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Apr 28, 2024

Little Rock Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Little Rock Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.6

Spectators 4.2

Number of comments: 409 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

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P. B. from Saginaw, MI (3/4/2015) "up 25%" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 3 Little Rock Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The good: Expo is first rate, Jaguar timing system is world class...did away with unnecessary 'wave' start this year...25 percent increase in finishers over 2014, despite 30s and rain- better weather this year...so much enthusiasm and a very good course, going by historic Central High is neat, lots of support in general, But..still major congestion with huge clusters of early start walkers spread over the last 8 or so miles in their pace groups...and although it was out of organizers' control (shipping strike on W coast) going home without the famous medal a disappointment. 5K day before is like a marathon eve appetizer. LR has heart.
E. F. from Los Altos Hills, CA (3/3/2015) "Exceptionally organized event" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The weather was a huge distraction before, during and after the race. (Multiple flight cancellations almost kept me from getting to Little Rock. I was delayed a whole day leaving.) Nevertheless, I can't speak highly enough of how well organized the race was. Volunteers had such great attitudes along the course, which I found to be varied and interesting. I didn't expect to run past the historic Central Little Rock High School. (When I did, I told myself to stop whining about my temporary discomfort.) The hills weren't that bad. Pretty gradual, though frequent. I loved staying at The Capital Hotel. The only thing I thought needed improvement was the pasta feed: The Marriott could have done a much better job; the food quality was pretty dismal. Finally, the effort to secure a replacement medal really showed me how much the directors care about this race. I highly recommend it. The weather is bound to be better next time!
J. s. from Nassau, Bahamas (3/2/2015) "Great display of southern hospitality" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The race organization was exceptional. The early start was wonderful and there were alot of people. There were pacers for 6 hour plus finishers I thought this was great. I fall into that category and this is the first race I've been in or know of that has pacers for these categories. The route was hilly but it was very scenic. To avoid the monotony on the out and back part around 18 - 22 there was a slightly different path. The organizers sent out an e-mail to people who may have had trouble getting to packet pick up in time and letting them know to contact them. I thought that was very classy. The spectators were not overwhelming but they were there and offering a variety of inducements to help you continue. It was easy to get to the marathon and find parking. The expo was of a decent standard, I'm not big on expos - but packet pickup was smooth and getting there and parking was easy. There were a lot of photo ops at packet pick up and on the route. Love the couch mile. they needed another one at mile 21. The lipstick mile was nice. The weather did not participate - it was cold and rainy - thankfully no breeze. I would definitely recommend this marathon - it was quite a treat.
B. S. from New York, NY (3/2/2015) "Check the box for Arkansas" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Trying to hit all 50 states will bring you to a few you wouldn't otherwise visit. Arkansas qualifies as such. My thoughts: Pros + Well-organized and professional staff. They take a lot of pride in this event. + Good local awareness and buzz + Good opportunity to mix in some hills before Boston + Cheap place to stay, and easy to get around + Good organization at the aid stations Cons: - Too much focus on the half and walking crowd. - The amount of traffic dodging from early starters and slow half runners is ridiculous - Rain and cold put a damper on the post-race festivities - What's up with the 6 oz beers? - Too many turns on the course. I think I ran 26.5 or 26.6, despite doing my best to cut tangents. - Not a PR course Overall, I give this a thumbs-up based on the enthusiastic organization of the race (thank you, G-Force)
C. J. from Memphis, Tennessee, USA (8/1/2014) "Exceptionally COLD, good race given circumstances" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 It was an Epic adventure, I'll give you that! It was my first marathon ever, at 58 yrs old. I was a runner, but in the early start group due to my slow pace. We got to start two hours early, before the weather got really bad. Because of that, I was able to run all 26.2. I can understand the anguish of the many runners who were not allowed to finish, but am thankful that - given the fact that it was my first marathon ever - I was able to finish. I had just passed the 20 mile marker when word came down that the race was cancelled or rerouted. (We heard both terms.) We were told that buses would pick us up, but in the meantime, the only thing we could do was keep run/walking-to stop at that point would