2009 CANBERRA MARATHON
Runner Feedback

Thanks Dave
Still can't believe I won!
Thanks for a great race as always, and for turning on some better weather than last year! :-) Hopefully I'll be back there again in 2010!
Yours in the long run,
Dave (Criniti)
2009 Marathon Winner!

Dear Fran and Dave
Marathons can be unpredictable - we all have good days and bad days out on the road - but over the past six years I've learned that the Canberra Marathon can at least be relied upon for its outstanding organisation, commitment to runners, friendly and efficient volunteers and feel-good atmosphere. I look forward to running Canberra every year, and every year I am impressed by the wonderful job you (and the volunteers) do.
The Canberra Marathon is without doubt a 'runners marathon' - it is wonderful to have an event organised by two people so dedicated to the sport. Thank you very much for all your work, obvious enthusiasm, and for the prize money - which was a nice bonus at the end of a fantastic morning!
I'll be back next year.
Johanna Parsons

Hello Fran & Dave
"Thank you" seems such a scant way of expressing my heartfelt appreciation & admiration for all of your hard work and attention to every detail which went into the marathon weekend. I only took up running a very short few years ago. However, I did the 5km in Canberra in 2007 with my then 12 year old daughter. This gave me the opportunity to see for myself, the degree of superb and efficient organisation which you guys put into the event.
So inspired was I that I trained up and ran my first marathon this year! I was very pleased that my result was a good 20 minutes better than I had expected. More importantly, the atmosphere of the event, the wonderful volunteers (especially the very nice fellow at the 21 km mark), the near perfect pacers and the sponges, drinks, water sachets, medals, helpers and prompt results, all made Sunday 19 April 2009, a day which I am sure I will remember always!
Thank you!
Ginta Viliunas

Dear Fran
Thanks so much for organising the marathon. It was a great event. The pasta party was fab. Your son was such a great MC and it was so nice to be congratulated by him on the finishing line.
My husband also had a great time doing the 10km race.
You're all an amazing team.
Warm regards
Thalia

Dear Dave and Fran
I just wanted to write a little note to thank you so very, very much for all of your amazing efforts in pulling together the Canberra Marathon, 2009.
It was my first marathon and I found your site back in October last year. I followed Susan Hobson's training program which is on your site and was thrilled to finish in 3.25.32. (Please pass on my thanks to Susan if possible!!!)
What literally amazed me was the attention to every single little detail which made the whole experience just such a wonderful one. The e-newsletters, the expo, the personal refreshment table with the explanation and layout, each km marked, the results being posted within minutes of finshing.... just everything!
The volunteers, too, were just amazing. If I don't run next year, I will be definitely offering myself as a volunteer. Their dedication to their role and constant encouragement was just fabulous. I would love to extend my thanks to each and every one of them. Their support does not go un-noticed and I know I represent many other runners when I write this.
I had a fairly large group of family and friends there to cheer me on and every one of them was just as impressed as I.
So, I hope you are managing a little R & R after the weekend. You are simply amazing people and from the very bottom of my heart, I thank you.
Kindest regards
Madeleine

Thanks Fran and Dave
Aawesome event. My first marathon and your event was so well organised and supported. Thank you! Can't wait to get the photos.
Renato Ramsay

Thanks Fran
.... and thank you for a fantastic event! Canberra was my first marathon and to be honest I had a shocker, but the atmosphere was wonderful and I will never forget it.
Dave

Dave
Thank you on running such a great event, have already booked to come back next year.
Regards
Steven Barker

Hi Dave and Fran
Having completed my first marathon last Sunday in Canberra, I'd like to thank you for hosting such a fantastic event. I had a terrific time all round. My sons and husband rode their bikes around much of the course cheering me on. My parents came from Brisbane to watch and parked out on Parkes Way and saw me pass four times.
I loved the ease of the event - leave your bags in the hall, wander outside and run! Finishing at the same spot made it easier again.
Please thank the volunteers who were so encouraging all the way around the course. I thought the supply of drinks and sponges plus gels was really well laid out and plentiful. The wonderful woman volunteer who held me upright on the finish line for so long when my legs got a bad case of the wobbles was so kind and patient - she even took my timing chip off!
Once again, thank you for making my debut marathon such a fun day. And being from Sydney, we stayed for a few days, went to restaurants and visited local attractions, so Canberra benefited, too.
Kind regards
Pip Livingstone

