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May 16, 2024

Georgia Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.1

Organization 3.1

Spectators 4.0

Number of comments: 459 [displaying comments 411 to 421]

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C. B. from Decatur, GA (3/26/2007) "Get the PowerAde, and you've got a winner!" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Living in Atlanta, I think they did a great job with the course. It really showcased the city and managed to skew the really nasty hills. The water stops for the first few miles were either missing or chaotic, but they got their act together by mile 10, except for not having PowerAde. Thank goodness I had plenty of gels on me! Unanticipated problems arise during any inaugural race and I'm sure this will be fixed for next year. I really like the non-cotton shirts. The expo was big and well organized. My suggestion to anyone doing this next year would be to try and get to the expo on Friday instead of Saturday since it got very crowded on Saturday. Having the expo open a little later on Friday night might be helpful to locals who want to try and come after work. Thanks for a great race; I look forward to having this become part of Atlanta running tradition.
Preston Pendergraft from Birmingham, AL (3/26/2007) "The Heat..." (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I think the ING Georgia Marathon was a good event considering it was the first time it was held. The major gripe I had was no PowerAde anywhere on the marathon course except at one stop. That stop was very watered down as well. The course has many rolling hills, that will take their toll on you. The area in Piedmont Park was basically an oven, and that really effected runners since there was no shade. The weather can't be controlled, but if you run this race in 2008, you have been warned! I have never seen so many people walking with 3:30, 3:40, 3:50 pace bibs on their backs. The heat got to me in Piedmont Park area. An earlier start might be wise for race management to consider.
L. J. from Atlanta (3/26/2007) "Runners Need Hydration" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 I knew this was an inaugural event, but I guess I gave ING too much credit and thought they would have it together. Simply, runners need hydration! There was almost no PowerAde (none until mile 16 and scarce after that) and missing water stops. Water stops were too small. This should be the biggest concern of a race director. The spectators were FABULOUS!! I wouldn't have survivived without them. The course was beautiful. But, I will say, too hilly.
M. O. from Roswell, GA (3/26/2007) "Where's the PowerAde???" (about: 2007) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 ING GA is going to get slammed for organization due to something going very wrong with aid stations. I saw no pre-race water and aid stations were under-supplied or just not there for the first 9 miles or so. Very few stations had PowerAde throughout course and runners sometimes had to self-serve to get anything. Not good for an Atlanta spring day with record high temps reaching ~80 by noon. Instead of PowerAde at end of race, runners were presented with water and warm soda. Minor complaint of few porta-potties in end stretch (first half & start/finish seemed sufficient). Volunteers were working hard and much appreciated, as was strong fan support. Course gave runners a nice tour of Atlanta, although it is a bit too hilly to expect record times (observation vs. complaint). I'm confident steps will be taken next year to correct the aid station problems, but runners needlessly suffered this first year.
S. B. from USA (3/26/2007) "Too many turns, too little hydration & homeless..." (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I ran the half and finished #1,220 in 1:55:58. 1) The course had way too many turns. 2) Ditto what everyone else has said about the lack of water/PowerAde. 3) Organizers allowed anyone & everyone in the finish area, where Atlanta's homeless used the oportunity to line their pockets with bagels and bananas. 4) Ditto on the lack of mile markers. 5) Fan support didn't approach that of the Nashville Country Music Marathon, but this was the inaugural event.
D. T. from Atlanta, Georgia (3/26/2007) "Very poor organization - very limited drinks" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 Just wanted to let you know how disappointed we were with the marathon. 1. Failure to have enough bags for runners. How do you run out? You know how many racers you have. We got to the expo on Sat. by 3 p.m. and our goody bag was missing the nice bag that others got. 2. Water and PowerAde. How do you not have PowerAde for the first 15 miles? Many water only stations were out of cups and people were drinking out of jugs. Also, many cups were poured nearly empty, forcing runners to wait and request a manual refill. How do you go 6 miles without any water at all?????? Why do you have PowerAde at mile 24 and not throughout the course? 3. How could you not have mile markets for the 1/2 marathoners? Really? You guys apparently have NO idea how much damage you did to the ING name. IMHO, you need to send letters to all participant apologizing for the poor execution and false advertising. In fact, the registration fee should be refunded.
s. b. from Midwest (MO) (3/26/2007) "Where's the water and/or PowerAde?" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 All I can say is... OOPS! What a beautiful marathon course with the worst course support I have ever encountered. By mile 4, the water stops were out of water. Two other times water and PowerAde signs were posted with no water stop to be found. Given the record temperatures forecasted for race day, the water stops werely very poorly planned. I stopped in a gas station and bought my own Gatorade and water after mile 4 and was glad I did. I won't be back. :(
P. T. from USA (3/26/2007) "Does somebody have $1?" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 Always carry cash on you for this race so you can duck into a drug store to buy your own PowerAde. Nothing on the marathon course except water - and none of that from mile 4-8! Although multiple signs (and volunteers) kept saying that PowerAde was "around the corner," there was none. One volunteer reminded me that I was lucky she was there. Some of the water stations were out of cups; at some you had to pour your own. By mile 15, electrolyte stores were depleted, with nothing in site. For a hot, hilly race this was not the race at which to have this happen. No apologies made by the race, sponsors, etc... which makes the high entry fee hard to swallow.
C. G. from Atlanta, GA (3/26/2007) "A Marathon of Extremes - Beautiful and Brutal" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 The Good: The marathon race course was beautiful. The first 15 miles were run through the older, elegant, tree-lined neighborhoods of Atlanta - parts most visitors never get to to see. This course was far and above superior to the Atlanta Marathon. The fans along the course were true to Southern hospitality, soffering fruit, hose-downs and a massive amount of cheerful support. The fans get 5 stars. The Bad: The water stops were really poor. There were signs for stops that never came. Coca-Cola was a sponsor and I never saw a drop of PowerAde... but did see signs for PowerAde stations. This will be mentioned a lot, as the hydration planning was poor, poor, poor... 0 stars. The course was brutally hilly. Hey, if you are planning to run a marathon, don't cry about hills - so I won't - but I was then. This race is more difficult than the Atlanta Marathon. The heat was brutal. If you ran slower than a 3:00 marathon, you were treated to some nasty heat - especially on Freedom Parkway. From mile 18 on, it was a fry-fest. In Summary: I will definitely run it again. It was beautiful and for the most part a really enjoyable day. I think the RD will get the kinks out next year and 2008 will be better.
R. P. from Atlanta, GA (3/26/2007) "Good potential, but needs work" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Georgia Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 Overall the course was nice, winding and climbing through many of the unique neighborhoods near downtown. The fans along the course were plentiful, enthusiastic and encouraging. This is Atlanta, so the non-stop hills were expected. One drawback: the course winds a lot at the beginnning, making it tougher to spread the field. In terms of organization, this marathon hit with the flash, but missed with the substance. The shirt, medal, expo and names on the race numbers were nice. The volunteers and police support were top-notch. However, one of the most critical components, the fluid support, was extremely poor. Water stations were spaced two miles apart. The stations at mile 6 and near Emory were missing, despite signs that indicated that they were just ahead. This meant stretches of 4 miles with no water in hot temperatures. After mile 8, none of the stations had Gatorade or PowerAde. There was also no Gatorade/PowerAde at the finish. I ended up walking to the nearby Coke museum to buy some from a vending machine. Until I hear that the fluid issue is fixed, I would not run this again.

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