risk hypothermia. So we all kept going. I had to run/walk another hour before reaching the buses, and by that time, I was too close to the finish to even consider getting on a bus. None of the runners got on. We just kept going towards the finish, hoping there would be a medal waiting for us. For months, I looked forward to primping at the Lipstick station before running in for my finish, but by the time I passed it, they were just passing out lipstick to runners too cold to even think about primping. I finished so cold my husband had to wrap his body around mine to help me quit shivering. But I was happy. I had my first marathon finisher's medal. The bad weather put me to the ultimate test, and I had passed it. I've noticed comments about the walkers blocking the roadways. FYI, all Early Start participants are REQUIRED to attend an educational seminar at the Expo, where they were given explicit instructions NOT to block the roadway in clusters, and to always keep a path clear for the fast runners. The organizers spent alot of time addressing this issue. I am really sorry that some runners were blocked by the walkers. But the race organizers did all they could to keep that from happening. Sometimes, people just don't stop to think how their actions will affect others. I'm going back to Little Rock in 2015. I'll make sure to bring your concerns up in the Early Start educational seminars. Maybe it will help reinforce what race organizers are trying to teach the Early Start walkers. Meantime, I think we all need to realize that race organizers were put in an unavoidable situation with no good options available to them. We all hope that next year's weather will be more cooperative!
J. B. from Austin, TX (4/2/2014) "What an interesting experience!" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Wow, where to begin with this marathon experience! This was a new one for me. I guess I will start with the expo. It was like any other and found it pretty crowded so wasn't willing to fight the crowds to shop. I knew the weather was going to be an issue and it was nice that I got an email from the race directors the night before saying they were monitoring the weather and for us to stay tuned. We started the race on time but I also agree they should have let everyone start sooner, it was miserable standing there waiting in the corral hoping I'd get done in time before the front hit. The course was as described so was prepared with the hills. The one part I'd change would be the long out and back from 18-24....but who likes boring out and backs anyway. At mile 21 I heard the news from volunteers that the race had been CANCELLED and to seek shelter immediately, and that there were buses at the Walmart that would pick us up. Well that was pretty hard to do when there was NO shelter anywhere around. So we all just kept running, we had no other choice. Unless I saw bad lightening I was going to keep going to the finish. Before I got done with the out and back, I did see several signs indicating race or weather status, some were red and some were black. I finally got out of the out and back and saw that EVERYONE was continuing on so I was pretty excited about that. We never did see any lightening or hail, thank goodness. The last 2 hills in the last 2 miles were not pleasant but what are you going to do. I wasn't sure what to expect once at the finish but as I was running to it I saw it was fully functional like normal and the announcer was there and I received my time and medal. I was pretty confused though at that point because we were informed the race was cancelled. It was too cold to stick around and I didn't see any food or drinks, that was disappointing. It would have been nice to have been told where to go or have it right there exiting the chute. I feel very fortunate to have been one of the lucky ones that were able to finish. And I think the communication was pretty bad between the staff and volunteers regarding weather and how to deal with the race. I had no dealings with the police so can't comment on that. Hopefully this will be a learning experience for future bad weather marathons!
Todd Wells from Chicago, USA (3/27/2014) "When a Race's Logo Foreshadows its own Fate" (about: 2014) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This an odd review for me to write: I know about the lightning and re-routing/cancellation and I know about the later corrals being forced to wait in the cold rain for their turn to go, two elements which, by all accounts, ruined a destination event for lots of participants. But neither of those issues affected me, and since I can only write about my own race and experience, I will risk the ire of the re-routed and say this was one of the best organized marathons I have run in. The weather was raw at the start, but the River Market food court was open, with plenty of room to stay warm and dry until the start. I was in Corral A and easily entered the paddock just 7 or 8 minutes before the gun. Our group started on time at 8:01. The aid stations were well-staffed with enthusiastic volunteers, almost all of whom knew how to hold the cup when handing them out. Despite the weather, no one seemed to have abandoned their post. The walkers were just shy of being an impediment. I think the best way to put it is that, while