!!! I wish more races would do this. The course went through some fine neighborhoods, and also had a lot of scenic views of the water. The entertainment along the course was also very motivating, and the entertainers were very enthusiatic! Now, for the negatives. There was NO gel provided (maybe they ran out?) and the worst part was the fact that they decided to pick up the mile marker signs (beginning at mile 17!!!) somewhat early in the day. I finished in about 6:40 - admittedly slow - but I have never been in a race where they picked up the mile marker signs before everyone was finished! This race had an 'out-and-back' component to it, and lots of people I saw running behind me kept asking 'what mile is this?', as I ran past them. I also became lost at the 13 1/2 mile mark, where the 1/2 marathoners were milling about in the middle of the road after they completed their run, and we had to run by this, not really sure about where to go. The people done should be separated somehow from the people still running. The medal was great, the city is nice, but not a race for the slow guys like me, I guess.
Keith San Diego from San Diego CA (2/7/2004) "What has hops got to do with it?" (about: 2004) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 What has Hops got to do with this marathon? I got a coupon for a free pint of beer and at a Hops restaurant. That's all I know about hops. Coming from Southern California I really had no idea what hops is. Maybe everyone else in the US knows??? Really poor PR, folks. However, they do have me wearing a Hops Marathon tee shirt. I tried to buy a Tampa Tribune in Sarasota on Monday following the race. They apparently were another sponsor. Although Sarasota is just about an hour south of Tampa, the Tribune is not distributed there. Strange. The volunteers at the aid stations were fabulous... as were the cheerleaders, violin girl and Jimmy Buffett guy. The spectators, albeit in small numbers, were very enthusiastic. The course was fun, but once it was over... it was really over. No bands, parties, food... just that walk over the ramp and through the tunnel with some packaged cereal, a hunk of bread and some orange juice. It is truely incomprehensible, irresponsible and inexcusable that there was NO LIGHTING at the start of the race. At 6:00 AM it is as dark as it is at 2:00 AM. Someone must have figured that out before Sunday morning. There was a pile-up as the race started. Someone apparently tripped over the timing mat. I stepped on someone's wrist as I passed by. I couldnt even stop to apologize or to check to see if she was OK as that pack kept me moving. (Sorry about that whoever you are... I didn't see you laying there.) I couldnt believe how bush league that whole scene was. My advice to marathoners is to avoid the expo on Friday. It was a mad house with long lines (over a half hour) just to buy Clif Bars. All the Saturday runners go to the expo on Friday as I found out. I heard that the expo on Saturday was far more civilized. Great weather!
C. C. from Lancaster, PA (2/1/2004) "Great, beautiful, well-organized, flat and fast" (about: 2004) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 What a great marathon! The course itself is beautiful, as much of it is along the water. Flat and fast! I ran it 23 minutes faster than New York City just 3 months ago. Very friendly volunteers. Twenty-one aid stations with Gatorade and spring water. Plenty of music along the way. Not many fans, but they are vocal. The 6 am start is smart... it's cool at that time of day. Was about 51 degrees at the start. Well organized. Registering at the expo center was a snap. The host hotel was only 3 or 4 blocks from the start and finish line which is very nice. Very friendly atmosphere. Spectator-friendly. I truly enjoyed the weekend!!
Belinda Maurer from Woodstock, Georgia (2/1/2004) "My first, but thanks to you, not my last! GREAT!" (about: 2004) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The course was great! Beautiful scenery, flat and fast. Great for spectators - I was able to see my supporters 3 times - even at the finish line! The event was organized very well! The staff and spectators were great! See you next year!
Bob Yee from Tampa, Florida (1/31/2004) "Great Race & Great Organization" (about: 2004) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Flat & fast course, outstanding race organization & a great location. What more could you want? This year's race was my 8th marathon and 3rd time running Hops. I also ran here in 2000 & 2001 but missed last year because of an injuy. Even though I am a local Tampa resident & some might say prejudiced, I have to say that this marathon is my favorite race. That's saying a lot since the other marathons I have run are New York, Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas & Casino-Niagara (Canada). These are also great races with good organizations putting them on, but the Gasparilla Distance Classic Crew that puts on the Hops Marathon by the Bay is the best by far. Fans along the course are sparse in some areas but those that do come out to watch are very supportive and vocal. I especially loved the cheerleading squads; the violinist playing solo in the pre-dawn darkness; the blues band in Ybor; and my friend Pat with her boom box playing Chariots of Fire. Water/aid stations were plentiful and I believe there were at least 6 opportunities where you could get a 'Cliff Shot.' Thank you Susan Harmeling (Race Director) and all of your fine volunteers. You have added the Hops 2004 Marathon by the Bay as another outstanding feather in your caps!

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