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Apr 29, 2024

Knoxville Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.1

Organization 4.5

Spectators 3.8

Number of comments: 138 [displaying comments 41 to 51]

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A. H. from Thomasville, North Carolina (4/5/2011) "Fantastic but Challenging Race" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've done a few small marathons and some huge ones. This race is right up there with any other them. It is a small field with very few "competitive" marathoners (I coasted to a 3:25 due to a foot injury and came in 51st overall). This is probably due to its proximity to Boston and its tough course. THE COURSE: I train in hills. I laugh when reviewers complain about hills... but this course is relentlessly hilly. The route is a great tour of Knoxville with a variety of urban and suburban scenery. IT WAS NICE TO SEE A COURSE THAT STAYED INTERESTING WITH GOOD SUPPORT AFTER THE HALF SPLIT OFF. The finish in Neyland Stadium is just awesome. ORGANIZATION: 2 GU stations, lots of fruit, more toilets/water/PowerAde than anyone would ever need, great cops and volunteer support, friendly people, TONS OF FREE PARKING, start line at the convention center so you can stay warm inside until race time, the finish line was near the start, and AWESOME treatment of marathon finishers with a nice buffet line and "private party" inside the basketball arena away from other race competitors. CONS: due to the laid back nature of the race there were no pacers faster than 3:45. I was shooting for 3:10 but ended up going out too fast and an injury forced me to back off and just start having fun around mile 15. I will say this was the first race where EVERY mile was CLEARLY marked so I could pace on my own with my watch. PERKS: I only paid $75 for this one but it exceeded all expectations. Nice shirt, nice medal, and the YMCA a few blocks from the start allowed all contestants to take a FREE SHOWER! A big plus considering my 4-hour ride home. Congratulations to Knoxville on a truly top-class marathon and this will probably be the first one I do twice. They pretty much did everything right.
S. B. from Michigan (4/4/2011) "Worth Checking Out" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I enjoyed this marathon, but I do feel that there are some areas that could be improved upon. I was looking forward to running with a pacer to try and BQ, but they didn't have signs and even though the race was small, I never found a pacer. Running up until the marathon split from the half was nice, but after we split off, runners were scarce and it wasn't quite as exciting. Spectators and volunteers were great, we got GU at 3 different spots, and they had food (bananas and oranges) around miles 20 and 22 (if I remember correctly). The course was tough, pretty hilly, but scenic. I think there could have been more bathrooms along the route and I couldn't find any food after the race (I was later told that the post race party was about a half mile away). There were a lot of problems with the timing and results, which was frustrating (although mine were posted correctly). It seemed unorganized for how small of a race it was, but I think that with the location, time of year, reasonable cost, and what the weather was like (perfect), this race has potential to expand and become very successful.
B. W. from South Carolina (4/4/2011) "Solid marathon in a hilly part of Tenn" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Overall a very positive experience. The course is in and around the downtown area of Knoxville, TN. Thus one should generally expect a hilly experience and that is just what I found, though it really wasn't too bad. The steep tenth of a mile downhill and then uphill into the stadium at the end was tough. The expo was average. Arriving late in the day on Saturday, I found many booths closed. However those that remained were enthusiastic and helpful. Race morning parking was very easy to find in proximity to both the start and finish. The course was generally well supervised and supported, though one spot a quarter mile long between miles 24-25 had no cones or volunteers and I feared had turned wrong. Finishing in Neyland Stadium - cool. Medal - nice. Hat - ok. Shirt - fair (L-too large). Postrace eats - solid -liked the extra attention provided to full marathon. Again, overall a positive experience. Would recommend it.
Bob Kroeger from Cincinnati (4/4/2011) "Broken Ribs, Hills, Turns, Bands, and Fun" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I did something you probably shouldnt do - run a marathon with three broken ribs (cracked a little over three weeks ago). My radiologist, a runner, told me I could run if no pain. So I used a rib vest, not very tight, and had no pain - except a little from my runners knee. Just goes to show you what a marathon runner will do, rather than cancel a race on his schedule. Now for race comments. Knoxvilles hills came as expected - relentless. But the gorgeous neighborhoods softened their sting. Elevation charts were accurate. The Good: Lots of great bands and many pockets of cheering fans GU at two stations nice touch! Plenty of aid stations with cold water Lots of shade (except for a stretch around mile 19-21) Good expo and lots to do in this city Crowne Plaza 5-star treatment with very late checkout Buses took you back to hotels (saved a long walk uphill) Asics shirt nice, but I would have preferred neon orange Good medal and tech finisher s hat The route, though hilly, featured a nice mix of genteel neighborhoods, the Tennessee River, a city park or two with wooden bridges crossing over streams, and the historic downtown area. Lots of turns to offer new views, breaking up the hills. To Improve: Consider having one food station inside the stadium (it was a long, long walk to the food) Start the half-marathoners about 15 minutes after the marathon runners (the roads and park trails were much too crowded) Many marathons offer a staggered start. Not difficult logistically.