Well done to yourself and the rest of the vast team that keeps ticking the Canberra Marathon over year after year. I have run a lot of marathons across Australia and around the world and can think of none that surpass the engine behind the Canberra event.
Lester Smith

I really enjoyed the race - a great experience. Thanks again for everything.
Bernie

Hi Dave
Congratulations on running an excellent event. I had a great weekend in Canberra for my first road marathon in 29 years!! It was a fantastic event to be part of - the organisation, atmosphere on the course, course, markings, aid stations, atmosphere at the expo and finish area etc excellent.
Thank again to you and Fran for a first class event. I'll be back - hopefully in 12 months - I don't want to wait another 29 years!
Andrew

Hello Dave and Fran
Just a short note to thank you for doing a great job on organising the Canberra Marathon this year.
This was my first marathon. One of the reasons I chose this marathon was because a friend recommended it on grounds of excellent organisation. Administratively and on race day, everything was clear and easy. For me, that was very important, leaving me the only concern of pre-race jitters.
During the race, all drinks tables were well set out. Everyone I saw could easily get desired items from tables and depart the tables at different paces with no problems.
A note on pacers: in my last kilometre I saw the 4 hour pacer (I don't know his name) giving encouragement to runners, pressing them to pass him to break 4 hours. The good nature in which did this was inspiring. I heard from another runner he gave good advice on passing through drink stations easily, so my compliments on your choice of pacer there. I assume the others were as good.
Finally, all your volunteers were awesome. They deserve every runner's gratitude. They are very generous people.
In closing, I am already eager to run Canberra in 2010. Thank you very much for an excellent race and experience!
Kind regards
Carl Weibgen

Dear Dave and Fran
Thank you for responding to my email. After I sent you the email, we received the CD's of our marathon run, thank you so much. I want to commend you both on an outstanding marathon and hope to be able to visit the lovely Canberra again one day. My daughter and myself had a great time and the people in Canberra were so nice to use.
Best wishes
Denise and Gary (USA)

Hi Fran and Dave
I just wanted to thank you for running a fantastic Marathon Event yet again. The volunteers were just magnificent. I thanked them as I went along my journey. The day was just perfect. The route is very scenic which makes me keep coming back for more.
I achieved my goal of running the 50Km Ultra Marathon for the Sydney Children's Hospital Foundation which I am very pleased about.
Regards
Eliza

Hello Dave, Fran and Team
Just want to say a big thank-you for running (excuse the pun) such a great event last Sunday in Canberra - it was the best marathon I have done to date.
Kind regards
Myles

Dear Dave and Fran
I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful event on Sunday. It was my first marathon in Australia, as I was living in Berlin for two years, notching up the Berlin and Loch Ness marathons. It was a wonderful day on a superb course, I will definitely be back in 2010 to run with a good friend, who was supposed to run on Sunday too, but his son decided to be born earlier than thought!
Yours sincerely
Hugh Burton

Hi Fran and Dave
Just wishing to thank you again on behalf of the Orange contingent that invaded the capital city over the weekend and congratulations for turning on the weather and a terrific 2 days of events. We always have a great time away and in particular so many thanks to your band of volunteers, it was wonderful after 42.2km to have a friendly face take the chip from my shoes. Thanks also to the water station and on-course personnel, having to drag a hamstring injury for 21km was made a little easier by their encouragement, it is certainly my last marathon and in 2010 hope that I can come down and join the volunteer brigade.
11 of us from Orange Runners did the marathon, our average age 50 and the oldest 6 of us averaged 60 years of age, a bit of a gee up for the younger generations. To the 2 Orange ladies Sharon and Glenys who appear on the front page of the Canberra Marathon photos on the website, just one hell of an effort, well done.
Bill Fairgrieve, Orange

Dear Dave and Fran
Congratulations and thanks on another really well run marathon. Everything about the Canberra marathon is excellent - size of the event, the setting, the organisation.
David Close

