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Jul 1, 2024

Pittsburgh Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Pittsburgh Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.6

Organization 4.5

Spectators 4.6

Number of comments: 226 [displaying comments 81 to 91]

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Eric Rutin from Phoenix, AZ (1/1/2012) "A plain great race" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Just like Detroit, Pittsburgh is a great race, course, and pretty much everything about it. If someone is more concerned with a great experience than perceived reputation, then this is the race for you. I can not say one bad thing about this marathon.
A. P. from Burlington, NC (10/25/2011) "Lives up to the hype" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I will preface this review by saying that my purpose during a marathon is not to be competitive but rather help people along the way by having a positive attitude. I finished in 4 hours and 46 minutes. Overall, this marathon lives up to a lot of the hype that precedes it. Positives: 1) Excellent crowd control at the end of the race. Absolutely no problems meeting up with friends/family and getting out of the downtown area. 2) Solid fan support although as is typical, little support from those who came to run/support the relay portion or the half-marathon. I guess these people just don't understand/value/respect the marathon culture. 3) Far above-average fan support from the people living in impoverished neighborhoods. Little, to no, support from people living in wealthier neighborhoods. In fact, one wealthy family who were eating their breakfast on their patio glared at me when I apparently disturbed them by attempting to engage them in conversation. Of course, many supporters line the streets of middle/ 4) Stayed at the Knights Inn motel which was very affordable ($65) and 20 minutes to the start line! 5) Very little traffic congestion when we arrived downtown at 6:15am! 6) Great course layout. You run through the run-down industrial part of town early when you are all hyped up so it doesn't matter anyway. Then when you run through it toward the end of the race, there is considerable fan support. 7) The last 8 miles or so are either flat or downhill!!! I wanted to walk but only walk uphill's so I ran it in at the end! 8) I had quite a few pictures taken of me during the race. Negatives: 1) Very nice technical shirt should have been a short sleeve shirt because it is nearly summer and the sleeves are really short for tall people. 2) While the expo was large, I was overly unimpressed. There were few other marathons marketed at the expo and I found the goods offered redundant. 3) A song being pumped through the loud speakers the morning of the race had some female saying the word $hit several times. There is no reason to have language like that at a family event. 4) I am really becoming frustrated with races that offer only one flavor of sports drink. And it really stinks for those of us who can't stand lemon-lime. 5) A Sunday race and we still have to pay for parking? To me that is just unacceptable. Cities are already getting tremendous revenue from the runners and it seems like the race director could negotiate free parking on marathon day. 6) Spaghetti dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse would have been cheaper if I had just ordered off the menu than pre-ordering when registering for the marathon.
W. F. from New York, NY (6/7/2011) "This was a great race!" (about: 2011) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my third marathon and first Pittsburgh marathon. From start to finish, this race was tremendous. I have family from Pittsburgh, which was why I decided to do this race. I couldn't be more happy with that decision! I have run NYC and Marine Corps previously, and I thought the Pittsburgh expo was on par with NYC and nicer than Marine Corps. Also, the amount of race swag was really stunning (a very nice long-sleeve tech tee, a cinch sack backpack, nike socks and a $10 gift card to Dick's). The start moved seamlessly. The course was interesting and in spite of the rain, people still came out to cheer! The course was challenging but not ridiculous. I felt well prepared after running the hills in Central Park all winter. I loved the DJ at the mile 11 hill. Gritty rap music was the perfect choice for the slog up that hill! I thought the finish line was great. I met my family at the finish festival, which worked really well. A couple of really minor notes: -Perhaps place a few more photographers along the course. I was a bit disappointed that there were only a few pictures to purchase when the online photos became available. -As someone who is very familiar with Pittsburgh, I love that you offered Eat 'n Park cookies with the post-race food. That said, and this is probably just personal preference, after a marathon the thought of Eat 'n Park cookies was a bit nauseating. I would absolutely recommend this marathon to my friends!
T. C. from Medford (5/25/2011) "Very Well Run and Well Monitored Race" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon was a lot of fun. There are bands throughout the route and I really mean throughout the route. There were probably about 30 bands in total. I am a back of the packer (running in about 5 hours) and in some races it gets a little lonely. In this race, I always had plenty of company on the course and there were cheering fans along the entire route. There are some hills but nothing too difficult for a New Englander. Best of all, there are long down hills in the last five miles, helping to roll you to the finish line. The aid stations were frequent and well staffed. I started with a pacesetter who was a lot of fun - Marie. She really knew how to engage a group. Unfortunately I faded and was not able to keep up with the group. I definitely give this race very high ratings. I started with a pacesetter who was a lot of fun - Marie. She really knew how to engage a group. Unfortunately I faded and was not able to keep up with the group. I definitely give this race very high ratings.
K. C. from Pgh, PA (5/24/2011) "Better and Better" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Pittsburgh Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 10th Pgh marathon. Race keeps getting better and better. The race organizers really listen and make improvements. Volunteers: A+ Course: A+ Starting Line: B- (Coral A did not have enough portajohns. Other runners have complained about the congestion in the other corals.) Bands: A (Just give me indie, teenage rock!) Spectators: B (Not bad for a rainy day) Finish Line: A- (Need signs to the shuttles.) Pre-Race Info: B+ (much improved with parking info, maps, need to tell the runners the actual number to expect at the starting line so we know how to prepare for parking) Casual Public Interest: C- (I really think they need to encourage more spectators to come downtown. Make it a real event. But, you need to add something. There is so much concern about traffic/parking in Pgh. There should be an easy way in and out. Just say you will have fireworks.) I wish it were less crowded; but I'm happy more and more people are running. I just think if you try to include more than 20k runners it will be a nightmare. I prefer the smaller marathons.
