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Apr 27, 2024

Asheville Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 3.5

Organization 4.2

Spectators 3.4

Number of comments: 58 [displaying comments 41 to 50]

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C. B. from Denver, CO (3/6/2013) "An expensive, rough race with minimal frills" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Asheville Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Let me first mention how bitterly windy and cold it was. If you were there, you know. No one can control it but let's face facts, the weather Asheville in early March is crap shoot and we all rolled a snake eyes on this one. If there is a '2nd Annual' it should be moved to late March or April. This will keep the water and orange slices on course from freezing, the great volunteers and fans happier, and make the race more pleasant for the runners. The post-race food was a joke and absolutely the most negative part of this race for me. I just burned 4,000 cal in 4 hours... let's eat! Unfortunately, it was the same food out on the course albeit less hard. A look at the weather forecast should have made a hot meal a must... NOT fruit and airplane snacks like we were provided. The Biltmore selling hot beverages outside the tent added insult to injury. That should have been provided to us by the organizers with the meal ticket. After eating part of a bagel my first thought was let's get out of here and eat something rather than cheer everyone else on. My mom got in just under 6 hours so we did stay but if she hadn't entered we probably would have bolted. Besides nutrition the post-race spread (esp. at a small race) keeps people around the finish line to keep spirits up cheer everyone else on to the finish. The course was definitely scenic but it should have been advertised as more of a trail run more than a marathon on packed gravel roads. The gravel from 7-26.2 was mostly large and sharp. I pitied those wearing minimal and five fingered shoes. Definitely much hillier than advertised. The 20mi mat which we crossed first at 17.5 should probably have been marked with both distances. I'm sure I'm not the only one who was slightly confused there. Repeating the most dangerous part of the race (downhill across the dam) was foolish and demoralizing. Unlike the previous commenter I really like the race shirt. A great running brand (Mizuno), long sleeve, nice fabric, athletic cut, and a decent logo on the front. Looking at the lack of anything else (besides the gloves) we got in the bag I'm sure the temptation was high to go with an off brand tech shirt or a non-running universal brand like Under Armour. I'm glad they didn't. I brought my own gloves but went with the disposable free ones. Good on them for getting those in the bag too. Like I said before the volunteers were great to withstand the cold for so long. I don't know how they did it. The results were up ASAP. Definitely impressed with that. It was smart to push the race start back a bit. I was there ready to go but you could tell there were others who were still coming to the start. Like I said before the volunteers were great to withstand the cold for so long. I don't know how they did it. I'd be surprised to see this race survive. It needs a course change, a date change, better food, and some team work with the estate to get more local fans in the gate. Asheville has a huge athletic community and no one other than volunteers, family/friends and the runners were there. The weather might have held some back from attending but I'm sure the std. ticket price to get in played a much bigger part. If there's a next year, best of luck to the attending organizers, fans and runners. I don't think I'll be among them in 2014.
P. V. from Charlotte, NC (3/6/2013) "Beauty of Biltmore not worth an injury" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Asheville Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 My wife and I picked this marathon to be our first that we ran together. Combined we've run 13 marathons and this race turned out to be by far the most challenging one we've ever done because of the weather and idiotic choices in the course design. At the race start the temperature was 25 with a wind-chill of at least 15 but I saw one report afterwards that it was 9 degrees. Just to give you an idea my fuel-belt bottles had ice in them as well as the aide station drinks. We had advance notice it was going to really cold so we tried to dress appropriately but it was just barely enough. At the finish it was only about 30. I don't recall what the wind chill was. Despite having warming tents which were filled to overflowing I was frozen and shivering for the hour before the race started. During the race I warmed up enough but the wind gusts were ferocious and bitterly cold. Upon finishing the race we received fleece blankets which I thought were quite nice however my wife thought they should have provided foil space blankets instead. After the finish I was shivering with teeth chattering again. Fortunately the shuttle back to the hotel was a mere 500 yards walk and no line. According to the local news coverage people were treated by medical staff for hypothermia including sending the male winner to the hospital. I dont know if it was the cold or my effort but I threw up 3x walking from the finish to the shuttle. This was the first time Ive done that after a marathon. I completely acknowledge the race director cant control the weather. However the race director does control the design and safety factor of the course. And that was completely ignored on this course. Whoever thought running 6-7 miles up and down hills on big drainage ditch sized gravel would be fun or even safe should be fired. This wasn't hard-pack crushed gravel on some nature trail. This was dangerous. I wouldn't even want to walk on this section of the course yet the race director thought it would be brilliant to jam hundreds of people through it. I was slipping and sliding trying to run over the giant sized gravel while not running into people next to me as well as oncoming runners. So our feet, toes, and ankles had a major workout through that section. I don't know how that race director