Thanks for a great day.
My daughter's boyfriend and I have been preparing for 4 months. He ran 3:48 on his first. Regretfully I contracted some weird lung and throat infection about 3 weeks ago and ran out of oxygen about 16km. Soldiered on till 26 km and called it quits. Watched all those heroes finish and felt so left out...I still have the infection...maybe I'll do another marathon in 10 years time!!!
Thanks again.....A great day for all!!!
Guy

Dear Fran
Thank you so much for a lovely race. I just got back to the UK today. I really enjoyed the marathon, although the jetlag and lack of sleep almost did for me (we spent the previous week in a campervan between Alice Springs and Ayers Rock so no running and hardly any sleep!). I thought it was really well organised and the marshals were great.
Rosie Williams (England)

Hi Dave
First let me say what a stellar job you and the rest of the crew did in organising yesterday's and Saturday's runs. My wife ran the 10km and I ran the marathon - both first-timers - we really enjoyed ourselves and appreciated the effort "behind the scenes" that goes into events like these.
I'm looking forward to running again next year - you guys did a great job.
Best regards
Dave

Dear Fran & Dave
I ran my first marathon yesterday in Canberra - thank you, it was a fantastic experience. Everything was seamless.
I wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to the 4:15 pacer Keith Hong, he caught me up at the 31km mark and I ran with him to the end. What an incredible guy - without him I would never have kept up that pace to the end, he continued to cajole and motivate me, with an energy that never waned.
I meant to find him after and thank him personally, but I got caught up with spectators and then forgot. Would you mind passing on my thanks to him? I've never run with a pacer before but I can highly recommend it.
Kirsten Le Roux, Cairns

Dear Fran & Dave
Thank you very much for a great event. Your organisation of this large event is fabulous! Our whole family enjoyed running in the different events available.
My son Ben (aged 6) came home and laid out his last 3 Kids Marthon T-shirts. He was wondering if you would consider a green t-shirt for next year?
I hope you're having a great rest this week - it would be well deserved!!
Kind regards
Michelle Graham

Hi Dave
Thanks for organising a great event this year.
Thanks
Martin

Hi Dave and Fran,
Just a note to say thank you very much for putting on such a well organised marathon, and sorry I did not bump into you at any stage (I opted to spend time with my support crew who had driven all the way from Sydney rather than come to the after match functions). It was refreshing to take part in an event that supports good performances, rather than the priority being cash from the masses, and I shall certainly be recommending it to others!
Back in NZ now, eating custard squares and nursing my quads. Was not the 2:43 I was after, however I gave it my best shot, and was pleased to feel as comfortable and relaxed as I did, running bang on 2:43 pace until about 28km when both quads suddenly cramped up. Enjoyed running with Mai who happened to hitting exactly the right splits, (until her surge out the back on Parkes(?)Rd !). All other muscles and everything else ok, did not meet "the wall" as such, so although it was a slow, frustrating shuffle home, blowing out to 3:03, I can take some positives out of it and it is good to be back in the sport again. Am even considering having another go at the Christchurch marathon in six weeks time.
Gabby O'Rourke says hi also.
Thanks very much again.
Kind regards
Sarah Biss (New Zealand)

Hi Dave
Thanks for another well organised Marathon, it was nice to start in the light compared to the almost night time conditions in 2008. Those officials on the over 5 course should get a medal themselves. While I didn't achieve a 4 something time to complete a set of 2,3,4 and 5 hour Canberra Marathons there is always next year!
Thanks again
Andrew

Dear Fran
Thank you very much for this (Super Digital Photo pack, courtesy of Marathon-Photos.com) - I'll be watching the post box with anticipation!
I loved the pasta party and the run - the entire event was perfectly planned and executed and full of love.
Thank you! Another happy running customer!
Avril

Hi Fran
The run was awesome and the marathon even better to watch as a spectator, congrats on another well organised event
Cheers
Carmen Whittaker

Dear Fran and Dave
Many thanks for a well organised, friendly marathon on April 19. It was a blast. Aren't we all glad it wasn't last Sunday instead?
This was my 4th Canberra in 10 years, and I do Melbourne Marathon every year. You create a fantastic atmosphere in the school hall all weekend. Your marshals and volunteers remain helpful, supportive and knowledgeable. The growing participation, in a time of recession, is the sincerest endorsement of your event.
Thanks for the great event and look forward to seeing you next year.
Regards
Kevin Gray

