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May 3, 2024

Soldier Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.8

Organization 4.9

Spectators 4.3

Number of comments: 55 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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

S. B. from Savannah, GA (11/20/2011) "Beautiful course, great organizaiton" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Soldier Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was about the most fun I have had at a marathon. The packet pick up was easy. Plenty of bathrooms. Very pretty views of the river and fall foliage. Not a whole lot of fans but the support crews were great and the other runners were so encouraging. Truly enjoyed the whole thing! Thank you Michael for running the first half with me! Definitely a run to come back and do again.
R. H. from Lawrenceville, GA (11/14/2011) "Great race!" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Soldier Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I think this is a great course for both novice & experienced marathoners and it is a solid race for a PR and/or Boston qualifier (I'm happy to obtain both here). Organization: I missed packet pick-up on Friday so I cannot comment on the Expo or pasta dinner, but packet pick-up on race day was easy and the only challenge was getting around the runners that were inside the Infantry Museum to stay warm before the start. I liked that the starting line had pace signs for runners to keep congestion down at the start. This race had the most room at the front of the pack of any 1/2 or full marathon I've ever run. There were literally 1,000+ soldiers in uniform along the course and at the start/finish. Every single street inside Fort Benning was manned with a minimum of one soldier and each of them was supportive of runners and provided words of encouragement. The soldiers creed prior to the start was a nice touch for me as I had not heard it before. There were numerous soldiers at the finish line to pass out the 'dog tags' & coin to each finisher as well as congratulate them. If you were like me, you were also escorted to the medical tent by a soldier or two. (I should note the medical tent volunteers were friendly & welcoming also.) The results were very promptly posted for runners to know where they finished in comparison to the field. Course: There is one noticeable hill after the 2-mile mark, but no other hills to note after that. The good news about this one hill is that you also get to run down the hill 2-3 miles later. The final 19 miles are run primarily along the river on a flat asphalt path. The start and finish on the Avenue of Flags was a nice touch. Each mile was clearly marked and the 1/2 marathoners split from the marathoners at mile 10. Spectators: There is adequate fan support along the way, but you should run a bigger race if fan support is what you're seeking. I prefer the smaller crowds and feel the number of spectators is just right for me. Volunteers: I cannot say enough about the wonderful job the soldiers did throughout the event and I was called 'sir' more times in 3:09 than I have my previous 35 years. The volunteers at the aid stations were very nice also and I had no problem determining which person had water & which had Powerade. The temperature at the start was in the high 30's so I am thankful for anyone that would volunteer their Saturday morning to support runners. I hope this race continues to grow in popularity, but maintains all of the positive attributes it has now. Well done!
R. P. from Dunwoody, GA (11/13/2011) "A great small marathon" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Soldier Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is an exceptional small marathon with lots of pros and no real cons. Here are the positives and some areas for improvement from my perspective: Pros: 1. Small field, but not too small - about 500 in the full marathon. 2. Great organization. 3. Nice venue (National Infantry Museum) for the packet pick-up, pasta dinner, and start/finish. The museum was also open race morning to stay warm and use the restroom prior to the start. 4. Nice flat to gently rolling scenic course (Fort Benning and along the Chattahoochee) and good course support (4 gel stops and plenty of water/powerade stops, porta-poties, etc.). 5. Fallen Hero program. The opportunity to run in honor of a soldier who died in combat affected me far more than I thought it would before, during, and after the race. It has given this marathon more meaning to me than any other I've run. Areas for improvement/drawbacks: 1. On-course entertainment could be improved. One guy had a sound system set-up on an out-and-back part of the course. A few more such set-ups to provide a little boost to the runners would be nice given that there aren't really any spectators along the course. 2. The expo is a bit thin. It is sufficient for a race this size, but mainly consists of one running store vendor with last minute items.
