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☰
Missoula Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Missoula Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.7 
Spectators 4.2
Number of comments: 166 [displaying comments 91 to 101]
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B. H. from Burlington, NC
(7/13/2011)
 "Great Summer Run" (about: 2011)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I thought this was a great race. There are very few places in the middle of summer where you can find such a pleasant course and conditions. I thought Caras Park was a great venue for the Expo, and while it was very small, there was music and friendly, enthusiastic staff. I think many of the folks have been a little harsh in their comments. I can see why this marathon was so highly rated. Loved the cannon and fireworks at the start and the encouraging announcers at the end. Also, enjoyed the Moose Drool. | |
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J. P. from the midwest
(7/13/2011)
 "Excellent race" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a wonderful small town-feel race. Easy packet pick-up and fun post race celebration. Free beer at the end which is always enjoyable. Course is relatively flat except for a steep incline at mile 14 but no problem. Everybody in Missoula was tuned-in to visitors for the race and most helpful. We stayed at the Wyndham Suites and really enjoyed our stay. Most accommodating with a late check out but it wasn't needed as we stayed an extra day. The mile markers were easily visible from a distance which is always welcome. Best I've seen at a race. The Missoula marathon is very well organized and worth the trip. Huge thank you's to all the volunteers who worked super hard at the water stops and did a terrific job. 50 staters if you need Montana for your marathon then this is the one. | |
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G. R. from Atlanta, GA
(7/12/2011)
"One word...Excellent!" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This marathon lived up to its hype and its a bargain for the price. Excellent quality tech tee and finisher's medal were provided. They had separate shirts/medals for the half runners. That's something very few races provide. The weather was perfect, the course is fast, and the half runners start in a different spot from the full. Just before the start, the announcer congratulated a runner who was wrapping up her 50 states at Missoula. I thought that was a very classy touch. He thanked her for having chosen Missoula as her 50th one. I really enjoyed it and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a summer marathon that is well organized...By the way, make a trip out of it. There are plenty of things to see and do in MT. Oh, one last thing. Plan for this early...the hotels fill up pretty fast! | |
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B. L. from Maryland
(7/12/2011)
"Great Race. My favorite thus far for a marathon." (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Best marathon I have ever ran. The scenery was awesome and words cannot describe it. It was well organized and the coordination was fantastic. Worried about some things like the shuttle buses and the traffic but it all worked out and was great. There weren't many spectators till I hit town but I dont worry too much about spectators. The ones that showed up were very nice and some had sprinklers to run through. The guy playing the piano in a tuxedo was cool. 1 issue. No finisher certificate available. Highly recommend this race. | |
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Knud Hermansen from Boulder, CO
(7/12/2011)
 "Well organized race, beautiful course" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Bottom Line: This is a well run and scenic race. The course is fast (definitely has PR potential) but slightly challenging as it is gradually uphill most of the way. About 1500 marathoners and 2500 half-marathoners in 2011. Sign-up, website and Pre-marathon: This was a fairly inexpensive marathon if you sign up early and you get as much as marathons that cost twice as much. The website has some neat features like their blog and activities like the beer run (which, sadly, I missed). Expo: A modest expo. It is held in one of the big circus-like tents in one of the parks along the Bitterroot river. Packet pick-up was well organized and there were a decent number of vendors for the size of the race. Start: This was one of the better organized starts that I have seen. Most hotels in downtown are within easy walking distance to the start. It was about a 20-minute bus ride. The porta-potties were more plentiful here than in many races with prohibitive lines only forming in the last 10-15 minutes before the start. Bag drop-off was easy and could be done on the walk to the start. Cannon and fireworks at the start were also pretty cool. Course & support (to include Water & and port-a-johns): Since the race runs through beautiful rural country you trade the crowd support of a Boston or New York for stellar views of farms and forks of the Bitterroot River. There were 17 totals stops so you could find water, powerade and toilets less than 2 miles apart. There were around four gel stations. The course has a gradual 350-ft rise that is, except for a hill at mile 13, spread out over the whole course. It is very well marked and policed. All of the turns are well staffed. Post race: Well organized start. I had no trouble finding my fiancé and the food (bagels, pasta, fruit-popsicle, cheese sticks and some sort of power-ade drink were great. Outside of the main area you could even get a free Big Sky beer which even outside of 26.2 miles, tastes great. Hotel & transportation: Stayed at the Motel 6 on Broadway. It was a 10 minute walk to the start and buses. The rooms are clean and comfortable and I got a great nights sleep before the race. To do: If you have time the Smokejumpers Museum (vic. Airport) and the Big Sky Brewing Company were both great stops. For food I really enjoyed the Tamarack Brewing Company. | |
