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Apr 29, 2024

Potomac River Run Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Potomac River Run Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.4

Organization 4.4

Spectators 3.2

Number of comments: 42 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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L. F. from Alexandria, VA (2/3/2006) "Nice Home Race" (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Potomac River Run Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 If you can, train on the course. Trail markers are posted, but they do not match the race mile markers.
A. P. from Fairfax, Virginia (5/4/2005) "World Laughter Day!" (about: 2005) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I actually ran the half-marathon, which is the first loop of the two-loop marathon course, so I hope my comments help people considering running either the marathon or the half. The course was the same as 2004 and it has some really lovely views and it is entirely run along the Mount Vernon Bike Trail. I frankly enjoy the views and like to train there and have run numerous races there. The trail is mostly asphalt, with some wooden bridges and a couple small street crossings. There are a couple good hills - I tend to like hills and these are challenging. You run by a lot of historic 'stuff' and there is plenty of shade. This year there were more spectators, since the race management team had put out a spectators' guide and encouraged them out. This year had a 'laughter' warm up, which I thought was a nice touch. Even though, as I said, I was running the half-marathon, I remember all the times I have stood at marathon start lines feeling some jitters and I could see a couple runners who seemed to have them. The laughter leader really helped anyone with that issue get over it - everyone did their real warm-up and then came to the start for the laughter warm-up and the recorded anthem. Finisher medals are given to all finishers of either the marathon or the half. The t-shirt is one you would actually want to wear, as it is a Sports Science shirt (not cotton) and has reflective ink. Btw, if for any reason you set out to run the full marathon but feel it is not a good day for you, you can bag at the half marathon finish line and decide on the fly. In such a small race, the finish line people are going to be very savvy about who finished what race. My only criticism of the race is that with various people finishing at different times it is a little difficult to ferry finishers back to their hotel 'right now.' If you don't bring your own wheels, you may have to wait a little long for a ride. To me, the park is nice and it is worth it. You should carpool to this race, or, if you are a local and have a good friend who is willing to get up early, you should get dropped off or picked up. There are not a lot of parking spaces. I carpooled to the start and it was fine - no problem getting a parking space - but people who can should do that to make sure there are spaces for all. Btw, I think a 200-person race is a nice switch. It's fun to chat. It's very homey and small enough to be friendly.
J. S. from Alexandria, VA (5/3/2005) "Run this race before it becomes famous!" (about: 2005) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 First of all, in the interest of full disclosure, I've volunteered at this race the past two years. [That was me by the clock at the Riverside Park turn-around in 2004, and this year, I used my truck to drop off all non-H2O supplies at the water station.] So I may be biased. But this year, I also did the full 26.2, and I'm glad I did. It was my 9th race, and not my best marathon (&$%@#& orthotics!), but the race is a gem, and one day will be famous as the spring marathon in the DC area. As folks have mentioned, the course is a double-out-and-back along the Mount Vernon Trail, a paved bike path leading South from Alexandria to Mount Vernon. Unlike many riverside bike paths (and unlike sections of the MVT further north), this part has small, rolling hills over 2/3 of its length. In my opinion, this can be worse than a few larger hills, because folks respect larger hills. With small hills (which you hit 4 times each on this course), you tend to tear up them, and race down them, both tiring yourself out and tearing up your quads. The course is beautiful, but it is not easy - nor flat. The MVT parallels a 4-lane parkway to Mount Vernon, but there are not that many places for spectators to turn off and find parking. So there aren't throngs of cheering fans. But instead, where the trail veers away from the parkway, you run through nature preserves, and lots of shade from the May sun. Very scenic, expecially some of the AM views over the Tidal Potomac River. Moreover, the trail is not closed during the race, and especially later in the morning, there are casual joggers and cyclists sharing the trail with you. But not as many as I would have thought. However, where this race shines is in runner support (and not just because I had a hand in providing it). There are six water stations along the 6.5 mile course, meaning for the full, double-out-and-back you hit a water station 24 times in 26.2 miles. In addition to Drinkmore water and Ultima, there was Honest-T Tea, XS energy drink, Fig Newtons, and probably a lot of other things that I didn't even pay attention too. The race volunteers are runners, too, and they supplement the official race supplies with things they would want to have in the middle of a marathon. Finally, for all the penguins out there, that support continues until the end. There is an early start, 30 minutes before the main start. But thanks to a late (for me) start after getting all the supplies out to the water stations, and also to an injury (&%$^&#@ orthotics!) that had me walking the last 5 miles of the race, I was the last person to cross the finish line. Still, the organizers knew exactly* who was still out on the course late into the race, and followed my progress through the last few water stations. At the end, the course marshal and the race director came out to walk in with me the last half mile, and the medical team was there at the end, to make sure it really was the &$^&% orthotics, and not something more serious. I hope that this race grows in size, as DC needs a quality local* spring marathon on its calendar. But I hope that it doesn't lose its support of runners and quality organization in the process of growing. Despite my own personal circumstances leading to a sub-par performance, a great little marathon. Thanks, Jay!
