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May 2, 2024

Louisiana Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Louisiana Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.6

Organization 4.7

Spectators 4.2

Number of comments: 83 [displaying comments 41 to 51]

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C. B. from Louisiana (1/20/2014) "Undiscovered Jewel-A Perfect BQ Race" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Louisiana Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Pros: 1. Excellent Pre-race Communication and Expo 2. Splits texted to your iPhone real time during the race. 3. Fast, fast flat course with Excellent Signage and PERFECT weather. 4. Plentiful aid stations well organized. Water/Powerade/Gu/Fruit. Plenty of well spaced 'powder rooms' 5.Outstanding Crowd Support. I counted 4 well-stocked (unofficial) bars dispensing adult beverages along the course. 6.Outstanding professional pacers which I've only seen in marathons four times the size of this one. 7.Outstanding Finish has you pumped up and sprinting the last quarter mile. 8. Post race food and beverage worthy of a gourmand with an overeating problem. 9. Elegant technical t-shirt and swag bag which you'll actually use later. 10. Really beautiful finisher medal. Cons: Need More Music especially after the Half.
K. C. from Nashville, TN (1/20/2014) "Top notch winter marathon" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Louisiana Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I was very impressed with this race. Weather conditions were perfect (52-60 degrees), and the course was surprisingly pretty, winding through the downtown, by the river, around a lake, past LSU and through some nice suburban neighborhoods. The course is mostly flat except a bridge at miles 2 and 25 and a few insignificant speed bumps along the way. I stayed at the Hilton, which was about 3/4 mile from the start. There was no wait for a Port-a-John before the race. The course was fast and traffic control was perfect. The course was not crowded. Although I was 33rd, the out and back portion allowed me to see those several miles behind me, and I did not see any real congestion on the course. Short sleeve technical shirts were okay, and the finisher medals were huge and ornate. Awards were 5 x 7 metallic plaques suspended from a ribbon and a poster for the race. Post-race food was local and excellent. I usually can't stomach anything immediately post-race, but it smelled so good, I had to have some. The Hilton had an airport shuttle, so that saved on cab fare. There was a coffee shop across from the Hilton, P & J's Coffee and Tea, where I bought breakfast for race day the night before, and I would highly recommend the scones. The Expo was walking distance from the Hilton. There were few detractors from a great marathon experience, but the road surface in the first few/last few miles was one. Also, the water tables were short, and there was no consistency in whether water or PowerAde was first. Volunteers tended to drop cups quickly, and I wore about as many cups as I drank as a result. Near the start, with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees, I did not appreciate this. It also meant that I went through several of the 22 or 23 water stations with no water, which became an issue for me later in the race. The cups were also almost empty several times. Late in the race, you share the course with the slower half-marathoners. While I did not find them to create a physical obstacle course like in some races, mentally it was tough to be struggling through running the last two miles and see so many people walking. Finally, I do not remember seeing any information about bag drop until I received an e-mail the morning of the race. I jogged to the start from my hotel, so this wasn't an issue for me personally, but I could see how it could be, particularly if weather conditions weren't ideal. However, all in all, I would highly recommend this race.
K. M. from New Hampshire (12/31/2013) "Great race!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Louisiana Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race has it all. Easy accommodations, great course, friendly spectators. They attended to every detail and it was a wonderful race. I highly recommend this one!
A. B. from Boston area, MA (2/3/2013) "Worth running" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Louisiana Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I chose this marathon for my Louisiana marathon because of the many positive reviews online and by the Marathon Maniacs. Overall it was a good experience and I recommend the race. BY FAR the best thing about the race was the number of aid stations!! I hadn't seen than many since the Boston Marathon. Travel tip: stay at the Hilton as they have a free airport shuttle and are closer to the race than the host hotel (Belle). Also, most restaurants were closed on the weekend and we couldn't find a grocery or convenience store within walking distance so keep that in mind. There was a great breakfast place across from the Hilton. Pros: -plentiful aid stations -beautiful flat course -enthusiastic volunteers -nice expo (but crowded/need bigger space) -excellent pre-race communication -nice medal -overall good traffic control (with 1 exception) -plenty of porta-potties on course Cons: -road was REALLY rough in some sections -hardly any food/drinks for marathoners despite heavy pre-race advertising about what would be available (I couldn't find ANY water after the bottle I got at the finish line) -course hard to follow in some sections -downtown was desolate on the weekend -course map online was not zoomed in enough to be able to follow in person if you wanted to drive it ahead of time. Provision of turn by turn directions would be great. If some changes are made (most importantly having food/drinks available for marathoners as advertised and rough sections of road marked with orange cones), this marathon could be close to perfect. We were blessed with amazing weather and the course is beautiful overall. I recommend you give it a look!
J. R. from Alexandria, VA (1/28/2013) "One of my favorites of the 26 I've done so far" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Louisiana Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Wow, and this is only Year 2. I'd heard great things, but the driver for me was that (1) I wanted a January marathon and (2) I needed Louisiana for my 50 states. But those great reviews were spot on. Here's what I really liked: 1. Great Course. A really well-designed course that goes through the downtown, down to LSU, around the beautiful University Lake area and through miles of shaded neighborhoods. Those big, shady live oak trees were godsends, keeping the course cool. 2. Great support. Plentiful, well-supplied aid stations. The roads aren't lined with fans, but clearly, the locals know the race is going on- it's a big deal locally. Almost every road was closed with significant police/traffic support. I saw one car run a barricade only to be ticketed by a local cop. Thank you. 3. Easy Logistics. I had no trouble getting here from DC via Dallas, and BTR is drivable from New Orleans. Took a cab to the hotel from the airport, then walked to the expo, restaurants, the farmers market, museums, and most importantly, to the bag drop and start line only 10 minutes away. Easy, easy. 4. A bargain. The race came at a good price point: I paid $80, but got a hefty $26.20 military discount; they offered Maniac and 50 Stater discounts too. I got a great deal at the Hotel Indigo- very close and convenient. Airfare was reasonable to BTR and after the cab from the airport, everything is walkable. 5. VIP treatment. I loved the post-race VIP tent with great food and beverages- all open to Maniacs. And there were lots of us there. But Maniac or not, I felt warmly welcomed in Baton Rouge. 6. Great Winter Weather. It was sunny in cool, with early morning temperatures in the low 40s rising to around 60. We 'lucked out' with no rain, but an absolutely superior day to run. Hidden gems like this one don't stay hidden for long. Would I run this one again? Absolutely- one of my favorites.
