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Apr 27, 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 51 to 61]

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John Eng from New York City (3/21/2013) "Very fun race, great volunteers!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Logistics - Fair. Can be done without a car. I stayed at La Quinta that offers free airport shuttle and is about 15 minute walk to start. Course - Start is a bit congested but thankfully I was in Corral C. If you are in the open corrals, I recommend you get there really early to line up. The first 12 miles I thought were fairly easy and described as moderately rolling. Miles 12-Finish was much tougher with lots more hills and steeper ones at that. Hydration Stations - Plenty of hydration stations serving Gatorade and water. However, this is my only minor complaint is that the Gatorade is served in plastic cups while the water is in paper cups. The plastic cups will break if you try to pinch the tops and if you try to run while drinking without pinching the top of the cup, it will spill all over you. I understand they want to differentiate between the water and Gatorade but they can simply serve both in paper cups with the water being in plain paper cups and the Gatorade being in green Gatorade cups or any other color. Volunteers - Lots of volunteers. All of them were friendly and helpful. Little Rock is definitely a fun race with very good organization from start to finish. The medal is huge if that is your thing. Runners should be aware that this race gets tons of walkers since there is an early start 2 hours prior. You will be passing many of them walking side by side during the second half of the race. I wholeheartedly endorse Little Rock for it's excellent organization, caring volunteers, friendly locals and of course great food! I ate at lunch at the Soul Food restaurant at River Market after the race and at the Whole Hog Cafe for dinner.
R. T. from Pensacola, Florida (3/21/2013) "MEDAL FEVER" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first time to Little Rock and ran the marathon. What a great way to see to city. I went out with the early group unsure of the hills but was able to conquer them. The city of Little Rock really supports this race. The EXPO was the right size and not to big and not to small. I participated in the pasta meal and it was OK. The after race party is free and free food and beverages are included by the race. Of course, the prize is the MONSTER MEDAL at the end and having Bart Yasso call out your name at the end.
Ed Robins from Philadelphia, PA (3/11/2013) "Fun, well organized race" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I can't imagine anyone who chooses to run the Little Rock Marathon who would regret that decision. The expo is held in the convention center. You do have to pay to park but it was a cheap 5 dollar flat rate. I flew into Little Rock on Saturday and didn't get there until 2:30. I did get my packet quickly but by then the main expo floor was pretty crowded. I actually would've shopped more had there been more space. I wanted to try and see Bart Yasso who was there signing books but w/ the crowds I never found him. I'm sure most of the crowding was due to it being the final hours of the expo but a little more space might have helped too. The convention center is by the river and just a few blocks from the race start so runners can easily scope out the area. There was a great riverside market where I got lunch. I stayed in North Little Rock to save money and was still only 10 minutes away. If you wanted to there were a few hotels near by the starting line where you could've made the gun even leaving your room at 7:55. I arrived at 6:30 and easily parked in a garage one block away. Again with a flat event rate of 5 dollars. The race had a row of port-a-johns set up by the parking garage. This was a nice touch. I stayed warm in my car but was still able to use one with almost no wait 7:40. The course was a little more challenging than I anticipated. I knew miles 13-16 were supposed to be hilly (they were) but the early miles were a little harder than I expected. They really aren't much but I ran them a little too hard and paid for it later. After mile 16.5 you get a mile or so downhill and some of that hill is very steep. Miles 17-24 are a long out and back. I find out and backs this late in a race mentally taxing but luckily these miles are very flat and are scenic as well. You do have to climb 2 hills the final 2 miles before a final mild downhill to the finish line. The fan support for this race is pretty good. We even run by the governor's mansion and he was out there cheering us on too! There was also quite a few of what I call 'spectator' aid stops. Some churches and other groups just set up stops. 3 of them were handing out beer for folks who couldn't wait until the post race party. There were plenty of official aid stops. They all had sports drink and there were also many in the later miles that had gels and orange slices. My only real criticism is that every stop was set up differently. Cups varied from stop to stop and sometimes the water was first, other times the sports drink. I know this sounds nitpicky but when every stop is set up the same it makes a big difference late in a marathon when fatigue is an issue. Also some of ther stops used a plastic cup that is slippery if stepped on. This is a mid to large sized race w/ 2500 full, 4500 half and 1200 10K participants. They use a 4 corral system to ease the early race crowding. They could've maybe used another corral or two but perhaps not. Yes the medal is the biggest you will ever see. I'm not sure bigger is better but its certainly fun and quite the conversation piece. It seems to me these race directors really feel that a race should be fun (I agree) and they do generate a fun atmosphere. The super large medals certainly contribute to the fun. You also get a short sleeved tech shirt. There is a post-race party that lots of folks were talking about but I had to catch a flight so I can't comment on that.
