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Apr 29, 2024

Georgia Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.1

Organization 3.1

Spectators 4.0

Number of comments: 459 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 46 > ]

D. D. from Las Vegas NV (3/21/2016) "Beautiful experience!" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 We stayed at the omni hotel so I walked out the front door to my race corral. Everything you would want to do was right there. The course was hilly. Like a roller coaster but it kept it interesting. Pace teams were fun. I stayed around the 4:15 group until the last few miles and ended up finishing ahead - 4:14:31. 3rd in my division and I'm looking forward to receiving some chocolate in the mail for my prize!!!!! I set a 3 minute PR on this course that everyone warned me about! The park was beautiful to finish in and the temperature was perfect for the race. Good day!
O. D. from Atlanta, GA (9/24/2015) "Scenic and hilly!" (about: 2015) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I live in ATL so I trained on the hills and even I thought it was pretty hilly. Especially the last half. But with that said, it was still fun! I loved the course route as it took you through many of the different neighborhoods that Atlanta has to offer so you really felt like you were seeing the whole city/ getting a little tour. My favorite part was around Emory to Piedmont Park (even though that part was super hilly!) It was raining and pretty chilly still, so the crowd support wasn't amazing the year I ran it. Especially the last couple of miles it felt really empty. Organization: Well organized expo but wasn't too impressed with the expo actually, didn't seem like that many vendors were there Race day was very easy- bag drop off was literally right next to the finish line so that was stress-free. I thought they could have definitely had more food at the end of the race. I remember having just a banana and maybe pretzels? Was definitely expecting more especially since Publix sponsors it! Overall, I would do this again especially because I live in Atlanta. Definitely challenging though, probably won't be a PR on this course!
C. K. from New Jersey (4/28/2015) "Hilly, rainy, challenging and fun!" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 All reviews of this course warn about the hills and they do not exaggerate. The course is challenging, but scenic and I cannot say enough about the organization. Enthusiastic volunteers, plenty of on course support and I really appreciated that they had barriers separating the half marathon and marathoners when the races unite again in the last few miles. The course is a beautiful tour of Atlanta. Yes, that hill coming out of Piedmont Park was cruel, but can't say we weren't warned.
c. w. from pottstown, pa (3/29/2015) "Hilly but fun course" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The course elevation map will show you what is ahead of you. As other reviewers have noted, you should bank some time for the bigger hills near the end. Pros: 1) Lots of food during the course. 2) Lots of reasonable hotels within several blocks of the start of the race and getting into and out of Atlanta is easy. 3) Lots of spectators that stayed out even though the rain came down during the entire race. 4) Nice swag and decent size expo. Cons 1) Lifetime is taking over the race and has already raised prices $20. I expect that there will be cutting back on race amenities like when Competitor takes over a race. 2) The finish area ran out of Fritos by my 4 hour finish. :(
C. H. from Somerville, Massachusetts, USA (3/29/2015) "Well-organized but hilly race." (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The 2015 marathon had 1,278 finishers. The half marathon that started at the same time had 5,757 finishers. I stayed at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center, steps from the starting line. The race was very well organized with more than enough aid stations. The route is a good introduction to Atlanta, winding through many Atlanta neighborhoods. This not a PR course because of the hills. Unfortunately, it rained on and off during the race, but at least the rain felt warm to this New Englander. Atlanta has great public transportation, so it was easy to fly into town and take MARTA from the airport to my downtown hotel. During my visit, I also checked out the Georgia Aquarium, Peachtree Street, and the Martin Luther King, Jr., National Historical Site. This was a good experience I will remember for a long time.
J. P. from Lawrenceville, GA (3/26/2015) "Challenging course but worth it!" (about: 2015) 4-5 previous marathons \| 3 Georgia Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This is a great event but you need to be prepared for the HILLS!. They are tough!. It is Atlanta, so you know what to expect. The starting line is great! The atmosphere feels like a party, with thousands of runners ready to roll and loud music. You will start at 7 AM and it is still dark, so be careful the first mile or two. The crowd support is really good especially during the first 7 miles of the race. After the split of the half and the full, it gets a bit lonely, but it is great if you want to focus on your race. There are well stocked food stations and plenty of fluids like water and powerade. Like I said the course is challenging, especially the last 6 miles. The course feels like downhill between miles 11 and 16, so it is easier to underestimate. After mile 17, be prepared mentally to deal with what it seems endless slopes, especially around mile 22 (Piedmont park). Once the half and the full event reunited, around mile 23, you will feel better, thanks to a better number of spectators cheering you on. The finish line is well worth the effort, with people yelling and clapping and good food waiting for you. Usually the medals are beautiful, but the 2015 shirt wasn't. The expo could be better but I think the main problem is to deal with Atlanta's downtown parking spaces. I will suggest taking the train to attend the expo. This event is not as expensive as other major cities marathons, which is a plus, but at the same time I think if you are looking for a first time race, you should look into an easier course.
J. C. from Lansdale, Pa (3/25/2015) "Hilly, rainy, scenic. Loved it" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Beautiful course. Tough day. Seem like every 30 minutes, it poured. Every other mile had one of those hills you love to hate. And every neighborhood had beautiful houses and landscaping. Because of the rain there were not many spectators but the volunteers were fun. Outstanding organization. Race started on time, police controlled the traffic, and the announcer called out names at the finish line. Hotels are many at the start/finish line. Great way to see a city, run a marathon.
C. J. from Texas (3/23/2015) "Great Race in a Great Town" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 These comments refer to the 2015 race: it was my 16th marathon and my first Georgia Marathon. I found it to be a very well organized race with great fan support. The course was scenic for an urban marathon, running through a variety of nice neighborhoods. Make no mistake, however; this is a hilly, hilly beast. Believe everything you read about how hilly it is. This is NOT a PR course. Personally, I appreciated the variety presented by the constant change in elevation. Study the elevation chart, go into it with the right frame of mind and enjoy it for what it is. Unfortunately, the weather for 2015 wasn't ideal; it rained the entire race. That did not seem to dampen the enthusiasm of the volunteers or spectators. Other miscellaneous notes: - Nice expo. Large with a lot of vendors. - Nice neon green tech shirt. Good for running in. - The start/finish finish area is very well laid out in Centennial Olympic Park. It is within easy walking distance of downtown hotels. - Nice big medal. Overall, a great marathon. Just don't come expecting a nice easy downhill course or a PR.
Mike Weaver from Carrollton, GA (3/23/2015) "HILLacious" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've ran 25 marathons across the country, but this is the most challenging course I've done to date. A steady rain throughout the entire race made it even tougher. Support along the course is great, expo is well done. If you want a true test of your fitness level (and not concerned with a PR or BQ), this is the race. I'm from Atlanta, and have done the half several times, but never the full due the hilly reputation of the course. Glad I finally did, and I'll be back!
K. A. from Chicago (10/4/2014) "Hills nearly killed me, but atmosphere was great" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I live and trained in Chicago, which happens to be REALLY flat. I was not prepared at all for how hilly this course was. I hit the halfway point close to my target pace (aiming for a 4:30 finish) and it all fell apart from there, I ended up finishing closer to 5:15, having to walk up most of the hills the last 6 miles. It was killer. That said, the course was quite scenic and the spectators, although sparse, were great. I loved the quirky signs going through Decatur - they made me laugh. This seemed to be a race that doesn't attract many slower runners like me - by the time I hit the finish, stuff was being packed up and there was little left in the way of food or drink. That was disappointing. I stayed close to Centennial Park, which was great for getting back to the hotel afterwards.

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