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Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 3.7
Number of comments: 362 [displaying comments 131 to 141]
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A. G. from Bridgeport,Ohio
(5/4/2009)
 "Hot!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My husband and I ran Louisville for our 8th marathon in 8 years. Thanks, Louisville, for a great one. I only wish the weather had been cooler so that we could have enjoyed the beautiful course more. It was truly a test in endurance and fortitude to try and maintain a decent pace in the heat, especially when we trained in record cold temps all winter. Churchill Downs was very cool, and even though the bridge was tough, it felt good to really test ourselves. We didn't mind that most runners do the mini. We just worry about our own race and how we're going to finish. Everything was so well-organized and easy. We really welcomed the water bottles, since most of it went down our backs and heads to keep us cooled down. We were very impressed with the extra help on the course for runners who were hurting from the heat. We, too, have never seen so many ambulances during a race. We enjoyed Louisville and were really impressed with the cleanliness of the city. Fourth Street Live was a lot of fun after the race. Thanks for a great race in less-than-perfect conditions! | |
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J. A. from San Diego, CA
(5/4/2009)
"Great race!!!!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 My husband and I ran this race and just loved it. Nothing you can do about the weather - it was better than 50 degrees and rain, right?! Besides, I have experienced much worse, like Maui Marathon (SO HOT!) and Philly Marathon (barely 40 degrees and rain/sleet!). This was our 9th marathon and it was one of the best courses we've done. Loved how there was no out/back (except that the bridge at the end was brutal with the wind, especially for mile 24!). It's mostly a loop course, with a good variety of scenery. I liked all of the parks, and enjoyed the fact that it wasn't entirely flat. The run around Churchill Downs was pretty cool. There was great fan support, and it was very well organized, from the expo to the start line buses to the finish. We had never been to KY before and this race was a great excuse for us to make a vacation there. We had an AWESOME time and can't stop raving about it to everyone we know. So much to see/do there and the people were just so nice. It's a very clean, pretty city too! We've run several big marathons before and actually found that we enjoy smaller races a little bit more, given that they are more intimate, and there are lots of personal touches that you just don't get with huge races. The only major area for improvement was that the last 10 miles could have used more aid stations - especially with the heat - and more bathrooms. I barely saw any potties along the course. If it weren't for the fans out there, who so nicely gave us water and oranges, we would have been in some major trouble! | |
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Jill Pettit from Ontario, Canada
(5/3/2009)
 "Toughest race ever! What an accomplishment!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Hills, heat, and more hills. The Kentucky Marathon was the toughest race my husband and I have ever done. Race organizers let us know the week before that it was going to be unseasonably hot. We appreciated the hydration reminder and followed it and had an amazing race experience. In a perfect world the bridge at mile 23/24 would have been earlier in the race. We truly appreciated that the roads were closed to traffic. Water stations were equipped with small and large bottles of water, which was great because we could take them with us for continued hydration. I used small bottles to start and large bottles for the last half (I have never drunk that much water in a race before but it got me through and feeling good). Going through Churchill Downs was the highlight of the race for my husband. I liked the hills through wooded parks early in the race. Medal and ribbon are really great. We are thankful for the goody bags including any shirt you can give. I understand that race fees do not even cover the cost of the race, and without volunteers most races could never happen. Thank you to everyone who made this race possible. It remains as our biggest accomplishment! | |
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d. c. from la habra, california
(5/3/2009)
 "Ok marathon" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The KDF Marathon is more for the half-marathoners than the full marathoners. The full marathon is okay. Obviously, the best part of the course was running through Churchill Downs. But after the half and full marathoners split off at Breckinridge Street, the second half of the marathon course goes through some depressed and industrialized areas of Louisville. There are a lot of lonely stretches that we pass through with hardly any spectators. I think they could have had a few more fluid stations, especially how hot it was that day. They definitely need more porta-johns on the course. I did not find the hills at both Iroquois and Cherokee Parks to be that difficult. They were short, rolling hills at the most. I was very surprised at the downhills at both of the parks, particularly Cherokee Park. The downhills enabled me to establish negative split times, which enabled me to establish a Boston qualifying time. I don't think I will do this marathon again, but it was a nice experience. The finisher's medal was very nice and so was the finisher's shirt. If you do this marathon, visit the Muhammed Ali Center and Museum, The Louisville Slugger Factory and Museum, and The Kentucky Derby Museum. They are worth visiting. | |
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L. G. from Maryland
(5/1/2009)
"HOT but nice run" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The good things about this race: well organized, nice expo, buses to the start were adequate and easy, nice course, nice medal, enthusiastic volunteers, and plenty of spectators in the first half. I also enjoyed the free entrance to Churchill Downs afterward. I was disappointed that on such a hot day there were not more fluid stations. Most marathons I have run have water/sports drink every mile for the last few miles. It would have been really nice to have more frequent fluid stations, especially with the heat. I also found carrying the larger bottles of water cumbersome. My other suggestion to make things easier for runners is to have the expo downtown at the Convention Center, which is close to the race start and finish. The exposition center was far from the race start/headquarter hotel and not convenient for an out-of-towner. Overall, a nice marathon.... Now if only the weather would have cooperated! | |
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Mike Bell from Hamilton, Ontario, CANADA
(5/1/2009)
