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☰
Mississippi Blues Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Mississippi Blues Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.8 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 260 [displaying comments 211 to 221]
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Philip Lawrence from New Orleans, Louisiana
(1/24/2008)
 "Outstanding Marathon!" (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have completed 94 marathons and ultra-marathons and this race was top-notch, especially considering it was an inaugural marathon. The race was well organized in every respect, the volunteers were helpful and the crowds were friendly. Traffic was well controlled from my perspective, the medal (pewter-colored guitar suspended from a blue neck ribbon) and shirt (nice screen of a blues guitar) were great! The food which included beer, soft drinks, sandwiches, pizza, fruit and desserts was tasty and plentiful. The race does need more porto-lets; I would suggest at least one or two each aid station for runners and volunteers. Also, this course is hilly, so you are not going to PR here unless it is your first marathon. Also, there were a few bands and musicians along the course but recruiting more to play would be nice. Thank you for staging such a great race! | |
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E. M. from Brandon, MS
(1/17/2008)
 "Kudos to the Blues Marathon and Mississippi" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Fantastic overall job on the inaugural Mississippi Blues Marathon. This race and its organizers should be commended for putting on this first-rate event. Packet Pick-up: Nice expo, helpful attendants (an error in my registration was fixed), great music, great location - everything that was needed. Packet: GREAT CD, good pre-race information, and a great tech running shirt. Race Start: Splits until start time were nice, neat blues Star Spangled Banner, and on-time start. Race: Course was well marked throughout, and while hilly, it was nicely challenging (who needs flat all the time?). Great volunteers and police support, but need WAY more port-o-potties (as has been stated). Post Race: Great medal, and nice touch with the mylar, but a separate finisher's area would be nice not to have to wade through family members. Fantastic hot and cold food (way above what was expected) and cold beer, and great blues music. Overall: This is a well organized, friendly and challenging marathon that offers nice perks that you don't expect and may not see at some larger, more expensive races. However, you can still get the small-town feel in this great race. | |
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T. E. from Orlando,FL
(1/16/2008)
"Volunteers made my day!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The volunteers were the best!! More porta-potties needed on the course. | |
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K. S. from Richmond, TX
(1/14/2008)
"Fantastic Inaugural Race" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The volunteers were so friendly, packet pick-up was very smooth and the police did a great job of directing traffic. Everyone kept telling us how happy they were to see us and welcoming us all to MS. Spectators were not numerous, but those who were on the route were very loud. ;-) The course was a nice, challenging course. The camber was a little tough on the ankles, though. You would never know that this was an inaugural race if the word had not been in the race title. | |
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H. V. from Asheville, NC
(1/13/2008)
"Fantastic Volunteers!" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have never experienced such nice volunteers before. They made up for the lack of spectators with all their cheering and support. I am a very slow runner and they had to be tired by the time I came through, but they were loud and supportive all the same. The Southern hospitality was in full force all around town. Lots of regular folks thanked me for coming to town. It was so nice. Only one complaint: Where were the porta-potties???? On the marathon course there were almost none. More than once I had to find my own option for a place to go, which isn't easy when running through neighborhoods. YIKES! At least ten times as many were needed. I'll be back and sending other people to this one. Great job, organizers!!! | |
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FR Johnson from Brandon, MS
(1/12/2008)
 "Great Volunteers, Hills, and Blues" (about: 2008)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was a very well organized race by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi. The volunteers were wonderful. I never once worried about crossing an intersection as a volunteer was always there with a stop sign for the traffic. In the major intersections, the Jackson and Flowood Police Departments handled it beautifully. This event took off. Great shirt, great medal, lots of aid stations, good food afterwards, tough finish with big hills and a lot of variety on the course. Great job BC/BS and Jackson! | |
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C. L. from Coral Springs, FL
(1/12/2008)
 "Friendly People, Challenging Course" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran the half but some of the comments will apply to both. This was a very well organized first race. What made this race shine was how friendly and warm the people of Jackson were, especially the volunteers. Everyone I came in contact with seemed genuinely willing to help. The expo was great for the size of this race. It had all essentials and more. Packet pick-up could have been a bit better organized, but the wait was reasonable. The course was very hilly!!! There were plenty of hydration stations, at least for the half, but not nearly enough toilets. I saw one at about mile 5 and then one almost at the end. I couldn't believe that the organizers didn't think of this. The waiting area before the start was actually indoors and had real toilets! There weren't lots of spectators but some people did come out to cheer. The volunteers were great all throughout the course. There were a few big intersections that we needed to cross and the police officers would sometimes let traffic through while there were still runners coming. This was a bit scary. The host hotel was very cozy and had free breakfast. There is a trolley that transports you to and from the race (a short distance). I loved the technical shirt and the medal. The half marathoners only got a "half medal," which I thought was really original. Music at the finish was nice and the warm food supplied by local vendors was delicious. They also had free beer! The post-race party was FUN. This was a great chance to enjoy some real Mississippi blues in the company of fellow runners. We each got two tickets for drinks in our goody bag, as well as a Blues CD and even a pair of sunglasses. All in all I really enjoyed this race thanks to the effort put forth by the people of Jackson to make sure that everyone had a great time. Thank you, Jackson. You rock! | |
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Michele Smith-Harden from Norfolk, Virginia
(1/11/2008)
"GREATEST VOLUNTEERS ON EARTH!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is my 40th marathon and I have run most of the large popular marathons. This marathon stands out for having the most exciting volunteers I have ever seen. I know that this is a new marathon and that the organizers will probably make some changes, but don't change the volume of volunteers on the course. I was getting over a cold and had to walk the last 5 miles of the marathon. The volunteers cheered me on as though I was an elite runner. Jackson, Mississippi I thank you for your warm "Southern Hospitality." Thanks for the glasses. | |
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J. G. from Brandon,MS
(1/9/2008)
"Inaugural Marathon, Veteran Organization" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 From the gun to the finish, it was obvious the MS Blues Marathon was formed and organized by veteran marathoners. The most important things to me in a marathon are... on-time starts, well marked course, visual splits, adequate fluids and ample recovery foods. The MS Blues Marathon delivered in every way. This race, with its veteran organization, reminds me of Rocket City Marathon, one of the most professionally organized races out there, which is in its 31st year. As I was struggling in the final 5K, which is a challenging stretch, I was saying, "I don't think I'll run this course again." As I reflect back on the diverse and tactical aspect of the course, it leaves me intrigued. I can't wait till next year. What a JEWEL! Bring back the fig newtons. | |
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Grannie Annie Singer from Suffern, New York
(1/9/2008)
"1st Time's A Charm" (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Grannie Annie from the back of the pack here for the marathon. Yes, we really had all the amenities way in the back of the pack. Finished in 6:22, with a great head cold but a happy heart. The course has its up and downs (hills). Loved the uphill finish... yeah, and calling my name out as I came under finish banner. Orange cones are set the whole 26.2 miles. Traffic control was EXCELLENT. Expo: hi-tech. Blue guitar-front shirt is a keeper. The speaker (50 marathons/50 days) was very interesting. The CD was great. On the morning of the race, the blues guitar national anthem was very moving. Fans along the course the very BEST. Whoever led the team of volunteers should be commended - each one greeted runners, thanked us for coming and wished us well. Thank you; the guitar marathon medal was a nice touch. Thank you for doing this marathon right for the fast runners as well as us slowpokes. |
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