My Profile

@bertman65

Stamford, CT Raving since 2019 50 States hopeful/finisher Active 1 week, 2 days ago

About Me

  • Running club(s):

    Team in Training

  • Rave race:
  • Race that's calling my name:

    Missoula Marathon

  • I run because:

    I’ve been running marathons to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society after losing my wife to AML in 2012.

My Races

Organize, track & review your races and personal bests here.

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Half Marathon

Marathon

Ultramarathon

(Marathon or Ultra) + Half

Marathon + Ultra

Other

Future Races

Personal Bests (6)

Race Distance Location Date Result
Olympic/International New York, NY Jul 19, 2015 3:31:22
Marathon Chicago, IL Oct 8, 2017 3:55:46
Half Marathon Brooklyn, NY May 19, 2018 1:44:25
10 Miler Bronx, NY Sep 30, 2018 1:25:02
10K Queens, NY Jun 16, 2018 47:48
5K Des Moines, IA Oct 16, 2022 26:24

Future Races (13)

Race Distance Location Date Paid
Marathon Newport, RI Apr 13, 2024
Marathon Missoula, MT Jun 30, 2024
Marathon Detroit, MI Oct 20, 2024
Marathon Wilmington, NC Feb 22, 2025
Marathon Spokane, WA 2025
Marathon Gilsum, NH 2025
Marathon Pass Christian, MS 2025
Marathon Fort Worth, TX 2026
Marathon Jackson Hole, WY 2026
Marathon Fargo, ND 2026
Marathon Little Rock, AR 2027
Marathon Lincoln, NE 2027
Marathon South Williamson, KY TBD

Past Races (25)

Race Distance Location Date Result My Raves My Performance
Marathon Gulf Shores, AL Jan 28, 2024 4:35:01
Marathon Des Moines, IA Oct 15, 2023 4:43:41
Half Marathon Yonkers, NY Sep 17, 2023 2:04:47
Marathon Jim Thorpe, PA Apr 29, 2023 4:25:12
Marathon Myrtle Beach, SC Mar 4, 2023 4:32:28
5K Des Moines, IA Oct 16, 2022 26:24
Marathon Burlington, VT May 29, 2022 4:19:43
Marathon New Orleans, LA Feb 9, 2020 4:14:24
Marathon Hartford, CT Oct 12, 2019 3:57:42
Marathon Rehoboth Beach, DE Apr 14, 2019 4:00:07
Marathon Baltimore, MD Oct 20, 2018 4:02:46
10 Miler Bronx, NY Sep 30, 2018 1:25:02
10K Queens, NY Jun 16, 2018 47:48
Half Marathon Brooklyn, NY May 19, 2018 1:44:25
Marathon Nashville, TN Apr 28, 2018 4:05:50
Half Marathon New York City, NY Mar 18, 2018 1:55:10
Marathon Staten Island, NY Nov 5, 2017 4:15:26
Marathon Chicago, IL Oct 8, 2017 3:55:46
Half Marathon New York City, NY Mar 19, 2017 1:49:54
Marathon Staten Island, NY Nov 6, 2016 4:17:50
Half Marathon Staten Island, NY Oct 9, 2016 1:51:15
10 Miler Bronx, NY Sep 25, 2016 1:31:03
10K Queens, NY Jun 18, 2016 52:22
Half Marathon New York City, NY Mar 20, 2016 1:53:19
Olympic/International New York, NY Jul 19, 2015 3:31:22

My Raves

This is a nicely run small race. It starts and ends at The Hangout. Pre-race you can wait inside if it’s chilly (it was). Most of this race is on … MORE

This is a nicely run small race. It starts and ends at The Hangout. Pre-race you can wait inside if it’s chilly (it was).

Most of this race is on paved trail, with quite a bit of boardwalk, which is slippery if wet. It’s tough to run tangents for the first seven miles because of the narrow path plus mix of half and full runners. After the half splits off then it becomes much more open.

Water stops were up to two miles apart at times. I carried a hand held bottle.

