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Miracle Match Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Miracle Match Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.2
Number of comments: 113 [displaying comments 91 to 101]
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B. F. from Plano, TX
(11/3/2007)
 "Really good small marathon!" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Miracle Match Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon, but I have run many many other races including half marathons. I thought the course was very good, even with the very challenging hills in Cameron Park. I thought it was marked well. I agree with the previous comment about the lack of an aid station for about 4 miles after the 13-mile mark. I was carrying some Gatorade, so it did not affect me much. They were actually taking the tables off of a pickup at about the 16-mile mark as I passed. I loved the feel of the race, and think it will be even better with a bigger field - I think there were 99 finishers this year. With so few runners you do get pretty lonely at times. I hope the race grows because it could be a great one! I will be back next year! | |
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G. N. from Columbus, Ohio
(11/2/2007)
"Great little marathon" (about: 2007)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Miracle Match Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my 61st marathon and for a small marathon, the volunteers and race team did an outstanding job. I was most impressed with the complete road lane closures. Most small and some big marathons have you running along a berm with traffic. Not so in Waco. I loved the hills, as published on the website. The addition of food at several of the water stops was a bonus and so was the finisher's shirt. Yes there will always be room for improvement; however my marathon experience in Waco was far better than many of the other 26.2 events. Good luck to you next year! | |
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C. C. from Fort Worth, TX
(10/30/2007)
 "Very memorable for my first marathon!!!" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I thought the course was very challenging, which made it all the better for me. Despite what others have said, I thought the course was clearly marked and I never felt like traffic was an issue. My only complaint was the lack of Gatorade or anything besides water at most of the stops on the course. At a minimum, they really need Gatorade at all stops after the halfway point. I carry a bottle, so I was able to refill when I did come across Gatorade. I would definitely go back and run this race again. Family and friends can easily see you at several spots along the route to cheer you on. One other downside is that Cameron Park can be a very lonely area of the course because it's late in the race and has some nasty hills with no crowd support. A friend ran the last 5 miles with me, which really helped during this difficult area. | |
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M. E. from DFW, Texas
(10/30/2007)
 "The marathon is definitely in its infancy.." (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Miracle Match Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 My first time running this marathon, 5th marathon overall. I knew the course was challenging and that the field was going to be small going into the race. Positives: Weather was perfect! I like hills. Good chance for Age Group awards. Got to shake the mayors hand mingling in the crowd. Can sign up the morning of the race. Needs Improvement: No water for about a 4 mile section starting at mile 12, if I recall correctly. Saved by spectators and their private water 3 or 4 leaders got lost, and times were adjusted after the race this must be a violation of USTAF rules. I agree there were a few stretches where the course wasn't marked very well and being such a small race, there wasn't always someone to follow. More port-o-lets. One every 3 miles or so would be sufficient. I'm sure there was a stretch of 8 or 9 miles with none. It was not a wheel-chair friendly course. I saw a woman struggling through some sections of the course in a hand-crank contraption, going over curbs, through mud, and I doubt she made it up the hills in the park around mile 20 without some assistance. Overall, any marathon finished vertically is a good marathon! I hope to see this marathon grow in the coming years. | |
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D. B. from Austin, Texas
(10/30/2007)
"Great small marathon" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Miracle Match Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was the first year I ran, and the weather was perfect. As advertised, it is a very tough course. In general, the course is well marked. Unfortunately, there was one spot where I think some vandals moved some cones that caused the the 2nd through 8th - 10th place runners to turn when they should have gone straight. I was in this group, and most of us ending up adding 2+ hilly miles to the race. The race organizers had fixed this problem by the time we went by the cones the second time (part of the unplanned detour). In talking with the organizers (all volunteers), they work hard and long getting the course set up, and I love the fact that it does not feel like a big business marathon. While I was disappointed about the mismarked turn, things happen. The times for those that made the wrong turn were adjusted based on one runner who had a Garmin. I read the entry of the runner who didn't make the wrong turn and I feel bad that he didn't get a medal because of the time adjustment. On the other hand, I also felt pretty bad for the guy who had been in second at the time he made the wrong turn and it totally ruined his race. Overall, I had a good run, the course was tough and scenic and I didn't feel like I was just one of many thousands of runners. I will definitely think about running this again. | |
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T. M. from Waco, TX
(10/29/2007)
"Great race, but needs more spectators" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Miracle Match Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I'll start by saying I live in Waco and was really happy to compete in a race in "my own backyard." The course can be challenging to runners who aren't used to hills. The last part of the race is the most challenging yet most beautiful scenery, so it's a good trade off. From what I have heard about past races and what I experienced this year, the race just keeps getting better. I hope that in years to come it will continue to grow and become one of the premier marathons in Texas. It's going to take a lot more marketing to get people out of their houses to cheer for the runners; we all feed off of that, and when the only people cheering are at the aid stations, the course looses some of its appeal. | |
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D. R. from Dallas, Texas
(10/28/2007)
"Hilliest marathon I have ever run" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Miracle Match Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Previous writer mentioned hills in the 2nd half of the course. On the contrary, there were plenty of hills in the 1st half as well. As hard as it was, I liked it because for this reason this race distinguishes itself from others. The organizers did a good job marking the course for 95% of the race, but there were a couple spots not marked at all and I ALMOST took a wrong turn. I also don't understand why the route through the park wasn't at least partially closed - there is no shoulder and cars that didn't seem to care that a race was going on. I did like that much of course was in the shade.... All in all, a nice, small marathon. | |
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c. m. from Austin,TX
(10/28/2007)
"Nice race, results questionable" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Miracle Match Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Waco is a pretty town, contrary to the imagery most of us have been exposed to by the media around the Branch Davidian fiasco. This was my second time running it, so there were no surprises. Decent hills in the 2nd half, so save your energy. The course meanders through Waco, so you get to see some nice architecture and the lake - a very pretty course. The one big complaint I have is that the men's marathon results were screwed up. I finished third, but they had me listed 7th. Why? They accidentally included a couple half marathon times in the mix. Also, a group of 3 runners got lost on the course, and complained to the race director, who graciously granted them a 21-minute deduction from their finish time. Is this legal according to the USTAF? I didn't get lost. I'm sure others did not get lost either. So because of that, I did not get my 3rd-place plaque. My opinion is obviously slanted since the poor decision impacted me. On the brighter side, they had burgers and fried chicken at the finish. Yum. | |
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B. T. from flower mound, texas
(11/3/2006)
"GOOD RACE ON PACE TO GET BETTER" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Miracle Match Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 A very nice course from a scenic standpoint. This was my 4th marathon and by far the most difficult. The course is relatively flat until the last 4-6 miles, which are filled with hills. I drove the course the night before but did not get quite the feel of how tough those hills would be the following morning. The course was well marked with plenty of aid stations. There were a couple of delays - namely, the race start and the awards. I thought the timing chips should have been handed out the day before at packet pick-up. Overall, I would recommend this race to participate in. Just don't expect to set any personal records. | |
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Phil Henry from Jena, LA
(11/2/2006)
 "Interesting course, but organization needs help" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Miracle Match Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 We loved Waco - it's a pretty town! The course was interesting, but watch those hills at the end. I missed a turn near mile 20 because the mark was on the opposite side of the road and there was no cone (a cop had to chase me down and bring me back to the course). I finished second overall and there were very few amenities for finishers - a little water and fruit. What did the guys that ran for 5-plus hours have? I would come back, but I suggest that the organizers get a runner to help them with the amenities. A great cause and a marathon with great potential. |
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