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Jul 4, 2024

Marshall University Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Marshall University Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.4

Spectators 3.0

Number of comments: 208 [displaying comments 121 to 131]

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D. M. from Baltimore, MD (11/1/2009) "A great, small, stress-free marathon" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a great marathon/half-marathon. I have grown tired of the huge races, big expos, lots of people, and lots of stress trying to figure out parking, traffic and all that stuff that has nothing to do with the fun part: running. This race allowed me to enjoy the fun part: running. My dad and I picked up our packet on Saturday. We parked across the street, went inside, and the whole process took about 10 minutes. Race day continued to be stress-free. We parked at the finish line, walked to the start and enjoyed a great run through a pretty town. I was shocked at how flat the course was. At the finish we got to run across the football field carrying a football. The medal was adorable and the whole day was great. This isn't a race to run if you like all the pomp and circumstance of a big race like MCM. If you want a low-key race with friendly people in a pretty place, this race is perfect. Not a huge fan supported race but that's the ONLY negative I can find. Loved every minute of this race. I will definitely add it to my must-do-again list.
M. M. from Campbell, Ohio (11/1/2009) "Fun, and beautiful." (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Run this one. You will surely enjoy it. Positives: 1. Flat as advertised - very flat and fast. I qualified for Boston. 2. Spectacular views. 3. Beautiful university and awesome finish. 4. Easy parking. 5. Free spaghetti dinner. 6. A lot of fun. 7. Volunteers and police officers cheer for you. Negatives: 1. Fan support was minimal. 2. Expo was basically non-existent.
R. C. from Gallipolis,OH (12/1/2008) "Flat course, undesirable surfaces" (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a flat course - great for completing West Virginia. Small crowd, but also few spectators. Treacherous footing in places and sloped running surface, which seems to hurt the hips. Several miles on dirt trails. Organization was good.
Ron Steinhilber from El Mirage, AZ (11/10/2008) "One of my favorite ones so far" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was #14 for me as I am trying to become a 50 stater. The organization of the race was very good. I loved the pre-race e-mails from Tom. He even updated us on the weather forecast. Not much of an expo, but the pasta dinner was very good. My whole family went because my daughter and I ate free and my wife only had to pay $5. Next year they will have to expand the room for more seating. That will solve some of their problems. The weather was excellent, as was the course. Ritter Park was awesome. Now every time I see a Marshall football game on ESPN, I will know that I finished a marathon on that field... very cool. Nice, flat course. I also liked running through some of the same areas twice. It made it seem faster and my family was able to stay in one spot and see me a couple of times. Only one complaint is about the marking of the course through the college area. There was a gap between me and the runner ahead of me, so I found myself guessing a couple of times, which way to go. I would suggest drawing more lines/arrows through campus to make this part of the course a little less confusing. We were in Mile 26 at this point, so my brain didn't want to work anymore. The volunteers were great. Thank you all so much for your time. I am a captain of a water station at the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon in Arizona, so I know how much work you have to do. Trust me, all of us runners really appreciate you. Thank you to Tom and Huntington for putting on an excellent event. Also, I heard after the race that there are cabins available at the Heritage Farm for those who like to come in larger groups or who like to cook their own food.
K. W. from NH (11/9/2008) "nice pick for a fall marathon" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 My boyfriend met the race director running a marathon in 2004, and had talked about doing this race since then. We finally were able to fit it into the schedule and were very pleased with this marathon. The fleece was nice, and the lack of ads makes it very wearable! We were both able to purchase another shirt at the packet pickup. I wore the tech shirt this weekend at another marathon and had many positive comments on it! The pasta dinner was nice. Huntington has a small-town feel; we were able to walk the streets easily while in town. Finding our way around by car was easy as well. Our hotel offered easy access to the race and even shuttled everyone to the start in the morning. The road camber was hard at times, but I have had a week to recover. The volunteers were great both on the course and at the packet pick up. I have already recommended this race to friends.
K. O. from Texas (11/8/2008) "A fun, fast smaller marathon...RUN THIS ONE!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a very nice smaller marathon, and one that I would recommend as a low-key alternative to the larger fall marathons (NYC, Marine Corp, etc.). PROS Flat, fast and, at times, scenic course Easy logistics Love the fleece The finish was a lot of fun Excellent volunteers, and good organization Wonderful weather for a race CONS *Could have used at least one more water stop towards the end of the race
Jeff Nickell from Fairfield, CT (11/8/2008) "My Favorite Marathon!!!!!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon provides a truly unique experience. I absolutely loved it, and I can't wait to run it again. 1. It is IMPOSSIBLE to overstate how awesome it is to finish in the Marshall University football stadium. They announce your name and hometown over the PA system as you enter the stadium, and you can carry a football down the field as you finish. There is a great "We Are Marshall" monument on the outside of the stadium that makes a great post-race photo. For more inspiration, watch the movie "We Are Marshall" the night before the race and consider having lunch at a place like the MU Cafe. 2. If you're a little tired of the lack of personal touch that generally accompanies the bigger races, you will love this race. The race director sent e-mails in the weeks leading up to the race, and they were not the "boiler plate" mass e-mails you get for the mega marathons. Tom clearly cares about the success of this race, and it showed in the messages he sent. 3. The course is very flat, and Ritter Park is beautiful. A nice little crowd was in front of the park, so they cheered you as you entered, and then you had a nice quiet mile or so, and then they cheered you on your way out. The course is very fast and provides a great Boston Marathon qualifying opportunity (but you'll have to pace yourself unless the marathon gets bigger and starts having pacing teams). 4. Running through the Marshall campus at the end of the race is a great precursor to the stadium finish. 5. Water and Gatorade were in ample supply every 1 and 1/2 miles. They had large, clear signs that marked every mile. 6. It was very easy to park and get to the starting line. Packet pick up was no problem. The finishing medal is a fantastic exclamation point at the end of a great race (it has the Marshall mascot on it). As I sat in the end zone of the football field at the end of the race (snacking on the pizza and other food that was in ample supply at the finish line), I was already planning my trip for next year's race. I don't have much to offer in the way of improvement. Anything that could allow for more time running along the river, through Ritter Park, through the nicer/scenic neighborhoods, and through campus would be great, as those were the parts I enjoyed the most.
