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Apr 27, 2024

Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.4

Organization 4.2

Spectators 3.5

Number of comments: 104 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 11 > ]

Stuart Wilson from Fort Myers, FL (7/1/2012) "General Comments" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I am a novice runner, but I enjoy traveling to different cities and indulge in the marathon experience. This is my 5th marathon, others being Denver, Disney, Nashville, Hartford. I thought this was a beautiful course up until the 15th mile which then turned into an out and back along an expressway! For about 6/7 miles there was little to no crowd support and the only entertainment was a couple of DJs in the tunnels. The course had a few challenging hills, but considering the location, it could have been worse. The start staggering also eliminated most of the congestion I have experienced at other marathons. (even those with staggered starts) My largest complaint (and this also occurred in the Denver Marathon 2010), but mile 15, according to my GPS ran 1.23 miles long. I understand the length of a marathon will be longer than 26.2 miles since I cannot follow the tangent due to congestion, but I certainly expect the route to be marked appropriately. I usually expect about an extra 1/4 but this marathon was near a 1/2 mile long. The tunnels of course caused my watch to lose signal but after the signal was established the GPS calculated the straight line distance between entering and existing the tunnels. All miles according to my GPS were in line with what I expected with the exception of Mile 15. It is frustrating to pay the fees associated with the race and they cannot seem to get the race course marked appropriately. I will be shying away from R/R marathons for the next few to see I if there are better experiences.
Heidi Neuffer from Corvallis, OR (6/27/2012) "My first ever marathon, loved Seattle experience!" (about: 2012) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My first marathon EVER, 2nd race ever (1st was a 1/2 marathon) and it was SO fun! Hard course, but fun! (of course, it was 26.2 miles..nothing easy about that...) The cheering crowd was AMAZING and very encouraging! Outside of the tunnel where we had to run on a sideways incline, it was wonderful. I LOVED the lake and views of the city!! The water breaks & PP's were perfectly placed, (my first race, I was worried about this!) the last hills were very hard and I wanted to walk, but didn't, knowing the same great people would be there to help me afterward. And I was right! I had to visit the medic tent for a bad blister and they were so kind and caring. Thank you to all who make these races possible...couldn't have had a better 'first race' experience!! I'll be back! (and I qualified for Boston, so that made me even happier!)
K. L. from California (6/26/2012) "New and improved course" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Seattle in 2009 and had a great race experience. I came back this year when they announced a new course. The new route is loop course with more hills. Even though it's harder, it is an improvement over the old course. The Seattle Center is a great race venue and was very accommodating to runners. They opened the Center House prior to the race so runners were able to stay warm and dry. They even had an open Starbucks stand inside where I was able to buy my morning cup of coffee. The Seattle Center is close to downtown hotels and is easily accessible. The new course runs through downtown. It has some scenic sections although Lake Washington is the nicest part of the course. Marathoners and half marathoners were separated from each other along the route - nice touch. Course support was very good. The volunteers at the water stations were great. There were plenty of bands and cheer squads to keep us entertained. The finish area was organized and efficient. It was a bit crowded when the bulk of the half marathoners finished, but it cleared out by the time marathoners arrived. No one can control the weather, and this year it rained leading up to the race. It stopped raining by race time, but the humidity was noticeable. Overall I enjoyed this race. Definitely recommended.
L. O. from Manila, Philippines (6/25/2012) "Good race in a great city" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 It was my first time to run this race and I found it challenging but good. They debuted a new course in 2012 and miles 6-13 featured the beautiful Lake Washington and Seward Park. There were more hills than I expected and a couple of them in the last 3 miles were killers! But the race organization was top notch, the volunteers at the aid stations were excellent and the weather at this time of the year is typically excellent. On top of that, the Expo is fantastic with a real 'big race' feel to it. Starting and ending in Seattle Center is very convenient. One bit of advice, waves are released at the the start in approximately 1-min intervals. So if you belong to a wave in the back (there were over 30 waves), then take your time getting to the race which starts at 7am. I was in wave 29, got there before 6am, and felt that a 90-min wait before gun start was tiring on the legs. You're better off relaxing and lining up for the porta potties as the first few waves go off and then just join your wave as they near the start line. Overall, this is a very good race to join... good race in a great city. So the trip is more than worthwhile. Really good restaurants in downtown Seattle too so lots of excellent choices for a post marathon dinner!
