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Jul 4, 2024

Erie Marathon at Presque Isle Runner Comments

Back to Erie Marathon at Presque Isle Information & Reviews

Course 4.6

Organization 4.7

Spectators 3.5

Number of comments: 255 [displaying comments 111 to 121]

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R. D. from New York (9/14/2009) "Erie Does It Again" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 3 Erie Marathon at Presque Isles COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Once again, the Erie Runners Club put on an awesome race. I've run at Erie three times now and all three have been great - with just a few small issues, but nothing major. Pros: 1. Erie is extremely well organized. They have it together, so you don't need to worry about the details as you concentrate on your race. 2. The course itself. Presque Isle is flat as it can get, and if you are hoping for a PR or BQ time, this is the place. 3. Medals: Every year Erie has something new and they are excellent. This year they did an oval glass medal with leather rope. Very sharp, I thought. 4. After-race food and drinks are top-notch. Subway is a major sponsor and Erie takes care of you. 5. Hydration tables are nice. Each one is a different group and they have a theme competition. This year the prison "inmates" definitely won. Nice job, guys. Even though the one lady didn't have a work release pass. 6. Weather was awesome. Low to mid 60's and nice little breeze. PERFECT for a marathon. Cons: The only SOLID con I have pertains to the hydration tables. This year Erie went with HEED drink. This stuff was horrific. It tasted like plain sugar water with no flavor and upset a lot of people's stomachs. It tasted like it had absolutely NO sodium or anything else in it. Pure, plain sugar water. I've never seen so many runners collapse at any marathon as I did this year, and most of these were veteran runners so it makes me wonder if this garbage played a role. I stopped drinking it after two tables and went with water only. If they have HEED next year, DO NOT plan on using it. You will regret it. Bring your own hydration. I have 19 years in the EMS field and I've never seen so many people collapse from obvious sodium/potassium issues as I did yesterday. But keep in mind. If that's the only complaint I have (electrolyte drink), that's pretty good for Erie. Come to Erie. You won't be sorry. Just bring your own hydration and plan/train on wearing a belt to carry it.
r. 2. from Pottstown, Pa (9/14/2009) "most beautiful marathon setting!" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 It was a very good experience considering that it wasn't my best race. Beautiful scenery accompanied by excellent organization by the staff and volunteers, especially at the water stops! Very upbeat people and awesome music, I must say! Thanks! When I arrived into Presque Isle on Saturday, I kind of focused on the road surface. It wasn't really asphalt (except for that little stretch at the entrance, just before mile 3, I think) and not really concrete. This concerned me. In short, I can't say I train on concrete (what runner would), but my hips were torn to shreds by the finish line unlike any feeling I ever had even after running 26.2 on asphalt. Did anyone else have doubts about the road surface also? This is the only "CON" for my experience. I have another "CON" - there were an awful lot of ambulances with lights and sirens blaring that were racing through the park (I counted that happening four separate times) after I crossed the finish line. Did we have hurt runners? Does anyone know? I hope everyone had a great time!
G. G. from Western PA (9/14/2009) "Great race - very well organized" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 2 Erie Marathon at Presque Isles COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my second marathon here. Very well organized. Getting your packet is a breeze. Volunteers were there starting at 5:30 a.m. to direct you to parking. They had water and sports drink every mile. The post-race meal was excellent, and also well organized. It seemed like a there were a lot more fans this year. The only downside that I can think of is that the narrow course makes the start a bit congested.
Mervyn chin from Pickering, Ontario (5/26/2009) "Run this race for a great time" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Erie Marathon at Presque Isles COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Runners will be reading websites and runners comments to decide on races for the fall. I have now completed 48 marathons in many different cities, so I can give you an honest opinion. The Erie race is run by the Erie Running Club, so they are also runners, and it is a low-key race. This marathon is about the cheapest in the world (at $40), and you get a very good, long-sleeve, wicking shirt - which you can use for running or just casually - and a good pair of socks. The race is small, with almost no spectators, so bring your family to cheer you on, and they can do that at about 8 points on the course. Believe me, they are your best spectators. The expo is small, and they do have a very good pasta meal for $7 the day before. The marathon is two laps around the lake, it is fairly scenic, and there is some shade on the course. One year I saw deer, but that was early in the morning. The course is as flat as you can get, since it is around a lake. The post-race food is about the best that I have ever seen at a race, with food galore: good Subway subs; buns; bananas; chips; water; drinks on and on. They usually have so much food that at the end they are asking runners to come back for more, and this is the hallmark of a good race. I get nothing at some races since I am a bit slow. Not Erie. The course is open to some traffic in the park, but it is coned off and