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Akron Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Akron Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.8 
Spectators 4.5
Number of comments: 309 [displaying comments 221 to 231]
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R. C. from Akron
(10/2/2006)
 "hardy spectators made it a great day" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Positives: The course was excellent, with the Akron police and marathon volunteer course monitors doing a great job keeping cars off the race course and blocking intersections. With the cold temperature and light rain I thought there would be no spectators along the course. I was pleasantly surprised. Akron area residents came out and supported this event. The Garfield band and the St.Vincent/St. Mary band were along the course helping the runners along. A Ted Nugent impersonator was near the 21-mile mark encouraging runners up the last significant hill on the course. There are enough runners to make this marathon feel large but it doesn't have that congested feeling that the mega-marathons have for the first 10 miles. After a couple of steps it was easy to run my set pace. I hope Akron remains mid-sized but it seems to be getting popular. If it grows too much it might not be as pleasant to run as it was this year. Akron had clocks at every mile marker. This is something that only the big-league marathons do. There were timing mats at the 10K, 15K, 25K, and 30K points on the course that recorded the splits of the marathon runners. There were four Gu stations. The four-mile towpath section of the course was in great shape. There were no puddles or mud on the towpath. Negatives: The number of hills is the only minus. A person wanting to run an easy marathon or obtain a PR should enter a different fall marathon with a flatter course. There was a light rain and the colder than normal temperature throughout the race. This shouldn't normally be the case as September/October weather in Ohio is usually mild and dry. | |
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K. F. from Belle River, Ont.
(10/2/2006)
 "Great marathon" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I've just returned after running this marathon. It was a very well-organized marathon and the course was spectacular. Running on the towpath was definitely a nice change to running the main roads and I found the miles flew by quickly. The scenery was beautiful. The goodie bag was the best I think I've ever received. It had flashlights, alarm clocks and tons of different items. On top of it all, the tech shirts and hats were awesome, along with the shoes. My two girls also had the opportunity to run the 1KM race during the marathon (free of charge) and they thought it was very exciting and they loved getting a medal when they finished. The day was rainy, cold and the course was tough but still able to set a PB. Having the race director at finish line shaking hands was a really nice touch; I don't think I've seen that before. Akron should be proud of itself on a job well done. Thanks for the great experience. | |
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d. m. from Pittsburgh, PA
(10/2/2006)
 "the best value for your money" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This marathon is probably the best one in terms of value. You get so much. The marathon shirt alone is very trendy and has a value of about $30.... This year the shoe coupon was a nice bonus. It paid off for the whole race. It is great for first-time marathoners and for veterans. The course is nice, but not easy. Many small hills up until the very last 3/4 of a mile. It is a Boston qualifier but I am glad I didn't pick this one to qualify. However, the course is very diverse so you will not get bored. The police do a great job controlling traffic. Fans are great. The only thing I didn't like was the after-race refreshments. The line was very long and after a marathon the last thing I wanted to do is to wait in line for a snack. Everyone was cramped up in a small space at the stadium. I wished the organizers had open tables where everyone could get refreshments instead of making people line up to fill up a bag. Also the downtown hotel (the Radisson) was very inexpensive and elegant. I would recommend this race to anybody who wants to have a good experience. | |
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Barb Spitler from Northwest Indiana
(10/2/2006)
"Akron Rocks!" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Despite it being my 3rd from slowest finish, I have to give kudos to all of the volunteers in Akron, as well as the spectators. This was a much tougher course than I anticipated. At the halfway point, I was close to my pace goal. However, around mile 15, I wasn't, and the sweep bus came around. I got on it reluctantly... for about 3 minutes, until I decided to gut it out and finish, no matter what! Thank you, many times over, to the volunteers who kept their aid station open a few more minutes because they heard I was coming,and cheered and clapped for me because I didn't quit. Thank you to the motorcycle cop who rode up with two Gu packets in his hand for me, then checked on me later asking if I needed "more of that Gu stuff"! Thanks to the young college girl who saw me and said, "hell yeah!" and told me to keep going! And to the finish line people who gave me my medal and Mylar blanket, thank you for the warm reception. Akron is full of great people. The course kicked my rear, but the people kept me going. Akron didn't quit on me, so I didn't quit on Akron! Do this race!!!! | |
