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Jul 1, 2024

Quad Cities Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.4

Organization 4.6

Spectators 3.9

Number of comments: 195 [displaying comments 71 to 81]

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D. M. from Downers Grove, IL (9/30/2009) "Want to qualify for Boston? Skip Quad Cities." (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Quad Cities Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 If you're looking for: * a fast course * fully staffed hydration stations * marathon medal not exactly the same as the half * spectator support other than at the start and finish * a course that doesn't share the road with traffic coming from behind * a start that doesn't include the half-marathon and the 5K * pace leaders that don't go out too fast because of the crowded start... ...then SKIP Quad Cities. This was my 25th marathon and my least favorite. I came with two friends, and together we have over 50 marathons between us. None of us will be back or recommend this to anyone. If your only requirement is free-flowing beer at the finish, then this is your event.
Brad Mitchell from Morton, IL (9/30/2009) "You always remember your first." (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Quad Cities Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Last year, QC was my first half-marathon, so I thought it only fitting that the 2009 QC Marathon be my first full. I really, really love this event. The expo on Saturday is great, and the race and volunteers on Sunday are top-notch. Having two hotels that are basically situated at the start/finish line is also a nice perk. Neither of them gouge and both offer terrific runner hospitality (extending check-out times so that runners can shower after the marathon).
Kami K. from Corpus Christi, TX (9/30/2009) "Nice!" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Quad Cities Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Quad Cities Marathon Moline, IL Sunday, September 27, 2009 7:30 AM I flew into Moline, via Atlanta, on Friday afternoon. I stayed in Stoney Creek Inn, located on the banks of the Mississippi River and within a very short walking distance to the packet pickup/expo at the i wireless Center as well as the start and finish of the marathon at John Deere Commons in downtown Moline. The hotel was reasonably priced, provided airport shuttle, accommodated late check out on Sunday, and the complimentary continental breakfast was good too. The packet pickup was very efficient. The pre-race pasta dinner party was well attended and the food was okay. The 12th edition of the marathon was very well organized. The race morning temperature ranged from upper 50s to upper 70s. It was sunny and a bit windy. There were ample water/Gatorade stations. There were sports gels in four locations. There were several bands, individual musicians, and cheerleaders throughout the route. There were hot air balloons. There were pace groups. Mile markers were easily visible and splits were digitally displayed in a few places. Traffic control was good and there were a large number of volunteers. Each runner received a short-sleeved technical shirt. Finisher's medallion was nice. There were plenty of recovery food items and drinks at the finish, including beer. There were also cash prizes, totaling $20,000, which had attracted several African runners. The course was scenic and included several hilly sections, mainly in the first 4 miles, as well as the ramps onto the bridges. Shortly after the start, we began the climb onto I-74 Bridge and crossed the Mississippi River onto Bettendorf. From shortly after mile 5 to shortly after mile 10 we were on a trail alongside the River in Davenport, which was scenic indeed. Around mile 10, we began the climb onto the Centennial Bridge and crossed the River onto Rock Island. At about mile 13, we had to climb onto a short bridge to get to Arsenal Island, a military zone that houses the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing arsenal in the western world, which provides manufacturing, logistics, and base support services for the Armed Forces. We ran the next seven miles on the Island, which was scenic. Shortly before mile 20, we had to climb to get to a bridge on the other side of the Island to return to Moline. As we were entering Moline, we could see the finish area to our right. We turned left and ran the last 10K, out and back, which was the hardest part of the run. There was some headwind while running the last 3 miles to the finish line. In short, it was an excellent course, and although mainly flat, there were several hills/inclines to add to the challenge of running the marathon distance. There were 749 marathon finishers (471 males and 278 females) and an average finish time of 4:23:18. I am a 50-stater and this was #48.
B. C. from Minnesota (9/29/2009) "Good, small race, but aid station problems" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 The bad: There were problems with the aid stations. Early aid stations were out of sport drink, so it wasn't available until mile 10. One early water stop had run out of cups, so they were unable to give out water. The aid station at mile 6 was out of cups and was re-using the already used ones (but they announced this so you could decide whether to take the risk and drink from a stranger's cup). To me, there is no excuse for shortages at aid stations. Thankfully, once the half-marathoners split away from the course, aid stations were well stocked. The good: - The course is mostly flat with some early hills and good scenery. I liked running on Arsenal Island and didn't mind the out-and-back at the end. - This is a small race, so there aren't any worries about finding race-day parking or having to register well in advance or finding a hotel at the last minute. - Hotels outside of downtown Moline are very affordable (less than $50). - They give you a good medal and technical t-shirt, and also a very nice, free poster.
M. P. from Chicago, Illinois (9/29/2009) "Home Sweet Home" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Quad Cities Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran the half-marathon. I'm from the QC, but I moved away, so it was awesome to run my first half-marathon there. I saw the familiar environment in a completely different way. It was a beautiful course with lots of entertainment and people cheering. The half-marathon didn't have the out-and-back problem that the marathoners had. The only problem was that they ran out of cups around mile 6 and were reusing old ones - but everyone was thirsty and took the water regardless of germs. Oh, and they ran out of medals for the half. The volunteers were awesome, and the entertainment was great too. Lots of music and cheerleaders. It's a pretty flat and fast course.
