And the 2010 Reviews Come Pouring In…

Some of the reviews regarding the 2010 race:

Brad Sage:

I have run hundreds of races and yours was as well organized as any I have seen.  Capping the field is the right move for safety reasons as well as enjoyment of those running.  The race has a great small town laid back feel that would be lost with a larger field.  The volunteers, police and workers who cleared the trail all deserve a round of applause for their amazing efforts.  This is simply a race that can’t be matched, and to think it is right in my back yard.  I am just bummed that I missed the first edition, but hope to not miss any in the future.

Chad Tibbetts:

A wonderful race and perfect weather. I ran a 15k trail race years ago and loved it, but never did another one until Paine to Pain. The half marathon distance is an ideal distance since it really gives you time to enjoy the run. I love the simplicity of the race. Small field, 3 water stations, it’s just you and the trail. The community support was also fantastic, the high school cheerleaders were a nice touch at the start and finish. I also enjoyed the track finish, it really gets the competitive juices flowing [the prior was via email, there is more at his  Run Du Tri blog]

Brad Alan:

This was my first Paine to Pain and I have to say I was very impressed.  From the gift bags, to the race organization, to the volunteers, to the drinks and food afterwards, everything was top notch.  For $35 it was an absolute steal.

Dan Pollner:

From my standpoint the volunteers were great and enjoyed having the lineup of cheerleaders!

Yelling Stop Blog:

First, let me say what a great, well-run race this was.  The course was terrific and well-marked, the volunteers were enthusiastic and numerous, and they even had cheerleaders at the start and the finish.  Race Director Eric Turkewitz and his team deserve a ton of credit for putting this race together.  I really can’t think of one thing wrong with the race today, they even arranged for perfect weather. [more]

Herb Carroll (who helped me lay out the course three years ago):

Having volunteers and police holding traffic made a world of difference by the way.  This race was better than most I’ve ever done. I was truly impressed, and I never thought it could have been pulled off so well.  I remember running the trails with you and listening to your dreams about this being a race and thinking to myself, I can’t imagine ever making something like that work.  Well, wow, you certainly did it and beyond what I would have ever expected.

Glenn Trimboli:

It was my first trail race, always been a road racer.

This reminded me of running thru the woods as a kid playing ‘capture the flag’! Except this time you just had to follow them.  And there were plenty to keep you on track. When your having fun running, it feels easy..like it did today…  Plenty of challenges but nothing too technical to be concerned with.  Weather was great, track finish was perfect, you get to cheer  (ok, scream) for your friends to finish hard!!

Isn’t that right Ellen, Chris, Jane, Lisa?? Great day, great organization, zero complaints…how often can you say that about a race??

Caroline Goldmacher Kern:

Just wanted to make sure you knew how awesome the race was!  You have done a really amazing job!  The trail could not have been more clear and all the folks on the course to help out were excellent.   Kuddos to you and all of your time and hard work!  It was a beautiful and fun day!

Elle Kim:

What a wonderful race you organized. The 12 miles of trails were cleverly put together to make for a great mash. Came with a group of 4 people from Montclair/Bloomfield and all of us had nothing but great things to say about the volunteers, the course & the race booty. Really great job! Thank you!

Dave Schub:

Wow–Paine to Pain was amazing! The most beautiful race I have ever done—almost enough natural beauty to keep my attention along the trail and distract me from the 13.1 miles I was running (but not quite!).  This was the 1st race my sister and I have done together in 10 years and no doubt, we’ll be back again next year to do it again.

Boston or Die Trying blog:

It was a terrific morning for my first trail race: cool, crisp, hardly a wind nor a cloud in the sky. We even had a revolutionary figure travel from the past to fire the musket to start the race. Race strategy? I had none. No previous experience trail racing

….

Wrapping up, I had a blast with [my friends] doing this race. I can definitely understand why people get into trail running. The miles passed by so much faster I had to be so focused on almost every step. I definitely see more trail races in my future.[more]

Rob “Hugh Jass” Lynch:

Fantastic race!  Thanks very much for all the hard work that you (and your crew) did staging the event.  I vividly remember last October when I was stuck in traffic on Weaver St by the Leatherstocking trail.  I saw the police and I knew it!  There must be a manhunt on…there’s a killer loose – and he’s hiding in the woods!  Lock the doors, hide the kids!  It wasn’t until the next day that I found out there was a trail race in my back yard- i got so excited that I started running the next weekend for the first time in years.  It all came full circle when I finished the race….right behind you.

Lisa Madden:

I had a great time doing my first Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon and will be looking to do it next year. I really appreciated the huge number of volunteers along the entire course, shouting encouragement, giving directions at key intersections, and making sure there were plenty of fluids available. I think the three water stations were just right and the course setter did a great job linking so much trail – having only 1 mile of pavement in race through such built-up areas is an achievement.

From Charles Yoo:

First trail race I’ve done. Was quite an experience. Was amusing to run along the Parkway with cars whizzing by.

After I found my rhythm, just kind of got lost and the joyful disconnect from being in the city.

Can’t wait until next year’s race.

Courtney Cook:

This was my first time running the Paine to Pain race. I had read about and seen pictures of prior races and was inspired. Even though the course passes through several towns, the trail winds its way through woodland and some of the best natural surroundings in the county.

The race was extremely well organized. Hats off to everyone involved in the planning, runner packets, trail preparation, directions and cheerleading. The overall atmosphere was positive, with enthusiastic supporters, and runners sharing helpful encouraging comments. The race passed more quickly and enjoyably than any of my practice runs.

Katherine Hajjar:

Thank you for organizing such an amazing, inspiring race!!  It was my first trail race, and I had a blast.  I loved running through the woods, and, though challenging, the trails were in fantastic shape.  Somehow, you even arranged for perfect weather.

There are more in the comments below (feel free to add more!) and  yet more on the Facebook page for this race! (And more on Active.com)

(These were reviews from Paine to Pain 2009)