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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 161 to 171]
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T. S. from Salt Lake City, Utah
(10/20/2008)
"Well-organized & beautiful but hilly course" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The race was very well-organized and well-supported. This was my first marathon, but I have done a lot of shorter races and I have to say that this was the best organized one I have participated in. The packet pick-up, the aid stations, and the finish area were like a well-oiled machine, smooth and efficient. The results area at the finish had my race time right away on a computer, which was fabulous. The only negative here is that now I can't see the results online yet, the day after the race. I would like to see how my friends did! The course was beautiful and varied for the first 16 miles, with great sights including the Embarcadero, the marina, Fisherman's Wharf, the Presidio, the Golden Gate Bridge, and some of SF's most exclusive neighborhoods. However, this is NOT a PR kind of course, with lots of hills between miles 5 and 10, and some very narrow pathways that didn't accommodate the large number of runners very well; lots of traffic problems in many places. The descent to the Great Highway and the stretch in Golden Gate Park were beautiful. Along the Great Highway for miles 16-19 or so was pretty (ocean views) but a bit tedious, and the miles around Lake Merced were not terribly exciting, just when you need it the most. Plus there was only one lane of traffic open to runners here, and sometimes not even that - it was frustrating to get stuck behind people when the course was only 4 feet-wide in a few places. The spectators were numerous and vocal, and often right where you needed them - on hills, etc. They were the best part of this race; lots more spectators than most races I've done, and they really tried to cheer your name if it was on your shirt (mine was!), which was quite motivating. I did the race with Team in Training and the coaches and TNT staff and spectators were truly wonderful. | |
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D. A. from San Jose, CA
(10/20/2008)
"Great experience!" (about: 2008)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first time running the Women's Nike Half-Marathon. Beautiful views and surprisingly the course wasn't as bad as I'd initially imagined! *whew!!* There was a lot of support on the sidelines cheering you on, which was nice. The aid/water stations were stationed at convenient locations. I never needed to use the restrooms, but there were plenty available throughout the course. The expo pre- and post-race was nice. There are a lot of people, so beware! I came relatively late to the pre-race expo, which was kind of nice since I beat the crowds. Man, the start was crazy! It was hard trying to make your way through the hoard of people trying to line up with their pace color. REALLY, REALLY HECTIC!!! Luckily my boyfriend is tall and pushed his way through so that I could line up at my designated area on time. I do wish I had a friend with me because there were so many photo opportunities throughout the run. I don't think I got many pictures taken, if any. I ran on the sidelines, which was nice because there were fewer people there, BUT the photographers were in the middle of the road, so I probably missed them. They will take your picture if you're waving your hands in the air and screaming to get their attention. I wish I did that. | |
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A. T. from Louisville, KY
(10/20/2008)
"Great first marathon" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first full, and I've done 3 half's in other cities. I thought this race was very well organized with the exception of the website, which could use some improvement. I would also like to have an online tracker (texts or emails) for friends and family. The expo was great, but I went first thing Friday morning, so it wasn't super crowded yet. The buses were well organized and super comfortable! My husband was on the supporter buses and thought they weren't as well organized and that the drop off could use more direction. The race course was beautiful despite an overcast day. Beware of hills - DO HILL TRAINING! It isn't horrible but there are some good inclines. Some areas for improvement would be the music; bands were a little blah, needed more pep. This is a race that is very focused on TNT, which is awesome and inspiring. But, not being a TNT racer, I sort of felt like I was trying to crash the cool kids' party. I wish I would have had a running buddy or an iPod. Everything else was wonderful and I totally recommend this race. Bathrooms, water, snacks, photographers, finish area, t-shirts and the TIFFANY NECKLACE were all awesome. I also really appreciated how pumped San Fran got, especially in Union Square. It was a great experience being here even after the race. Thank you to all of the organizers for a great first marathon!!! | |
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Abebe Bikila from Canada
(10/19/2008)
"Results Posting?" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I agree with the poster who asks about online tracking (though why this is "green," I don't know...) - even more shocking in such a highly promoted race is the absence of any results - not only on the (poor) Nike site, but anywhere! Help please! | |