Suzanne Flament-Smith from Charlotte, NC (5/3/2005) "Excellent First Marathon Experience" (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Potomac River Run Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and it was a fabulous experience! Hats off to the race director - Jay! The course is on a beautiful nature trail and consists of two up-and-back loops at 13.1 miles per up/back. The half-marathoners stop after one loop and the marathoners do a second loop. On the way up, the course tends to be more up-hilly then on the way down. Overall not too challenging. It is easy to figure out the more tiring areas after the first loop. By the second loop you are prepared and know what to expect. The fans and other participants were great! It is very convenient to park and have your family/friends meet you at certain miles to cheer you on. The race is not far from DC; so a nice weekend can be made out of the event too. I was very nervous since this was my first marathon but found myself not tired or sore afterwards. A challenging but not killer course. Would do it again for sure!
C. m. from Camp Lejeune, NC (5/2/2005) "Terrific small marathon" (about: 2005) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Congratulations to Mr. Wind and his folks for putting together a wonderful, small marathon. Five-star course for scenery and variety of terrain. Five stars for organization. Keep in mind that this is a small marathon set up by fellow runners, not corporate event coordinators. Things are informal, no frills, casual, and friendly. There will not be legions of support personnel waiting to walk you through every step of the marathon. Five stars for spectators, although there aren't many along the route whose sole purpose it is to cheer for runners. Instead, you've got folks out on their weekend run, grandparents walking along the river, and the occasional duck or heron all wishing you well and Godspeed along the way. On that note, runners must pay attention on the bike path for bikers, baby strollers, and local residents enjoying their bike path. Everyone was polite, but you need to keep your eyes open and share the trail. If you remember what it was like when you just ran to have fun, this is the marathon for you. Again, great job by Mr. Wind and crew, thanks for a fun marathon.
Cynthia Johnson from Arlington, VA (5/23/2004) "It was great; what a great experience!" (about: 2004) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Potomac River Run Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 From the convenient location to the interesting course, as a new marathoner, I gained many benefits from this experience. The one I keep going back to (which will be hard to find in another marathon) is being able to pre-acquaint myself with the course and thus because of its nearby location, I was able to memorize where the harder parts of the marathon would be for me - AHEAD OF TIME! What a bonus! It may never happen again but it sure gave me the edge to feel good out there the whole way! Thanks, Jay!
D. B. from Hyattsville, MD (5/20/2004) "Great race! Thanks Jay!" (about: 2004) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I would like to thank Jay Wind and the rest of the race organizers for pulling this event off. It was orginally scheduled to be run in Arlington. I'm glad Arlington County declined so that it was run on an alternate course that was on a bike path that followed along the Potomac River in Alexandria for much of the race. A deceptively challenging course (but not that hard), but a blast nonetheless. Good support, nice medal, nice Dri-Release shirt (so I can actually use it). My only recommendation - Don't change a thing! Loved it!
D. W. from Oakton, VA (5/6/2004) "Outstanding National Race" (about: 2004) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was about the best organized marathon that I've been in. Jay Wind did an outstanding job in acquiring national elite runners (1st place women), packet pick-up, course selection, refreshments, etc. For lack of training, I only ran the 1/2 marathon this year, but I'll be back next year. You probably won't find a better or prettier small marathon.
A. P. from Fairfax, VA (5/5/2004) "A great time!" (about: 2004) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really enjoyed running this event - it was the most fun I've really ever had at a race. I've run the course and the trail it uses more times than I can count, but it's different when you run it for this race. The trail is a paved bike trail with some hills (one or two steep ones), along the Potomac River. Great views of the river, and Ft. Washington on the otherside. It starts at the Belle Haven Marina and picnic area, and turns around just short of Mt. Vernon. The half-marathon is one loop, the full marathon is two loops. The volunteers were numerous and enthusiastic. The course was not crowded, but you were never alone. Everyone was friendly. There was good spectator presence, mostly because the turn-around for the marathon is right near the finish line for both the marathon and half-marathon. For those who care: you got a t-shirt you could actually wear (a wicking one - not cotton) and all runners (full or half) received finisher medals and will receive finisher certificates. Prizes were great - cash to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, and $1,000 bike store gift certificate went to the top man or woman, dependent on a coin toss. This race cost 1/2 to 1/3 of the big marathons and half-marathons, but you really got a lot of personalized attention. It was capped at 200 runners, which was a perfect number for this event. Another nice perk: Runners could elect right up to race day whether to run the full or half marathon. I had originally planned to run the full marathon, but had an injury that slowed my training. I was more than ready for the half and was thrilled to be able to go out and make my choice and run. Also, those of us who are fans of running were thrilled to see elite miler Alan Webb at the finish line. He didn't run the race; he was a spectator.
Peter Lamberton from Falls Church, VA (5/5/2004) "An instant classic." (about: 2004) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Potomac River Run Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A wonderful small race on a paved footpath along the Virginia bank of the Potomac running from Alexandria to Mount Vernon and back, twice. The promoters organized this marathon in the wake of last year?s DC Marathon debacle and a low-key classic was born. Three flights of runners went off in the gathering daylight starting at 6 am, with each runner having the option of curtailing the race at the midway point and being tallied for the half-marathon instead. The course ran across flat marshy lowlands, then generally uphill (including a couple of short and steep switchbacks) to the 6.55 mile point and back down to the start/finish/halfway point, where 107 runners turned around to do it again. The course was scenic and generally shaded, and by the third mile each runner was pretty much running alone unless he or she chose to run with companions or hang with a group of runners. Cheerful volunteers abounded, handing out water, power drinks, Gatorade and encouragement. It was challenging and satisfying, the only drawback being the powerful temptation after 13 foot-pounding and wearying miles to call it quits and register a half-marathon instead. Everyone involved did a great job for this inaugural run. Psst ? don?t tell anyone about this great little marathon and spoil it.

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