J. N. from Philadelphia, PA (5/23/2011) "Fantastic 'Must-Run' City Marathon" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Kudos to everyone involved in this wonderful marathon. There is nothing to complain about. It's really terrific. I took my family to Pittsburgh for the weekend and it's a wonderful small city. We were so impressed with the pre-race communications, the expo and the kind atmosphere of Pittsburgh. Race day brought more of the same, with excellent bands throughout the course, lively/engaged volunteers and a tour-guide running through the neighborhoods. The hill at 11 can hurt your time, but you get the chance to go down its sister hill around mile 22. Thank you to everyone involved in making the event so memorable. Absolutely an A+.
A. G. from Bridgeport Ohio (5/22/2011) "PIttsburgh should be the model for other marathons" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Pittsburgh Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The 2011 Pittsburgh Marathon was one of the best organized, nearly perfect marathons I have run. The course was fun and interesting as usual. The start and finish were flawless, and even the slight rain throughout the race helped make the humidity manageable. I was able to run my goal time and qualify for Boston. There were plenty of fluid stops with smiling, encouraging faces, great music throughout, and a wonderful finish line area. My only minor complaint is that the first ten miles were very crowded. That's great that so many people want to run through this great city, but it was a little scary at times because of the pack you found yourself in the middle of for the entire first ten miles. I found myself so looking forward to the time when the half-marathoners left. The rest of the race was very comfortable. I agree with the previous comment about the finish. It was nice going back over the bridge, but the finish in 2003 at Heinz Field was very special! Oh, and to the previous writer....'fat-bottom' girls rock! Shame on you! Anyway....thanks Pittsburgh, for a great marathon experience! And Mario's for a fun,post-marathon celebration!
J. P. from DC (5/20/2011) "Run PGH" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my seventh marathon and first Pittsburgh. I thought it was well-organized, had good crowd support, and a nice course. The people of Pittsburgh should be proud of this one and for their support. I would definitely run this marathon again and would recommend it to friends. Actually, I will probably just sign up when 2012 registration begins. I really didn't have any criticisms, so here are a couple of notes: 1. The start begins downtown, so if you're going to use a Garmin, turn it on early so it can pick up a signal among the buildings. It took mine about 15 minutes to load. 2. The course is hilly. It's Pittsburgh. But the hills keeps you honest and nothing that a prepared runner cannot overcome through training. The course takes you on a great tour of Pittsburgh and you hit most of the neighborhoods, some very scenic and some not as scenic. You get a very significant downhill at mile 21, right when you need it. 3. I don't run marathons for the medals, but this is the best medal from any race I've received (besides Boston, but that's for other reasons). It's really beautiful. 4. I would echo a previous commenter that the one thing I would change is dividing the relay teams into different corrals based on expected pace. A lot of people's marathon pace is still faster than anothers 5 mile pace. I spent the first half mile weaving and passing a lot of slower relay teams and half marathoners. 5. I didn't have to experience the cramped finish lines from previous years, but this one was well-organized, fully stocked and had lots of space. Trying to leave, traffic was pretty bad, however. 6. There is no better way to reward yourself for finishing a marathon than by stopping at Primanti Bros. Thanks Pittsburgh. I'll be back.
Cant KetchMe from Pittsburgh, by way of Philadelphia (5/20/2011) "Challenging Course, Awesome Views" (about: 2011) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Pittsburgh Marathon was my second marathon, and it outperformed my first by a long shot. The weather threatened, but as is Pittsburgh weather, the early morning rain dissipated to simply overcast cool conditions. The one time Pittsburgh's lack of sun is what you want. The weather may have deterred some spectators from coming out, and Oakland was a bit weak because of the week-later race date, but all-in-all the race had tons of support. The Officials, the neighborhoods, the spectators, the music, etc. was amazing, and it was really a good motivation to keep pace. Pittsburgh may be considered 'hilly', but honestly it is a totally fair course. I went under 3:30 (just barely), which was 45 minutes under my PR from Richmond. Pittsburgh allows for a smart runner to perform well, but if you charge the hills, or make mistakes, the course takes from you. It's totally fair, in my opinion, which may be worth nothing. In comparison to Richmond 'the friendliest marathon', which I believe was very friendly, Pittsburgh may be able to claim that away with their great fan support, and lack of 'dead' spots. Locations that I thought would be empty of fans were popping, and it made the miles go right by. I do have two complaints. The lack of water bottles at the finish. The OVER security of the pre-race location. Love ya Pittsburgh. Next year it's me and my friends pushing through.
J. R. from Alexandria, VA (5/19/2011) "Huge volunteer support, great fans" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Pittsburgh Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Running this race, I'd never have guessed that the PIttsburgh Marathon had gone on hiatus just a few years back. Clearly, the city wants this race to work- I've never seen as much support, almost consistently spread through the neighborhoods along the course. Some of the pros: a generous number of water/Gatorade stations, plus four GU stations. I judge fan support by who comes out on a rainy, Sunday morning - and quite a few did: lots of cheers, more than a few oranges, lots of music. Even in some of the economically depressed areas, residents were out cheering us on. That said, Pittsburgh is a city of hills - there's a good variety of up and down here, but only a few grinders (the Birmingham Bridge followed by the Forbes Ave. climb into Oakland at mile 11 stands out). Not a PR, but a very enjoyable run on a cloudy, misty day. Though downtown hotels had sold out, we found easy accommodations out by the airport - a quick drive into the city. I'd recommend this race,

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