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L. G. from Maryland, USA
(7/12/2011)
 "LOVED IT!!" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I can see why this marathon was rated so highly in Runner's World! Everything was great: beautiful course, well organized, plenty of shuttle buses to the start, finish line close to hotels, awesome volunteers, nice medal and shirt, lots of neighborhood sprinklers to run under, plenty of places to sit and eat at finish area, and even a free 5x7 finisher photo! The weather was perfect also!! I wish I would have had more time to spend in Missoula... it is a great town!! The goody bag included a free pizza or pasta entree from a local restaurant, which made for a great pre race dinner! Even though I can officially check Montana off my states list, I will be back! Way to go Missoula! | |
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V. B. from New York, USA
(7/10/2011)
"Amazing Scenery" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 A scenic course with outstanding views, made even more enjoyable by being relatively flat (with the exception of one hill at mile 14). Attractions -Stunning scenery for first 20 miles - as you get closer to the end, you are no longer in the wilderness but in residential areas. However, the increase in crowd support at that point offsets the disappointment of leaving the spectacular views behind -Fun finish line with great atmosphere and terrific crowd support on either side of the bridge -Quality short-sleeved v-neck wicking t-shirt (I wish more marathons would offer the v-neck) and colorful medal and ribbon -Expo well-organized as was the bus service to the start -Lovely volunteers Areas for Improvement -Given the scenery and flat course, this race could outstrip Casper, WY (a very high bar) with a little more attention to detail: 1. Casper provided breakfast at the start as well as sunscreen, Vaseline etc. Since there is nowhere to get breakfast at 5am in small towns, food at the start makes a huge difference 2. The food at the Casper finish line included pizza, sandwiches, heaps of fruit, cakes and soft drinks. I didn't bother to stop at the Missoula finish line for half a banana, string cheese and small packets of trail mix 3. More aid stations, particularly in the early miles, and the same goes for port-a-potties This is a great race and worthwhile trip. Missoula is a college town and so has plenty of good restaurants (strongly recommend Catalyst for breakfast). There were farmers' markets everywhere on Saturday morning where I found the best Huckleberry bran muffin I have ever tasted. I also found a good independent bookstore called Fact and Fiction where I bought Judy Blunt's Montana homesteading memoir 'Breaking Clean.' | |
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J. C. from Salt Lake City, UT
(7/30/2010)
"Great small race" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great city, great race. This is probably my second favorite race ever (after Casper, WY), so I'm clearly a sucker for small-town races. If that's not your thing, then you probably won't like this race. The volunteers were great; community support, I thought, was very strong. Given that much of the course is in a rural area with no houses, I wouldn't expect many spectators out there, but that there were any at all was nice. Buses to the start were very easy, and the city is great - full of great people and great food. I look forward to running again next year. | |
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C. W. from Georgia
(7/28/2010)
"Okay, but Not the Best Overall" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a really nice marathon in a wonderful part of the country. The volunteers were GREAT and went out of their way to be helpful. I suspect that the sudden increase in race participants was a real challenge. The food tent at the end (along with the FREE BEER) was fantastic! It was great to see so many Maniacs! The course was okay, but there must be a way to make it more appealing; a long, boring straightaway is not the best way to start. This is a beautiful area and I would like to have seen more of the beauty on the course. Packet pick-up for later arrivals was a pain since there were no safety pins and you had to get your shirt after the race; consider keeping it open at the expo until 9:00 or provide EVERYTHING at the airport. The shirt and medal were not the best for a race that was hyped so much; better was expected. Overall, good, but not great. | |
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S. A. from Portland, OR
(7/25/2010)
"Enjoyed the Missoula experience!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Missoula Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 My wife and I chose to run this year since it fell on the same day as our 23rd anniversary. We thoroughly enjoyed the time spent in Missoula and the race. Even though each of the weekend events doubled in size, there was still a charming, small-town feel (I hope it stays this way). Parts of the course were stunning and the early start allowed us to finish before it got too hot. The only improvements I might suggest for the future would be additional porta-potties at the start and the early part of the race, as well as adding a better race shirt. I am not a fan of the marathon relay in tandem with the marathon, particularly when you have to dodge the vans ferrying the relay runners to the next exchange. These people are not running a marathon. I do not get it. All in all, a great experience and I would recommend this race to others. By the way: do not miss Big Sky Brewing! |
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