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☰
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 131 to 138]
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Ronald Dubin from Kentucky
(3/21/2005)
 "5-Star Inaugural Event" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run many inaugural marathon events in the past and this one surpasses them all. From the course volunteers that took great pride in their marathon thanking everyone for running in their town to the Cytomax drinks at almost every water stop, Knoxville represented the best. A bit hilly at first but picturesque and scenic. The weather was perfect and if it were a bit nippy at first, the starting line was adjacent to the new Knoxville Convention Center and could have huddled there until the start. The finish was classy, at the 50-yard line in Neyland Stadium at the University of Tennnessee. This is a definite event to participate in and one for which I will return next year and many thereafter. | |
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R. T. from Virginia
(3/21/2005)
"A near-perfect inaugural for Knoxville" (about: 2005)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Knoxville Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Marathons, like wine, get better with time. Often, the inaugural version of a 26.2 mile race is not only far from an ultimate event, it?s far from an enjoyable event. Such was not the case with the inaugural Knoxville Marathon ? a spectacularly organized, well supported, yet very grueling race. Start with the good parts ? the organization of the Knoxville Marathon beat the socks off races 20 times its age. From the website to packet pickup to quick e-mail responses from the race organizers, the people behind this race clearly are on their toes. The downtown location (near the hotels), adequate restrooms, and well-stocked after-race treats already put this race above many others. In fact, the Knoxville Marathon was so on the ball that the race actually started two minutes early! While the crowds weren?t New York-esque, Knoxville isn?t New York. That said, there was an incredible amount of crowd support, from people on sidewalks to people on porches, cheering on the runners at almost every turn. The water stops were more than plentiful, staffed by enthusiastic volunteers and a far cry from the usual problems experienced at most first- and second-time races. Even the weather gods shined down upon this race. Now for the few not-so-perfect parts. The water alternative ? a substance called Cytomax, which was more like dish soap than Gatorade ? was a poor substitute for the normal race options. But the main demerit of the Knoxville Marathon was the course. The layout of the race is beautiful. It is scenic. It shows you some of the prettiest areas in Knoxville. It also shows you practically every hill the city has to offer. The online course profile is no joke ? this race takes you up and down at a frenetic pace, including an opening hill, a challenging hill at the mile 7 mark, and a disheartening hill (as you re-cross the starting line) at mile 26. Flat sections are few and far between, excluding a out-and-back loop from mile 21 through 23, and a demoralizing trip down a highway on-ramp, across a lane of traffic, and across a highway bridge at mile 20. Again, the course is beautiful, and perhaps the least hilly one could expect given the city?s proximity to the mountains... however, it does not make for a p.r. by any stretch of the imagination. Still, all in all, Knoxville is a five-star inaugural and a four-star race. With such a dedicated and thoughtful effort behind it, there is little doubt this race will only continue to improve. | |
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L. P. from atlanta, ga
(3/21/2005)
 "Excellent event" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Knoxville Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Knoxville- you should be very happy with yourselves! Great marathon. Course is challenging but it is Knoxville. It would be hard to take the hills out of this one. Beautiful city and great organization. You don't need to change a thing. Awesome finish line, medal and finisher shirt! | |
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J. W. from Marietta, GA
(3/21/2005)
"A good start" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Knoxville Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and Knoxville's first marathon. I was very pleased with the course. It was not as hilly as I'd expected. There were a few 180 degree turns which were not fun, but other than that the course was nice. The highlight is, of course, finishing on the 50 yard-line of Neyland Stadium. They also had music stations/bands throughout the course. I do have a few complaints, most revolving around the water stations. They were sporadic at best. They also had this stuff called Cytomax instead of Gatorade/Powerade. I didn't like that. I would highly recommend this marathon as I would expect most of the wrinkles to be ironed out for year 2. | |
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R. B. from Bridgeport, West Virginia
(3/21/2005)
 "It's a good starting point for an annual 26.2" (about: 2005)
50+ previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was the inaugural marathon. A few observations: The course needs to be reconfigured if possible and is toO challenging for the average runner; the dinner was over priced and needs to be in a different location; and to have the limited variety of food over a mile from the finish line is of serious concern. On a positive note: The run shirt and finish shirt were very nice; the medal was extremely nice; the Knoxville Police Dept. did an exceptional job of traffic control; and most noticeable was the that drivers and pedestrians were very patient and encouraging. In all fairness perhaps the terrain just won't allow for a more forgiving course, but the location of food after a marathon was and inexcuseable hardship on the marathoners. Under the circumstances, would I come back? Well, probably not. | |
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David Hurley from Roanoke, VA
(3/21/2005)
"Should Be Called Knoxhills Marathon" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Knoxville Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 First of all, I would like to state that I thought the organization was very good. I could take all the hills except the one at mile 26. It was like a knife had been stuck in my back and now the last hill twisted the knife. I will have to admit after the hill, the finish was fantastic in the beautiful stadium of the Universtity of TN. Having run 41 marathons, I would rate Knoxhills as one of the most difficult. I ran it as a training run for Boston. As a result, if I do not die before April, Boston should be a piece of cake. The finisher shirt was a nice surprise. The post-marathon snacks were fine. I felt like Martha Stewart wearing the large chip on my ankle. To be honest, the only disappointment was the pasta dinner. I would not even rate it fair. Maybe Martha could give some tips on pasta dinners before next year's event. As a whole, I think it was a well run marathon. It was a great way to spend the first day of spring. | |
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K. H. from Georgia
(3/20/2005)
 "Fantastic Race!" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 KTC put on an excellent race that was 10 stars for organization. The host hotel was at the start. Traffic control was excellent, water excellent, spectators excellent. The course is challenging with hills, but just a great race. The course meanders through sections of Knoxville, some scenic, some just cityscape. But this race was well run. I would recommend to anyone willing to tackle a fairly hilly course. | |
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S. H. from Minneapolis, MN
(3/20/2005)
"HILLY - But the finish was worth it." (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Knoxville Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This course was exceptionally hilly with a lot of turns, but you finish at the University of Tennessee football stadium, which was great. The volunteers were excellent, the finisher's medal is one of the better ones I've received (#25 for me), and you get two shirts, one for registering and one for finishing. I had to leave right after the race so didn't get to sample the post-race food. Overall, I would give this race a 4.5 star rating due to the excellent organization and volunteers. |
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