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May 14, 2024

Knoxville Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Knoxville Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.1

Organization 4.5

Spectators 3.8

Number of comments: 138 [displaying comments 91 to 101]

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Arvel Debty from Marble North Carolina (4/6/2007) "Tough; challenging; fun" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Knoxville Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 It is a tough, challenging, fun marathon. The key to Knoxville is training. I ran it 5 minutes quicker than 2 years ago. I will do it again.
D. P. from Milwaukee, Wisconsin (4/5/2007) "Hilly, Variety of Scenery, Lots of Music" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I like courses that tour a whole city, because I like variety. An additional benefit is local musicians stage throughout the race to entertain you. The course starts in the middle of the 1982 World's Fair Ground (it's most famous feature is that golden sun globe, which is on the finisher's medal which is one of the nicer ones in my collection). The downtown area is a bit confusing and hilly, and you see it again at the half for the benefit of the half-marathoners who split off shortly after mile 12. After mile 1 you have an easy run along the Cumberland River and UT campus, followed by a hilly but scenic section in the wealthy section of town. The flowering trees were beautiful, and there was a nice crushed gravel path in the middle of the boulevard that only a few runners like myself took avail of. Mile 7 is in the middle of the steepest climb of the race. Any climbs were generally short but steep. Not long afterwards you hit a really nice bike trail for several miles. The 2nd half of the race puts you past some brightly painted homes (purple, red, etc.) At mile 18 you run past the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and mile 19 gives a somewhat intimidating view of your next mile across a looong bridge. Miles 21/23 featured a bluegrass group called Wild Blue Yonder who sang their 'notorious possum' song. And the finish on the 50yd line in the Tennessee Vols stadium was awesome - that place is huge! Post race goodies were plentiful and free massages, but required a 1/2 mile walk which was good for the legs. Plenty of free parking available.
Kami K. from Corpus Christi, TX (4/3/2007) "Scenic, Yet Challenging!" (about: 2007) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Sunday, April 1, 2007, 7:00 AM Knoxville, TN Knoxville is a very nice city located in the foothills of Great Smoky Mountains. As advertised, the course was hilly and tough (not an April Fools Day joke!). In my opinion, not suitable for PR, and certainly not for the timid. Start was outside the Convention Center. The finish line was less than a mile from the start line at the 50-yard line in Neyland Stadium (home of the University of Tennessee football team). Race day temperature remained in the 70s, overcast, on and off rain showers throughout the run which were actually helpful, and a bit humid. There were 18 water/sports drink stations, as well as several bands and individual musicians alongside the route. Sports gels at two locations. Mile markers were easily visible. Crowd support was sporadic. Start elevation: 887 feet. Finish elevation: 859 feet. The highest point: 964 feet. The lowest point: 823 feet. The first half was indeed scenic. From about mile 13.5 to about mile 17.5 was rather boring, as we ran through some road construction sites where footing was less than desirable. Shortly after mile 17.5, we entered The Old City, and from there to the finish was fairly scenic. We climbed the first hill shortly after the start. Whoever had designed the course showed his/her wicked sense of humor by making us climb the same hill less than a mile from the finish line! As we were crossing the finish line, we could see ourselves in the stadiums JumboTron! Knoxville Track Club had organized a very fine running event. Packet pick-up at the Convention Center was very efficient. Good expo too. Our bag of goodies included the race T-shirt, running gloves, and a few sample items. Nice finishers medal and embroidered running hat for the finishers. There were recovery food, water, and sports drinks at the finish. More refreshments at the post race party which was held inside the UT student center, and the long walk from the finish line to there did not bother me. I am a '50 stater' and this was #27.
P. Q. from Knoxville (12/28/2006) "Tough Course; Great Event" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my 6th marathon, and I must confess, I am a resident of Knoxville and part of the KTC (Knoxville Track Club) but not on the organizing or Chamber of Commerce committees. Yes, it is a tough course - after all, it is Knoxville in the foothills of the Great Smokies, so it is going to be hilly. It is not surprising that people from Illinois would find this dishearting, but challenges abound both in sport and in life. The post party is a walk from the finish; however, for us locals - and I apologize to out of town guests - to finish in Neyland Stadium and then Party at Thompson Boiling Arena on the University of TN (UT) campus is a UT Vols fan's dream come true. I agree the post party needs work and the KTC realizes it. The organizers were hampered by lack of local business support, but I am told that it is getting better. Hope to see you all in '07.
L. S. from Catonsville, MD (4/2/2006) "Wonderful relay experience!" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 My sister, dad, mom, and I ran the marathon relay, and we had a fantastic time. We each traveled to get there (sister in FL, parents in AR, myself in MD). The hotels were actually close to the site!! The course was challenging, but beautiful, the spectators were amazing (my leg went through Island Home, and they could not have been more welcoming or encouraging), and the organizers and volunteers were friendly and accommodating. The few pointers I have are 1) that the post-race party was a bit far away to walk after the race, and was hard to find (we actually wouldn't have found it if we had not asked someone); 2) It would be nice if relay finishers got something to mark their achievement at the end of the race. I understand that full and half marathon finishers have earned those medals, but it was a bit anticlimactic to finish and have volunteers look at your "relay" bib and smile at you sadly like, "We wish we could give you more than a congratulations." How about a pin or giving us our shirts at the end of the race? Also, as nice as the drivers were, the relay shuttles were really off schedule, causing faster relay runners (not me :)) to miss their hand-offs. I know that the organizers are aware of this, but I thought I had to mention it. Overall, though, a wonderful return to Knoxville for my family, who were last here as a family for the 1982 World's Fair. Thank you SO much.
