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Jun 30, 2024

Cowtown Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Cowtown Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.0

Organization 3.7

Spectators 3.4

Number of comments: 184 [displaying comments 81 to 91]

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 7 8 9 10 11 .. 19 > ]

M. C. from Austin, TX (3/2/2009) "Cold and windy, but a GREAT race!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the 50K. It was really cold and windy, but I had a blast. The course elevation chart looks a bit scary, but if you have done any hill training at all you will have no problem. There was nothing that took my breath away. Running through the neighborhoods and parks and by the river was really enjoyable. Aid stations were excellent - plenty fluids, and GU towards the end. Crowd support, as noted elsewhere, was small but very enthusiastic, even in the bitter weather conditions. FWPD did a great job on traffic control at junctions. If you stay downtown, logistics are easy - it took me 4 minutes to walk to the start from the hotel and 5 minutes to walk back from the finish (and easy walk to any number of restaurants in the evening). Really nice long-sleeved tech shirt, and a lovely medal. Lots of post-race food. I was very impressed with the organization, and will definitely run this one again. I love Fort Worth!
S. G. from Sachse, TX (3/2/2009) "Challenging Course; Small Fair; Few Spectators" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I liked the course. It was a bit challenging because of the hills but I enjoyed it. Our pacer Stephen Tall (4:10) was terrific! Few spectators, but who cares? I am not high maintenance. Some water stations were a little disorganized, but I appreciate their efforts. My wife told me that organizers were looking volunteers even when the race was in progress. Weather was cold at the start, but after a few miles of running, I warmed myself. Also, it was windy at the end of the race. There was plenty of food at the end. I cannot complain at all. I will definitely run this race again next year.
K. S. from McKinney, TX (3/2/2009) "They've come a long way" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Cowtown Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran this marathon in 2004 and swore to never do it again. Well, I'm glad I changed my mind. They really have come a long way in 5 years. The course is about the same but the logistics have greatly improved. Aid stations were well stocked (in 2004 they only had water). This race no longer felt like a 10K with a marathon included. I ran the full but liked the fact that they added a half. It made for a much larger event. The wind was pretty tough and the hills were just as I remembered. Not a PR course, but if you're up for a challenge, you should put this marathon on your "to do" list.
B. K. from Weatherford, Texas (3/2/2009) "Extremely well run event; great course." (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race is extremely well run, and in spite of what I had read on this site, was well supported by the community. The course is a nice blend of flats and gently rolling hills. The water stops were great, the course was well marked, and there were supporters all along the way, as well as private party water and food stops! The organization both pre- and post-race was awesome, and the downtown is a wonderful place to stay ahead of the event, as it is literally filled with runners, and has plenty of entertainment and food options. It was very windy but perfect running temp, and the wind was at your back more than in your face. I highly recommend this race. The Cowtown organization knows how to put on a great event!
A. T. from Keller, TX (3/1/2009) "Good Race" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Only my 3rd, so I'm not an expert critic, yet, but I enjoyed this race. The course was primarily through residential and park areas, where traffic was low. Traffic control was good. There were a few places where I thought they should have completely cut off traffic, rather than having to share the road. Volunteers were friendly and helpful. Plenty of water stops. Smaller crowd support than my other two I've run, but it was there, and we appreciated all of you. Hills weren't as bad as I've read. I didn't like that a few of the longer inclines were at the end. For the uncontrollable, weather and wind ended up better than last-minute predictions had them. Nothing negative about this race, except my legs were gone before I hit the finish! I'd run this one again.
S. W. from St. Louis, MO. (3/1/2009) "Good course, great people!" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I was a little concerned when I read about the hills. This isn't a flat course, but I think it is best described as rolling. Wow, was it windy! Volunteers were very enthusiastic and supportive. I ended up walking to the medical tent due to the low blood sugar dizzies. The medical staff was excellent and Bobby Joe was an angel in disguise, even coming up with chicken soup for my electrolyte depleted soul. I broke 4 hours and am still smiling. Thank you to everyone for a great marathon experience!
H. P. from Victoria, Texas (3/1/2009) "Great Race, Manageable Field" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I may be partial to the Cowtown since I'm a Fort Worth native, but it's a fun race. The race had approximately 1,000 marathoners, which is a nice change from larger marathons. The course is fast, with rolling hills, and is a great intro to a great city. The only issue was the water stops early in the race were a little overwhelmed with both the marathoners and half folks hitting at the same time. After they split up, it was great. Crowd support, while not everywhere, was great - including fun music, yelling kids, helpful ROTC folks, and firefighters. Thanks for a fun race, and I plan on running again next year. By the way, I ran a PR, beating my time in Austin two weeks earlier by just over 20 minutes. The hills in Fort Worth are much more manageable than Austin.
D. A. from Roanoke, Texas (3/1/2009) "First marathon - good, but could be better" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This was my first marathon, and I thought it would be lovely to run in my hometown. The course was a bit hilly, but if you've trained for them then it isn't a big deal. The weather was typical for February - you never know what you're gonna get, and we got 20 mph winds and bitter cold air - the wind was in our faces the first two miles and along the Trinity. During the race, it was good to see some familiar sights, but it would have helped to see more spectators as we ran through residential neighborhoods. It was almost ghost-like. Running alongside traffic was hazardous, and although the finisher's shirt and medal were fantastic, the beer meisters and the expo packed up LONG before the race was over. A good race for the first time, but one I will probably skip next go round.
Chuck Fried from Buffalo, NY (3/1/2009) "Great race! VERY hilly, Pretty COLD and windy" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Wow, somewhere, there's a group of people who think this course is flat and fast. IT IS NOT... I'll send my Garmin elevation to anyone who doubts this. It's the hilliest marathon I've run, and I run 4 or 5 a year.... That said, they are all rolling hills, and no dramatically steep inclines. Of course, what goes up, must come down, and the declines are pleasant, gentle, and help immensely! Loved the course overall, and I'll be back! Might even try the ultra next time! Beware the wind though! We had 20-25 mph gusts the whole way!
P. A. from Dallas, TX (3/1/2009) "Good course, well organized, few spectators" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran in the 2009 marathon race and had a great time. Overall, it was fairly well organized and the course is great, leading you through various neighborhoods, parks, etc. If only the wind would have cooperated and there had not been 25 mph winds in our face for the last 6 miles, it would have been a perfect day. Based on many of the comments from years past, spectators throughout the course are very scattered; however, all of the ones we came across in the race were enthusiastic and helpful to push through to the end. Overall, this is a good, medium-sized event that was a good time.

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