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S. K. from Cleveland, Ohio
(10/2/2006)
 "Great Event, Great Turnout, Very Well Organized" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This event was fantastic. The turnout was great (considering the weather) and it was a very well organized event. The fact that Jim was at the finish line shaking everyone's hand and thanking them was a nice touch. Very classy. | |
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Bob Kroeger from Cincinnati
(10/1/2006)
"Akron is a hidden gem!!" (about: 2002)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Race director Jim Barnett has done a fantastic job with this four year-old marathon. Other larger marathons should take heed that he gives age bracket awards five deep. No, I did not win one. But I did set a PR of 3:49, thanks to Andy, my 3:50 pace leader and those I ran with in that group. The wind and light rain cooled us, although some might have considered it bad weather. The course goes through some of the city, then onto the Erie-Ohio towpath canal, which is a marvelous stretch of scenery - fall foliage, streams, the old canal, followed by another wonderful section in a city park that resembles a national forest. GU is handed out at five stations, along with water and PowerAde. Volunteers were as cheery as could be expected on a chilly, rainy morning as they huddled in their winter coats. Fans were not numerous, but the scenery, ample runners, and my pace group more than compensated. The long-sleeved black tech shirt and tech hat with the roadrunner logo were first-class, as was the medal. I have not yet received the Etonic shoes, but they seem to be more sweet icing on the cake. Even without the shoes, Akron is a five-star hidden gem, which will be discovered by many more in years to come. | |
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N. B. from akron,ohio
(10/1/2006)
"This marathon rocks" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Akron Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a great marathon. These people know how to do what's best for the runners. The support is first-class from the crowd, water stations, start line, finish line, goodie bags and expo. I will be back. | |
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J. R. from Indianapolis
(10/1/2006)
"Time to consider rerouting some of course" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 Akron Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I can't say enough about the organization of this race, or of the community support. But isn't it time to consider redrawing a good chunk of the course? No, I'm not complaining about the hills in the second half. That's part of the Akron challenge, and the scenery is spectacular through the valley to help minimize the pain. What I'm talking about are the long stretches of blight in the first half, roughly between miles four and six (decrepit industrial area, bars and fenced-in parking lots) and between miles seven and nine (sad-looking, run-down houses, seedy-looking shops). Is this really the best scenery Akron has to provide? Isn't there any better route through the south side portion? I lived in Akron for eight years before moving to Indianapolis last year. It was wonderful to return to my hometown and run along many of the old sights: the Y-bridge, the towpath, the UA campus, the valley, the charming neighborhoods of Fairlawn, West Akron and Highland Square. But maybe it's time to think about adding a little more charm to the first half. Anyone agree? | |
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Russ Hanson from Pittsburgh, PA
(10/1/2006)
"Great little (will be big) marathon." (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon was spectacular. From the expo the day before through the finish festivites afterward, "perfectly organized" would be an understatement. I tell you, to run the distance and finish with your own stadium entrance in front of thousands of cheering fans is unbelievable. I have planned this as my fall marathon from now on. | |
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G. G. from Pittsburgh, PA
(10/1/2006)
"Good course, good pre-race, poor end-of-race setup" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 The marathon course was nice. Good mix of city and park area. The volunteers were great with ample water stations. The pre-race registration fair was set up well. The free sneakers from Etonics were a definite bonus. However, the post-race recovery area was not large enough. Had to climb the infield stairs of the stadium before waiting in line forever to get food after running 26 miles. Should have set up recovery/food area for marathoners separate from the relay runners - maybe putting the marathoners in the outfield and relay runners in the concession area. |
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