Hi Fran
Thank you for inviting our table of Woodies/Striders into your Pasta Party in such a memorable way. For Jeff to have a whole Pasta Party sing happy 50th. birthday to him in such an energetic way will be an experience he will always reflect back on as something amazing. Neither he nor his parents had any idea what was about to take place. His parents had come especially to Canberra to celebrate his 50th birthday marathon with him & they could not believe what was happening. As usual it was again one of those weekends that we all look forward to each year.
As I mentioned to you on the night you must be so proud to have such a fine, decent young son & daughter. Your son is such a natural MC/speaker & carried the night through in such a light hearted, good fun, highly professional way that it kept everyone relaxed & enjoying the night.
We are all very fond of Steve & hearing his talk had us all captivated.
Without a doubt, as any runner would tell you, it is the best marathon in Australia & as far as I am concerned, the best anywhere for an overall total package full on marathon weekend and to see your family involved in such a way takes the whole event up to a new, higher, unique dimension.
Well done again & looking forward to the next one. Please pass on my best wishes & congratulations to Dave.
All the best
Rick

Hello Fran and Dave
Congratulations on a great event over the weekend.
Val did the 10 k on Saturday and I did the marathon on Sunday. They were both so well organised and everyone was so friendly.
We wish you all the best with your future events.
Peter and Val FitzPatrick

Hi
This was the first time I ran a marathon in Canberra and the Canberra Marathon event 2009 was a fantastic experience for me. I was inspired to run and help raise money for cancer research for the reason that my son was unwell for a long time and in hospital. It was great to see so many wonderful people in the community and many thanks for all your time in making this event special for everyone in a different way. I will look forward to this event next year.
Many thanks
Brunella

Hi Dave
Thanks again for a great event; I enjoyed all aspects of the weekend and look forward to venturing 'East' for another well organised race and holiday.
Regards
Joe & Ursula Clark-Murphy

Thank you
Iit was great, and it followed my participation in the Marine Corps Marathon in D.C, our nation's capital. The highlight in Canberra was my daughter, Amy Simon (who has run the marathon) and granddaughter, Tamsin Simon who live in Ainslie at the finish with me.
Best
Judith (USA)

Dave and Fran
Thank you both for putting on another great event. This was my 5th time running the event and it is going from strength to strength. Which goes to show you must be doing something right. Congratulations! It is great to see your hard work culminate in with the finished product.
I am always happy to participate in the Canberra Marathon as it is a great event and a great weekend away. That was number 5 for me so half way to becoming a Griffin. Belinda managed to stay with the pack until half way but wasn't quite strong enough to hang on for the sub 4. She did manage a 26 minute PB so she also enjoyed the event and is keen to run a few more road marathons to keep working towards getting that time under 4 hours.
Thanks again for this great event on the running calendar.
Glenn

Hi Fran & Dave
Just a short note to express my appreciation of you and your team's efforts during my first marathon in Canberra.
I found the race as tough as I expected and thoroughly appreciated the support of the spectators and marshals/drinks table volunteers.
During the latter, extremely painful, final stages of the marathon, your teams at the drinks tables and course marshals were shouting encouragement which was great, their enthusiasm typified the event - an absolutely memorable experience, I'm so glad I chose this event as my first one.
Again, many thanks
Davie

Hello there Dave and Fran
I would like to start by saying what a great event you guys organised on the weekend. All of the staff were very helpful and the whole event was professionally run. This was my first marathon and was going to be my only marathon. However, I am already considering doing another. Could be the start of something...
Regards
Michael Rainbird

Dear Fran and Dave
I would like to congratulate you on such a well run and successful event, one which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I had a great run and ran a PB beating my previous by a minute and a half, set in Canberra in 1991! This was despite being tripped at the start by an unknown runner and falling heavily. I would like to thank another unknown male runner in a blue singlet for just offering me the words "you can do it" which made me get up and keep going.
I look forward to coming back to Canberra to run again.
Regards
Chris Hayward

