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Apr 27, 2024

Peak to Creek Marathon (formerly Ridge to Bridge Marathon) Runner Comments

Back to Peak to Creek Marathon (formerly Ridge to Bridge Marathon) Information & Reviews

Course 4.5

Organization 4.8

Spectators 3.3

Number of comments: 88 [displaying comments 61 to 71]

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G. R. from NC (10/30/2008) "Run the Ridge to Bridge!" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Peak to Creek Marathon (formerly Ridge to Bridge Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Sign up early since this fills up in less than 2 weeks (for very good reasons). The race directors, David and Rhonda, are off the scale. Rhonda actually drove up and down the course, encouraging runners BY NAME throughout the run. Check out the message board on the website; it is full of information about downhill training required, other training tips, the course, other runners and more. David even scheduled a free marathon on the route several weeks early to allow runners to see the course. Finally, believe the comments: "You will never be as sore as you are after this run."
M. R. from Mid-west (10/29/2008) "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly..." (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have to agree with the comments from both X.X. and B.R. posted before me. The Good: The race director (and his wife) went out of their way to make this a great experience for all. It is a friendly town, and the scenery in the mountains was absolutely spectacular. The environment is family-friendly, and it makes for a nice getaway weekend. The Bad: Now I'm going to feel bad about the comments I'm about to make, but I want others to know exactly what they may be signing up for. To start, the first half is mostly downhill as advertised and pretty fast. The second half has A LOT of uphill sections that are very challenging. I was having an awesome race until then, after which the hills did me in and I was too wiped out to enjoy any remaining downhill sections. Do not expect to set a new PR or qualify for Boston unless you have done a ton of uphill training. As evidence, the FASTEST overall runner in 2008 finished at 3:04:10. That means there wasn't even one person to come in under 3 hours. For a fast course, you would expect a handful of runners to break 3 hours, but not so here. The Ugly: The comment about traffic is also true. You run on the shoulder facing traffic virtually the whole way, and many drivers are not paying attention, so you need to be quick on your feet at times. In addition, apparently everyone in that town drives Diesel pickup trucks, because I got my life time allowance of Diesel exhaust fumes during much of the race. That didn't help me as I was struggling to climb up some of the many hills in the second half. In summary, if you are looking for a fast course, find something flat or truly downhill all the way. This course was simply too hilly in the second half and I was totally unprepared for that much hill-climbing.
S. M. from Tennessee, USA (10/29/2008) "Loved this marathon" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Peak to Creek Marathon (formerly Ridge to Bridge Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon. The first 13 miles downhill were spectacular, even with the fog this year. This course was not closed, but the local police support was great. By the time I got to where traffic started building up, the runners were sufficiently spread out to be able to run single file. All in all, I had a great time for my first marathon, and look forward to running this race again.
Tim McGinty from Cleveland, Ohio (10/28/2008) "Best, Fall, Small Race in America!!!!" (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Peak to Creek Marathon (formerly Ridge to Bridge Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Nobody does it better! This 150+-person race fills up fast for good reason. This is a first-class event. I often go to do the Marine Corps Marathon this weekend, but we wanted to try this one based on its reputation for speed, scenery, and fun. It also is much less expensive trip and close to the same distance. It exceeded my expectations in all respects. We stayed in the nearby resort community at Blowing Rock and made a long weekend out of it. Plenty to do in the area. Bring your camera. The fall colors were near peak and the Blue Line Parkway where the race begins was magnificent. The weather was perfect. The first half down the mountain is both fast and a quad killer. It's so quick that I had a 15-minute positive split and still BQ'd. My mile splits ranged from 7:30 to 11:00's. But there was a price to pay on the hills of the backside. My legs were hurting the next day more than after any other race in 25 years (from all of that up and down), but it still gave me my fastest time of all my races in '08. This was my target race and I'm glad I ran a lot of hilly trail runs to toughen up my legs for this one. From the bus ride to the start, to the pulled pork BBQ party at the finish, the race director, David, and his wife and volunteers treated everyone in the race as if we were old friends!
X. X. from Southeast US (10/28/2008) "I hate to rate this course low, but I have to" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Peak to Creek Marathon (formerly Ridge to Bridge Marathon) COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 You'll not find a better or more inspiring race director. His personal contact with the runners through email, and then with a handshake to each runner at the finish, is unparalleled at any other marathon I've run. The first 13 miles are as spectacular as advertised. But as you approach town, you're running on the shoulder into traffic on a busy state highway. The traffic was moving very fast and gave no quarter to runners. The last miles felt dangerous for an exhausted, wobbly runner. I can't recommend this race without better protection.
