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Charlottesville Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Charlottesville Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 3.0
Number of comments: 240 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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Jason Kenesie from Kenosha, Wi
(4/9/2013)
 "Poor Organization" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 This was one of the poorest organized Marathons that I have ran. I have done 18. The race started late. 6 or 7 minutes. I can deal with that but what was troubling was that the mile markers were off. One mile would be 12 minutes and the next would be 6 minutes. It made it hard to get a good pace. This is inexcusable. How can mile markers be that off? The course was pretty and a nice course. It was a hard course but you need accurate miles. I don't wear a GPS so I had no idea. Then when I finished I went to the post race food to find cold pizza. Also beer was 3 bucks a can. Are you telling me that a marathon sponsored by Miller Lite can't provide a free beer. I paid a lot of money for this race and I expect more. I can deal with starting late, cold pizza, and buying beer but the inaccurate miles is inexcusable. I am trying to run a marathon in every state but if I could I would not run this one again because of the mile markers. The city and area are beautiful if the organization was better this would be a good destination marathon. I would steer clear of it until it is better organized. | |
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c. n. from wi
(4/6/2013)
 "brutal course, but very scenic" (about: 2013)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This race made Boston seem easy. A tough course for sure, but definitely see some pretty sights. The marathon really seems to be an afterthought and the course gets a little sparsely populated with fellow runnersamd spectators after the split. The fans that were there were great, just weren't a lot of them. If you are slower you will sometimes wonder if you are going the right way. Course marking dropped off considerably as the morning went on. Do a lot of hill training or be prepared for an unpleasant day. | |
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Y. Y. from Atlanta, GA
(4/30/2012)
 "One-of-a-Kind Course" (about: 2012)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 The marathon is a quaint and hilly course that features some breathtaking views of Charlottesville and the surrounding countryside. It really feels like two different races. In the first (roughly the first half of the course) the crowds are denser and you share the course with the half marathoners. Running through the Piedmont Virginia horse farms with the sun breaking was unforgettable! The second race starts when the full course splits off from the half. Herein, the runners and the crowds thin out and you have to work a bit harder to pace yourself. The views keep you going though, as this part of the race features the Rivannah trail and some city parks. I found the organization a bit lacking. They had far too few porter potties along the course (only a couple different stops as far as I could remember). Also, they didn't distribute the GU energy gels very well. As in, volunteers who were handing out water / gatoraid also had to scramble to retreive gels when runners asked for them. This wasn't a matter of not having enough volunteers. But instead of having all 5 or so volunteers at each aid station handing out liquids without any of them advertising the gels, they should have at least one dedicated to handing out gels. The pre- and post-race events were good. Opening up the Ice Park (which is right next to the start) was great in aiding the runners in their last-minute prep for the race on a very cold morning. The post-race food was excellent and downtown Charlottesville made it a great atmosphere to hang out afterward. | |
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Marcia Hokenson from Minneapolis, Minnesota
(4/30/2012)
"'Scenic' means hilly!" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I chose this race because it was the only marathon in the country on this particular weekend. The race was quoted as being scenic, but the elevation was not posted until about 2 months after I had signed up. A very hilly course, particularly at mile 24....but absolutely stunning with blossoms everywhere. I enjoyed the two out-and-back loops, and it was a treat to discover 2 miles of relatively flat from mile 22 to 24. Packet pick-up, parking, aid stations were all clearly marked. Volunteers were awesome and very supportive. Spectators were primarily in town and at a few major intersections, but I usually get my inspiration from the other runners anyway. Most fun I've had running a marathon so far. Think the perfect weather really helped. Biggest disappointment was the medal which didn't even have the year on it. | |
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J. V. from Flowery Branch, Georgia
(4/24/2012)
"Scenic Race, But Cheap Amenities" (about: 2012)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This is a challenging course but really scenic - especially the parts though the horse farms. My complaint is that the amenities were lacking: the age group awards consisted of a coupon for a (small) frozen yogurt at a local shop, and 15% off another race by the event organizers. The medal was cheap, with a Miller Lite ribbon. Based on this, you'd expect free Miller Lite at the finish. But there were only cups of water - not even bottles. The clock was one minute fast, so if you finished in 3:30, the clock said 3:31 (paltry, I'll admit, but what if you were trying to break a specific time?) Other than that, it was an enjoyable experience and the race itself went off without a hitch. | |
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J. R. from Decatur, Ga
(4/19/2012)
