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Apr 28, 2024

Big-D Texas Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Big-D Texas Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.4

Organization 3.2

Spectators 2.8

Number of comments: 173 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 18 > ]

c. g. from Dallas, TX (4/25/2013) "Overall a good experience" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Big-D Texas Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 All the negative comments is frustrating. Yes, some things definitely could have been better but I don't depend on anyone else to make my experience a pleasant one. With a little homework, you would have soon realized that it's a hilly course and this time of year in Dallas is typically warm and windy. It is unfortunate that an extra mile was added on and it should have been acknowledged sooner but that shouldn't make the entire experience a bad one. Things happen and as runners we are always good at adapting, putting it behind us and moving on to the next challenge.
C. S. from Dallas,TX (4/22/2013) "Horrible marathon for 1st time marathoners!!!" (about: 2013) First Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This was our first marathon!! The lead car messed up and added over a mile to our course at the very beginning! This added much stress mentally as we didn't know if it would be corrected or what mile we were truly at... Mile markers were misplaced many times, having the 18 mile marker after the 19 and only about 1/4 mile apart.... The course has enough obstacles that poor planning should not be added! We train on a somewhat hilly area, but the hills were more than we were prepared for... The wind was strong tht day an many times we just walked to save some energy! We were a late finisher and the food/after party was well OVER and no sign food had ever been there.... VERY disappointing after 27+ miles to not even have a energy bar or a piece of fruit at the finish line! Overall horrible experience for us! We will not participate in a Mellew productions race again!
Kendall Black from Grand Prairie, TX (4/19/2013) "Big-D really not that bad" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Big-D Texas Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 It seems all the comments vented frustration that they had to run an extra mile. So what? Mistakes happen, and everyone had to run the same course. No one should try to qualify for Boston at this time of year. The weather is just too warm. Those who are expecting perfect races will spend most of their time frustrated. I enjoy Lewis George's races, and will continue to support them.
H. v. from Houston, TX (4/18/2013) "Warm, Windy plus an extra mile to run!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Big-D Texas Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran this race in 2012 and again this year (2013). This year, the lead car took a wrong turn and we ended up running an extra mile right from the start. At the 1 mile mark, my Garmin read '2 miles'. Wishing that a more course-knowledgable person was along for the ride in the lead car! The extra mile is addressed on the results page for the marathon, but times were not adjusted to account for it. Weather is always a roll of the dice this time of year in East Texas, so you can't count on cool weather for this race. It was less humid this year than in 2012, which was nice, and no rain, but the winds were quite strong, particularly along the back half of the course along the lake. There is nothing stopping the wind across the lake, so it was quite strong and I found it frustrating having to push forward against it that late in the race. Same course as last year, so there are some hills. I don't train on hills, but these weren't too bad (by my standards) - just long, which makes for a bit of a grind. There's a steep quarter-mile climb coming off the lake at mile 8, when you head up into the neighborhoods, and then again, leaving the lake the second time around mile 19. When you leave the lake at mile 8, the bulk of the course is uphill(with a few scattered downhills) until you get to mile 15. At 15.5 is a good downhill back to lake level. The hill at mile 20 is something you have to save some energy for as it's a good climb initially, then a lingering uphill for another half mile or so. The last few miles are downhill through town (not overly scenic), and you join in with the last of the half-marathoners. There are few spectators on the course, but the ones that are there are very supportive and many had fun signs to read. The water stop support is excellent as well. My only complaint is that the water stations were not spaced well - they varied between 1-2.5 miles apart. Some of the cups were barely 1/3 full others filled nearly to the top. This is an ok race - nothing specatcular. Don't expect the big-city race perks and crowds. Running around the lake is a nice treat - lots of wildlife to see/hear and other runners/cyclists on the paths are supportive. The shirt was nice this year (no advertising on the back!) and marathoners received a a nice finishers mug along with a medal. I was too tired after 27.3 miles to stick around long for the post-race, so I can't comment in depth on that. I finished the marathon around the 4 hour mark and I did notice very little food available when I walked through the hall.
A. M. from Dallas, Texas (4/17/2013) "Never again." (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Big-D Texas Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Not the best event. Would I ever attend another race put on by Mellew Productions? Probably not. The mile markers this year were totally off and we ended up running 27.3 miles. It's just 1.1 more miles than 26.2, but every mile makes a difference, especially at the end. The route is very hilly, which becomes very difficult for the beginner. There were a few times where I had to stop for cars to cross before the police let me cross the street. The first 3 miles did not have a drink station and it felt like there weren't enough throughout the entire course. Not enough port-o-potties for runners (there was a HUGE line just a few minutes before the marathon). The best part of the marathon? Leaving.
