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May 8, 2024

The Tyler Rose Marathon Runner Comments

Back to The Tyler Rose Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.1

Organization 3.2

Spectators 2.5

Number of comments: 23 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

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M. H. from Louisiana (10/21/2012) "Very Hilly" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 The Tyler Rose Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was my first Marathon and the first half was fine but the last half was tough. It is a very hilly course and by the time you hit mile 20, if you're not in shape, the hills will get you. All in all it was a great time and experience. I plan to run it again next year.
C. M. from Mansfield, Texas (10/9/2012) "True Marathon Test" (about: 2012) 2 previous marathons \| 1 The Tyler Rose Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Tyler Rose Marathon was a true test for this marathon runner. The hills were plentiful and really made the day an interesting run. Packet pick up was simple the day prior at The Rose Center. The event shirt is all bright red and does seem to run a bit small on sizing. Bib/ chip combo made for easy set up although my time (as of Tuesday 10/9) has yet to be loaded. Race morning was cool, perfect weather, and the Rose Center was open for runners to stay warmer and stretch. Start was delayed as the Jaguar Timing System was being set up late, but the crack staff did well and Marathon started just a few minutes late. Be ready for various types of terrain on the run. Paved highway, old roads, and brick roads to go along with the awesome finish on grass at The Rose Center. Train for hills and you will be ready for the marathon. Uphill and downhills make it very challenging. Water stops are well manned and placed at the right spots. Water and Powerade were served in paper cups. Good choice. The mile markers were placed well until 22. From then on, it seemed like they were either not visible or placed in the wrong spot. Scenery was nice. Old beautiful homes along brick roads and azalea trails made it a fun course. Finish line was in the Rose Garden and they called Bib numbers coming in. Nice finisher Rose Bush was given to all marathon finishers. Food area was small. There was pizza, bananas, and chocolate milk. There were some running related expo like tables set up with massages also. This was a small marathon that is well run and I will do it again.
E. T. from Chicago, IL (10/8/2012) "Great Small Town Race" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 The Tyler Rose Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I really enjoyed this race a lot and I am very glad that I ran it. That being said there are some pros and cons. It is a small town race and for anyone that has run in a lot of different types or races you will know what I mean - this is not Chicago, New York, Boston etc. It is what it is. There are limited crowds and limited participants. The pros are: 1) great medal; 2) friendly people; 3) well organized; and 4) great small town race. The cons are: 1) while they do a great job putting up cones, closing lanes and providing police, it is a little disconcerting running on a highway where people are driving 60 mph 5 feet to your left; and 2)very few spectators. FYI, if you are looking for pasta the night before the race go to Mario's - like dining out in 1977 - great food and service and I would swear that the singer was actually Tony Orlando.
R. B. from Texas (10/7/2012) "Better, bur still not" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 First of all let me say I am a Tyler native, so I was really looking forward to this. Also, i ran the half so these comments relate to that race. Likes: I liked the new start/finish at the rose garden. Taking my warm up run through a bunch a roses was nice and routing the finish into the rose garden was a nice touch. Weather was perfect running weather, a little cold at the start but great for running. Police were much more accomodating to runners than last year. Dislikes: No PA at start made it impossible to hear instructions. As a result several people missed going through the gate to start their chip times. No port-o-lets at aid stations. No bag check. Overall, better still need to cover just really basic thinks and it would be even better.
J. M. from Fort Worth, TX (4/14/2012) "Hard, rewarding course." (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 The Tyler Rose Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This course was tough! I am not new to endurance running, but the elevations changes on this course were tough for me nonetheless (even though I set a PR :) Parking sucked, but really, that's most races. There was no EXPO to speak of, but it's a small race so don't go in with those expectations. Loved the shirt and the metal. Top notch. Did I mention the course was beautiful? The few brick roads can be tough on tired legs, so know that going in. A lot of it was shaded and made for a very pleasant experience. I thought the race was very organized. Fan support was lacking with the exception of the start/finish area. Again, that probably has more to do with the size of the race and is not a complaint, just an observation. As for some of the comments regarding disappointment with the race, I think that's a little harsh. These small races have a lot of charm and each have their own flavor. Mega races are fun, but the running community should rally around the niche races because they can be special experiences. All races depend on volunteers (small ones especially) and some people just aren't up to speed. That is nothing that organizers cannot fix and I'm sure they will. Overall, great race! I would do it again (after some intense hill training).
J. R. from Tulsa, OK (10/26/2011) "Good but could be better" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Tyler Rose Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I thought that the marathon was good in parts and could stand for some improvement in some areas. The registration, start and finish all went very smoothly. Finishing on the grass in the rose garden was fun. The post race shower facilities were a great added bonus. The rose bush at the end is unique and a very nice touch.The second half was pretty and ran past many beautiful homes. The course was difficult but that was expected and the unseasonbly warm conditions did not help. The people at the water stations were very friendly and helpful and there were plenty of stations. The first half was somewhat boring going around the airport. There were areas of the course where the marathoners were running the opposite direction of the half marathoners and we had to dodge each other. There were times when it was difficult to tell which way the course was going and some of the volunteers were not of any help. It was a good local marathon and will get better with time. It is a hard course so go to enjoy running and not to set a PR.