M. L. from Roswell, GA (11/12/2011) "Very good marathon!" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Soldier Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My 7th marathon overall and this is at the top! Very well organized, beautiful course, interesting sightseeing running through Ft Benning. I had spectators following me and they had an easy time getting around. Will be back and recommend to all!
D. H. from Las Cruces, NM (12/16/2010) "I will be back." (about: 2010) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first time attempting anything as crazy as a marathon. I suffered an achilles injury during training so I wound up doing the half. The organization was fantastic and may have spoiled me for other races. Will they all be as good as this? It was great to see the whole community come together to put this on, from the Columbus Track Club that organized it, to the military support, and the Benefactor: the Infantry Museum. If this is what running is about, I'm in!
Ron Teed from Atlanta, Ga (11/23/2010) "From a Marathon Critic: this is a MUST-do event." (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Soldier Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I was interested in this race from the moment I first heard about it. It sounded intriguing. "The Soldier Marathon." With the US Army involvement, the potential appeared high. The problem is that not many events truly live up to their potential. This is especially true with first-time events. I am an experienced marathoner, with 17 finishes under my feet, and four inaugural events on my resume as well. I have experienced the high and low points of all these past events, and countless other races. I know when an event "gets it," and when an event "gets it right." That said, the Soldier Marathon definitely "gets it," and definitely "got it right." 1. Communication from the race director via the Facebook fan page before the event was active and informative. It was also spot on during the critical time of race week, through registration, and the critical days after the event, where participants and spectators alike are most hungry for information, such as results, milestones, etc. As far as communication goes, this race director really nailed it, and set the example of how it absolutely should be done every single time. 2. Registration was simple, as it should be for a smaller event, very organized, and very well done. The registration packet was very nice. The packet was more consistent with a medium to large race in its presentation and contents. The race shirt was nice, but the (short) sleeves were a little long. That's obviously personal preference though. This is one area that can be tweaked to perfection over time. Registering inside the Infantry Museum was a treat. The exhibits are awesome. 3. Race day was extremely well organized. The start was efficient and well communicated. The aesthetics were simple, yet effective. Having soldiers line the street just past the start line was also a simple, yet brilliant touch. These "little" things make a huge difference in terms of the overall look and feel of an event. 4. The course was advertised as flat - not heavily so, but my perspective going in was that this was the case. Overall, I would classify this course as gently rolling, with some flat sections along the way. My Garmin showed over 1,300 feet of climbing, with an equal amount of descent. So the Soldier Marathon does have hills, but it had what I call "the perfect overall feel." Strictly flat courses are too hard on the legs. This course offers a nice change from the leg perspective, at just the right times. The overall look and feel of the course was just right. Nothing too mundane and boring. Just when you start to get enough of one section, another comes along and changes up the scenery. The run pretty much goes like this: Base tour, trail out, downtown loop, trail back. It's really a much better course than I had expected. Just ignore those who call it flat and fast, because it's not. It's fast if you are trained right, just like every course. It's definitely a candidate for a BQ attempt. I succeeded in this goal at this race. 5. The finish was spectacular. If ever there was a natural place for a race finish, this is it. The Avenue of Flags. It speaks for itself, and demands to be seen by everyone who cares about the marathon experience. 6. Hydration and aid stations were very well done. I like to have these every mile or mile and a half, and here they were every two miles. Again, personal preference, but I found there were some points where they were a little too spaced out. When putting in a BQ-type effort, you tend to want and need options for fluids to be more ubiquitous. Let me be clear here. There was enough, and it was very well done; I just prefer the spacing to be better. Maybe 1 or two more stops total. This race had Cerasport as the on course drink, along with water. That was completely new to me. I enjoyed it very much as the taste was much better than your standard "sports" drink. I'd like to see this offered at more races in the future. There was also GU stops at 16 and 23. This worked out excellent. I carried 5 of my own, and returned with 1, so I used one of theirs. Usually I do not rely on race-provided gels. Here it was available and at the ready - at least for the front-of-the-pack runners. I obviously can't speak for everyone here, but I did not hear any complaints. 