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May 6, 2024

Mercedes Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Mercedes Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.1

Organization 4.6

Spectators 3.9

Number of comments: 267 [displaying comments 51 to 61]

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E. L. from New England (2/17/2011) "Fast course with great organization" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a great first marathon or PR course for anyone to do. Host hotel was only 2-3 blocks from the expo, pasta dinner, start and post-race party. Pros: Great medal, organization, aid stations, volunteers, police support, and course. Cons: Need more food at the finish besides fruit and 1 sandwich; massage tables were upstairs; 1/2 marathon walkers got in the way on the 2nd loop; not much to do in town. I did not seem to see the rough roads that some are talking about (every road in the Northeast is like this so it did not bother me). Double loop was nice and people were there both times for me when I went by - plus it was easy for my wife to see me multiple times (at miles 3, 12, 16 and finish) throughout the race. The course is not hilly but it is not flat either; no major killer hills, and if you are in shape you can fly on this course. Loved the 1/2 marathon split design - very easy to navigate and instructions were very clear on where to go. About 85-90% of the police said something positive to you as you went by. Too bad the students at UAB (run right through the campus) did not come out to support the race. That would have been great running through there at 4-7, and 17-20 miles if that were the case. Make sure you bring your own supplies (food, water, etc.) because finding a store was almost impossible. Most places did not open until to close to race time and Sunday night everything seemed closed. Had a hard time finding a place to eat Friday night as well and it was a good thing I went to the pasta dinner on Saturday. Temps were in the 20s and the start and 40s at the finish. Even if is were in the 100s it is impossible to get dehydrated in this race, as water stations seemed everywhere and volunteers yelled out whether they water, GU, or PowerAde as you approached. Host hotel had free shuttles to and from the airport, which was nice, and 25 cents allowed you to ride the cart trolley around town. Did this race as a Boston Qualifier. I had no intention of running it again but after this weekend I may come back in the future just based on the organization and fast course. Run this race if all you are looking for is a fast time; it is not a destination marathon.
K. T. from Minnesota (2/17/2011) "Highly recommended - great race!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Birmingham was my 20th race of marathon or longer distance and I really enjoyed it! The race is very well organized and has great swag. A few times I emailed the race with questions and always got a quick, personal response. The expo and start/finish area were a short walk from the Sheraton host hotel. They had a shuttle to/from the airport and allowed for a late check-out, so that was nice. The start was fun, with music, the Birmingham mayor, and a man from Christian Athletes to lead us in prayer before send off. The course is rolling - not flat, but very well marked - and had GREAT traffic control. There were a few areas where the road needs to be repaved. There were well stocked aid stations every 1-2 miles with PowerAde, water, fruit and many had GU. A few had beer and Krispy Kreme donuts too! The volunteers were very enthusiastic and cheered like crazy. There were also quite a few clocks on the course, which was nice. I didn't mind the 2-loop course at all, easy to manage and some of the aid stations were, so good I looked forward to running through a second time. It was an easy spectator course - my husband walked to several points and saw me 2-3 times each loop. There were not tons of spectators like at Twin Cities, but the people who were there were so enthusiastic, as were the volunteers it never got lonely. Of my 20 marathons, I have to say Birmingham has THE BEST aid stations and volunteers! The finish in Lind Park is slightly uphill so I had to earn it all the way in, but the crowd was awesome. There were tons of oranges, bananas, PowerAde and water. Party was right across the street too. The finisher medal is substantial and really pretty. Also got a cool finisher's hat - very nice. The long-sleeve tech shirt is nice and matches the hat. All very cool. The one thing that was a little strange for me was being handed my finisher's medal - in all my races it has been placed around my neck for me, sort of a ceremonial thing. That is really my only "complaint." I highly recommend this race! Loved it! Thank you, Birmingham!!!
Bob Kroeger from Cincinnati (2/16/2011) "Mercedes is a must!!!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great marathon overall. Excellent expo; lots of fluid stations; GU frequently handed out - as advertised. Scenery was OK: nice city streets and some seedy areas, but OK. Friendly volunteers and lots of fans at the end. Enjoyed watching the kids run their final mile on Saturday. Great shirt, medal, and finisher's hat - and we even got a pair of running gloves! Excellent weather (low 30s to low 50s). Could improve: food area inside was very congested after the marathon. Did not venture into that mess with my sore legs. Oranges, bananas, and PowerAde drinks outside were enough for me. Would be nice to start the half marathon about 10 minutes after the full. Very crowded for the first few miles. Other marathons have a staggered start. I will return next year!!
George Southgate from Calhoun,GA (2/16/2011) "Great marathon with perfect weather." (about: 2011) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great organization. It was an advantage to be able to stay inside and comfortable waiting for the start. The Mercedes ornament medal is a great reminder of the sponsor and the race. Highly recommend this race.
