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☰
Grand Rapids Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Grand Rapids Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.9 
Spectators 4.0
Number of comments: 329 [displaying comments 191 to 201]
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Derek Opperman from Granger, IN
(10/21/2008)
"Grand Rapids Marathon: a GREAT fall marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Grand Rapids Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The Grand Rapids Marathon is a great fall marathon. The size is just right; not too big, not too small. The course is very nice, scenic and great for running. The course takes you from the city, through a few parks, along the Grand River for most of the race and then back into the city for the finish. A lot of the race is run where runners are going past other racers, so words of encouragement and support are always present. The course is flat and fast too. This race is very well run by Marathon Don. He will keep you motivated with weekly newsletters and will shake your hand at the finish too! Don Kern knows what it takes to put together a solid race for runners. The finisher medals have gotten better each year. Parking for the race is very easy and the YMCA provides a great venue for the expo and pre/post-race activities. Course support is awesome; aid stations are well stocked and the perfect distance apart (about 1.5 miles). All volunteers are fantastic and very supportive. Overall, a great fall marathon to run. If you are looking for a well put-on, medium-sized race, this is it. Try it out and you will be back, I am sure. | |
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William Joy from Ionia, MI
(10/20/2008)
"Great Marathon!" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Grand Rapids Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran the Grand Rapids (GR) Marathon last year as well. Both years' marathons were very similar. So, with that being said, I won't repeat what I wrote last year concerning this race. The only suggestion I have is to schedule the GR Marathon and the Detroit Marathon on differnt dates. I'm guessing the race director scheduled the GR Marathon the same date as the Detroit Marathon because the GR Marathon course couldn't handle all the extra people that it would attract if both races were on different dates. True, last year both marathons were one week apart, but word is out that the GR Marathon is simply awesome, and it grows in popularity (more people) each and every year. I hear next year that the course will be modified in hopes of reducing bottle-necking. | |
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D. H. from Holland, MI
(10/20/2008)
"Wonderful, Smaller Marathon With Fall Colors!" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a really fun race; the race director and his team do a wonderful job of organizing this race, from the pre-race e-mails to the post-race food. The spectators are very supportive, although this is not the easiest course for viewing the runners. The course winds through bike paths, littered with falling leaves as you run along side the Grand River. There are some not-so-pretty parts of the course, but I thought that the majority was interesting. I also felt that the field of runners were very nice and supportive as well, which really helped at mile 22! This is a mostly flat course - "gently rolling" is probably the best way to describe it. Grand Rapids is a great city, with Midwest charm in an urban setting. We had beautiful weather: cool and breezy, but very sunny. The showers available at the YMCA were wonderful post-race. There were lots of goodies along the race trail from the standard gels to pretzels and cookies. I loved the orange slices and bananas. Lots of water stops too! Try this race - you will not be disappointed. | |
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Amy Bowden from Homer Glen, IL
(10/20/2008)
"Almost forgot... WOW medals and cool photos!" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I posted a report yesterday, but just wanted to add a few things. This medal is, hands down, the best I've ever received from a race (and I've run LOTS of races!). And the Flickr photo group is a really interesting addition to the normal race photographs.... I've been looking at the posted pics so far and they're amazing! So much artistry and thought were involved in the details captured - more photo-journalistic. | |
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Big Daddy from Holland, MI
(10/20/2008)
"I qualified!" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Grand Rapids Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I really enjoyed Don's sense of humor in his e-mails leading up to the race. I ran this race last year and had a lot of fun. It is a great size and a pretty fast course. I finally reached my goal of a Boston qualifier. It is so cool that Don shakes everyone's hand at the finish. Also, the advertising and art work for this race are amazing. The course can be a challenge mentally when there are so many short out-and-backs, but the run along the river is beautiful. I especially enjoyed the foliage. My cheering section was able to see me four times along the course, which was nice. Aid stations were well-stocked, well-organized, and well-spaced. It worked perfectly for me to take my Accel-Gels every five miles. Thanks for a great race! | |
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J. S. from Kansas City
(10/20/2008)
"Marvelous Fall Marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a top-notch marathon. The organization is fabulous. Everything from packet pickup to the aid stations was flawless. The volunteers are amazingly helpful and very enthusiastic about their race. Aid stations popped up every 1.5 miles, were well stocked, and were marked so that you could easily see which table you needed to go to for water, Gatorade, etc.. They also had lots of extras, from gummy bears to GU. The course was flat by my standards, and takes you through some of the prettiest tree-lined streets you will ever see. And, the fall colors were to die for. There is only one stretch of a few miles that goes through an industrial park that is a bit of a drag, but those things can't always be helped when laying out a course. We also lucked out and had a perfect weather day. Lastly, great medal and technical, long-sleeve race t-shirt. If you like friendly, mid-size marathons, this is a must! | |
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Jim Davis from Franklin, MI
(10/20/2008)
"I can't even describe how perfect this race was!" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I just completed the 2008 GRM and it exceeded my expectations (which were high based on the comments I had read leading up to the race)! I find it hard to believe that anyone would complain about a course so serene, flat, and FAST! To those who feel that the water treatment plants are an eyesore, I suggest running 105 laps around your local track for your next marathon experience! No eyesores there! After 5 marathons in 4 cities, I can honestly say that this has been my favorite. | |
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J. W. from Chicago, IL
(10/20/2008)
"Terrific experience, great organization" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Everything about this race was great. The course is beautiful. Lots of running on bike trails (some narrow parts, but mostly plenty of room). The scenery was beautiful with the Grand River and changing leaves close by the whole course. Weather was fantastic in '08, but even if it were a warm year, this would be a good course because there is plenty of shade. The organization was great too. The race starts and ends at beautiful new YMCA, which provides everyone access to locker rooms, showers and plenty of places to lie out and stretch pre- and post-race. Incredibly friendly volunteers who were very helpful - from volunteers on the course to the race director who greets every runner at the finish line. They really care about the execution of this race. The only caution I offer is for runners who are used to big-city marathons: the aid station are small, so grab a water or Gatorade from the first hand that offers you one. I blew past two stations with nothing to drink because I didn't act quickly enough. I cannot recommend this race highly enough. I was blown away by the support staff, beauty of the course, and convenience of the locations. Run this one next fall, and you won't be disappointed. Ps. I crushed my PR on this mostly flat course. | |
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S. W. from London, Ontario, Canada
(10/20/2008)
"beautiful course, lovely city, great weather" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Thanks to all of the volunteers who made this race possible. Grand Rapids is a beautiful city and the people were all very welcoming to the Canadian contingent. I will definitely be recommending this race to my running pals! | |
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Mr. Midwest Runner from Midwest
(10/20/2008)
"Run this race" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Grand Rapids Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a top-notch race. Outstanding organization, lots of friendly and helpful volunteers, and a fairly flat and scenic course. |
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