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☰
Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.4
Number of comments: 181 [displaying comments 141 to 151]
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J. R. from South Carolina
(12/11/2006)
 "Best Overall Experience to Date" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second marathon, the first being the Marine Corp in October 06. I did not know what to expect since the field size was so much smaller than my first. From the expo to the finish, I was very impressed. The expo was small but a perfect size for the event. Registration was set up first-class, clearly marked info and great staff to take you through the process with a smile. The weather was extremely cold at the start, but you take that chance with a Dec. race. Even with the low temps the volunteers were out in force to mark the course and provide water/encouragement. The city really gets behind this with the traffic support!! I cannot say enough about the police/fire dept. and many others that stayed out in the elements to usher us through the course (and not just for the frontrunners - they were all still there 5+ hours in offering support and encouragement). The course had a few more hills than I had anticipated but it proved to be a nice challenge (I still managed to improve my PR by 15 minutes). There were not a lot of spectators but the ones that were out really made an effort to encourage each runner individually. There were even a few of the neighborhood residents that had set up their own water stations and motivation points. That really shows the city's hospitality, and it made a lasting impact on a lot of the runners. The finish was just right. The crowd was still there and the announcer was still calling out the runners' names late into the event. It was really nice to feel a part of the overall event. They really went above and beyond to make sure everyone was treated equally, no matter the finish time. There were event staff waiting at the finish line with the finisher medals and cold drinks, and they also assisted in chip removal!! You just don't find that everywhere. My first marathon may not have been a very good experience but I left Charlotte feeling great and looking forward to making this a "must do" race for years to come. Thanks to all involved for a fantastic event. | |
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J. G. from Salisbury, Maryland
(12/11/2006)
 "Great Job!!" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Very nice course. Charlotte Police did an incredible job with traffic control. Be prepared for hills. I've done Richmond and this IS more challenging. Very organized. Lots of course support with water, PowerAde, etc. I will do this race again. | |
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D. S. from NC
(12/11/2006)
 "Great Work!" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Charlotte Marathon was a great experience. The race was very organized and well run. The chip timing was very helpful and the brave people whi withstood the freezing temps were very nice. More goodies would have been nice but people always want more for every race. | |
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Pacer Runner from Charlotte, NC
(12/10/2006)
"Come for the course... but where's the food?" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I had the great fortune to be a pacer for the 2006 edition and had an awesome experience. There were some folks out there who really put a supreme effort out there, and I applaud them for it. As a 2nd-year event, it is extremely well done... for the most part. The course showcases the best parts of Charlotte nearly perfectly. Much of it is closed to traffic, and the parts that weren't (including EVERY intersection) had an officer stationed. If you want to know where your entry fee went, look no further. This race performed course management better than nearly any other comparable marathon I've been a part of. Spectators were decent to few and far between in the first half, virtually non-existent in the second. Not to expect perfection, there were a few points organizers can improve upon. Mile markers were not exactly right in a few locations. As a pacer, it was a little disheartening to come to mile 25 and all of a sudden be 2 minutes behind pace when you were 30 seconds ahead just the mile before. I imagine this was supposed to be the "one to go" sign. The post-race spread (which many folks consider important) was paltry at best. All I saw were bananas and water with a local bread shop setting up a tent with samples.... Maybe I missed the rest, but I don't think so. Overall, if you value a well organized race with a great course that showcases our beautiful city perfectly (and top-notch traffic control), I can't recommend this race enough. If you need spectators aplenty and a hearty post-race spread, look elsewhere. | |
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N. C. from Greenville, NC
(12/10/2006)
