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Buffalo Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Buffalo Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 3.8 
Spectators 3.3
Number of comments: 315 [displaying comments 261 to 271]
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M. B. from New Jersey
(5/31/2004)
 "Great value but..." (about: 2004)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Buffalo Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Nice, flat and rather interesting course and enthusiastic volunteers. Great weather, and I had a great run. I generally like small marathons but there is lots of room for improvement when it comes to organization and support. 1. Organization - no port-o-potties at the start, despite saying there would be. Confusion about the starting place and time. Limited time information and confusing and difficult to follow signage in parts of the course. At parts toward the end, you are running in the park with non-competitors such as bikers, walkers, etc. These are major distractions when you are at your weakest. And finally, the water stops are every two miles even after mile 20. Although it wasn't too hot, you need to have them at every mile toward the end, if for no other reason than a distraction. 2. Support - as someone else mentioned, it was a ghost town in the city. In talking with a local guy, the city apparently does nothing to rally the community around this event and it shows. No signage about the race at the airport, downtown or even at the host hotel. This isn't critical to a successful event but it is something that makes it more special for everyone. My cab drivers both to and from the airport had never heard of the event. Apparently no TV or radio station to at least broadcast the event or plug it in any way. I'm not one of those people who needs crowd support but a couple of dozen people at the beginning and toward the end would be nice. Is there that much else going on in Buffalo that weekend? I've read others say about how it is a great value. And at $35, including dinner, it really is. But it reminds me of what my father always said - you usually end up getting what you pay for. How about charging $15 more and getting more organized? Buffalo - good, but you can do better. | |
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J. M. from New Jersey
(5/31/2004)
 "Do NOT run this if you're a... " (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 If you complete marathons in 4:00 or less, this is a good one: 1) Nice course 2) Good weather 3) Great value for the money If, however, you are a 'slower' runner, skip this. I was on a sub-5:00 pace and twice I and the other runners I was with ran the wrong way because the volunteers had left. I can't image anything more disheartening during a race than not knowing where to go when you're exhausted from having run 20+ miles... what a joke. Plus, I was forced to run on sidewalks even though I was ahead of the pace where the streets should have stayed open. I'm from Buffalo, and hoped to have a great experience... just started running a few months ago and was really looking forward to this. But this race was a complete disappointment for me because they simply didn't care about slower runners... I'm probably not coming back even when I'm able to do faster times. | |
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m. b. from new york
(5/30/2004)
 "Great job Buffalo" (about: 2004)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Buffalo Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Great course. Flat as can be. Really scenic. Very fast. Great support and organization. Expo was fair. No fans; in fact, no people. Downtown Buffalo looked like Mars. No sign of life anywhere. Excellent PR opportunity. Highly recommend the race, not as high on the city. Maybe stay in the 'burbs... | |
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W. S. from Hingham, MA
(5/30/2004)
 "Great PR Course" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Buffalo Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is my fifth marathon. I PR'ed by 18 minutes. The weather and organization are both superb. I enjoy small/medium marathons and this is definitely one I'm coming back to. | |
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Rob Vertesi from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
(5/30/2004)
"The course is what makes this one special!" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Buffalo Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I just arrived back home after running the 2004 Nissan Buffalo Marathon just a few short hours ago. This was a great experience, one I was not really too sure as to how it would turn out. I got a great hotel room only a week ago and I registered yesterday with no increase in price than if I had pre-registered a month before. When I registered they gave my whole family complimentary tickets to the pasta dinner so we took full advantage of that and enjoyed every last bite. Oh yeah, there was the race too! Weather was spectacular as it normally is, apparently. This was huge for me as I had just come off of running my first Boston 6 weeks ago in a heat wave (temperature reached 90 degrees). So right away I was in a totally different comfort zone today. The course was quite flat and very scenic (waterfront, park trails, a beautiful old cemetary - very appropriate for Memorial Day Weekend, beautiful neighbourhoods and nice wide streets). There was decent interest and support from the community. All the volunteers were extremely friendly and courteous. Organization was good, although there was a little issue with the starting line being on a different street than what pre-printed literature indicated. Luckily, I happened to pass by the actual starting line on my way to where I thought I was headed. I don't know how many others may have been negatively affected by this. If you happened to start late (or just at the back of the pack) and thought it would not matter because your net 'chip time' would still govern this was not the case as a timing mat was only used at the finish line. All in all I would recommend this race to anyone at any level of running as you should not be disappointed with this marathon, with its sheer beauty and flat course. For me, it was an extra special day as I mananged to re-qualify for another Boston with my friends and family cheering me on. What more could a runner ask for. Thank you Buffalo! I will never forget you. | |
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c. l. from new york
(5/30/2004)
 "UNBELIEVABLE!" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Buffalo Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my 1st marathon and I thought it was great! The course was VERY scenic and pretty flat. The police at the traffic lights did a great job. There was one bad thing though. At the last 4 or so miles there were almost no spectators. Overall it was an excellent marathon! I hope to do it again! | |
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D. H. from Los Angeles, CA
(8/24/2003)
"Buffalo Marathon Kicks Ass!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 You MUST run this marathon if you are looking for a PR. The course is fast, flat, scenic (...absolutely superb waterfront!), and well organized. If all of that doesn't sell you, perhaps this will. For a mere $25, you get a great pasta dinner, beer, a finisher's medal, beer, food, beer, and a really cool t-shirt. Of the 27 marathons that I've run, the Buffalo Marathon is EASILY in my top five. Without question, it kicks ass! Run it!!! | |
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P. W. from East Amherst, NY
(6/4/2003)
"Buffalo Marathon 2003 was Great!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and I was not sure what to expect. I loved every minute of this race. I thought it was well organized, the course was great, and the fans were supportive. I would recommend this race to anyone new to the marathon. Great job Buffalo!!! | |
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J. K. from New Jersey
(6/4/2003)
"Vast improvement over 2002 comments" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I was sort of 'stuck' running the 2003 Buffalo Marathon. I was scheduled to run in NJ three weeks earlier, but had a family emergency come up. So I needed something (fairly) local to substitute. When I visited this site during my research, I was worried because the comments about Buffalo weren't great: bad traffic control, poor fan support, etc. Knowing that it was a small town race (500 people), Buffalo turned out to be a great race. The traffic problems from the year before were gone, and the course is very nice, fair with smallish hills and a nice overview of the marina, cemetery, and neighborhoods. The volunteer support was more than adequate, as were the aid stations (water and Powerade). There was one mistake that I encountered: they mis-marked mile #23. Outside of that, a very good job and experience all round. For $30, one gets a pasta dinner on Saturday and pasta/pizza after - along with beer, a t-shirt, and a finisher's medal. That's value. If your bringing family and friends, since it is on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, you have Monday to travel home or visit nearby Niagara Falls. It doesn't have great crowd support, except for the relay stations. So one does need to be self-motivated to stay inspired. Oh, I ran a PR (3:15) so I was really pleased. Consider Buffalo if you like the 'small-town' feel. | |
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K. R. from NYC
(6/1/2003)
"The most enjoyable half marathon I have ever done." (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The warmth and goodwill of all the volunteers and participants made this an exceptional race. The course was fast and clear. I would have liked a few more water stops, as the day did heat up. Thank you for a very enjoyable experience. Sincerely, Kathy Reilly, NYC |
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