At about 1.5 miles to go you have to climb up a ramp to cross over the road. After that woe be to you if it’s windy, I slowed significantly for that last stretch thanks to the head wind.

As with all small races I’ve done, the medal is large. In fact I had to take it off after the race because I felt it dragging me down. Also there were sandwiches after the race.

My wife and I really enjoyed the town too, we’d consider coming back.

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This was a nicely run race. The start/finish is within easy walking distance of hotels, so you can go out at the last minute, no need to throw away a … MORE

This was a nicely run race. The start/finish is within easy walking distance of hotels, so you can go out at the last minute, no need to throw away a jacket. This year the expo was outside, and it wasn’t the best of weather, so we didn’t stay long. The aid stations were mostly close enough together where you could choose to not carry water. The course was hilly for the first 8 miles but then mostly flat after that. If it’s windy (and it was, even the pros complained about it) expect some headwinds. There’s a cool loop around Drake’s football stadium. Fan support was good for the first half of the race but expect to not see many during the latter half, which is mostly in parks on paved trails. The finisher medal was nice but this year they gave a vest instead of a shirt, which I thought was kind of weird. There are lots of restaurants and bars right around the start/finish as well, or within half mile walk of hotels. I enjoyed my experience in Des Moines (went last year too but had to downgrade to the 5k) and I would go again if I weren’t a 50 stater.

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Although I previously lived in Yonkers for 18 years this was the first time I did this race. This is known to be a tough course, but really apart from … MORE

Although I previously lived in Yonkers for 18 years this was the first time I did this race. This is known to be a tough course, but really apart from the climb up Tompkins it’s not that bad. That being said, I’m glad I didn’t have to do another lap.

There’s no expo, but you can pick up your bib the day before (I did). If you pick it up on race day there’s a line.

Note that the streets are not closed. During the downtown portion and part of Nepperhan Ave it’s coned off to keep the cars off you. Once you get to north Yonkers the cones disappear and the rest of the way you could have cars near you.

Finish line had a decent amount of post-race food and water. Also the course itself has water stations every mile, which I consider to be a big plus. Three or four of them also had gatorade.

The last part of the race is down Warburton Ave, with views of the Hudson. Other than that you’re running through downtown first, then an industrial area, then a residential area.

The race starts and finishes near the Yonkers train station, with free parking at the Buena Vista lot, and Yonkers Brewing Co. nearby and open early for half finishers. If my marathon schedule permits it I will likely do this race over and over again going forward.

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This is a nice, scenic point to point race along a trail that follows the Lehigh River, from White Haven back to Jim Thorpe. It's a very small race, less … MORE

This is a nice, scenic point to point race along a trail that follows the Lehigh River, from White Haven back to Jim Thorpe. It’s a very small race, less then 400 completed it. There was no expo, just a bib and shirt pickup. The shirt has 37% cotton so I’ll likely never run in it. The course should be easy, it’s a steady 1-2% decline just about the entire way, but rainy weather made the trail a puddle-filled mess, making the back half of the race very difficult. There were two nice waterfalls along the course. The medal is nice, and like most small races, quite large. Lots of goodies at the end including some large Philadelphia pretzels. To get to the start there is the option of taking a scenic train ride. I highly recommend doing that.

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Bib pickup is via schedule, you have to choose a slot ahead of time, so make sure you check your emails. The expo was small. The race is a loop, … MORE

Bib pickup is via schedule, you have to choose a slot ahead of time, so make sure you check your emails. The expo was small. The race is a loop, and finishes at the Pelicans baseball stadium, where there is a good party, and leg compression units (first time I’ve used them). This could be a relatively easy race, but having trained in cold weather, I was not able to deal with the temperatures in the 70s and I bonked around mile 19, even after choosing to go at a slower pace at the start. This was my worst marathon by time, but overall I enjoyed the experience. The 4:15 pacers were quite nice, and I am now connected to them in Strava. Even they had trouble keeping up the pace, and the 4:30 pacer never passed my in spite of me finishing in 4:32 and change. Tough day overall.