Dear Fran and Dave
Thanks for the race organisation and everything you did to prepare for the event. As usual all of the Qld crew were just delighted with how smoothly it all went and how great the race was put together.
A huge thanks to you and your team.
Kind Regards
David Lang

Hello
Just wanted to send a quick note thanking you for organising such a great event.
Can you also pass on a special thank you to Keith Hong (yellow balloon pacer) who continued to push me (and many others) over the last 5km. He did a fantastic job, and made the pain much easier to handle. Several times I was dropped by his group, but he kept coming back to me, and encouraging me to catch up. It worked!
Thanks
Vinko Sandrk (first marathon)

Hey Dave, Fran and helpers
Just a quick thank you for another great day. You certainly have a friendly and helpful crew. Thank you all.
Cheers and thanks again all
Ronnie Peters

Hi Dave,
Keep up the good work and see you next year. And as I say - love the water sachets, and it is also great that you issue a booklets with runners' names as we do get a lot of support from strangers calling out our names. Every little bit helps.
Bye for now
Viv

Do you have a method for passing on thanks to all those responsible for last Sunday's Canberra marathon, please?
The volunteers were fabulous, as usual. The trouble they go to and the time they give up is very much appreciated. And the things they do that they might think are minor, like finding a hidden drink bottle or asking us to sit down while they untie and retie our shoelace to retrieve the time chip at the end of the ultra, are just super!
Unfortunately we don't say 'thank you' enough to all of them while we're running.
John Waddell

Hi Dave and Fran
Congratulations on a fabulous weekend. All events appeared to go exceptionally well and the atmosphere was brilliant.
Compliments to all personnel out on the course for their encouragement; the announcers were excellent; and the lucky draws so very generous (even though I never win one).
The weekend was very special for my family as on Saturday I ran the 10k along with my elder daughter, Peta, in her first 10k, then on Sunday, my younger daughter, Ellen Glennan, ran a 4min PB in the Marathon and her daughter,Taylah, ran the Kids' Marathon.
The Glennan Family is staying on at Rydges until Thursday enjoying Canberra with the children.
Running is certainly a wonderful sport when 3 generations can compete alongside each other. Thanks for giving us this opportunity.
Well done once again.
Yours in running
Kerry

Hi
Great event. extremely well organised and a big thank you to all the volunteers who manned the drink stations. Great work from the guy who had Jimmy Barnes music coming out of the car at his sponge/water station.
Thanks again
Tim

To you and your team for all your hard work and dedication - the race was so well organised and such a friendly atmosphere. I travelled from Adelaide to compete in my first marathon and your fantastic organisation made it such an enjoyable experience.
Also a big thanks to our 4.15 pacer who was so friendly and encouraging and helped me make it over the line under the 4.15 mark with some fuel still in the tank - please pass on my thanks to him and his words of wisdom
Best wishes
John Howard

Dear Dave Cundy/Fran Seton
I just completed the Canberra Marathon yesterday, firstly I just wanted to say thanks for organising such a great event, being able to have my own drinks throughout the course was a great help!
Many thanks
Greg Procter

Dear Dave and Fran
Just a short note to express my thanks to you and all involved for the wonderful organization and atmosphere at yesterday's Canberra marathon. Everything from the well marked course, the ample refreshments, and the friendly encouragement and support from every volunteer and race official that I met made this a most memorable day.
I'll definitely be back next year.
Best regards
Michael

Hi
I would like to pass on my gratitude and appreciation of the contribution made by 3.30 pace runner Sean Muller in yesterday's marathon.
Sean worked non-stop during the race. He constantly encouraged each of the runners on his bus, gave a running commentary on how we were tracking against time, ensured we took regular fluids and nutrition at the refreshment stations and kept us going at exactly the right pace. I was equally impressed by the way he thanked the volunteers along the way and acknowledged the support of spectators lining the course.
His efforts in bringing home a marathon debutant who had dropped off the pace at 39km was a tribute to his commitment as a pace runner.
I also reached my goal of running under 3.30 and qualifying for New York but I could not have done so without the efforts of Sean. Please convey my sincere thanks.
Congratulations to you and your team on a very well run marathon.
Mark McDonald

Dear Dave and Fran
Thank you for allowing me to pace the 3:30 group yesterday. It was a lot of fun and would be definitely something that I would be happy to help with again next year if required.
Many thanks again for a very enjoyable event.
Regards
Sean Muller