Irish Jalex from Austin, TX (4/11/2012) "Great Run, Beware the Out-and-Back" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Rock 'n Roll Series has gotten their race process down to a science. The expo was extensive and well-organized, with an easy flow through packet pick-up and a wide variety of options. The course was well-supported with great spectator support when it could be there. There were many sections of out-and-back and highway miles which could not allow for crowds, but I wouldn't trade the view on the bridge for anything. Pretty nasty hill in the last couple miles, but it seems like every course has one of those. My one big complaint was the post-race. They ran out of blankets quickly (I finished in 3:12 and went without), and the beer garden line took half an hour. Other than that, great weather, great course, great race.
R. D. from Cincinnati, OH (7/11/2011) "It's obvious RNR is in it for the money." (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have run several Rock and Roll events over the past 3 years and it's more and more obvious they are cutting runner amenities to put more money in their pockets. I've seen their race entry costs go up while shirts remain unisex and uncreative. They add more premium options like private port a potties and VIP shuttles for added costs. Now they've cut back on the Cytomax handed out on the course to every other or every third waterstop. I will go out of my way to AVOID Rock and Roll events unless they do a couple little things to show me they care about runners as much as their bottom line.
b. c. from Atlanta, GA (7/7/2011) "Great City and organization but course was fair" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Big time Rock n Roll Marathon. Organization was good and support excellent. Bands good. Course was poor. I think they did the best they could given the limitations. I mean no one would have wanted to run in-town with the hills. So we were running along the edge of town with out and backs and concrete. The hills around 17-19 were not good.In addition, there were a few mile markers which were miss marked. Ordinarily not a big problem, unless you are using them to track your pace especially toward the end.
B. Z. from Colorado (7/3/2011) "Great weather and organization" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Loved the city. Organization was great. Can't imagine why ever marathon does not do a wave start. Pick up was easy, expo large. Water and cytomax stations well manned. Plenty of porta potties on course. Bands were okay, loved the cheerleaders along the course. A little too much concrete surface. And miles 23.5 to 23.5 go past the finish area on and out and back. Hate that design.
Tyson Poskochil from Lincoln, NE (7/3/2011) "RnR Seattle Rocks!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This is an overall fun race and is an ideal setting for a first-time marathoner due to the hype and excitement surrounding it. The course is a diverse set of urban surroundings, and it didn't seem like there was dull moment at any point in the race, as I enjoyed taking in all the scenery. Race is somewhat organized but has much room for improvement. Busing started at 4 a.m. to Tukwila and was supposed to run until 6 a.m. to get everyone there for a 7 a.m. start. However the pick-up location was small and a lot of people were over-spilled into the streets and impeding traffic as a result. When buses did arrive, there were mad rushes to them by everyone in an attempt to obtain a seat, and I'm sure there were very few who showed up in the first hour versus the last hour to board. This needs to be re-evaluated for the next time around. Due to the high number of runners, you are corralled and will have a stagnated start. I was in the 22nd, and it took 34 minutes from the gun before I began. For the volume of runners, however, the aid stations and water stops are well-equipped, and volunteer and police presence is outstanding throughout. Bands are also numerous, which is fitting and enjoyable, and plenty of good eats and drinks are available at the end. A fun race to run but still in need of a few small improvements.
L. M. from Buffalo NY (7/2/2011) "Awsome marathon" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 6th marathon. The organization was incredible. The buses downtown to quest field were on time and plenty of them. At the start of the race the corals were well organized and ran smoothly, Before the race there was food for runners. The course was amazing, well stocked with water, cytomax and gels. My two favorite spots were running along lake Washington and running thought downtown Seattle. The race ended at quest field. Awesome marathon the organization was amazing.

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