Rob Klein from Aurora, Colorado (11/5/2008) "A Flat Spot in the Hill Country of WV" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Finding a marathon this flat in a state known for its mountains is a good deal. The area was called "tri-state," as Kentucky and Ohio are very close to Huntington. However, the event was wholly in West Virginia. There was a little confusion getting to the expo and pasta dinner because information on the website (for a different race) directed runners to HMIG, a medical facility. Several runners went to the "Old Wal-Mart Building," instead of the physical therapy building on 5th Ave. near the football stadium. Another confusing thing for getting around town is that numbered streets go north and south, and number avenues go east and west, e.g. the intersection of 3rd Avenue and 15th Street. Also, once we got to the right place, I could not come up with a course map showing where to park and where the starting line was. A race volunteer coached me on where to park and where the race would begin. There were about 375 marathon runners, so it was a good size for a marathon event. The course started just west of the elevated walkway between the parking garage and the sports complex. Timing chips were used, but the only mat was at the finish line. There were folks with scales weighing people in (who wanted to participate). They were then to move to the finish line for a second weight check. The first three miles looped around the Marshall Campus, then the course headed west. There was a short stretch along the Ohio River, which was like glass early in the morning. The course did a loop around Ritter Park, and then there was a long straight stretch heading west of town. On the way back, we looped Ritter Park again in the opposite direction, and back-tracked along the Ohio River. The finish line was in the football stadium, on the turf. That was cool. And we got to carry a football the entire length of the field, to the finish line. A few things deserve special comment. This event was entirely within town, with start and finish at a university campus. This required a lot of traffic control, which law enforcement provided. And the police did an awesome job. It just would not have been a safe event without their efforts. And as usual, the aid station volunteers played a key role, keeping the runners hydrated. Gatorade and water were available throughout the race. That was all that was available to the runners, except for one station that had pretzels. The station was at mile marker 20 (23 on the return). This marathon organization offered a fleece pull-over as an alternative to the more typical T-shirt, but runners could choose either one. Lastly, the finisher's medal was somewhat unusual. It is 3-dimensional medal - similar to Cincinnati's Flying Pig - only it had a buffalo on it, with heads and tails, for the Marshall University "Thundering Herd" (Go Herd!). Post-race area was typical: Food and bottled water for the runners. By the time I finished, all that was left was pepperoni and cheese pizza; they had run out of bananas; and the Hershey Bars had all melted in the sun. There were quartered apples, but they were turning brown. There were massage therapists available too. However, I did not see the weights guy at the finish line. My recommendations for improvement would be to issue the runners a map (website maps do little good when you are driving, unless you printed a copy ahead of time). The other thing is to have a greater abundance of fruit - or other healthy food - instead of greasy pizza. Healthy Huntington and greasy pizza do not go good together! Still, this was a fun, small marathon event, in a small town, offering the hope of a competitive time with its flat course.
D. K. from Illinois (11/5/2008) "Only Okay" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Course was not scenic; it was a run through the streets of Huntington, for the most part. The view in Ritter Park was beautiful, but you were in the park for maybe 1/4-mile total throughout the race. Course was relatively flat, but a good portion of it was on cambered roads and all roads were open to traffic. There were some potholes to contend with as well as multiple railroad crossings, some curb jumping, a water pump hose to cross, and a steep ramp to navigate as you entered the football field. These obstacles added points of interest to a fairly boring course, but might not be to everyone's liking. There were ample water/sport drink stations and many volunteer flaggers/policemen/firemen/military personnel directing vehicular traffic on the course. The course was generally well marked but I did almost miss a turn out of the park between miles 21-22 - where volunteers were not very aggressive in directing you on course. There was one course clock at mile 13, but the 1/2 distance was not marked and the clock would have made more sense at the halfway point. Parking at the start/finish was plentiful. The civic center was open to runners affording a place to stay warm just a few yards from the marathon start line. Laying a flower at the university memorial and carrying a football the last 100 yards were highlights of the race. The finisher medal was nice, as were AG awards. Marathon shirts, however, did not have the entire marathon name or race date on them (a first in 30+ marathons for me). It appeared that 1/2 marathon participants and possibly relay teams received the shirt that said, "Marshall University Marathon," with no mention of the 1/2 or relay on the shirt. And those individual who signed up late received cotton t-shirts (instead of technical shirts or fleece) - the same t-shirts worn by the volunteers... yet they were selling technical shirts at the expo, so I'm not sure why late registrants were given cotton instead of technical. Also, the 1/2 marathon finisher medal indicated 1/2 marathon AND relay, two very different events with no distinction between them.
M. C. from Louisville, KY (11/5/2008) "Wonderful Small Race" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Overall this was a great race. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a small race on a flat course. Good: This is a flat course (I set a PR by shaving 12 minutes). Race Director knows runners and their concerns. Emails before the race were terrific. Ritter Park was great, with all of the colors. Wife was able to bounce around to different parts of the course easily to cheer me on. Water stops were great for fluids and encouragement. Fleece is sweet. Finishing on the field and carrying the ball was outstanding. Plus they call your name out over the PA. Bad: Plenty of camber to make up for the hills (blister on my right foot was larger than the medal). Parts of the course are not pleasing to the eye and downright depressing. No fan support besides at the water stops.

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