Dear Fran & Dave
Thanks so much for such a great event yesterday. I'm sure that no other organiser could supply such a professional& personal event. For me, although not a PB, it was my easiest(?!)& funnest marathon. So am very happy.
Again thank you very much for everything, see you next year!
Sue Archer

Thanks! And thank you for an awesome event. The atmosphere was great! I loved volunteering on the Sunday and will be there again next year.
If you ever need a testimonial I would be happy to provide you with one - both as a runner and a volunteer!
I'd just like to say I think the way you run the volunteer program is top-notch too. Receiving this sort of feedback is inspiring. I am grateful for your work and look forward to being a volunteer next year.Take care and I'll stop the emails now.
Cheers
Siobhan Edminson

Hi Fran and Dave
Just a quick email to say once again what a great event it was as a volunteers point of view for the recent Canberra Marathon, one I like continuing to do every year. It certainly is a great job as Marshall 3, one I don't mind doing every year I hope, it was great working alongside Geoff too, he's a top bloke. The weather was perfect wasn't it?
Regards
Steve Birchall (volunteer)

Hi there Fran & Dave;
I thought I'd just send an email to let you know of my experience yesterday. Although I was initially planning to run a couple of sprained ankles put an end to any chances of me doing that … so I thought I'd do something to help out and become a volunteer.
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that the experience was awesome. My first position was up at Melbourne Avenue/Parliament Drive, to keep traffic at bay there and that was no dramas at all … and the AFP guards on duty up there couldn't have been more helpful.
I then relocated to NSW Crescent/Young Street and was kept pretty busy there with a stack of traffic making its way through to the NSW Crescent/Young St corner, and all pretty much wanting to know how to get to the "Bus Depot Markets". And as none of them came back to me later on, I guess the instructions I gave them helped them out.
So, all in all, it was a great experience and congratulations to you both on running such a well run and fantastically organised marathon.
Kind regards
Neil Angel (volunteer)

Thanks Fran
I really appreciate your help...
That's why the Canberra Marathon is so special to me ~ the personal touch from you and Dave, thank you !
Very Happy Chappie
Gary Bowen (volunteer & marathoner)

Hi Fran and Dave
Just wanted to say thank you and congratulations for a great, well-organised event! My son and I enjoyed running the Kid's Marathon and Marathon respectively. It was his first 'marathon' and he enjoyed the experience immensely.
The day was a huge success from what we experienced and saw - thanks to you and the volunteers.
Hope to be there in 2010!
Regards
Mariano

Some kind words in the lead in to the event

Dear Dave and Fran
Thanks for the newsletters in the lead-up to this year's Canberra Marathon. For several reasons I will not be travelling to Canberra this year: I was a bit injured (achilles) in my build up to 2008 Melbourne marathon - though the hard work paid off and I PB'd by 5 minutes, running 2:35.52 in fairly challenging weather. I also needed a rest after a fairly full-on 2008 and coupled with the prospect of training right through another Mildura summer, well I just couldn't bring myself to do it!
The main purpose for replying to your newsletter is to wish you every success with the running of the event in 2009 - I've really enjoyed it the past 2 years and if the circumstances were different I'd have enjoyed the opportunity to have had another crack at it. Keep up the good work and I'll look fwd to watching the results.
Kind regards
Ian Brade

Dear Fran and Dave
We're a bit sad to be missing our Canberra pilgrimage this year (I'm on my way to London for a conference) but I hope it all goes well.
Cheers
Chris (& Lorna, and Sam)

We wish all a blessed run....sorry that other commitments kept us away from it the last 2 years.....should be there next year. God Bless.
Matie and Ankie

I have a family wedding in Brisbane on the weekend of 18/19 April. Unfortunately this means I will not be able to participate in Canberra Marathon activities this year. Hope it all goes well and hope to be able to participate in some way again next year.
Clare Wall

Fran
Thanks again for all of your very kind correspondence and for taking the time to explain all of the ins-and-outs of marathon planning to me! The participants rarely think about all of the organisation that goes into these races. We are lucky to have people like you on top of it.
Thank you again
April