Rob Klein from Aurora, Colorado (9/29/2009) "Beauty Along the Mississippi River" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Quad Cities Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The timing for this marathon was excellent - not too hot, and not too cold. The Expo was a good size, and the packet pick-up was typical. I did not arrive in the area until almost 6:00 p.m., so right after packet pickup, I could attend the pasta party being held in an adjacent room. The food was typical for the event. The race started in front of the convention center, and the course almost immediately looped around and entered I-74, heading across the Mississippi River into Bettendorf. Across the river, we had hills to deal with almost immediately. After passing through a neighborhood area, we were back to the river and followed the river trail south into Davenport. The scenery was nice. Boats, barges, tugs - at one point near a sailing school operation there were perhaps 25 to 30 small single-mast, single-sail sailboats maneuvering in the water - all seeming to be very close together. After a few miles along the river, the course did a loop and entered a bridge crossing back into Illinois. Now we were in the town of Rock Island, downtown. The course did a circuit through the downtown area - which was dead, being a Sunday morning. Approaching the island itself, the course mid-point was reached - and it seemed like we were almost back! Not to worry. There were a six or seven miles on the island - and six more in Moline. We passed through a security checkpoint near the south end of the island. It was interesting to see the old structures on the island that support the arsenal there. But in most cases, you could not tell what you were looking at. A bit to the north, we entered a park and again were running along the Mississippi River. Eventually, we exited the island and were back near the starting line in Moline. Then it was about a three mile stretch to the north, a U-turn, and back to the finish line. The weather was great for a marathon - probably near 60 at the start, and mid 70's toward the end, with some breeze along the river. The event was well supported by the communities. There were pockets of abundant fan support along the way, with lots of cheering and high-fives; there were adequate aid stations en route; this event provided an abundance of GU gels at four locations; and the volunteers were always willing to give one or two extras to the runners. This course had a sufficient number of hills in it - in Bettendorf and the numerous bridges - that I would not be thinking PR, but I was within 2.5 minutes of a PR, and I did not train for or even try to achieve a better-than-average time. This is comparatively a smaller-size, lower-keyed race, and the organization was great.
S. S. from Normal, IL (9/28/2009) "LOVE this race!" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Quad Cities Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I love this race: Two states, the river, the bridges, the island, even the grueling out-and-back at the end is growing on me. The organization and hospitality are top-notch. From the expo to the start line to the aid stations to the finish line, every single volunteer welcomed you like an old friend. New features I loved: 1) The new medal was outstanding. Glad the year was on it. 2) Seemed like there were more and better stocked GU stops this year. Outstanding! 3) I received my medal at the finish line this year versus having it mailed last year. As a three-time participant, though, I am starting to develop some preferences: 1) I would prefer to have the year of the race on the race shirts. 2) I would prefer a colored shirt over white. I do love the high quality technical fabric. 3) I would prefer Happy Joe's pizza at the finish line. :) 4) The chip mats seemed to be misplaced. My "half" time is way off. No big deal. I'll be back. This is the only race I have run multiple times, and for good reason. Joe Moreno does an outstanding job, and it looks like more and more are jumping on the bandwagon every year.
J. S. from The QC (9/27/2009) "Awesome venue for a first marathon" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Quad Cities Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and I was very happy in general. The last six miles are out and back, which was rough and disheartening, but I attribute that to hitting the wall. The Arsenal Island portion was larger than I expected. The expo and amenities were solid. The Brooks tech tee is nice, and the volunteers were FANTASTIC!!!
Adam Rose from Madison, WI (9/26/2009) "Nice" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Quad Cities Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I did the half-marathon. Perfect number of racers. A feeling of camaraderie, yet plenty of wiggle room. My pacer was great, and helped me finish with a good time. I would say that it is a mildly scenic course. You are in the flat-lands, so there is little topography that is not pretty, but easy to run. The bridges are nice, and are used well to make the race as scenic as it can be, and the arsenal island is nice too. Plenty of music and cheerleaders to help things along. I wouldn't use this race as a full marathon though. A really easy race. Everything is simple about it. I wouldn't travel far to get to it though.
Katrina Fontanet from Melbourne, Florida (2/9/2009) "This course is runner-ready." (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Quad Cities Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My husband did the half and I did the full, both as last-minute participants. Getting registered like that still went smoothly, and the ladies working it were very pleasant. Ditto on the scenery. I think it's so cool to go along the river like that, although the concrete sidewalks there were tough on me. I didn't mind going out and back at the end - the cheerleaders did a terrific job making it worth the while! Our favorite part of this one was how convenient it is to get from the airport to the marathon area. We went back to the island later and enjoyed walking around the static displays. Thanks for the nice shirts, too!

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