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Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.2 
Spectators 4.3
Number of comments: 49 [displaying comments 41 to 49]
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kevin ellis from dublin, ireland
(5/3/2006)
 "tough but beautiful" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I just completed the 2006 marathon. This is definitely not a course for beginners. There are so many hills that I just couldn't believe it. The race even begins on a gradual slope! The organization could be a lot better. The website is a joke and the collection for your chip and number is in the middle of nowhere. On the race day itself, there is a mad chaotic scramble to get and leave your bag. However, the course is spectactular, there are many water stations, and the goodie bag is excellent. The crowds are great and the weather is sure to be great too. It is a nice course but not for the beginner, and the website and organization could be improved a lot more too! | |
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S. L. from Doha, Qatar
(12/20/2005)
 "Top of the Line Marathon" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The weather was perfect, the people gracious, and the course very enjoyable. The people of Madrid know how to put on a party and they did indeed. The course was lined with fans and admirers. The organization was very good and the runners so polite. I'd run it again any time. Thanks Madrid. | |
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M. B. from Sirault, Belgium
(5/10/2004)
 "Fun and festive. A great marathon." (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Madrid Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The weather was on the steamy side, starting at 70 degrees and ending near 90 by race end, but this is a great marathon not to be missed. The people of Madrid turn out for this one. Even well into the 4th hour, the crowd support was strong. The organizers and bystanders realized this would be a hot one, and there seemed to be plenty of mist stations and residents with garden hoses to offer a refreshing spray of water. The goodie bag was the best I've ever seen. Included: t-shirt, wind breaker, sunglasses, singlet, and much more. Runners get to keep their Championchip at no additional cost, too! From a 'stuff' standpoint, the only (minor) down check is the finisher's medal. It's not of the hang-around-the-neck type, but of the paperweight variety. I'm not sure how I'm going to get it into my shadow box yet. Besides that, though, an excellent run in all regards, and a great way to see the exciting city of Madrid. | |
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Keith Moreno from Chicago, Illinois
(5/12/2003)
"A really nice place to run a marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Madrid is a great city to run a marathon in. The race was well organized, but does not start until 9:30am -- which is too late because you catch much of the sun. The expo could have been better, but the people and the city are fantastic. I only wish they would promote the marathon more to the city. | |
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D. B. from New York
(5/8/2003)
"Very hot and hilly, no toilets" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my second marathon (I ran NYC last year). Madrid was my effort at combining travel with running. The big surprise was the minimal number of women on the course (roughly 800 registered out of a field of 12,500). The course seems to have reflected that - no portable toilets, the men just 'watering the trees'. The facilities were in adjacent buildings, so it took quite some time to get to them. It was hot, around 77F - I have never appreciated the sponge stations so much before. The course was very exposed, in direct sun most of the time, and traffic was going on the opposite side of the streets, so diesel smell mixed with the cigarette fumes of the spectators (!!!! that's true!!!!). The organizers did put a good effort providing water - when the weather turned hot they added extra water stations and hoses with spray mist along the course. And the spectators were top notch (minus the cigarettes...) - cheering the 'chicos' and an occasional 'chica'. I don't think I would want to run it again, though. | |
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A Runner from Dublin, Ireland
(6/14/2002)
"Animo !" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What fantastic crowd support! Yes in 2002 it was unseasonably hot (28C for much of it) but for me that only heightened the pleasure of the sponge stations and spray points. The organization was top notch although when I initially went to register there was a queue an hour long! With all of Spain trying to register before lunch we did a bit of sight-seeing and returned at 4pm when, with everyone else at siesta, we had the run of the place. The route was wonderfully varied (city centre, residential, business and park), a little hilly in places but that's the way I like it. :-) The pre- and post-race gift packs were excellent though whether the can of beer in the finish line goody bag would be recommended by medics I'm not sure. Leading up to the marathon I didn't train properly and I knew that I would struggle to finish. But for me it wasn't about setting a personal best so much as enjoying my guided tour of the magnificent city. So I put on a Real Madrid shirt and an Irish viking hat and with the warm, genuine and fervent support of onlookers and by-passers along the route (animo vikingo!, campeones Madrid!) there was no way I wasn't going to finish. I ran Paris in 1999 which with 22,000 starters was 10,000 bigger than Madrid. Of course Paris is a beautiful city and the organization there was perfect too but I'd run Madrid again. Do it! (and spend a week or two relaxing in Spain afterwards) | |
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A Runner from Calgary, Canada
(6/10/2002)
"Well organized, great spectators - but not flat" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second ever marathon and every marathon I run again will be rated against Madrid. The organization was perfect, the spectators were fantastic and the city - beautiful. The course however is not flat and the heat (2002) made it tough going. I strongly recommend running this marathon at the start of a holiday in Madrid (Spain) as it's a great excuse to go to this beautiful country. Make sure you do lots of hill training before running this marathon and get used to running in heat - ran a PR in spite of hills and heat - tough though. PS - great race package too. | |
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A Runner from Malaga Spain
(5/31/2002)
"Splendid clean majestic city" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I found the going very hot, and much of the route was spoiled by the fumes from heavy traffic snarled up because of the race. The crowds were enthusiastic and very encouraging. The many bands on route were great fun, too. Slick organization, and very friendly. Worth trying, especially to see this fabulous city. | |
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A Runner from albuquerque, nm
(10/29/2001)
"Great course and nice crowds, lots of fun" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great excuse to go to Madrid which is nice this time of year. Ran a PR here on a fast but not flat course. The expo was a little bit of a letdown but everything else was first rate. |
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