could think that would be enjoyable. In a different section after getting fed up running on the gravel road along the river I tried to run on a horse path next to the road but that ended quickly when I tripped and launched spread-eagle into the air. Fortunately I was able to catch myself and did not fall on my face. We stayed at the Sleep Inn next to the race hotel so we got a free ride on the shuttle. Of course there were traffic problems so they started the race 15 min behind schedule. If you didn't stay at the race hotel or the Sleep Inn you had to pay some $20 to get on the shuttle or attempt to drive yourself to the start however you also had to buy a ticket just to enter the Biltmore estate. So anyone not running the race still had to pay $32 just to watch their friends/spouses run. This ticket fee was included for race participants. But incredibly spectators were not allowed on the course beyond the start/finish areas and a bridge near the finish. The pre-race dinner at the hotel was nice. The expo was satisfactory however the shirt sizes were really messed up. I signed up for an XL and 3 hours after the expo started they were out of that size. Huh? How do you not order enough shirts when people pay for them? I heard many, many other people in the expo complaining about shirts not fitting or not having the correct size. I ended up with a XXL race shirt and then bought a 2nd shirt that fit from an expo vendor. Unbelievable. The one highlight of the course were the well stocked aide stations featuring GU, sports drinks, and water. I am extremely thankful and grateful to all the volunteers who braved the artic temperatures to be out there on the course cheering. I don't know how they did it. Asheville is in the mountains so moving the race to April could help to avoid the cold temps. I applaud the race director for putting on the race. I have no idea how challenging it must be to put on a marathon. I'm glad I did it. This was the inaugural race at this venue so I was prepared for complications. I would do it again but not until they remove the dangerous gravel sections.
D. R. from Cincinnati, OH (3/5/2013) "Great Inaugaral Marathon" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Asheville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Good: 1) Good expo...lots of interesting vendors based on size of marathon. 2) Organized - for a first time marathon well organized. 3) Race hotels - these were great...I stayed at the Residence Inn and got free breakfast each morning (early opening at 4:30 on race day), free shuttle (had to drive or walk to get to shuttle, but still, it was free) and free pasta dinner) 4) Gloves given as part of race packet. 5) At the finish, received real blanket instead of the usual malar covering...nice! 6) Aid stations...so many stations with GU and food...really great job. 7) Volunteers...it was in the 20's with a windchill of 10 degrees...yet the volunteers were there and very supportive! 8) The course was beautiful...but those gravel trails...more on that later. Cons: 1) The race 'medal' was a HUGE dissappointment...all the awesome themes in Asheville, yet the medal had nothing special about it. 2) The gravel trails were tough...very large gravel in places made it difficult to traverse...almost twisted my ankle a few times... Overall a great event for an inaugural!
c. b. from canton, ga (3/5/2013) "very challenging, very long TRAIL Marathon" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Asheville Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I was disappointed with this race. My daughter and I both had our garmins on, mine was 27.66 mi and my daughter's was 28.22 mi!! The course was VERY challenging but was not 'sold' as this. I just wish they had told you up front how challenging it was so I could mentally prepare. I live in North Georgia so I know hills, this was rocky trails, I would have worn my trail shoes if I had known. The medal and T shirt are TERRIBLE, I would have loved for it to include the Biltmore on it somewhere and not be made of cheap quality wood!! The finish through a parking lot was depressing and the food was non existent at the end. On the bright side, though the choice was basic at the water stations, there was at least plenty of it. Cold coke was a god send!! Overall, I would not recommend this race. The long length, rocky trails, and crappy t shirt and medal are not worth it, in my opinion.
T. S. from The Pacific NW (3/5/2013) "Asheville, the Good, the Bad, and the Cold" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Asheville Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 For an inaugural race, Asheville overcame the logistical issues that plague most first timers, and there is room for improvement on this endeavour from many aspects. The good: The shuttles to and from the host hotel were plenty and there was only a 15 min delay on the start of the race. Host hotels were great and well-placed. There were plenty of port-o-johns at the start and along the route. A decent expo for the size of the race. Some nice giveaways. The aid stations were well manned with enthusiastic volunteers and plenty of (frozen) water/Gu-Brew and munchies. The warming tents were fabulous before and after the race. And the throw blankents instead of the emergency plastic was a nice touch. Nice, nice people. Free Sierra Nevada at the finish. The bad: For $135 entry, the technical t-shirt could have been a higher quality and better sizing. It's white and you can see your freckles through it. As a 160lb tall female, a large should have worked for me but I had to swap for a male medium with a shorter cut. Very chintzy. Same goes for the medal. This is what several people run for....it's a piece of plywood with a nakid lanyard. The food at the finish was lacking. We had oranges and bananas on the course, the addition of bagels, donuts and muffins didn't cut it. The Ugly: the terrain. This was promoted as a paved and unpaved race. More than 2/3rds of this race was on forest roads with 3 and 4 inch rocks. Even trail racers had an issue with this terrain. The secrecy of the terrain on the back 40 of the Biltmore estate was completely unfortunate. It would be better if the race was run completely on the public grounds. The COLD: 23 degrees and 9 degree windchill factor to start; 13 degrees windchill factor at noon. It was one cold race. Not pleasant. As a 50 stater, I don't need to go back and I would be hesitant to recommend this to any but the most advance terrain runners.
