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☰
Hartford Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Hartford Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 306 [displaying comments 181 to 191]
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E. Y. from Rochester, NY
(10/11/2008)
 "Could be better" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 This race could be so much better. I did the half marathon and for starters, they charged 10 dollars for parking to pick up your packet. Second, it was very hard to get to the starting line, and the sidewalks were packed with people to the point that I felt like I was going to get trampled. There were no openings in any of the fences, so even if you wanted to get to safety, you couldn't. The course was very nice in some areas and just as bad in others. I think we ran more in the rundown part of the city than in the really nice part of downtown. Finally, the post-race food was good, but it was hard to find any water or Gatorade. It was all outside of the chute in a park mobbed with people, which made for a long wait to get anything to eat. Hartford is a beautiful city and there were a lot of great volunteers, but overall, I would rate this as mediocre, with the potential to be better. | |
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C. L. from Boston, MA
(10/11/2008)
 "Wave Start Needed" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 This was only my third marathon (the first being the Cape Cod, the second being the San Francisco, and now this one). THEY NEED WAVE STARTS. It took me a good 5-10 minutes to break away from the pack. A good qualifier for the Boston (that's what I used it for). Would I run it again next year? Probably not, because to me, part of the marathon experience is to run them in a variety of locations. | |
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c. g. from marietta ga
(9/1/2008)
 "Nice course" (about: 2007)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I was finishing the 50 states on this one, and was looking forward to crossing the finish line and getting the finisher's medal. But after I crossed the finish line, there were no more medals. They ran out. I did receive it in the mail 3 or 4 weeks later, but by then it had little meaning. I hope in this year's race they plan it a little better so as not to run out of medals. | |
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A. O. from Darien, CT
(1/27/2008)
 "Should be considered for Boston Qualifier" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I think that this race is getting better and better. I am tired of the mega races, and although there are a couple of hills, and not as many spectators as some other races, I think that this should be considered if you are looking for a Boston qualifier. I think that this is a well-kept secret. I live in CT and don't want to travel too far to have to run my BQ. This is a great option... and one that I think more and more people from CT, NJ, NY and MA should consider for their BQ time. The new course was really nice. I loved the part along the river. I thought that the organization of this event was really super - and that there was not a lot of hassle or hoopla. I, for one, find the mega races emotionally draining. I think that this is a good course to just go out there and do your thing. No crowds to slow you down, no energy sucking 26.2-mile party. Just a well run race that lets you run your best effort. The course was nice - mostly flat - with some hills toward the end... but I trained for that. The roads were wide open, and there was plenty of water and some crowds along the way - but not too much of that, which I was fine with. I was able to put my head down and focus on the task at hand. If you are looking for a straight forward, no-hassle, well run race... THIS IS IT. I even drove up and registered that same morning. I liked the post-race festivities. All in all, I think this was my best marathon experience in 5 years... including NY, Chicago and VT City. | |
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Karen Brousseau from Stafford Springs, CT
(1/10/2008)
 "First half marathon and I had so much fun." (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Getting back into running at age 53, I wanted this challenge. I had no idea how much fun a long race can be. The course was beyond my expectations. It was inspiring being cheered on by the people in Hartford - some so young and some elderly residents. Best moment was around mile 12 when three little boys around ages 3, 4 and 5 all slapped me five as I ran past them. I was ready to finish and they gave me my boost. I loved it and would love to give the full marathon a try next year. | |
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Caroline O'Dwyer from United States
(11/29/2007)
"Good first marathon" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran this marathon in 2007 and I would say it was a great experience for my first marathon. The course was very diverse: it ranged from in the city itself to some beautiful farmland areas surrounding Hartford. The civic center was easy to get to in the morning and parking was accessible and close-by. There was a TON of great food after the race. A comment about the T-Shirt: I just received mine in the mail a week and a half ago. I got there around 6:45 a.m. and they had already run out of T-Shirts for the marathon, which was kind of disappointing.... Who doesn't love a race t-shirt?! But I called them and reminded them that I still hadn't received mine, and it was mailed about 3 weeks later. Overall, the course was great. There really were NO hills at all, which was welcoming for a first marathon. My only complaint would be that a part of the end of the course ran through a railroad sort of underpass area which was a little sketchy. Also, around mile 11, you reach the end of an ENDLESS road, and you must make a quick pivot and turn around and run back the opposite direction. That is not something I was expecting, or was interested in doing during the race. But overall, I'd recommend this marathon to anyone. It was fantastic! | |
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T. M. from Hartford, CT
(11/7/2007)
"Decent course, great volunteers" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 All in all I felt the city of Hartford served up a pretty solid marathon experience. I'd kind of put it in the goldilocks category: not too big, not too small, not too challenging, not too easy, etc. For the second straight year the weather was very favorable and the crowds & volunteers were very enthusiastic. If you're looking for throngs of people or outrageous giveaways and medals, this probably isn't the place (I don't get the complaints about the medals, but then again I don't see the magic in collecting hunks of metal anyway). If you're looking for a decent course and great support with manageable crowds, then you might want to give Hartford a try. | |
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Christopher Sedelmaier from Milford, CT
(11/3/2007)
"Great first-time experience!" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I don't think that I could've hoped for a better experience. The weather was perfect, the crowd enthusiastic and supportive, and the course ranged from city center to more rural surroundings. More than this, I still can't get over the level of professionalism and organization demonstrated by all of the volunteers. THANK YOU ONE AND ALL! This was my first marathon - when I saw that I was finishing in under four hours I could not remove the smile from my face. | |
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R. M. from Maine
(11/2/2007)
 "Where are the shirts?" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran this race 3 weeks ago and have not seen a shirt as of yet. I had my name put on the same list as many people had on race day. I hope the shirts have not been forgotten. Everything else about this race was great, including the medal, which apparently some did not like. I have run 34 marathons and this medal was as good as any... New York, Boston, Austin. I really would like to receive my shirt someday. The medal does me no good; however, the shirt can be used. | |
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M. G. from Reading, Massachusetts
(10/27/2007)
"Problem with results left a sour taste" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Overall I had a good experience during and immediately following the race. The volunteers were great, the course is well marked and there was decent crowd support at the start/finish and in South Windsor. However there was a problem with the scoring/timing that has left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, even after it was corrected (almost a week later). Initially, my results were not listed (and still do not appear in Marathon Guide) due, apparently, to some confusion with people who were registered for the marathon but decided on their own to run the Half instead. I know half marathons have become a big draw but in the future I will personally steer toward a race that does not try to take on three events simultaneously (marathon, half marathon and 5K) as I feel this creates too much confusion. To me, timing/scoring is really one of the absolutely most important details (behind only an accurate, well marked course) and they badly goofed on this one for me. The course is okay but definitely not as flat and fast as advertised. The last 6 miles include a lot of smallish hills and sharp turns and the last mile is pretty much all uphill, making for a tough finish. Overall, though, it's a fair course and the parts in South Windsor are really pretty and well supported. Had they not messed up my results, I would have rated this at least a "4" for organization. With that serious error, the best I can give it is a "2." |
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