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May 5, 2024

Tupelo Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Tupelo Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.1

Organization 4.4

Spectators 2.6

Number of comments: 156 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

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Will Arvin from New Orleans, LA (10/6/2014) "Great First Marathon" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Tupelo Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon and met all the expectations I had coming in to Tupelo. Thought course was more hilly than advertised (b/c I trained in New Orleans), but didn't think it was as humid as advertised (b/c I trained in New Orleans). Great shirt/medal. Great organization. Would love to do it again next year. Only complaint, I came in 2nd in my age group and never received prize/plaque mentioned on website.
D. L. from Charlotte, NC (9/22/2014) "Great race, glorious Finish Line!" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Tupelo Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 In Elvis's birthplace, what would you expect? A perfect organization. In Mississippi in September? Humidity. You get it all, together with a gorgeous t-shirt and the NICEST MEDAL I ever got in 60+ marathons. Yes, there is some residual damage from April's tornadoes but overall it is a very beautiful, calm, well-kept course. a few loops but nothing to fear. Starting early, you avoid the heat - and we dodged the rain as well. Really cool atmosphere. The Finish is Glorious in the Bojangles Coliseum, stadiums and spectators always make you feel good. Plenty of aid stations, refreshments and food. Volunteers were super. Good first marathon, a little tough but well organized and safe, and you get to visit a very pretty town.
J. E. from Kentucky (9/6/2014) "Tough race" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Tupelo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Tough race, come prepared. Very well organized with great long sleeve T and medal. Volunteers/aid stations were great. Course was double loop, super humid, not very scenic, started early so able to get about 10 mi in before sunrise.
K. K. from Nashville, TN (9/5/2014) "Fun race, glad I did it, but once is enough" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Tupelo Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Enjoyed the experience. The medal is pretty cool; one look at the race T-shirt and I knew my girlfriend would steal it... Felt hot and sweaty just walking out to the car in the morning. The second loop felt different than the first, mostly b/c of the daylight. Aid stations were adequate, though only one had ice, which should've been omnipresent. That being said, this is a small race and I can give it a pass for that. If you sign up for an August marathon in Mississippi, you better be experienced and in-shape mentally as well as physically. Most people seemed to be, which actually made for a really nice experience. Not a lot of rookies to be seen, nobody running 4 abreast across the course.
c. l. from Washington, DC (9/3/2014) "Tough but worth it" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Tupelo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have wanted to run this race for yearsheard about the great shirts and medals and how tough it is. This year it was apparently a new course, 2 half marathon loops through Tupelo. I really enjoyed the course. Yes, it was hilly. Non stop, rolling hills.But you got to see alot of different neighborhoods. The course is open to traffic, but I only had to move to a sidewalk once. The aid stations were well stocked and the volunteers very friendly. I carried my own fuel belt too, but we were lucky with the weather so that it was overcast for most of the time, so I was able to make it on aid station fluids alone. The medal and shirt were awesome. The post race party was fun too, the AC inside the arena felt great! Plenty of food and drinks, nice live band. I stayed at the Wingate and it was perfect.
T. S. from WI - Wisconsin (9/2/2014) "The hardest race you will ever brag about" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Tupelo Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The motto 'Trample the weak, hurdle the dead' is the perfect motto for this race. It is hard, hilly and humid. If you do not finish in a reasonable time, this race could kill you. Having said that, the difficulty of this race is its greatest strength. The medal and racing shirt are unbelievably awesome. It is one day of incredible pain but I now have the laughing skull and cross bones medal. No one can take that from me and I am an official badass finisher. Do not make this you first marathon. Do not show up untrained. But if you can do Tupelo, you could run through hell and back. Good luck.
Tom Armstrong from Ball Ground, Ga (9/1/2014) "Well Done!! Small town marathon great SWAG!!!" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Tupelo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It is August 31st in Northern Mississippi. You should expect hills and humidity. It did not disappoint. But, I will say that the course is fair. It is rolling and one or two short steep hills. It is a two looper for the marathon but since it starts in the dark , it does not feel like you are running loops. The weather was probably as good as you could get for that date. Don't get me wrong, it was still humid, but could have been so much worse. The organizers have a great shirt. The medal is great. The bib number is even special. I enjoyed finishing indoors for something new and for the air conditioner. All the barbecue you could eat and beer you could drink. I wish that there was better communication either through a FAQ or direct emails. This is early and Sunday morning in a small town - so not many spectators. the ones that were there along with the volunteers were extremely supportive and accommodating. I did not run well, but that was my fault for not preparing properly. Parking was easy. Plenty of bathrooms. Showers available after the race. A band played music as we ate. Hotels in the area had breakfast out at 4 am so we could get a coffee and bagel. And late checkouts were easy to get. Good Job Tupelo.