7. The medal... I mean this is one of the key things we all want. Something memorable. Don't ever make it look like you took the easy way. It's safe to say that the Soldier Marathon did not take the easy way here. The medal is fantastic. One of my favorites. I'm not going to describe it, as you just need to go out and earn it next year. Overall, this event exceeded my demanding expectations. As I stated in my title, I am a critic when it comes to races. Here, there was very little to be critical of. It was, from this runner's perspective, a resounding success. I will do this again in the future to see how things are progressing, and hope that the Army can make this their "Marine Corps" Marathon. There is no reason not to, as this has the makings and potential of a very successful event.
Anthony Lampros from Mountain City, Georgia (11/19/2010) "Inagural event? It didn't show. Good job...!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Soldier Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 What a pleasant surprise. Inaugural races (of ANY distance) can end up being "'would've, could've, should've" events with promises to work harder and be better organized NEXT year. Not this event. These people got it right the first time. Really. The check-in and packet pick-up was a breeze, the pasta dinner was delicious, and the race itself was fantastic. Volunteers - some of them soldiers, others civilians of all ages - were supportive and enthusiastic. And the course: surprisingly scenic and interesting, really a lot of fun (well, maybe not all that fun at mile 23 or 24, but, hey...). My only complaint - and this was mentioned by other participants during the race itself- were those darned plastic cups. Yes, I know they were donated and thus free, but I ended up WEARING more water than I actually drank! Please find some pinchable paper cups next year!!!! Other than that, this race - and all of the great folks who obviously worked extremely hard and extremely smart - deserves two thumbs up. I would definitely recommend it to others, and I will definitely put it on my list to run again. A crisp salute to ALL of you...! As we southerners like to say, "ya' done good."
M. P. from Fort Gordon, GA (11/19/2010) "It's about time the Army had its own Marathon!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Soldier Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Excellent! Not much else to say after all of those great reviews. This was my 24th marathon, and I have to say it ranks among the top 3 (with Boston, and Marine Corps). I feel honored to have participated in this inaugural race, which will surely be as popular as the Marine Corps Marathon someday. Great organization, great course, plenty of well-stocked aid stations. At times, I felt like I was running in one of the scenes from the movie Forrest Gump. Army soldiers supporting us throughout the course were awesome - especially the drill sergeants as we went up the hills! As a bonus, we got to see the Infantry Museum after packet pick-up. I would have never imagined that there was a better-than-Smithsonian museum in Columbus, GA. My only suggestion would be to change the name of the marathon to the "US ARMY Soldier Marathon" to get more involvement from the Army instead of just Fort Benning. Marines and Air Force have their own marathons, and Navy will have its inaugural marathon next May. As an active duty soldier stationed at Fort Gordon, I feel it's time we have our own marathon (instead of just the Army 10-miler). I loved Fort Benning and hope to get a chance to get stationed there in the future. Hooah!
sean lillis from FL (11/16/2010) "Great race.....nice course and fast!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Soldier Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Hats off to the entire organization. Course was mostly flat and well organized. Few spectators, but great support from volunteers.
B. H. from AL (11/15/2010) "To become a recognized "must run" marathon" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Soldier Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The Soldier Marathon was an excellent inaugural event - very well organized! The scenic course was a beautiful. flat and fast lollipop beginning at the National Infantry Museum, onto Fort Benning, and then to Uptown Columbus via the Riverwalk and back to the Infantry Museum. Either by standing at parade rest or hosting water stations, our soldiers led the way along the course, making the majority of the race patriotic and emotionally humbling. Sincerely, I was surprised to see a Major General kick off the race and position himself along the course to cheer on runners after what is typically a very hectic and busy, ceremonious week. My only suggestion or complaint as previously mentioned would be to use paper cups over the crushable plastic ones at the water stations. Oh yeah, and the tour (free of charge) of the Infantry Museum is really something special! I expect this one to become common on many runners' bucket lists in the future.

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