Greg Jones from Washington, PA (2/15/2011) "Pretty good race" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Did the 2011 Mercedes Marathon as a quest for the 50 states. I was expecting it to be flatter, but I was very surprised with the rolling hills. Organization was excellent and post-race party was great (unlimited booze... can't beat it). Pros: a.) Plenty of aid stations b.) Great medals and amenities c.) Awesome post-race party with great live band d.) Used the YMCA after the race to shower, etc. Very impressed with that option. Cons: a.) Two-loop course b.) Need more than 1 sandwich at the post-race party c.) Give away a Mercedes
S. S. from Lincoln, NE (2/14/2011) "Solid race; top notch organization" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Cannot ask for a more well organized event. Solid, organized expo. Will meet your expectations. Great pre-race past dinner at the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, hosted by a local charity that provides early intervention services for children at risk for developmental delay. Lots of aid stations and portables on the course. The course was OK. Birmingham in February is what it is. But they can improve the spectators: VERY few were out compared to at many races I've done. You run by lots of churches, and the organizers should reach out to these churches to "rally some support." That could really be something. Finally, post-race party was great - with free BBQ and beer, and a solid cover band playing southern rock classics. Not a destination race, but a feather in your cap on your way to 50.
M. C. from Atlanta, GA (2/14/2011) "Double Loop? No problem." (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I enjoyed the race. The expo was somewhat chaotic because your number has to be announced before you can enter the auditorium to pick up the bib/shirt, etc. The arrangement of the vendors was not conducive to browsing. However, the double loop course, which I had been apprehensive about, was surprisingly a source of comfort psychologically because I knew exactly what was coming up and could visualize exactly how far I was from the finish.
M. A. from Atlanta, GA (2/14/2011) "Best Medal Ever!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The medal is as cool as everyone says it is! Ultra-shiny Mercedes ornament, and a really cool ribbon too. Plus, you get a tech shirt at packet pickup, and then a finisher's hat at the end. All in all, some good schwag. Best post-race perk: the YMCA opened up specially on Sunday so runners could have a post-race shower by showing their bib! I saw lots of folks taking advantage, and given how hard it is to get a late hotel checkout, I so appreciated this option! So did my husband, since he didn't have to sit by a super-smelly-runner on the 3-hour drive home. :) One heads up the area near the packet pick-up doesn't have too many restaurants, but drive just under a mile away to the five points area, and there are tons of great places to eat! The start is as smooth as can be. There is a small hill to welcome you pretty soon into the first turn though. ;) Lots of great aid stations - folks were also giving away beads, beer, and Krispy Kreme doughnuts. One of the churches even rented a couple extra porta-potties for extra on-course stops! I was impressed how many spectators stuck around for the second loop to watch the full marathoners! There are definitely hills on this course, a good blend of ups and downs; none are terribly steep, but some are rather long. That said, it's a pretty good course, as I had a lot of friends PR, and I set a "fastest time for second marathon run within a week of another one," if that's a category. ;) The post-race party was really impressive! They had some southern belles who are the city's ambassadors, and a HUGE food festival - BBQ and beer. Only bummer: a lot of the massage folks packed up a little before noon - so a lot of 4:30+-full marathoners didn't get one. I know they worked hard all morning on the half marathoners, but maybe a second shift for the fulls? Or else tell full marathoners to get a massage first, and food second. I think I would have been fine if I'd headed right up for one, but I stopped to eat first. A really great race - a nice mid-size field that's fun to run with and great to party with after!
T. K. from Northport, AL (2/14/2011) "A Perfect Day - A Great Race" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 No one will confuse this course for Chicago or New Orleans. There are hills, and you will feel them in the second half. However, the hills are broken up with stretches of level ground and descents. The double loop enabled me to plan my run a bit better. I did exactly what you're not supposed to do. I went out way too fast, averaging a half-minute faster than my marathon pace. I used the banked time to make up for slowing down quite a bit on the hills in the last seven miles. I broke four hours for the first time, beating my PR by almost 3 minutes. Crowd support is thin, but the water stations were well stocked and full of ample volunteers. Swag is very nice. The medal looks like the Mercedes hood ornament, the tech-shirt is classy, and getting the finisher's cap at the finish line was a nice touch. It was 38 degrees with no wind at the 7 a.m. start, and 55 degrees with a light breeze at 11 a.m. It was a perfect day to run a great race.
D. S. from Coxs Creek, KY (2/14/2011) "Well organized, but re-pave some of the roads!" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I decided in November to enter the Mercedes Marathon, trained well, and finished with a PR by over 10 minutes. The event was extremely well organized. The course was OK; some areas of the course were on roads with rough and cracked pavement, and I saw an older man at mile 22 fall hard due to one of these cracks. Aside from that, it was an excellent event. Seemed that a lot of spectators left the 2-lap course roadside after the first lap. Also, we stayed at the other large hotel near the start (Tutwiler), and the hotel refused to grant late check-outs to runners. Major hassle to those runners Sunday morning. Organizers need to get this hotel in check! Overall: OK race, but great organization.

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