S. F. from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (3/8/2013) "Great race but PLEASE change the start!" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 As a new marathon maniac I had heard great things about this race so I went in with very high expectations- of which most were met. Things I loved: -All of the originality- from the theme of the event, the lip stick stop at mile 25.5, etc. -The medal- echoing everyone's sentiments- it's awesome, and huge. 2 pounds and bigger than my head! -Bart Yasso at the finish! Amazing! -POST RACE PARTY- So great! There is nothing better than watching a bunch of post marathoners with an open bar and a dance floor. Enough said. - Ample chocolate milk and post race snacks, plenty of aid along the course. My one (MAJOR) complaint: I came into this race as a 4:13 marathoner, which put me in the 'open' corral start. I got to the race with what should have been plenty of time (40 minutes) to get to the appropriate area of the open corral, but it was packed. So congested that people were actually curved around the metal dividers that seperate spectators from runners. I tried to weave through, but wound up stuck behind hundreds and hundreds of walkers near the 6 hour pacers with absolutely no room to move. When the race started, I spent the first several miles passing all of the walking 10k'ers and half marathoners that lined up towards the front. I got elbowed, ran up on curbs and dividers, and probably annoyed a lot of people trying to get to a comfortable spot where I could run at a 9 minute pace. Inevitably, someone was always stopping in front of me to walk. When I finally felt comfortable, I looked at my watch and I was at mile 6.7, after all the 10k'ers had split. This unfortunately cost me an additional 1/2 mile (I ran 27 miles according to my garmin, which is well over the normal added mileage) and I missed the PR that I trained for by 53 seconds. I understand congestion, but this was my fourth marathon in four months and it was much worse than anything I've ever experienced. PLEASE put the 10k with the 5k before, or split the start of the marathoners and half marathoners, widen the start with a different street, or create another corral. There's such a huge difference between a 4:00 marathoner and a 10k walker to put them in the same corral. And perhaps I missed something, should have shown up an hour prior to the race instead of 40 minutes before- I'm not sure- but based on prior experiences this start needs to be changed, the event is just getting too big. Despite my one and only complaint, I'd still run it again. For out of towners: we stayed at the doubletree downtown and our experience was fine, and we also went hiking at pinnacle mtn the day after the race which I would highly recommend (amazing views!), as well as the Clinton Presidential Center.
C. B. from Columbia, MO (3/7/2013) "Great run - Well worth doing" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Course: - There were some minor rollers over the first few miles, then a long uphill from 10-16 followed by some sharp downhills. There was one more climb over the bridge at mile 24. It was a tougher than average course, but you know that going in. - The out-and-back between 18-23 was pretty boring (as others have said), but thats pretty much my only issue with the scenery. It was cool to say hello to the governor around mile 7. Fans: - The community support for this race was awesome! There were several 'unofficial' water stops set up by churches, neighborhoods, etc. Very cool to see. Organization: - Absolutely top notch. The corralled start worked well (I started in Corral B). Aid stations were well stocked and there were gels and other snacks along the course. Course was well marked throughout and the volunteers were great. - The post race party was fantastic! Good food and (best part) open bar! Cant beat that! Overall, I would absolutely recommend Little Rock. The organization is first rate and fans support is awesome. Oh yeah, they also give out rather large medals&.you may have heard about them.
E. V. from Chicago, IL, USA (3/6/2013) "Fun Race!" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I just got back to Chicago after my third marathon at Little Rock. The race organization was outstanding! The weather in Little Rock this time of year was ideal for a marathon. It was cold at the start, but not at all once we were moving. My biggest complaint is that the start is extremely crowded. I couldn't really watch my pace for the first mile, as I spent all my time and energy trying not to trip over walkers. Maybe more corrals based on pace would help, but unfortunately this is a problem at many races. If you expect to walk at all in the first mile, please line up at the back. The spectators were fantastic, even if there weren't tons of them. We had our names on our bibs, and many people cheered me on by name, which was really nice in the last few miles! I was disappointed that the photos taken did not include a finish line photo. But, they did get an awesome shot with the capital in the background and that was cool. All in all, this was a great race in a really fun town and I would do it again. However, if you're from a flat city like Chicago, the hills are killer. But, I knew that going in :-)
M. B. from South Carolina (3/5/2013) "Tough course but worth it!" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I enjoyed my entire weekend in Little Rock. I flew into the little rock airport and took about a 15 minute cab ride ($16-17)to the hotel. I stayed at the Courtyard Marriott. Which literally was ON the start line. We could see the start from our window. We knew we were close but had no idea we were that close. Hotel stay was a bit pricey, but worth it in my opinion. I opted for the 'perks pavillion' ticket and truly don't know why more people don't take advantage of that. AMAZING set up pre and post race. I really enjoyed all the food and drink options and then there were the massages! Nice especially after. They were spending about 20 minutes per person. It was worth the wait. I thought the race weather was perfect. I run better with colder temps. Aid stations were very well stocked. There were also multiple places where I got pieces of bananas and oranges. I love 'real' food on the course. The course: This was my 5th full and I knew about the hills so I trained for hills. The first 10 miles I felt weren't bad at all. At this point you begin a very long stretch of climbing. I felt like you were going up with a few breaks from this point until about mile 16/17. You then take off all that elevation in a very short time. Going down was steeper than I had anticipated but going down is going down. The next section is very flat and a very long out/back. This part was as hard for me mentally as the long climb was physically. The good news is at this point you know you are about done. The last two climbs at mile 24 and 25 really aren't as terrible as you may think that late in the game. Overall, a challenging course but it would probably have felt really hard had I not trained on hills. I was very thankful I did so therefore was able to enjoy the race and challange. The medal. It's amazing. Bigger than my face and almost 3 lbs. My thoughts before this race was it was going to be a one time deal to get the medal since the course seemed so hard but despite that I enjoyed myself so much I intend to go back. I like the size of the race, the swag and LOVED the perks before/after the race.