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A course with some good lake views and pretty good crowd support. Get to the expo early. They ran out of bags for bag check. Also ran out of bags … MORE

A course with some good lake views and pretty good crowd support. Get to the expo early. They ran out of bags for bag check. Also ran out of bags to put post race food in. The medal is thick. Very heavy, especially after a very warm race that sapped your soul! One last note, I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t go back to the original course. This one was two loops.

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Two things killed me in this race. One was not the course's fault, but I got air sick on the flight out, so I was not able to eat much … MORE

Two things killed me in this race. One was not the course’s fault, but I got air sick on the flight out, so I was not able to eat much that Friday, so my strength was sapped my the half marathon point. And then to boot the wind on Lake Pontchartrain was brutal, and combined with the bridges this marathon was one of my worst performances.

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Aid stations are fairly close together, between 1-2 miles apart, so I did not carry water. The course is relatively flat except for mile 2 and 26. 26 is a … MORE

Aid stations are fairly close together, between 1-2 miles apart, so I did not carry water. The course is relatively flat except for mile 2 and 26. 26 is a killer as you cross back into the city. Crowd support is minimal, a lot of the race is an out and back in East Windsor through residential neighborhoods. The finish area and mile 27 beer garden were quite nice.

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This is a nice small event with around 500 runners I believe. It was very nice to hear my name called out as I crossed the finish line on the … MORE

This is a nice small event with around 500 runners I believe. It was very nice to hear my name called out as I crossed the finish line on the boardwalk. Crowd support is light, as this is not a populous area and parts of it is through parks and even on gravel paths. There is one hill to worry about, around mile 16 if memory serves me, where we go up across a bridge over a river. Aid stations and both water and gatorade but were roughly two miles apart, so I carried water. The after party was quite good. I got VIP because this race was on my birthday, so I also got indoor bathrooms and breakfast food before the race, and a free massage after. The medal is quite nice, but the stock shirt given out didn’t have the date on it and has some cotton in it, so I don’t wear it to run.

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Tough course. Although I studied it before hand and knew that the first three miles and miles 16-20 were mostly uphill, what caught me off guard were a couple of … MORE

Tough course. Although I studied it before hand and knew that the first three miles and miles 16-20 were mostly uphill, what caught me off guard were a couple of hills over the last 10k which broke me. They start the half later, and then the half and full meet up around the long hilly climb. I met up with slower half runners there so had to spend some time dodging other runners, which was not ideal. The reward for the long climb is a nice run around Lake Montebello. Aid stations were a bit further apart than I’d like so I carried a hand held bottle. The medal is spectacular, a crab that opens up, and the after party is pretty good, with Dogfish Head beer and a good array of food. I also liked the race shirt, it has the date and no cotton.

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This is a nice course that goes through many parts of Nashville, from the city out to the residential areas, through the minor league ball park, and around a park. … MORE

This is a nice course that goes through many parts of Nashville, from the city out to the residential areas, through the minor league ball park, and around a park. If you’re adventurous the residents you pass early in the race are offering beer (I stayed away). If I remember correctly the water stops were about 1.5 to 2 miles apart. I didn’t carry but wish I had. It’s somewhat sad to see the half marathoners cutting into the stadium to finish knowing you still have 10 miles to go. I completely bonked at mile 22. If you do the race you should really focus on not going out too fast. The medal was small but nice looking. The tech shirt was a real tech shirt, I still train with it. The expo was pretty decent. Finally, I highly recommend the free leg message that was given out after the race, it helped me considerably.

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When it's warm in Chicago the back half of the race can be tough because it's hard to find shade to run in. I felt like this would have been … MORE

When it’s warm in Chicago the back half of the race can be tough because it’s hard to find shade to run in. I felt like this would have been easier if it had looped in the reverse direction. Also, I vaguely remember a slight hill as you turn into Grant Park to finish. I commented to the guy there that that was a mean trick to pull!

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