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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 111 to 121]

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R. M. from United States (3/26/2006) "About what I expected for a 2nd-year event" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Good: Organizers energetic; average expo; good selection of merchandise; early start. Poor: No finisher's shirt; the post-race "party" was meager and about 1/3 of a mile away; virtually zero spectators.
Jeremy Fountain from Philadelphia, PA (6/9/2005) "Don't miss this race !" (about: 2005) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race met and exceeded any expectation I've had for all the races I've run. The weather was perfect. Throughout the registration, expo, & course you can definitely see that each component was designed and managed by runners. The layout, support, and overall management were fabulous! I would definitely recommend this run to others. I generally don't repeat races, but this one will be an exception. I will be back next year.
A. R. from Atlanta, GA (4/11/2005) "Great first marathon....well organized...PR!!!!" (about: 2005) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Who says you can't have a PR on a tough and hilly course? I couldn't believe it, but I actually qualified for Boston with this race and going into it I didn't think I would even come close with the hills on the course, but we got great weather and things just worked out.... Very well organized, one of the better races that I have been to. I also like the fact that the start of the race is right next to the convention center and although it wasn't that cold it was still nice to be able to relax and stretch inside with a number of bathrooms available in the convention center. It was also nice to walk out and have 100 feet to the starting line. Overall its a good race and will hopefully be doing it again next year....
S. H. from Ohio (3/31/2005) "Who says it's not a PR course?" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Despite all of the 'not a PR course' comments, I did run a PR. The course was hilly and challenging but it was a perfect day for a run (40 degrees, very little wind, & sunshine), definitely an improvement on the cold, windy Ohio winter. I thought Knoxville did a great job for the first year. The volunteers were friendly, traffic control was great, and plenty of water. The finish was great in the stadium, medals were nice and the finisher shirt was a real bonus. I am not sure what kind of course runners expect in a large city in TN. I am sure it is a challenge to find a course that gets you around the city and back to the stadium without causing major traffic problems and measuring 26.2 miles. It doesn't seem like you could avoid the hills (we were in TN). The hills were challenging but if you looked at the website, you were warned. I like the out-and-back section at the end, because you got an opportunity to see other runners and it was flat. Overall, I had a great time and ran a PR.
M. S. from NC (3/28/2005) "Excellent Marathon Experience!" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was a wonderfully managed and organized marathon. The volunteers were great, aid stations aplenty, amenities in the right quantity and quality, and the race covered some beautiful terrain. For an inaugural marathon, I am impressed. It is clear that the Knoxville Track Club did their homework and knew how to make runners happy. The expo, pasta dinner, post-race festivities and flow of the finish line were user friendly and made runners feel welcome. Speakers at the pre-race dinner were motivating and got me excited about the 26.2 miles to come the next day. I've finished 20 marathons, and finishing in the football stadium is one of the most memorable experiences I'll carry with me. The city and volunteers were gracious and warm, and there were plenty of volunteers to help the marathoners out. The only suggestion I might make would be to have the half marathon run separate from the full. While it's easier logistically, it can be hard to stay focused when you're running by half marathon folks. But I realize this is common among marathons that also have half marathons, and every other positive aspect truly makes this a world-class event. I plan on coming back to this wonderful event! Thanks to all volunteers and race management staff!
Eric Schneider from Rancho Palos Verdes, California (3/27/2005) "unbelievably organized" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was the 17th state in which I have marathoned, and it was the toughest course I have ever run. None of the hills was over 1/2 mile, but other than a 3 mile up and pick from 20.5 to 23.5, nothing was flat. The course was not only marked perfectly, but there were enthusiastic volunteers at every turn. You could not possibly make a wrong turn, and there were plenty of turns. The course was quite scenic other than from 13-20. In particular I enjoyed the creekside bike trail from 8-11. One would never know that the Knoxville Track Club had not been putting the race on for 20 years. I would like them to run the federal government.