"Loved the Race and the City; Hated the Heat!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was a great race in a great town. The course was very scenic and interesting. The aid stations were well stocked and had awesome volunteers. Normally, I might have thought the full bottles of water to be wasteful, but with the temps as high as they were, it was good to have the extra fluids. The heat was horrible and too much for this runner from the great white north. It made for a poor personal result, but this doesn't distract, however, from the city, race and organization. I was very impressed. The expo may have been better located downtown but I enjoyed meeting Dane Rauschenberg. The buses to the start were right on time. The corrals and start were well organized. The course was closed to traffic and there was lots of room and plenty of police and volunteer support. The mile markers were easy to see with the clocks. The bridge to Indiana was a hard haul in the final miles, but running marathons is all about challenges, isn't it? As for the previous comment about Louisville being an inhospitable town, I really wonder were they were. We met friendly people everywhere and didn't have a single bad experience. We took a tour of Churchill Downs and the Louisville Slugger plant. We stayed downtown and found it clean and safe. The hotel and local restaurants were very reasonable. We really had a great time. Thanks, Louisville! | |
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Debbie Shelton from New Albany, IN
(4/30/2009)
"Most improved! Proud of this local race." (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 3 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 65th marathon and the third time for this race. I was delighted. Living in southern Indiana and working in downtown Louisville, I couldn't be prouder of the improvements made since the inaugural race in 2002. GREAT JOB! Several years ago the organizers asked for constructive feedback AND THEY LISTENED. The medal is awesome - complete with colorful and decorative ribbon. Yes, it was hot, but there was a good breeze and a good bit of shade. Taking the predictions into account, they made sure there was plenty of water throughout the course. Although ice would have been very much appreciated, I understand that logistically that's a tall order. There were few spectators on the second half of the course for us back-of-the-packers, but those who were there, including all the wonderful water stop volunteers, were friendly and encouraging. Many of the police were as well. Thank you! Also, a big thank you to the three fans just past mile 16 who hung out well into the later part of the race to serve us chips and ice and provide us with sunscreen, pain reliever, Vaseline, and a whole bucket full of assorted items. You really thought of everything and your goodies and enthusiasm lifted our spirits and refreshed us. We don't need many fans when the ones who are there are as supportive as you were. We came across several tents under which were boxes of bananas, Sun Chips, bagels, and water. Serve yourself - perfect. No need for volunteers to stand out there all day. We appreciate that it was available. I was running with Susan, a dear running friend from Atlanta, who also happened to run in 2002. We spent a lot of time during the race complimenting the many improvements in the race over the years and giving kudos to the organizers. Making it a dual state experience was icing on the cake. Congratulations on a great race and on your "Most Improved" award. We'll be back! | |
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J. W. from Chicago, Illinois
(4/30/2009)
"Not for Marathoners" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This was the most unpleasant marathon I have ever run. This race is designed for half-marathoners. After mile 12, the half-marathon split; there was very little crowd support, the course was uninspiring and very few runners were still on the course. The aid stations were not well staffed. Thank you to all those who volunteer, but full bottles of PowerAde (or 16-ounce bottles of water) are very difficult to maneuver while trying to keep pace. Many of the cups of PowerAde were either way too full or only had a drop of liquid in the cup. I found the people in Kentucky to be less than hospitable. Louisville does not seem to be a running town. I won't be back. | |
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P. B. from Ohio
(4/28/2009)
 "Mini is still the boss" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 With over 12,000 runners for both events, the Derby Festival Marathon/mini-marathon are continuing to grow at a great rate, and the race is a fabulous kick-off to Derby Week in Louisville. The good: The corralled start this year was a godsend! Although not everyone stuck to it, it was nice not to have to dodge walkers for the first few miles. The shirts were also nice this year (a great improvement). Water and PowerAde were plentiful, and spontaneous help from both residents and businesses along the route was greatly apprecitated. The not-so-good: The mini-marathon is still the way to run this race. Don't get me wrong: the course for the marathon--which features both Iroquois and Cherokee Parks--is great. The recent rearrangement to include a lap around the Churchill Downs infield and an over-and-back across the Second Street Bridge into Indiana are great additions (and they eliminate the long, lonely trip which faced marathoners for miles 22-24). But when over 10,000 of the 12,000 entrants are only running the mini, the fan support (despite the addition of "Scream Teams") falls off for most of the second half of the race. Six years in, most people in the Louisville area still identify the race ONLY as the mini, and it's difficult to recommend the full marathon over the half. I know the race HAS grown since I first ran it in 2005, but there are two much larger marathons within close driving distance and within a week of this race to attract runners. Due to this, I suspect that the marathon mostly succeeds in squeezing out registrations for the mini. And that is too bad. | |
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P. M. from Seattle, WA
(4/27/2009)
 "Kudos to race director for adjusting to weather" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Coming from a northern state where it hasn't exactly been warm, I was worried about the heat (70 degrees at start, up to mid 80s). Congratulations to the race management for getting twice the water onto the course (and most of it seemed to be on the second half of the course for marathoners only!), and persuading the fire department to open up hydrants along the course; if not for that I probably would've had a bad case of heat exhaustion/heat stroke, and not finished. If you decide to run the race in the future, know it can be warm. I marked this one a little low for spectators, simply because the emphasis is on the mini-marathon, which covers only the first half of the marathon course (understandable since 90% of the runners are in the half, not the full, but you do run with the half-ers). Once you make the split from them at about 12 miles, it gets pretty empty in terms of spectators. If you don't need crowd support, then don't worry and enjoy the race! |
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