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☰
Columbus Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Columbus Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.4 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 4.2
Number of comments: 333 [displaying comments 141 to 151]
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K. B. from Dayton, Ohio
(10/23/2007)
 "Finally Got Around To Running Columbus..." (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This marathon had pros and cons. The expo was fine and I appreciated no waiting and no lines to get your packet and shirt. The technical shirts are nice but the advice for women to 'size up' was misleading. I ordered a large instead of a medium and it's way too big. It was a beautiful morning to start the race and the helicopter flyover was very cool. The first few miles through Bexley were beautiful. German Village was fun until you dump out onto High St. Geez, what a long tedious road for miles and miles on an uphill incline. I have to agree with J.B. from Mason: This course is NOT flat. Granted, no big hills but one long incline after another in the second half. The temps were too warm for my taste after about mile 17-18, especially with hardly any shade, but you had to love those frequent and well-stocked water stops. I made the mistake however of not using one of the many port-o-johns available in the early part of the race and paid for that mistake when there wasn't a single port-o-john to use from mile 19 to the finish. Not sure what was up with that. The spectators were great along the way and the bands helped pass the time. One note to the band at Mile 24 though: PLEASE, no 'Chariots of Fire' at mile 24. That song is best reserved for Mile 26 when you can actually see the finish line. At mile 24 I felt like I was running about as fast as the guys in the movie in slow motion! It's funny now; not so much then. I rather liked the 10,000 person size of this one. Definitely had a different and more personal feel than the big boys like Chicago, New York and Marine Corp. This marathon is every bit as nice as the other Ohio marathons, Cleveland, Cincinnati Pig and Dayton Air Force. Hats off to the race organizers for all their hard work. I enjoyed the experience overall and was happy to check Columbus off my list of marathons I've been meaning to do. One last thing; with all due respect to Nationwide, I still consider this 'The Columbus Marathon', not the 'Nationwide Better Health Marathon'. That said, thanks for a great event! | |
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C. J. from New York, NY
(10/23/2007)
"I'll be back next year!" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Columbus Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I thought this race was fantastic. Organization was superb, and crowd support was good except in the Short North (mostly a business district) and Upper Arlington (I saw one lady on a lawn chair and that was it). The course was beautiful, except for parts of The OSU campus and parts of High Street, and not too challenging elevation-wise. I had a crummy day that involved puking in the Olentangy and finishing an hour off my goal time because of stomach cramps, but people cheered for me anyway. The medical staff followed me into the family reunion area and checked me out. They were great. I will come back next year for my revenge and am already looking forward to it. My favorite memories: The man in the wizard hat at the 'magical mile' 20.6 and the little kids in German Village asking for high fives. | |
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Karen Schumm from Bloomington, IN
(10/23/2007)
"great Race" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 Columbus Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my 3rd time running Columbus and I always have a great experience, the spectators are great especially when you wear your name on your shirt and the people yell your name. Cons- need more people to be at water stations, when I got to one of the water tables my kids and husband were handing out water because there was not enough people helping. | |
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M. E. from St. Paul, MN
(10/22/2007)
 "Gotta love that downhill finish" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Wonderful day for a marathon, however, warmer than usual. The first half was plentiful with water stops and port a potties, however, not as many in the later stages of the marathon where they are needed more. The first part of the course was beautiful but after mile 12 up High Street until the finish not much excitment. Crowd support could have been better throughout but the times I was given shout outs were when I really needed them. The elevation chart is deceiving. The course is for the most part flat but the ups and downs and long inclines are what get you in the end. Overall, I had a great time. I PR'd by 14 minutes. Gotta love the pacers. Had a wonderful experience traveling to this marathon. Would highly suggest it to others. | |
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J. B. from Mason, OH
(10/22/2007)
"4 Stars" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Columbus Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 All in all, I would recommend this marathon. Pros: Not too small, but not too big. Weather is usually good. Course is good, as it gives family several opportunities to see you. Lots of water stations. Ample parking by start. Medal is better than in previous years. Nice selection of food. Coke Zero hit the spot. Cons. After running this for the sixth time, I am still struck by the fact that they call this a "flat" course. I guess if they keep saying it each year, people will just agree with the organizers. Granted the rises are not steep, but there are many gradual rises starting at mile 16 to about mile 22, some at the beginning as well. No race-day packet pickup. No end-of-race party (immediately following the event). | |
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m. m. from Youngstown, Ohio
(10/22/2007)
 "I had a great time" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Columbus Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran this marathon with a friend to get him in under 3:30. I accomplished my mission getting him in in exactly 3:29:45. We ran together for 25 miles before i picked up the pace, finishing in 3:27.45. The course is hillier than I expected. I think I could have run about a 3:22 if I had run alone. That is about 6 minutes slower than Erie, which I ran 6 weeks earlier. Overall, great marathon. | |
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Judy Train from Kansas City, Missouri
(10/22/2007)
"Great course, well organized, good crowd support" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Columbus Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my third marathon and I chose it because it was billed as a relatively flat course. It absolutely was. There are a few inclines in the second half of the course (mile 17), but if you have done any hill work, you should be able to manage them. The expo was well-organized. The crowd support was great - not continuous, but enough to buck you up when you needed it. It winds through several different neighborhoods in Columbus. Others have commented on the crowds - I ran towards the back of the pack and it wasn't an issue, and when we were with the 1/2 marathoners, the streets were wide enough to accommodate. Towards the end, we only had half the road, but there were fewer of us. I would have liked more pre-race communications by e-mail. All in all, a well-run, great race. | |
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J. T. from Canton, OH
(10/22/2007)
 "Skip if slower than 6 hours" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Columbus Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 It was a beautiful day and a great course. But terrible if you ran slower than 6 hours. They give you 7 hours to finish but close the course at a 6 hour pace. I had a cop chasing me for about 2 miles. They pulled up mile markers when I got to 18. I had to walk on busted sidewalks or grass for the last 8 too. If it wasn't for a guy giving out Gatorade in his front yard, i would have gone all the way with just 1 water stop from 18 to 26.2. They need to keep the course open at a 7 hour pace if they let you finish at a 7 hour pace. Or let us start an hour earlier with the walkers. what could it hurt? I just felt a little disrespected and discouraged. | |
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J. L. from Ohio
(10/22/2007)
"Loved it!" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Columbus Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a wonderful, well organized race. Beautiful course through Columbus neighborhoods and I have never seen so many port-o-potties: there was never a line for them. Finish line was great and I've also never seen so many treats at the finish line! | |
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A. D. from Columbus
(10/22/2007)
"Fairly flat marathon - manageable size" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Columbus Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was 31st marathon and 6th time running Columbus. They seemed to have learned from Chicago's fiasco and made sure they had plenty of water and volunteers on hand. It was a warm sunny day with highs into the 70s during the race, but the water stations were frequent and had plenty of water. The course is mostly flat, though the second half has a few little ups and downs to it. No mountains, but enough to make the second half a little more difficult than the first. The course is for the most part scenic, running through some nice Columbus neighborhoods. It's all paved roads except for about 100 meters on bricks in the fourth or fifth mile. They start both the marathon and the half marathon together which means that it can get a little crowded, however the first three miles are on Broad Street, which offers plenty of room. The spectators are plentiful and vocal. The course is not lined with people the whole way, but there is more than ample support for the crowd. There are also several bands out on the course for your entertainment. I give this marathon high marks. Since the change of management, they seem to be more dedicated to quality, while the previous administration was concerned only with quantity. |
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