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Jul 7, 2024

Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.1

Organization 3.5

Spectators 3.7

Number of comments: 347 [displaying comments 131 to 141]

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Jim Osterman from Atlanta, GA (2/4/2009) "Well Done!" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third marathon, but my first since 2003. I did it with TNT, which made the experience extra special. From getting my number to crossing the finish line I had no problems. Be ready for anything, as the day before the race was hot, the day after was perfect, but race-day was overcast, windy and cold as one would expect from S.F. The only negative was that the Nike Store served as the "expo" and had music blaring. But that has nothing to do with the fact that it was a great experience, and I'm coming back in '09 for the half.
D. c. from Oregon, USA (2/4/2009) "Nike Women's Marathon is tough but great!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 3 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have done this race 3 times. The first time was with Team in Training, and the second two were on my own. I was very disappointed that they closed it off to Team and Training only, except by raffle. It's a great marathon. Its almost exclusively women and it does support a great cause, but it would be nice if they had more slots available for non-TNT participants.
A. T. from San Francisco, California (1/29/2009) "Not enough support for non-TNT runners" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was my first race ever and I was really excited! The course was beautiful except the loop beginning at Mile 18. It was mentally difficult to see others running toward that finish when I had 8.2 miles to go. There were very challenging hills at the beginning but they were manageable if you did hills during training. I thought that the organization was good. I didn't have any issues with getting my packet, t-shirt or necklace, but I didn't get a chance to get any freebies because the lines were so long. I wish that there was better support for non TNT runners like myself. Getting support along the race is so helpful. In fact, I didn't feel that the course was spectator-friendly. I would love to do this race again but I hope that Nike will take people's complaints into consideration.
D. S. from United States (1/23/2009) "Great Course - Entry, Expo, Nike Town need work" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 4-5 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 I've run this course for the past 4 years, but I've noticed that over the last 2 years, the expo, Nike Town and the finish line have become less and less attractive while the prices continue to rise. It's a shame that they went to the lottery method as a way of entry, forcing people to sign up and raise money to enter. I saw untrained persons throughout, which was a first along the course. People with baby strollers were jumping on the course, running with their friends/family. That's not to mention how they ran out of aid at the aid stations. I hope the San Francisco Running Club rethinks using the lottery for 2009. With this economy, people will not be able to join a charity and raise money in addition to paying for the travel cost.
L. W. from Houston, Texas (1/18/2009) "Great City, Great Medal, Not-So-Great Organization" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 Maybe I am a little spoiled by the Houston Marathon, which consistently has great spectators and organization. Maybe the weather is a little off some years, but hey, that's Houston. This was my first full marathon outside of Houston, and I was lured by the medal and praise by Runner's World. Generally, the medal and post-race goodies were great (smoothies, food, Mylar blankets for all), but the organization was terrible. Pros: Weather was AWESOME! Medal was worth the adventure. Nice to be able to walk from hotel to start line. Fantastic course, even though the first half was VERY hilly. The second half was relatively flat though. Great aid stations with fun themes (i.e. Pedicare, chocolate stop). Cons: Expo was held in Union Square, which was cramped and unorganized. What were we supposed to do there? Race results were not available for 2-4 days after the race, and the website is EXTREMELY confusing. I was disappointed in the way Nike handled this marathon. Although the shuttles came frequently for runners at the finish line, 20K people trying to get on equals a LONG wait. NOT spectator-friendly. At the expo, family and friends can buy shuttle tickets to be chauffeured to only a couple of spots along the race. And if you miss those buses, you get left behind. The layout of SF is not conducive to spectating. Out and backs are tough, especially when they start at mile 18.... I PRed during this marathon, which I was surprised by; but yea! It's worth it once for the medal, but I probably won't be doing this one again until the organization is better.
K. F. from Los Angeles, CA (12/29/2008) "Overall, a Great Race" (about: 2008) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 The course was beautiful and the hills were much more manageable than I was expecting. I even PRed. You get to see a lot of the city's main attractions during the race so AVOID the urge to go sightseeing the day before. In a public transit city, you'll end up spending a lot more time on your feet than you'll want to the day before a race. It was a huge event, which brings the benefits of sponsor perks, large crowds, and that "running community" we all know and love, including the Team, who were very supportive even though I don't wear purple. The food on course was good, necklace medals were a fun touch, and I'm in love with all of the firefighters at the finish. But an event with 20,000 runners also brings long lines, a slow start, and a logistical issues at the finish line. My family members who came to cheer, and bought spectator's bus passes, were disappointed that the race-sponsored bus got lost (!) so they were not able to see me at all during the race, but we were able to meet up at the finish. Although they were great to talk to, the pace team I ran with was off its mark by mile 10 and I had to run ahead to get my time. Make sure to wear a watch! Despite a few pitfalls, it was a great race that I would recommend if you're into big events. Nike always puts on a great show.