A. F. from Chapel Hill, NC (3/26/2005) "Exceeded Expectations for an Inaugural Event" (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Synopsis: This was a well-run and worthwhile event that I give a B+, a very good grade considering it was an inaugural event. Overall Organization: The Knoxville Marathon is here to stay, assuming that runners can count on the obvious commitment, dedication, and organizational efforts of the management and volunteers evidenced by this inaugural edition. If anything, there seemed an oversupply of volunteers at some of the water stations--although perhaps they were all needed for the middle of the pack, which I I lagged a bit behind. Also, many volunteers were quite encouraging and vocally supportive. Traffic control was also handled smoothly by ample police and National Guard, so I never felt in peril at the numerous street crossings. Crowd Support: Crowd support was good in parts, mostly in the first half, and I expect it will be better in subsequent years as the event becomes a Knoxville fixture. Because the course could benefit from some changes (see below) for logistical reason on the back half, choices regarding those changes should also try to improve crowd support. Course: The course was interesting and scenic, and would be even more so if the date were pushed back a week or two so that the magnificent dogwoods would be in bloom. A 3-mile greenway section from miles 8 through 10 was very pretty and pleasant, except for one thing: its hard path takes its toll on feet and knees. The overall course was decidedly hilly, so don't count on a PR, but the hills were challenging rather than brutal. However, combining those hills with the 68 turns that one elite runner counted made it hard to maintain a consistent pace. Many of those turns were in a section between miles 20 and 23, which was made worse by several junctures where you pass runners coming the other way. I found that very demoralizing, because I had no idea how much farther I had to go until I got to where they were. That's a juncture where you're really struggling, and crowd support is sparse, so anything that deflates you further is definitely not cool. The course had only a handful of time clocks (one wasted on a pointless 30K mark) compared to Richmond, my other experience, where the numerous, prominent time clocks made it easy to monitor pace. Also, a few mileage markers weren't easy to spot. Finally, a feature cherished by the locals, the finish in the shrine-status Neyland (football) Stadium, was neat. However, the last few tenths leading to it were on a significant downhill that followed a last significant uphill, proving excruciating to middle-aged knees after 26 miles. It would be better to reroute the last half-mile to mile in a way that would flatten out the up and down and still end with the glorious stadium finish. Amenities: This was my first, and hopefully last, experience with Cytomax, used because it was donated. I found it nasty and suspect it as the cause of my nausea the last 3 miles. On the plus side, Cytomax and water were plentiful at the 17 drink stations. The pasta-dinner speakers were great; I kept Dick Beardsley's inspirational words in my mind during those last 3 miles when I was struggling to avoid puking and to just finish respectably. However, the food was not memorable. I think it would be good to have some cooked veggies, a little more variety in the salad, whole-grain bread, and spaghetti or linguine rather than the very dry pasta shells and iceberg-lettuce salad. Making the dinner better, even if it cost a little more, would probably increase its attendance and make the vendors happy because more folks would stop by their booths after eating. Format: The marathon and half-marathon started at the same time and followed the same route for 12 miles. I know this was a first-time event, and to create excitement, you want the crowd starting to be as big as possible. But I found it disconcerting to have so many half-marathoners (more of them than marathoners) running at a brisker pace and making it hard not to get caught up in their pace. Also, if you haven't come with anyone, it's nice to be able to chat up other runners and find out their race plans, so you might hang with them part of the time. That's hard to do when so many of your fellow runners are half-marathoners with completely different objectives. If you're going to have the marathoners and half-marathoners run the same route, why not have the half-marathon start 15 minutes earlier. That way, those runners will be well out of sight by the time the marathon starts and any that you might catch up with are clearly the slow ones in that group, and won't cause pace problems because you'll easily be passing them even if you're running a slow beginning pace. Also, this won't cause a problem for the elite runners, because the half-marathon will have spread out enough by that time so that the elites can easily pass when they catch up.
Terry Pescosolido from Columbus, OH (3/26/2005) "brutal course; nice finish" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I read the others comments about the course for this race, and, frankly, I am surprised. The course was very hilly, and my already beaten up legs and feet were dismayed by the amount of concrete we ran on during the second half of the race. Also, during the second half, despite what some folks said was a well-marked course, a few times I was searching the pavement for the small painted on markers and/or yelling to the policemen at corners asking which way to go (I was a long way behind the runners in front of me for awhile). More volunteers to direct flow are necessary. Like others have said, I also recommend doing something different than having the ~2mi mainly out-and-back at 21-23 miles. Also, a little more course entertainment (music) would've been a nice touch. The finish in Neyland Stadium was very nice, and the finish shirt a nice surprise. Spectators were quite sparse, but enthusiastic. As others stated, water stops seemed sporadic, but the water stop volunteers were great. Post-race food was good (recommend adding coffee for next year). Expo organization was good. Host hotel (Holiday Inn) was fine (if you stay there ask for a room away from the street), and kudos to them for fixing up a free sack breakfast for their runner customers.
J. O. from Lilburn, Georgia (3/25/2005) "Destined To Be A Spring Marathon Classic..." (about: 2005) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a difficult, hilly course - and I loved it! If you want to run a PR I don't think this is for you. But if you want a race that will tax you and ultimately make you a better runner - this is an awesome race! The course is very visually stimulating as you are in the biggest city in one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world - East Tennessee. The visuals cover everything from 1) city vistas with glass-covered high-rise office buildings, 2) the Tennessee River, 3) historic neighborhoods, 4) greenways, to 5) finishing on the 50-yard line of the 106,000 seat Neyland Stadium. Training in the Atlanta area the hills were not really as bad as some of the ones here. What makes it tough is doing hills for most of the marathon - up and down. The city really supported this race with their police and transit system trolley shuttle. It looks like there is a real partnership between the city and the local track club - and this is the key to making a great, on-going race.
E. S. from Atlanta, GA (3/24/2005) "Great Race!" (about: 2005) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I was really impressed on how organized the marathon was. The course was marked accurately and there were plenty of volunteers around for support. In the later miles of the marathon, several of the volunteers would jump out in the road and cheer when they saw you coming. You can't get that in a big marathon. The spectators that were out made you feel really special when you would run by. The hill at mile 7 was hard, but the organizers knew that and halfway up they had music going to motivate you. I was happy to see that there was still food left when I finished. Finishing inside the stadium was really neat.

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