"Beautiful and Hilly" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 As the title says, the scenery was beautiful but more hills than I had expected. A tough run but the weather was beautiful for running . I thought the organization was good...I just wish the marathon and half marathon would start ate different times. The 6:30 a.m. start time was brutal (just me waking up for it) so we stayed at the host hotel (Omni)...that ease to the start line was well worth the extra $$$ for the room. I thought there were enough water stops along the way...just not enough porta-potties (I only saw two of them...maybe I missed one or two along the way???) I enjoyed the fans, especially I toward the end...it was fun to finish with cheering fans (I even heard my name over the speaker as I was crossing the finish line). Overall, I would recommend the run, especially if you want to challenge yourself (you won't get a PR on this one). | |
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Brock Webb from Severna Park, MD, USA
(4/9/2012)
 "Small marathon with big charm" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I had a great time and this was a very different marathon in many respects from some of the others I've run. If you don't like the crowds and want a fairly scenic, well supported run, check it out and put it on your list. I found logistics, such as traffic, parking, getting around to be very easy. There were more than enough bathrooms close to the start. and there wasn't a 20 minute wait either. There are not a lot of bathrooms on the course, unless you count the woods and trees - if you trail run like I do, then there were a lot of choices for a pit stop ;) Course support was great - there was plenty of water and electrolyte drink, and Gu being offered at various points as specified on the map. There won't be crowds of people cheering you on, but those along the road or at the aid stations were friendly and supportive. Quality over quantity! The out-and-backs were fun, because that's the only way I'll ever see the leaders running, a treat to see. A lot of camaraderie between fellow runners while passing each other hey, there's your support crowd ;) ... The race was divided into three sections: west, north, and east (mostly a loop with a great cool stretch along a river, but some long hills up and down). This course has hills, look at the area. They aren't bad, albeit in a few places (mile 24) they were a little painful. Besides the country roads, parks, bike trails, and historic spaces/sights to cruise by, I enjoyed having space to run free of the crowds. This division made it easy to break up my race in sections. This is not the corporate 'Rock n' Roll' marathon, nor is it a massive Marine Corps marathon. I've run in crowds, but its not my thing. This is a nice town on the Virginia countryside with a locally homegrown flavor. I enjoyed the experience, and would definitely run it again. | |
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D. B. from Charlottesville, VA
(4/9/2012)
 "Terrible Organization" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Charlottesville Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 I have run this marathon twice. It is a very pretty (though hilly) course. The crowd support, while sparse, was good. It's fairly expensive, and one year they ran out of water / gatorade. My biggest problem with this marathon is their poor clean-up effort. For the last 2 years, I found myself running through the park days after race, finding it still littered with half-used gu packets. As a steward of the local running community, I cleaned up after them, though this is not my job. I emailed the race director about it previously, and they said it was an oversight and would be fixed. But obviously, it wasn't. I find it sad that this FOR PROFIT race makes their money while littering our community under the guise of running and fitness. As a runner and C'ville resident, I would encourage runners to NOT run this marathon because I am tired of cleaning up the park after the marathon while the organizers neglect our community. | |
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A. D. from Pound Ridge, NY
(4/8/2012)
"Solid Race, Weak Medal" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Overall, I would recommend this race. The positives are: 1) Physically challenging course. This one is no joke, it will put all that training to good use. It was a tough challenge, throughout the course, 2) Beautiful course. From the lovely UVA campus, to the rolling farmlands, this course is very beautiful for the most part (1st half is nicer than 2nd half), 3) Its a great destination race. We checked out Monticello, Monroe's estate, and toured the wonderful VA countryside, in addition to participating in race weekend. 4) Its the best early Spring race I've run on the east coast. The negatives are: 1) The medal is awful. Considering how much time and effort goes into training, preparing and completing a marathon, I think the medal should be more personal that what we received. To receive a 'Miller Lite' metal for running this race is borderline offensive. I'm sure someone in the organizing committee got some good sponsorship dollars for plastering Miller Lite all over the ribbon and on the metal, but next time, acknowledge Miller Lite on the medal, but stick with the Charlottesville motif, VA icons, and maybe something that will remind finishers of their significant achievement, 2) the organization was spotty. Bottleneck at the start, no timers anywehere along the course (not even at the half marathon mark), and several long stretches of road with no water stops. Overall, I'd recommend this race. But, for a race that is billed as a 'top 10' race, I'd have to say it did not meet those expectations. Its a good race, and one worth doing, but there is room for improvement if this is truly going to be a top 10 race. | |
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john carboni from schenectady ny
(4/8/2012)
"nice area,hilly,well organized" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran this as a Virginia marathon that fit in my schedule. I nice destination in a scenic area with many different shrubs flowers and trees blooming. There are many rolling hills. It may not be a BQ course for you. Aid stations are well placed as with the porto-potties. Race shirt is good, medal very plain. |
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