D. E. from California (1/27/2013) "Beautiful first half, second half kind of 'meh'" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Louisiana Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Pros: * Excellent organization * PLENTY of water stations * Friendly volunteers * Friendly spectators, albeit not that many * Excellent post-race. Very tasty food and drink * First half of the course was very beautiful * Long out-and-back during the second half made it easy to cheer people on and say 'hi' to people you know Cons: * Second half was kind of 'meh', mostly running through residential areas. * Second half somewhat poorly marked, making it a little hard to know where to run. There were little pink arrows, but not always easy to see. I highly recommend this race.
D. B. from Hermitage, TN (1/25/2013) "SPECTACULAR!!!" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Louisiana Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran the inaugural Louisiana Marathon and it was so good I came back for 2013. The organization, volunteers, and course security were better than last year!! This race is organized by runners for runners!! The course has a good variety: downtown, LSU, around a lake and then the out and back in beautiful shaded residential neighborhoods; a great way to show off the city! I don't repeat marathons very often, but this is one I might do year after year as long as the race doesn't sell out to a race company and take away the wonderful flavor of this race. Speaking of flavor: the post race party food and beer were superb! The icing on the cake was the VIP treatment for Marathon Maniacs!!
S. T. from Scottsville, KY (1/25/2013) "Awesome race for a BQ!!!" (about: 2013) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Louisiana Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 If you are looking for a great Boston Qualifier marathon, this is a great choice. There is parking available near the start/finish, ample 'facilities' near start and overall, just a stress free experience. The roads in the first mile or so have quite a few of potholes (so watch your footing), but after that no issues. Flat course with exception of overpass to navigate at mile 1.5 and again just before mile 25, but nothing extreme...so this course is FAST. Scenic course around multiple lakes, and thru scenic neighborhood streets with large trees that provided shade. Great race weather in 2013....temps in mid 40's at start. Perfect! I BQ'ed by over 4 minutes, so I was thrilled. Will definitely be back for this race and bringing more friends with me next time! They also had great awards! Tech shirts and jackets, and even hats to first finisher from each state (which I was thrilled to earn). Great Job Louisiana Marathon!
S. R. from Missouri (1/23/2013) "Wonderful race!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Louisiana Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 All superb! However, would like to see more pace clocks along the route, rather than at the three locations in 2013. Every mile or two would be ideal.
A. A. from Edmonton, Canada (1/23/2013) "Perfection, down to the last detail!!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Louisiana Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Of the 17 marathons I've done, including some 'majors', (Boston, Chicago and NYC), this ranks in my top three. In the weeks leading up to the race, the communication via email and Facebook was outstanding; weekly and often daily motivational quotes and photos were sent to runners. I sent a few questions through private Facebook messages and was answered immediately. Upon checking in at the Hilton, I happened to meet the race directors in the lobby, who welcomed my friend and I to Louisiana. Craig Sweeney personally delivered welcome packages for my friend and I to our hotel room. The race expo was small but had some excellent vendors, and we enjoyed getting a free 'finish line photo'! The food at the pasta dinner was good, but for $20 we were given only one small plate of food. This would be my only disappointment of the whole weekend. On race morning, there was a huge spotlight on the State Capitol building of the Louisiana Marathon logo! The gear check was indoors and many people were waiting in that area because it was chilly outside (about 44 degrees). I used a portapottie 20 minutes before the start of my race and didn't have to wait in line!!! I loved that some of the music playing before the start of the marathon was jazz; you would just never hear that anywhere else. When we first entered the LSU lakes area, the sun had just come up and there was mist coming off the lakes. It was absolutely breathtaking and several runners stopped to take photographs. After the half marathoners split off, I expected the race to get very quiet, but was pleasantly surprised that the spectators appeared quite consistently, and were very supportive! I was wearing a Canada singlet and got a TON of cheers for Canada! The water stations appeared literally every mile, and local residents were also giving out fruit, donuts and candy. There was one water station where the volunteers were young girls on a local track team; before getting to them, an adult supervisor announced that we were inspiring her athletes! This gave a huge boost to my race. Between miles 12-22, the streets were covered with a canopy of beautiful oak and magnolia trees, and the homes were spectacular. It was a truly beautiful place to run. The finish line was incredibly exciting, and I loved having my name and home-city announced when I finished. I didn't have to wait in line for photos or to get my gear back. I didn't mind the walk to the post-race party because walking is the best thing you can do after a marathon (and it was only half a block!!) What is evident about this race is that it's organized by runners who understand the real needs of marathoners and don't just cater to the half marathon, such as many of the larger races in the U.S. There was a lot of TLC put into the race and all you have to do is read the comments here on Marathon Guide to see the results. I could not be more impressed with the Louisiana Marathon; it was the best way I could have chosen to start my 2013 running adventures!

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