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S. F. from MN
(10/19/2008)
"No Online Tracking" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 The Nike Women's Marathon website is difficult to navigate and I was unable to locate any way to track a family member online during the race. I thought online tracking for race participants was fairly standard, especially for a marathon that promotes itself as a "green" marathon. | |
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VERONICA OPAZO from CHICO, CALIFORNIA
(4/1/2008)
"IT WAS RAD!" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It was my first marathon ever! I sprinted in college and now I do more distance running. The view, the people... everything was awesome. It's too bad you have to get picked now. | |
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M. W. from Bradenton, Fl
(2/28/2008)
"I Love It!" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I love everything about the race and the weekend. I did 1/2 in '06 and '07 with Team in Training and had a blast. I am looking forward to 2008. | |
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V. G. from Cincinnati, OH
(2/19/2008)
"It's an Experience - for better or for worse!" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran the 1/2-marathon in October 2007. I enjoyed the experience overall, but I thought there could be some improvement to the race to make it even better as it grows. The expo was very different from your typical expo, but I enjoyed it. I actually liked the fact that it wasn't full of random vendors, but there sure was a huge push to buy an iPod with Nike Plus. I enjoyed a mini-massage and a foot massage. I rubbed elbows with Joan Benoit-Samuelson! During the race, I was worried about not being part of TNT, because I read some of these reviews before I went. However, I enjoyed the cheering groups. I didn't find them to be particular about who they cheered for - they cheered for everyone. The course is absolutely GORGEOUS - bring a camera! I was able to get plenty of water, Gatorade, bananas, oranges, etc. I REALLY enjoy my Nike technical t-shirt that we got at the finish, and I wear my necklace all the time. Now, for the not-so-great aspects: There were not enough toilets!!! I waited in line for almost 11 minutes - making my total potty stop about 12 minutes (therefore, I subtract 10 minutes from my official time when I tell people!). I've never experienced waiting times like that! Also, there seem to be a lot more participants who do not know the basic common courtesies of running ANY road race. Lots of people on cell phones, and people not moving to the side when they talk walk breaks or water breaks. Several large groups of women running next to each other 4-5 across, creating a bottleneck. And I was personally sad that I ran near 2 women who blocked each on-road photographer to pose, so they weren't able to take photos of all the runners passing by. There was only 1 spot in the 1/2 marathon where there were photographers on the course, so I didn't have any photos of me during the race, only at the finish. It is hard for spectators to get to some parts of the course, so they are concentrated in certain areas. The party at the finish line was extremely crowded, it was hard to get to the food and especially to get a massage or a photo at the finish area. Finally, I had to wait over an hour to get the bag that I checked on the course. The system failed somehow, so I had to go from bus to bus until I found my bag. Overall, if you have a lot of patience, are part of a large group, or are a very fast runner (so you don't get stuck with novice road racers), this is a fun race. I enjoyed the course; I just had a hard time with some of the disorganization and runners who were not familiar with the "rules" of road racing. | |
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Kristi Moody from Houston, TX
(2/19/2008)
"Fabulous!!!!" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Wow, talk about exceeding expectations!! My marathon experience couldn't have been better. I ran with the -hour pacer who coached this Houston girl up every hill (not a lot of hill training in the swamp!!), and she was super entertaining as well. I was shooting for a conservative 5-hour finish and wound up at 4:54. Every woman (and maybe men too!) should do this one. The camaraderie, cause, and overall experience cannot be beat!!! | |
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L. G. from Ventura, CA
(2/18/2008)
"Beautiful course; crappy expo" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Nike 26.2 = Nike Women's Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 I loved the race, the people were great, it was a beautiful day, and the course is great. The expo was practically non-existent, except they tried to shove 2,300 people into their store, which was ridiculous, and it didn't seem like there was a lot going on at the finish line. But I was with TNT, so maybe they just assumed we'd all be taken care of by them. I trained with Lisa; it was wrong that she wasn't able to finish and it had something to do with a pacer being off! |
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