"Say Yes to Charlotte!!!" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have to add my 2 cents!!! This was my first marathon.... Kudos to Charlotte... I feel hooked!!! The expo was good... (who else wants to do Georgia...??? :-)) The pasta dinner was great... and everyone at registration and packet pickup was very helpful. Kudos to the folks at the Children's Hospital for the chapstick... it came in handy on Saturday! The course certainly was hilly... but what a great challenge... and the neighborhoods we ran through were gorgeous! And, yes, the police were everywhere and very supportive as well. The folks at the water stations were awesome and looking out for us as ice formed around the tables. A special thanks to the kids with the little Gatorade stand and the folks in the truck with the great water... you were there at just the right time! The food at the end was good: bananas, great bread, water, PowerAde. Next year... can we have beer? :-) So, spread the word: this is a great little marathon... and I, for one, will be back next year! | |
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A. C. from Hendersonville, NC
(12/10/2006)
"Great first half-marathon" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon experience, but my comments are limited to the half-marathon. The fans were awesome! From what I saw, I would not wish to run the full marathon in Charlotte because after the half marathon dropped off, there were very few competitors left. If you like a smaller marathon, this may be for you. There were PowerAde and water stations every two miles. The food at the end was meager! Great half-marathon experience though! Great energy from all the other runners as well! | |
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Don Kienz from Pennsylvania
(12/10/2006)
"Lovely neighborhoods, gently rolling first half" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 While the second half winds up and down and around the more commercial sections of Charlotte, the first half is under-rated and Under-publicized. The beautiful neighborhoods of southern Charlotte host, are pleasant, and peaceful, with pretty gardens, parks, and homes, and worth seeing if only for the half, which, from Pennsylvania, is what I chose to do on a sore foot, just for the pleasure of it. Kudos to course decision-makers on their choice. | |
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M. H. from Charlotte, NC
(12/10/2006)
"Exceptional event, outstanding organization" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The second time around must be the charm, because 2006 was the best organized, best supported race I've participated in. Aid stations were perfectly spaced throughout the course. There was never a period of more than 2 miles without water/PowerAde, and the final 10 miles featured Gu at each stop. Volunteers, including police, did an excellent job of keeping runners safe and directing traffic. Crowd support was strong at nearly every major intersection, and folks even stood on their driveways through the neighborhoods to cheer us on at 8 a.m. in 25-degree temps. Pace group leaders were easily identifiable. Finally, this is a great representation of Charlotte: rolling terrain, occasional flat sections, and a great tour of all the city has to offer. I just can't say enough about how positive this experience was. If you want a big race with people screaming at every step, go to Chicago or New York. If you want to PR, find a race at the beach. If you want a nearly perfect example of how to organize and enjoy a "smaller" (~1100 full, ~1100 half) race over a challenging yet rewarding course, come to Charlotte. | |
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S. M. from ASHEVILLE, NC
(12/9/2006)
 "Nice course, but organization could be improved" (about: 2006)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This course is very enjoyable to run. It has a good mix of short hills and flat sections. The music along various points of the course was great - especially that metal band around mile 23!!!! The only areas I see for improvement are: 1) The loudspeaker system at the start. Most runners in the back half of the field could not hear the announcements prior to the start. More speakers are needed. 2) Some of the early aid stations could not pour water into cups as fast as runners were arriving, causing runners to either wait in line or skip the aid station. 3) The race-day expo/check-in was hard to find in the civic center for those who entered from the east side of the building. There were no signs pointing us in the right direction until we were very near the expo hall. This is a nice marathon and I will run it again. | |
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M. Z. from raleigh,nc
(12/9/2006)
 "Good course, but planning...?" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The race expo was well laid out, but bad planning was evident. As there were no shirts left either to buy or get for registering. The race staff gave us five dollars off to make up the difference. No one could count on making up the bib packets, as each person I checked with had a different number of safety pins in there packet but no one had four. I got to the finish line and, as people have commented in previous write-ups about this race, there was nothing - no pictures being taken, no blankets handed out, no medals, no music, not even announcements being made; just a box of oranges. How disappointing! So, all in all it is a race I did, and can check off the list; and I do not feel the need to repeat it in the future. |
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