M. M. from Guilderland Center, NY (3/5/2013) "Meets high expectations" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 It must be difficult for such a highly rated marathon to continually live up to expectations, but the 2013 Little Rock Marathon did just that. What a top-notch organization! Everything from registration to the post-race party was exceptional. Geneva and Gina should serve as examples to race directors everywhere on how to run a great race weekend. Pros: - Really appreciate corrall start. Nice to be able to start right out on pace - Volunteers were plentiful and so friendly - Not too many hills, but a couple get your attention - No problem with mix of full, half, and walkers. Plenty of room to run together - Very nice to have the governor out there cheering us on - Always enjoy having Bart Yasso calling out the finisher's names - Results were available almost immediately after finishing - Beer at the finish - Best post-race party ever! I like the idea of coming back after getting cleaned up and rested a bit. The food and adult beverages were plentiful and fantastic. I enjoyed the silly but fun photo ops that were available. And the band, 'The Salty Dogs',was terrific. - Love the gigantic medal. Cons: - Not really sure if or when there was going to be an awards ceremony (was there one?) - The Peabody Hotel. The location of this hotel is perfect, literally attached to the convention center, and a short walk to the start and finish line. Perhaps for this reason, they presume they will always be designated as the host hotel. But I don't recommend staying here. The first night the noise from the music in the lobby was so loud that I could here it clearly, with my door closed, in my room on the 14th floor! Not what you want when you really need a good nights' sleep. Add to that a lack of in-room coffee makers, high-priced coffee and food on race morning, no early shuttle to the airport the next morning, and a generally ambivalent attitude toward the runners leaves this hotel low on my list. But I want to be clear that this is a critique of the hotel, and not of the race organization.
A. B. from Boston area, MA (3/5/2013) "WOW! Must-run marathon!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I am pursuing the 50 states and chose this marathon because so many other Marathon Maniacs and 50 State Club members were going to be there. I would rate it as one of my top 5 marathon experiences so far! They have EVERYTHING down to a science. A+! It's a stretch to find anything constructive to say. Positive: -Excellent communication, including social media and pre-race packet in the mail. -VERY supportive of walkers and slower runners. The BEST part of this race! -Miles were well-marked. -HUGE medal! -Well-stocked aid stations. -Awesome volunteers on the course. -Nice on-course entertainment. -2 hour early start for slower participants. -number of hotels in walking distance of start/finish -availability of perks pavilion (for extra $$). I recommend it for the great food and also an easy place to change clothes after the race. -nice variety of food at the finish (even if you don't do the perks pavilion). Plus, chocolate milk! -BART YASSO was there at the Expo and on race day. Huge bonus! Negative: -Shirt was an ugly maroon color with short sleeves and the material was cheap. I guess they put all of the schwag money into the medal. -Very few clocks on the course (that I noticed anyway). -Not many Italian food choices within walking distance of start/finish but they did have a pasta dinner. There were some tough hills in the later part of the course but these were advertised. The out and back stretch between miles 18 and 23 was a bit boring at times, in part because spectators couldn't get there without walking or biking. However, it was AWESOME to see people ahead of you and behind you, and it provided a great way for runners to support one another. If you are new to the area, I highly recommend taking the time to check out the Clinton Library. WELL worth the time!! And there a lot of cute shops in Little Rock but discovered most are closed on Sundays. :( I stayed at the Holiday Inn Presidential Downtown which was easy walking distance to/from the start and finish. They had a decent rate. Also, check out the River Street Marketplace. Great place for lunch the day before! Overall, this was a great marathon experience. You should really run in Little Rock! And try to arrange your travel plans to allow you to stay for the post-race party. It's included in the registration fee and is awesome (though get there early for best food selection).
D. S. from Fort Salonga, New York (3/5/2013) "Well worth doing!" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The organization, the people, the course (3 mile hill was tough) the stations were great! We can't forget the Medal, worth every step! Little Rock you rock!

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