M. F. from Houston (4/17/2013) "this marathon sucks" (about: 2013) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Big-D Texas Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I ran in Mellew's Big D marathon on 4/14/2013. i had several issues with the race. 1) It was the incorrect distance. Really? You are a marathon company and can't get the distance right? 2) The hotel that Mellew suggested shut down the pool and hot tub the day if the race and when we tried to check in, at 3 pm, our rooms weren't ready yet. Nice corporate partnership. 3) The parking plan and map that Mellew company provided for drop off the morning of the race wasn't even close to accurate. All but one gate was closed. I emailed Mellew's so called customer service and all I got were Mellew company's excuses for the issues. I asked what their course of action was to rectify the situation. It was clear the Mellew company were placing the blame on everyone else and refusing to represent THEIR event with any integrity or morality. Mellew, as the company in charge and primary entity, IS RESPONSIBLE for the service and facilities of their partner hotels. Does the Mellew company make a regular practice of not being aware of the hotel conditions and available amenities on race weekend with their partner hotels? Corporate partnerships most certainly have elements of control from both parties. Mellew, as the company in charge and primary entity, IS RESPONSIBLE for the information and execution of the parking plan and gate staff. If the gate availability is determined by the Fair Park staff, why does the Mellew company publish and disseminate false information regarding directions and logistics for their paying customers? Does the Mellew company make it a regular practice to make parking arrangements, maps, give directions and suggest routes without confirming availability and accuracy with the site company? Mellew, as the company in charge and primary entity, IS RESPONSIBLE for making sure that the marathon is an actual marathon.....not some random distance. The Big D marathon is supposed to be a Boston qualifier. What a joke! I see that they sponsor several other events across Texas. I will NEVER, I repeat NEVER, waste my time, money and effort on a Mellew race EVER again. Neither should you
F. L. from Texas (4/16/2013) "Mellew race clowns made this a disaster!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Big-D Texas Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 This race was a disaster! Ended up being 27.4 miles instead of 26.2!!!! I (along with so many others) was trying hard to qualify for Boston. What a heartbreak to have my chance stolen this way! DO NOT run Mellew events! I wish I would have researched them because there have been numerous complaints. Major ones and this one takes the cake! We got no explanation no refund and no apologies from them! They only want your money and do not care at all about the runners.
T. V. from Dallas, TX (4/16/2013) "Really poorly organized" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Big-D Texas Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 Due to a mixup early in the course, we were forced to run an extra mile around Fair Park. So by the time we hit the 2 mile marker, we had actually run 3 miles which turned this into a 27.2 mile marathon. I'm done with Mellew.
H. P. from Fort Worth, Texas (4/16/2013) "Yes this really happened" (about: 2013) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Big-D Texas Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 First marathon for me and probably my last. I trained really hard and was prepared for 26.2. When I got to the first mile marker, I looked at my watch and it said 15:22. I knew that was wrong and like other runners thought that they had simply made a mistake and misnumbered by placing mile marker 1 at mile marker 2. This misnumbering continued throughout the race. At mile marker 23, which was actually 24.29 miles, a girl I was running next to said that we were going to have to run 27.2 miles. I was on pace for about a 3:35 marathon until she said that. I knew I didn't have three more miles in me. I slowed down considerably and finished what I believe was 27.4 miles in 3:51. At the finish line, there was no explanation for what had happened. I searched for answers and finally a pace runner told me that the cop who escorted us from the start line took a wrong turn and added an extra mile or so to the race. It seemed they knew this right after it happened but were okay with keeping the finish line in its place and letting us gut out an extra 1 plus miles. I know it was chip-timed and would have been impossible to move the equipment to an updated finish line, but go old-school and grab a piece of paper and stopwatch and write down bib numbers and times at 26.2 miles, the length of a marathon. There were only 500 plus marathoners so this could have been done. The sad part is that post-race and the days after, there was no response from race organizers (like an e-mail or post on the website) about the mistake. There were a decent amount of fans and cops cheering us on. The aid stations were too far apart at some points and too close together at others. The first aid station didn't appear until over 3 miles in. The course itself is hilly and challenging. Very pretty in some areas, especially around the lake. We caught a break and got excellent running weather. That is not the norm here in Texas. April is all over the place usually weather wise. There wasn't much activity post-race. No goodie bags, not much food or drink, and no one really celebrating. If your looking for a good experience, I don't recommend this race. If your looking for a tough, challenging course with no other perks, this is the race for you.
D. B. from Houston, Tx (4/16/2013) "Bad Mistake" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 For the 2013 Big D (10th anniversary) marathon the course was not measured properly and ended up being 27.2 instead of 26.2. Lots of mad runners and lousy times. The excuse I heard was the police had measured the course. Someone obviously messed up on the markers and what was mile two was shown as mile one and so on. Other issues, the volunteers were not given volunteer shirts or anything. The course was challenging with rolling hills but would not have been that big a deal if the had measured the distance properly. The area in Fair Park was also not a good area and a lousy part of town. Good thing is White Rock Lake was nice and you ran around it. However lots of rolling hills through the suburbs, not much fun. Best part of this race was the water stops that had plenty of Power Aid and snacks from brownies to the fruit. They were competing for the best so were motivated. The medal and shirt were ok.

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