D. S. from San Diego, CA (12/4/2008) "great first-time marathon" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and I read a lot of the comments about last year's NWM in preparation. The package pick up was easy and quick. (I was there the day before the race.) I didn't waste time lining up for free stuff; the lines were huge and not worth the time on my feet. The race corral areas seemed huge but I found mine easily and slipped in without a problem. The race itself was fantastic. I did hill training, so while the hills were challenging, I was prepared. The TNT people are out in force, but I had my name on my shirt and they cheered for me too. The spectators were awesome along most of the course. I was annoyed to be lining up along with spectators for the potties, but the lady ahead of me kindly let me go first after waiting for over 10 minutes. The narrow path around part of the lake was tough; being blocked by walkers was frustrating. I loved this race and ran for charity also - it just wasn't TNT's charity, and that seemed to confuse a lot of people. Most thought you had to run for the Lymphoma Society. I would love to run it again and would definitely tell a friend to do it; just make sure that you are prepared. I also knew about the time cut-off at the 30K mark, but it didn't affect me. However, I read it on the blog from last year's race, and when I asked at the package pick up, I was informed that the only time constraint was the 7-hour deadline to finish.
Mary Cole from Lake Buff, IL (Chicago) (11/1/2008) "Gorgeous course, great marathon" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run almost 20 marathons in the last eight years, and I'm a "back of the packer." I'd rate this course second in beauty only after Big Sur, and I've run Napa Valley and Whidbey Island; neither compared with this. The hills were definitely manageable, and the last part of the race was downhill. I loved it: The views, the handsome firemen at the finish, my finisher's medal/necklace. Kudos to TNT, but if you're not one of them (I wasn't), they tend to ignore you. That's a little disconcerting, especially as you near the finish line. But I would definitely recommend this race and I will do it again next year if I get in.
D. M. from Chicago (10/28/2008) "Why are men running when women can't get in???" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 My first comment is about the number of men in the race. Get a life. The race should first accommodate the women who want to enter then open it to men if necessary. Too many women are turned away. If you are going to continue to randomly enter men then provide a different medal for them. Give the standard marathon medal with large ribbon suitable for hanging on a large hook at home. One of the men I spoke with ran to get the medal for his wife who is not a runner and did not even get out of bed that morning to cheer anyone on. As we were standing in line for a massage, he said that she was probably out shopping. Really. I read previous reports about the race and I was prepared for the overwhelming number of TNT and first-time participants. There is a lack of road etiquette, especially the runners from the local area. Several TNT runners with "SF" on their singlets were joined by groups of people running them in from mile 21 on. This is a narrow part of the course that is shared with traffic and to have to run around 5 people, only 1 actually entered in the race, is not favorable at that point in the race. The race weekend was fabulous. Everywhere I went, people were talking about the marathon. So many first-timers really kept the energy level high. I ran the race with my daughter and it was a great experience. We shouldn't have to stand in line for 45 minutes, the day before the marathon, to get a manicure. Maybe they could pass out time cards when things get too backed up. I ended up skipping these stations and the free iPod engraving. Lines were long right from the opening. The friendliness of the runners and the efficiency of the finish area raised the rating. While the run along the ocean at the end was hard, the view was worth every bit of it.
K. E. from San Francsco (10/26/2008) "Great course, but lacks organization" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I've run this race every year since its inception in 2004 (full marathon). I love the course and the Tiffany necklace. However, the organization left a lot to be desired. The classification of elite/non-elite was a joke - I happened to run in the elite, although I am not a pro by any means. Anybody who runs around three hours for a marathon could never count as elite. I am glad they'll change this for next year. Having no race results available for two days after the race, despite all the mats we crossed, is appalling. Online athlete tracking has been common practice for large marathons for years, and Nike should get on it. If you are not running with TNT, you are sometimes out of luck for cheers. I ran close to a guy who was with TNT and finished around my time, and I had many TNT coaches pass me without giving me a second glance, all while cheering him on wildly (in the women's marathon - I am a woman).

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