not dangerous. I have done all of the big races, like Chicago, Disney, and Marine Corps, but those races offer the average runner nothing; they are very expensive and all they have is a lot of runners. I normally do not do a race more than once, but Erie is an exception since it is relatively close, cheap and good, so I have done it more than once. I normally tend to support the small races, since I find the directors/organizers want to do a good job for the runners. The disadvantage of small races is that it can get lonely at the back if you are velocity-challenged, and there is not likely to be food at the finish line. The exception is Erie, where you can have all the food that's left over. The only disadvantage about this race is that the weather is very unpredictable. Do this race, half or full, whether you are training for another fall marathon or not, and you will find that it was worth your time.
B. D. from Ravenna, Ohio (9/23/2008) "First marathon ever..." (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I hand-picked this marathon for my first because it was supposed to be flat and fast. The course was both and should allow for PRs galore. The only problem was that the heat and humidity were entirely unexpected, and I missed my goal time because of it (at least that's what I'm blaming it on). However, everything that could be controlled by the organizers was in order. This isn't a place where you can rely on crowd support to give you the morale boost, but the folks that were there were great. The support staff and water stops at every mile were excellent. When I started puking at mile 17.5, I had an EMT in my ear checking if everything was okay and offering me water. There could have been an extra porta-potty or two on the back side of the course, but that's about my only item of improvement. When you crossed the line, the lake was right there to jump in and cool down. The food was great. The gear was above average. I'd recommend this marathon to anyone who is ok running on there own and looking to run fast. If I'm still running marathons next year, I'm going to come back and crush my time from this year. :-) I'll be back for the half regardless. Thanks to all of the volunteers (specifically our army folks) and individuals that put this race together. Despite the personal disappointment I experienced, I was still very happy with the race. You can tell that a lot of preparation went into this race.
C. R. from Ohio (9/21/2008) "perfect location for a marathon" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran my first Erie Marathon in 2008 and I am hooked. Presque Isle State Park is the perfect location for a marathon race. - flat as a billiard table - shade from heavy tree-cover - aid stations every mile I'll be entering Erie every year until I am no longer able to run. Hopefully that will be 40 years from today. This is a PR course, if the temperature is reasonable. The temperature was too high for a PR in 2008 though. Thanks, Jan and Mike.
J. C. from ON (9/19/2008) "Great Small-Town Marathon" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I loved the course it's flat as a pancake, REALLY. I loved the double loop. I got to see my fans every 10K. Organizers and volunteers are great. There were not too many spectators, but the double loop makes it seem like twice as many!
H. B. from Virginia/D.C area (9/19/2008) "Great little marathon; flat as a pancake..." (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my second year running Erie; last year I ran the 1/2 in preparation for Marine Corps. This was #6 of 8 marathons I'm running this year. PROS: - Water stops at EVERY mile; unheard of for most marathons - Flat course - GU around Mile 9 AND 20.5; most marathons only give you GU or gels once - Nice technical T-Shirt; sponsors on sleeve instead of all over your back - Friendly race staff; one of the race directors stopped me pre-marathon to be sure I was prepared for the surprise weather conditions - Lake Erie was right there to soak in after the finish CONS: - Gatorade was severely diluted on the second loop (not good for such a HOT day) - Flat course (yeah, it's a pro and a con); sometimes you crave hills to use different muscles - Very little crowd support for most of the run. If you depend on crowds you should stick to bigger marathons. All in all, it's a GREAT little marathon; there are a 5K and a 1/2 in conjunction with the full, which family and friends can participate in while they wait for you. There is also a playground and the beach at the 1/2 and finish to keep kids occupied, too.
R. D. from NY (9/19/2008) "Awesome Marathon Erie!" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Erie Marathon at Presque Isle COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The Erie Runners Club did a nice job on this marathon. The course is nice and flat, as advertised. All the local merchants were very courteous, and the packet pick up was very well organized. It was 85 degrees and very humid, and the water stations really took care of the runners. Nice finisher's medal and refreshments after the race. I will definitely be back.
Tim McGinty from Cleveland (9/18/2008) "Start/Finish on a Great Beach!" (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Erie Marathon at Presque Isles COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The unusual heat in mid-September slowed us all down, but all of the controllable elements were handled extremely well. I know of no faster, flatter, or better organized race anywhere. My favorite part of this course is the miles of beautiful beach at the finish. After the race, we went for a long cool-down swim, and the water and big waves were perfect. I just wish the race director would let us swim in the last mile if it happens to be as hot next year!

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