d. l. from Charlotte, NC (10/27/2008) "Great race; not as easy as the elevation chart :)" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Peak to Creek Marathon (formerly Ridge to Bridge Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race is really a one-of-a-kind marathon : 1) Before the race, you feel like part of a family, receiving David's great emails and countdown. It was great sharing tips posted on the message board and exchanging ideas with the community. Even the Holiday Inn ladies enjoy the event and bent over backwards for runners - amazing! 2) During the race, the gorgeous scenery and friendly volunteers were great. Plus, the downhill speed really gets you carried out. 3) After the race, you enjoy the greatest, family-type atmosphere, with smiles on all faces, plenty of excellent cooked food, and hugs (but no kisses). In one word, you feel really part of this great, enthusiastic community. Of course, you may enjoy the downhill course and a PR, but still - do not underestimate the task; your muscles will not forget it. :) Bottom line: David, I will be back next year, probably with company! Thanks so much for putting this together.
R. C. from Charlotte, North Carolina (10/27/2008) "Not truly the race it's built up to be" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Peak to Creek Marathon (formerly Ridge to Bridge Marathon) COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Well, this race had BEAUTIFUL scenery. But, it really wasn't what I expected at all. The first 13 or so miles were exactly what they were billed as: fast and downhill. Now for the misrepresentation: the second half was billed as partly flat, with "gentle, rolling hills." There was absolutely nothing gentle about those hills. They were one after another, very large in stature, with no time to recover in-between hills. It was the hardest 13 miles I have ever run in my life, mainly because I wasn't mentally prepared for something like that. I'd say the main reason this race is billed as a race that 60 percent of the people in it qualify for Boston is because there are only 150 runners and the majority of them are older or females, which is the easiest way to qualify for the Grand Race. This is truly one of the hardest marathons in the country. It also hurts that there are practically zero spectators throughout. The only spectators are a few family members of runners and they are in their cars on the side of the road, waiting only for their loved one to come by. The volunteers did a very good job of handing out drinks and gels at aid stations, although this is the first race I have ever been at that hasn't had a fruit option at a few of the aid stations during the race. Man, a banana would have come in handy when I got some of those leg cramps. David was awesome, however, and bent over backwards to make this race go well. I just don't think it comes close to living up to the hype it gets. Sorry.
B. R. from Charlotte, NC (10/26/2008) "Awesome, simply awesome" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Peak to Creek Marathon (formerly Ridge to Bridge Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was the first small marathon I've ever run, and it will be one that I will run again and again. I cannot put in to words how great the organization of this race was - it was top-notch. The race director sent continuous email updates, gave quick responses to any questions, and they gave out little lights and glow sticks to light the way during the predawn start - it was top-notch. The course was beautiful (even through the fog) and very challenging. Don't underestimate how tough running downhill for 14 miles can be; you'll definitely feel it the next day. The spectators get 5 stars because, even though they were few, they were so kind and cheerful. Hopefully the race will keep its cap low so that it doesn't become too crowded. The post-race food was the best of any event I've ever been to, with pizza, barbecue, cobbler....
K. J. from Roswell, GA (1/24/2008) "Run this marathon before word gets out about it!" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Peak to Creek Marathon (formerly Ridge to Bridge Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The predominately downhill course is tough on your quads so make sure you do some downhill training before the race. Other than my quads hurting for a full week, this is one marathon you don't want to miss. If you are looking for homemade cookies in your race packet, an incredibly dedicated race direct and crew, a warm general store to wait in until the run begins, an early start for slower runners, an opportunity to buy an incredible race DVD for less than $5 and (as if that is not enough) an opportunity to have items you tossed during the run returned to you at the finish line, than this is your marathon. Sign up before word gets out.
Tracy Brooks from Harrogate, Tennessee (11/20/2007) "Not just a marathon... but an experience!" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Peak to Creek Marathon (formerly Ridge to Bridge Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second marathon, and what a great one it was! David Lee did a wonderful job in the months leading up to the race keeping us posted on updates, changes, and giving training advice. The course itself was very challenging to me, as I was not used to running downhill for such a long amount of time. I loved the start in the dark, and the course had some beautiful views as we moved down the mountain. The spectators might not have been large in number, but they had an opportunity to move down the course as we ran, and they were very supportive and kept our spirits up!! The food after the race was plentiful, and the awards were done in a timely manner. Overall, this was a great race. It was a small field, but this gave us more of an opportunity to get to know one another, as well as who our race director was. I look forward to R2B next year!

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