J. L. from DFW (10/25/2011) "Study this one!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 The Tyler Rose Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 1. Just because this course is in Texas don't assume it's rather flat. The course is challenging and it ripped me. 2. I'd like to run this again next time around, but I'm concerned about the disorganization. The first 13 miles were good (challenging rolling hills, running in the countryside), but after mile 19 the marathon course was clustered because there was runner confusion about which way to go and whether the half marathon course was or wasn't going the same way as the marathon. My carrying the course map with me didn't help because looking at all the map's detail at mile 21 was too difficult with fatigue. Teenage volunteers were useless not providing any direction or assistance. Three fellow marathoners passed me twice because they themselves had taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. Not good. 3. At the finish line volunteers need to steer runners to food. Like for other runners it seemed as though I was in search of the impossible. 4. Although I arrived early enough to park I could see some late arrivers stressed over the parking, and rightfully so. Parking wasn't well organized; please place signage or multi-volunteers to get that parking situation under control.
B. F. from Tyler, TX (10/18/2011) "I expect more from a professional production group" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 The Tyler Rose Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 As my hometown marathon, I really hope the Tyler Rose takes off. I must agree with many of the earlier comments - there are so many more areas of Tyler that could be showcased. Maybe if Mellew were to invite and listen to local comments, or get out there and run the course himself, he would realize the danger he is putting runners in! Again, multiple intersections with nobody stopping cross traffic, poorly equipped water stops, only 2 porta-potties, ill-equipped medical tents, etc., etc. He pays people to man water stations, but gives little direction on what they should do, gives no supplies other than cups, coolers and gatorade mix. Most water stops were using water hoses from outside taps to fill! I have done other runs put on by Mellow & he has stocked stations - why not here??? This year was not only warm (temps in the mid-upper 80s), but humid and windy. More precautions MUST be taken in any conditions, but especially these.
Kami K. from Corpus Christi, TX (10/11/2011) "TOUGH!" (about: 2011) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 The Tyler Rose Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The Tyler Rose Marathon Sunday, October 9, 2011 Tyler, TX 7:30 AM First of all, this was my 84th marathon and I ranked it among the top three in terms of difficulty. The difficult nature of the course is clearly stated in the marathon's web site. It certainly is not for the untrained runner and I do not recommend it as the first marathon for anyone. The first half was mainly through the country side on an inverted horseshoe-like course which included some hilly sections. I actually found the first half peaceful and enjoyed the run. The second half was a different story. We mainly ran through some very nice residential neighborhoods. Some of the streets were brick-covered. There were many turns and I don't recall a single mile which did not include hills. Of course a difficult marathon is not the same as a bad marathon. This was a well-organized running event. Tyler is a nice city of 97,000 in East Texas. The packet pick-up was at the Rose Center on Saturday. Each runner received a long-sleeved technical shirt. The start and finish were at the Rose Center. Race day temperature ranged from low 70s to high 80s. It was sunny, warm, and humid. The course was well monitored and traffic control was good. There were pace groups. There were ample water/sports drink stations. The crowd support was minimal. Each finisher received a nice medallion and a Tyler Rose potted plant. There were plenty of recovery food items and drinks. There were 212 marathon finishers (138 male, 74 female) in the average time of 4:48:27. The winning times were 2:59:39 (overall male), 3:36:59 (overall female), 3:05:01 (masters male), and 3:46:16 (masters female). There were also 1017 and 499 half marathon and 5K finishers, respectively.
L. L. from Tyler, TX (10/10/2011) "Disappointment in my hometown" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 The Tyler Rose Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I was excited to experience a marathon in my hometown. I was disappointed not on my performance but the organization of this race. The temps were in the 80s so you would think that the race directors would make sure they were prepared. There were NO gels passed out on the course, no vaseline at any of the medical tents or on the course, numerous intersections that were unmanned (I finished in the top 40% so it was not like I was past the cutoff), and the water at the waterstops was HOT due to the temps. A little ice would have been nice. If you did not come prepared you would have been out of luck. The course is very challenging. I knew that ahead of time but really wonder why the race directors would have us run out to our airport and back into downtown and then overlap the course (second half)? We have such better areas to run in Tyler. It would seem like the directors would want to encourage more people to run it again by having a runner friendly course. Much of the second half is run on our historic brick streets. On a positive note, I am happy we have a marathon in our town and the waterstops were plentiful. I do not recommend this for first time marathoners at all or anyone wishing for a PR. The finish festival was at our rose garden which was nice but the only after race food I experienced was two girls walking around passing out frozen yogurt and water bottles.

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