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May 2, 2024

Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.6

Organization 4.4

Spectators 3.5

Number of comments: 205 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

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D. S. from Fairborn OH (11/10/2013) "Running with the ghosts" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 What an amazing place to run! Chickamauga Battlefield is absolutely beautiful at this time of year with the Fall colors in full effect in the forests. You can feel this history as you go around the double loop course. The weather was beautifully cool. THE GOOD: The packet pickup was simple and having a race day option made it easier for those people traveling to the race. The aid stations were well spaced and well organized by enthusiastic volunteers. You really got a sense of history as you ran past the monuments and placards that described what what happening on this battlefield a century and a half ago. The start/finish area was well stocked with porta-johns and runner needs. Chicken noodle soup at the runner food shelter was awesome! They gave out framed bibs to first-time finishers which I thought was a very nice touch. THE BAD: The out and back stretch needed to get in the distance was annoying. Is there any way to use some of the access roads/trails to make this up w/o having to do a 1 mile out and back...twice? If you want specataors, you're out of luck here. It's very peaceful but beyond the aid stations, there are only a couple places to see the runners. I will throw props out to the people who used the spectator shuttles to move from place to place to cheer. THE UGLY: The bibs need redesigned. The holes are too close to the edge and I was lucky enough that all 4 didn't give out at the same time. I ended up having to MacGyver my bib to keep from losing it mid-race. I love races with a sense of history and this one is no exception. I will come back and do this again. Well done to all the organizers and volunteers. You hit a home run here.
C. B. from Atlanta (11/9/2013) "Beautiful race" (about: 2013) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is a wonderful race. I ran my first marathon here on 2013. The course is gorgeous and scenic. The small number of people running gives it an intimate feel that I personally loved. I love that they bused my husband to mile 15 so he could see me there as well as see me finish. If you are from Atlanta or Chattanooga you'll be saying 'what hills?' It felt basically flat with max 3 small rollers. I would highly recommend this race.
B. B. from Pittsburgh, Pa (2/21/2013) "A Gem" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A superb, small race obviously organized by experienced runners. The course was a double loop through a beautiful National Battlefield setting on a perfect racing day. Great medal, nice shirt and good post race setting. I heartily recommend this race.
Joe Ely from Indiana (11/17/2012) "Wonderful Fall Race" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 My first marathon in Georgia and it was a terrific experience. A wonderful course in a beautiful setting. Very flat for Georgia...some rolling hills, enough to keep it interesting. Loved the park setting. Highly recommend this race.
M. F. from Edwardsville, IL (11/15/2012) "Park setting was awesome" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 THE GOOD: You can park about 200 yards from the start/finish line. (I suggest that you show up about 1.5 hours early for a great parking spot.) The organization was great. Loved the running gloves. I appreciated that they gave free registration to NY Marathon runners who couldn't run a week earlier. The bike first aid volunteers were without a doubt the best I have ever seen for my many marathons. THE (MINOR) CHALLENGE: Call me old school, but I would prefer a cotton t-shirt, which I am more likely to wear (when not running). I have enough technical t-shirts, and the one given had long sleeves that are too loose and baggy.
Z. S. from Washington, DC (11/15/2012) "Very Glad I Did This One" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I first heard about this race in RunnersWorld a few years ago, and I scoffed at how some marathon in rural Georgia with a silly name was named one of the top marathons in the country, but now I get it. The course is beautiful, and the race has a very laid back, small town feel. Organization is superb, and even without having my family there, I liked how family-oriented the whole event was. Medal is nice, but nothing special. I really like the shirt, because of the fit and thicker material, but it's just a generic tech shirt. It's a bit challenging, lots of hills and turns, but I ran it faster than my average time. Also got some nice gloves with race logo (why haven't other races thought of this?). If I was ever in the area, I would run it again and bring the family. This race gets a lot of hype in the running community, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it met my expectations.
R. L. from MI Michigan (11/14/2012) "Nice Small to Medium Marathon in a National Park!" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Excellent race put together by Chattanooga running club. The course is 'wavy' but not bad. Water/GU/Poweraid stops are enough for the course as well. If you're looking for crowd support, this isn't your race, but the water stops and the family buses are enough to keep you going.
M. B. from Olathe, Kansas (11/13/2012) "Great race! I would highly recommend it!!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I loved everything about the 2012 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon. The course was beautiful and the organization was stellar. The post-race treats of soup and pizza were nice touches.
D. R. from Dallas, Texas (11/11/2012) "A pleasant surprise" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The course was fantastic! Small, shaded, tree-line roads that snaked around the battlefield. It was also peak time for autumn colors and the weather was perfect! The cannon start was a nice touch too. I have run quite few marathons and this is the first I have encountered with mobile first aid cyclists. I was in need of Vasoline for my chaffing but didn't want to stop. The cyclist left the bike and ran alongside me while I applied the Vasoline. Wow! Only complaint: need better control of the morning traffic - it was a free-for-all.
E. T. from Chicago, IL (11/29/2011) "Great Race - Scenic and Historic" (about: 2011) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I really enjoyed this race. The course is beautiful: rolling hills on a gorgeous fall day on an historic battlefield. The course is fairly hilly and a bit challenging, but definitely doable, even if you are a flatlander. I would try to do as much hill training as possible though. The shuttle bus system worked very well and my family was able to see me at several points during the race. However, spectators on the course are limited compared to many urban marathons. Everyone was very friendly and the race was fairly well organized. Parking is somewhat limited and traffic is congested as the start time approaches. They had to delay the race a bit to allow for everyone to get to the start. However, there was a heated tent and it was only a minor inconvenience.

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