M. L. from Tampa, Fl (3/31/2006) "Nice Small Marathon" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Let's start at the beginning. The host hotel was very efficient and friendly. The hotel's restaurant pasta bar was not very good... the pasta was over-cooked and sauces blasé. The expo was just the right size, a tad small, but the quality was there. I don't like to take long walks the night before a marathon anyway. The starting temps were a tad cool, but the convention center was open and there were pre-race beverages available. Plenty of port-o-potties before and during the race. The volunteers were GREAT! Smiling faces on a chilly morning from start to finish. One even pulled a gel from my back pocket, which I could not reach, near mile 16... thanks again. Great job also by the police officers keeping the intersections clear. The few pockets of spectators were very enthusiastic... after many lonely miles. I train/run alone, so it was not that big of a deal for me. But when running in unfamiliar territory and terrain, camaraderie is a big plus... especially with pacing. Speaking of... a few more clocks on the course would have been nice. The finishing area was fine, but there should have been more than just water. Bananas, muffins, bagels, cookies, etc. would work... just something. In general the post-race food was disappointing. Pizza, apple/wedges, oranges, chips, cups of water or Gatorade. I've done shorter races with larger spreads. Some hot soup would have been great. Why couldn't the post-race party be held in Neyland Stadium - it seems to be big enough? Overall, the actual narathon was very well planned and managed. The course was comparable to that of the Flying Pig in Cincinnati or Richmond. Some hills, to make it challenging and interesting... but this was Tennessee, not Florida.
M. K. from Kentucky (3/30/2006) "Nice event" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Knoxville Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The Knoxville course is a nice mix of hills on the front end and a fairly flat course for the second half. There were neighborhood organized support this year that was really nice. Plenty of portable toilets along the way. Knoxville is a beautiful small city to run through. With a few small exceptions, you don't have to share the road with moving vehicles. There are several places where chip times are taken, but they don't make them available to the runners. Has some smaller city problems - smaller crowds (but enthusiastic) and the course kind of overlaps in several places.
Larry Snider from Xenia, OH (3/30/2006) "Add Knoxville to your "to do" list!" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 For starters, I always get a "warm fuzzy" when a race is sponsored by a healthcare program. The main sponsor in this case is Covenant Health in Knoxville. They teamed with the Knoxville Track Club to put on an excellent event, only in its second year. I went as a pacer (3:40 group) and teamed with another pacer - Sarah - who was great to run with. This was my first "official" pace gig, and I plan to do many more. Here're some specifics: Registration/Website: Very good. Expo: Quite a good one, considering the size of the race. Well organized. Course: As you would expect in this part of the country, very hilly. But it could have been much worse. The organizers did a great job of laying out a very tough course, while stopping short of brutal. Volunteers/Police: Two of the highlights of this race. The volunteers were outstanding, and I've never (in 67 previous marathons) seen such outwardly supportive officers working traffic management. They offered encouragement as much as the course volunteers! Finish: Midfield of Neyland Stadium. I came from out of state, but can only imagine the thrill locals expericenced in running onto that field to the finish-line and seeing themselves on the Jumbotron screen. Post-Race: Good, but can stand some work. First of all, it was a very long hike from the finish line to the food, accompanied by more hills - just for good measure. Refreshment offerings could have been better. I love pizza, but after a marathon, bagels, cookies, yogurt, and bottled water work better. I know that the race director is aleady working this issue, and I'm sure it will be better next year. Nice Touch: The finisher's hat was awesome. For anyone that ran the San Francisco Marathon, it was just like that, but with "Finisher" across the back. Speaking of clothing, the shirt was just OK. Is it financially possible to break new ground, and be the first "big-time" marathon to offer shorts instead of a shirt? I was given one after a 1/2 marathon many years ago, and thought it was an excellent alternative. Bottom Line: Congratulations on a very fine event. I'm confident this outstanding race will continue to improve and grow (if the organizers want that). It's perfectly positioned on the calendar for anyone that wants a tough long run (run 20 - walk the last 6.2) before Boston, Country Music, or Flying Pig. Thanks KTC and Covenant Health!!
P. N. from Cleveland, OH (3/29/2006) "Very well run race with pretty course and hills" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was very impressed with how well organized this event was, particularly since it was only the second year. Also well supported along the course. First half is hilly, but runs through some beautiful areas of Knoxville. In spite of a warmer forecast, it was 28 degrees at the start, and even so it was very enjoyable. They got many of the finer details right on this event. Unless you are looking for huge crowds, I would definitely recommend this race to others.
D. H. from Clarksville, IN (3/29/2006) "Fantastic half-marathon course" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I participated in the half-marathon and truly loved this race. I have finished 13 Derby Festival halves, 5 Indy 500 halves and 2 others, but by far I have enjoyed this one the best. Although it was hilly at times, it just made it more interesting. The crowd support was minimal in areas, but were plentiful in the most hilly areas. I loved walking near the river, through the lovely neighborhoods, the bike trail and finishing in Neyland Stadium was just awesome. Food at the end was rather weak, but in general, Knoxville in the spring will be my destination next year.

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