David Zajic from Alabama (9/1/2014) "Great Volunteers & Organization on New Course" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Tupelo Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Let me start by making some comments about the swag. Great shirt and Metal both of good quality. (I read the complaint of a couple of years ago - they fixed that problem) The new course was challenging - rolling hills the whole way, the double loop let you know what to expect the second time. The support on the course was wonderful - well stocked aid stations, encouraging volunteers, police monitoring the traffic and the folks at the critical turns (when it was still dark - 5:00 start). I REALLY liked finishing in the coliseum. I only gave 3 stars on spectators because I didn't see too many folks out on the course that did not have runners. Staying at the host hotel was a short walk (out the back door) to the start and finish. This year's crazy weather made it hard to train for the heat and humidity. Thankfully it was overcast for the race but the humidity took it's toll on me. I look forward to coming back and doing better next time.
R. R. from Memphis, TN (8/31/2014) "A new day in Tupelo" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 4-5 Tupelo Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 There were big changes this year in Tupelo. The course is all new, highlighting the city of Tupelo rather than running through the rural surrounding areas.The 14.2 mile 'half' is gone, replaced by a certified half. The out and back full has been scraped and a 'two loops' around the city format has been adopted. There is now a finish inside the air conditioned Tupelo (Bancorp) Coliseum complete with a band and seating for spectators. Some things have remained the same. Tupelo's famous swag is back. The half marathon medal was super cool and was actually bigger than the full marathon medal (although the full was no slouch.) The long sleeve psychedelic t-shirts (this year in pink) are a staple (although I still miss the whole shirt tie- dye rather than just the sleeves- personal preference.) The race was well stocked at all aid stations, even at the back of the pack, and there was plenty to eat and drink at the finish, including the famous BBQ sandwiches. The 5AM start in the dark may be a little less dramatic under the sreetlights rather than the stars, but is still pretty cool. And of course there is still all the heat and humidity that makes suffering as much a part of the Tupelo tradition as the swag and the early start. What was surprising was the new course itself. The old course was gently rolling hills, and in those rare years that Fall type conditions arrived early to Mississippi, the course was perfect to set PR's (my 2nd best time ever was run during such blessed conditions here.) The new course was surprisingly hilly and adds a new dimension to the suffering know as the Tupelo marathon. I doubt many PR's will be set on this new course (unless you love hills.) I know several runners scheduled to run the full marathon who called it quits after the first loop because they couldn't handle the heat and humidity (expected) AND the hills too. Fortunately there were plenty of half medals to accomidate the marathon defectors to the half. Overall, I liked the new course although this year was my slowest time by far. Maybe, given the new level of difficulty, the 6 hour time limit should be extended. I know a few runners who usually run near the 5 hour mark in past years who were barely able to finish this new couse in 6 hours. Its that much tougher. My only other criticism was that the marathon medal has the number 13.1 at the bottom under the Tupelo Marathon name. It kind of looks like the full medal is actually for the half marathon, at least at first glance. Its not a huge thing, but several people commented on it. It would be easy to fix. Bottom line. Tupelo celebrates heat, humidity, and now hills. Its a challenge that will test you. The swag is great and the organization is top notch.Its a small town race with big time attitude. Come suffer with me again next year.
S. N. from Murfreesboro, TN (8/31/2014) "Good swag; course needs work" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Tupelo Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I truly enjoy smaller races and looked forward to the Tupelo Marathon. Packet pick up was quick and painless, and the shirt was very nice and good quality. My biggest frustration was the course mile markings, or shall I say, lack of markings. It was not until the sun came up that I realized there were some markings on the ground in white paint. I would think it not unreasonable to have mile markers on the course. This led to much guessing and trying to figure out what mile I was at on different portions of the course. I am not one who needs people cheering me on but I was very surprised at the almost total lack of people along the course, even in the neighborhoods. Water stops were well manned and had plenty of water and powerade. Overall, I enjoyed myself and the destination, with some minor tweaks this is a very good marathon.

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