J. S. from Rockville, MD (4/4/2011) "Hilly but fun" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Knoxville is built on several hills, something to remember when training for its marathon. But we had great weather, enthusiastic crowds for the most part, and a nice course that took us across and alongside the Tennessee River and through some parks. The finish at the UT stadium's 50-yard line made the pain worth it. Would recommend for anyone wanting to run a Tennessee marathon, or who has a fetish for hills.
G. C. from Flatwoods, KY (4/4/2011) "Awesome Finish Experience" (about: 2011) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 There is really not a bad thing to say about this race. Volunteers were great, police on the course kept the runners safe, and there were ample water stops. The course was challenging but scenic. Run the corners tight; I ended up going 26.38 and this is not a course you want to add to. The neighborhoods along the way were out in full force with bananas and orange slices in addition the official water stops. Entering Neyland Stadium and seeing your image on the Jumbo-tron and hearing your name on the PA was incredible. Post-race they had a separate room for marathoners so there was plenty of food.
Tim Gregory from Alcoa, TN (5/28/2010) "Fun and Challenging Course" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 It was good to finally run my hometown race. Sequoia Hills lived up to its name and really made you push hard. But this is Tennessee, hills are the name of the game! The finish at the 50-yard line in Neyland made it worth running the race. And, if you don't forget to look up, you can see yourself on the Jumbotron. If you are thinking of running Knoxville, it's a race worth checking out.
M. S. from Greensboro, NC (4/4/2010) "Challenging course, but a great marathon" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 3 Knoxville Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a pretty tough course but a great marathon experience. The course is known for the elevation change (especially in the first half). You can manage it well if you put in some hill training, but you have to watch your pace. Your discipline on the hills in the first 8 miles will dictate the rest of your day. The race isnt just an exercise in speed and endurance; its a real mental effort as well. Makes for a great marathon. The course hits some of Knoxville's nicer running routes and city landmarks. The finish in Neyland Stadium is impressive. The spectators are concentrated in only a few locations and you'll find yourself running on your own quite a bit. Miles 22-24 have been really tough the past couple of years with the wind. In my opinion, the expo/start/finish organization and on-course support are more than adequate (not a PowerAde fan, though). GU is available at miles 10.5 and 16. The mile markers are low and theyre almost invisible until the crowd thins out around mile 5. Logistics at the stadium only give them room to serve water, but 200 yards away is a post-race party with a private recovery room and a ton of great food just for marathon finishers. It's meant to be a highlight, so ask around if you can't find it.
L. E. from USA (4/3/2010) "Very hilly, well run" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Enjoyed this marathon. The course took you through some great neighborhoods. Some areas were quite hilly but there were sections of nice, flat running also. Liked the variety. Not many spectators, but those that were out there were quite enthusiastic. Water stops were plentiful and even during the downpour they kept on smiling and handing out fluids. Bright orange tech shirt, great medal, and green finisher's hat... all good swag. Not a Tennessee Volunteers fan, but running across the 50 yard-line to finish was pretty neat. TONS of food, if you took the time to follow the signs to the post-race party. It was only a short walk away and it felt very good to keep the legs moving to get there.
D. S. from Cox's Creek, Kentucky (4/2/2010) "Great, tough course. How about a downpour?" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Knoxville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Good event. The course was very hilly, but nice. We ran through some great neighborhoods. The Knoxville policemen were AWESOME at traffic control. Saw interesting people and costumes in off-campus housing. Could probably use a few more water/PowerAde stops along the course, but volunteers were great. The last 5 miles were miserable due to a downpour and heavy headwind, but that's nobody's fault. Couldn't find ANY food at the finish line, which was lousy. Finisher's medal was nice, and the bright tech shirt is great for morning run visibility. I had a good time, and would recommend this marathon to others.

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