The Santiago Marathon was a good choice for a South America marathon - organization, course, run support, difficulty, other runners, safety - all measured up and made it a good … MORE
The Santiago Marathon was a good choice for a South America marathon – organization, course, run support, difficulty, other runners, safety – all measured up and made it a good experience. Knowing Santiago pretty well over the years, this took me to new areas of the city I’ve never seen before which was nice. Santiago is a very safe place to visit, especially relative to other major cities in South America, though the level of English was less developed than expected. One can get by with rudimentary spanish skills however, and the people are kind and patient, and proud of their country (and rightfully so).
Some specifics:
– course was not overly difficult despite Santiago sitting in the foothills of the Andes
– the course takes you through most major areas of the city and you get a good feel for the CBD, middle and lower class areas, high-end areas, residential and commercial – a good run through a beautiful city
– the pre-race expo was a little sparse on what is typically at expos, so don’t necessarily expect to find various gu’s, gels, beans, etc.
– subway to the race start was a last second great idea – tons of runners and lots of excitement
– on-course support was adequate
– fan support was a bit sparse in some areas from most runs, but those out there were cheering and supportive and friendly
– one section of the course had runners in a lane of traffic with traffic on both sides of you in a heavily commercial area and a traffic jam (b/c of the lane closures) – wasn’t a safety concern but those looking for less integration to the city were challenged
– last quarter of the race is downhill – perfect!
The reasons to do Santiago besides the race:
– restaurant scene is great – especially seafood
– the wine scene is outrageous – take a winery tour. take a winery tour. take a winery tour…..saying it three times isn’t enough but gives the idea – great wines and less than an hour from Santiago for Concha y Toro.
– lots of smaller wineries outside Santiago – visit them and do tastings – fun experience and meet great people
– hire a driver/tour guide for a day and go to Vina del Mar and Valparaiso – easy day trip down and back, wineries along the way, seafood overlooking the Pacific, magnificent views of the Pacific, historic area of Chile with great wineries…..all for less than $200!
A very nice race and a great trip! (take a winery tour!)
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A good, solid South America race
The Santiago Marathon was a good choice for a South America marathon - organization, course, run support, difficulty, other runners, safety - all measured up and made it a good … MORE
The Santiago Marathon was a good choice for a South America marathon – organization, course, run support, difficulty, other runners, safety – all measured up and made it a good experience. Knowing Santiago pretty well over the years, this took me to new areas of the city I’ve never seen before which was nice. Santiago is a very safe place to visit, especially relative to other major cities in South America, though the level of English was less developed than expected. One can get by with rudimentary spanish skills however, and the people are kind and patient, and proud of their country (and rightfully so).
Some specifics:
– course was not overly difficult despite Santiago sitting in the foothills of the Andes
– the course takes you through most major areas of the city and you get a good feel for the CBD, middle and lower class areas, high-end areas, residential and commercial – a good run through a beautiful city
– the pre-race expo was a little sparse on what is typically at expos, so don’t necessarily expect to find various gu’s, gels, beans, etc.
– subway to the race start was a last second great idea – tons of runners and lots of excitement
– on-course support was adequate
– fan support was a bit sparse in some areas from most runs, but those out there were cheering and supportive and friendly
– one section of the course had runners in a lane of traffic with traffic on both sides of you in a heavily commercial area and a traffic jam (b/c of the lane closures) – wasn’t a safety concern but those looking for less integration to the city were challenged
– last quarter of the race is downhill – perfect!
The reasons to do Santiago besides the race:
– restaurant scene is great – especially seafood
– the wine scene is outrageous – take a winery tour. take a winery tour. take a winery tour…..saying it three times isn’t enough but gives the idea – great wines and less than an hour from Santiago for Concha y Toro.
– lots of smaller wineries outside Santiago – visit them and do tastings – fun experience and meet great people
– hire a driver/tour guide for a day and go to Vina del Mar and Valparaiso – easy day trip down and back, wineries along the way, seafood overlooking the Pacific, magnificent views of the Pacific, historic area of Chile with great wineries…..all for less than $200!
A very nice race and a great trip! (take a winery tour!)