they weren't exactly in the way, I had to think about the route I was going to use every time I passed another group of them. Except for the stretch at the beginning through North Little Rock, the course is attractive; Little Rock is a good-looking town (or so it seems; this was my first time there) and the race captures it. The hills on the course are for real; look out at mile 14. And mile 15. And 16 and 17 too. There was plenty of food at the end, although why anyone would stock a marathon finish line with non-fat sugar-free yogurt is still a mystery to me. My hands were too cold at the finish to do much of anything, but the volunteers had no problem with helping me wrap my hands in mylar and then packing my gear bag with my clothes and some food. The finisher medal is uselessly big. My kids cant play with it because the lightning bolt coming out of the middle might ding the floor if they drop it; it doesnt fit in a shoebox. One of the most amusing moments of my trip was waiting in the airport to fly home Sunday afternoon and watching all the marathoners walking around with those hubcaps dangling from their necks. My condolences to everyone who had the race yanked from under them. I would be beside myself if it had happened to me. For a more digression-filled version of the above, see: http://traveldiaryofamadman.com/the-little-rock-marathon/
G. R. from North Carolina (3/18/2014) "This could be a great marathon" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I agree with the many comments already posted on this marathon. I would like to add a few more. The positives: I was seeded in Corral B and crossed the start line within minutes of the start. The pace group(s) were great! Most of them nailed the pace each and every mile. Great course (except for the out and back at 18-22 or so). Bag check volunteers were more than 5 stars for helping us collect our clothes, food and blankets in the terrible weather. Post meal party was excellent. Medal truly is unbelieveable. Negatives: WALKERS start early and need to understand runners should not have to run around or through them. Yield to runners please. I stopped right before the finish shute due to 4-5 walkers spread out across the entire area. RD PLEASE ADDRESS THIS NEXT YEAR. The weather was terrible so some of the volunteers bailed out from finish area. I had to search out fluid and blanket on my own.
J. L. from Indianapolis, Indiana (3/14/2014) "Dissapointed with Race Start" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The weather did not cooperate but that is not the Organization's fault. I believe they did the best they could considering the weather conditions. Like other comments I also was told the race was over but I was at a point that I had to get in so I and others just kept running. We finished and received an official time. My biggest dissapointment was the start. The wave start was not widely communicated although the message was hidden in the Race Instructions given out at the Expo. I agree with other participants that there was no need for the wave start as there aren't that many participants. I have been in much larger races (Chicago Marathon) without a wave start. This year's wave start required me to start about a half hour later than the 8am start. With the weather conditions that day many people were already very cold and wet. I blame that on the Organization. Please reconsider this wave start next year. Other than that the volunteers were exceptional, espeially condisering the weather condition. Overall, it was a good race.
M. C. from Albany NY (3/13/2014) "A real test of the organizers and they get 5 stars" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I finished this marathon in my slowest time ever - but I finished because I ignored the black flags and notices that the event was cancelled, mostly because I was on the out back section at mile 18 and I didn't see any way to get back to the start except on foot. Forgetting the awful weather - wind, sleet, thunder and lightening...my only gripe with this marathon is the starting corrals. Ridiculous. Took me 30 minutes shivering in pouring sleet to get to run. Start the Half earlier and then let the marathoners go in no more than two waves. Otherwise don't corral people who, like my husband five corrals behind me didn't get to start for nearly an hour after being trapped in a corral. The organizers did a superb job in awful conditions. I hear people complained about people who were diverted getting medals anyway&.my goodness what were organizers to do - those gorgeous and spectacular plate sized souvenirs were specific for the year and a just reward for those who, unlike me,obeyed the notices! ( I got mine too). A huge hug to the aid stations and all the volunteers who stayed on the course. An extra special hug to the Lipstick Lady at mile 25 1/2. It was purring rain, gale like winds with thunder booming. I'm wrapped up in plastic bags and shuffling against the wind. Out steps this smiling young woman proffering lipstick. I was too busy holding my plastic on to accept but a smile at that point was like radiant heat!!!! The hills were nasty - but I expected that. My hotel Holiday Inn Presidential was a short walk to the start and expo and with an airport shuttle.

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