A. K. from NC (3/4/2013) "Great race" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Asheville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 For an inaugural event it was amazing! The weather did not cooperate and the temp was in the 20's with a wind-chill in the teens. The race was very well organized. It appeared to me that when something was going wrong they would quickly switch to plan B and all was well. Daphne Kirkwood with Idaph Events deserves high praise for her role as race director. The only change I would make is have more of the course closer to Biltmore House, and less time around the barren fields at Antler Village. Either way I hope to run this race again next year.
T. P. from Columbus, OH (3/4/2013) "Good inaugural, tough/rough course" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Asheville Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was the inaugural Asheville Marathon on the Biltmore estate. The weather was brutal, low 20 degree temps and 20 mph wind. Happy to have survived. I registered late. Could've gotten on a waitlist, but that required paying, then, if you didn't get in, you'd get in next year (no refunds). That seemed odd to me. However, they did allow allow transfers, so I was able to buy a registration from an injured runner. Kudos to race director Daphne for allowing this and making it a cinch to do. The expo was small, but adequate. The pre-race dinner at the host hotel (Doubletree) was excellent. Good deal at the hotel, with that dinner and breakfasts included at a great price, Race day. Shuttles were provided to get runners to the start. Unfortunately there were not enough shuttles, and it affected the race start by 15 min. 2 nice warm tents to stay in while waiting. Sufficient number of porta-potties, both at the start and on the course. Bag check was good. The course. Scenic (loved the horses running in a corral next to the runners). This is not what I would call a trail run. Some paved roads at the start, then either paved paths, or dirt/rocky service roads, mostly the latter. The rocks at times were difficult to run on. Despite wearing good training shoes, my feet got quite sore. Significant hills (steep), mostly in the first 7-8 miles, but also some later. ~75% of the course is flat. Water stops were adequate (great volunteers!)although it was odd not to have the first one until around mile 5. Nice selection of food at the end. A free beer if you hung around until noon (I didn't). Spectators were sparse. It was disappointing that spectators had to pay the $35 Biltmore fee to watch the race. Nice medal and race shirt. I also bought a hoodie at the expo which has the elevation chart on it, forever reminding me of those hills, :-)
J. S. from Tennessee (3/4/2013) "Beautiful but challenging." (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Asheville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have been through Biltmore many times and was very excited about running a marathon on the grounds. The course was good. I heard many people complaining about the hills, but you're in Appalachia. It would have been nice to run through the course when everything was blooming. About a week prior to the race a cold front pushed in dropping the temperature from the average of about 45 degrees to a blisteringly low 20. I would be lying if I said this did not make a difference, but challenge excepted and completed. Later when we were checking out of our hotel I heard people complaining about the finishers medal. I cared more about the free beer after the race than the medal. The blankets at the end were nice.
T. P. from Columbus, OH (3/4/2013) "Good inaugural, tough/rough course" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Asheville Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was the inaugural Asheville Marathon on the Biltmore estate. The weather was brutal, low 20 degree temps and 20 mph wind. Happy to have survived. I registered late. Could've gotten on a waitlist, but that required paying, then, if you didn't get in, you'd get in next year (no refunds). That seemed odd to me. However, they did allow allow transfers, so I was able to buy a registration from an injured runner. Kudos to race director Daphne for allowing this and making it a cinch to do. The expo was small, but adequate. The pre-race dinner at the host hotel (Doubletree) was excellent. Good deal at the hotel, with that dinner and breakfasts included at a great price, Race day. Shuttles were provided to get runners to the start. Unfortunately there were not enough shuttles, and it affected the race start by 15 min. 2 nice warm tents to stay in while waiting. Sufficient number of porta-potties, both at the start and on the course. Bag check was good. The course. Scenic (loved the horses running in a corral next to the runners). This is not what I would call a trail run. Some paved roads at the start, then either paved paths, or dirt/rocky service roads, mostly the latter. The rocks at times were difficult to run on. Despite wearing good training shoes, my feet got quite sore. Significant hills (steep), mostly in the first 7-8 miles, but also some later. ~75% of the course is flat. Water stops were adequate (great volunteers!)although it was odd not to have the first one until around mile 5. Nice selection of food at the end. A free beer if you hung around until noon (I didn't). Spectators were sparse. It was disappointing that spectators had to pay the $35 Biltmore fee to watch the race. Nice medal and race shirt. I also bought a hoodie at the expo which has the elevation chart on it, forever reminding me of those hills, :-)
T. S. from Oregon (3/3/2013) "Asheville, the Good, the Bad, and the Cold" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Asheville Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 For an inaugural marathon, the Asheville marathon had its ups and downs, but surprisingly - the logistics of the event seemed spot on. Good: Timely shuttles, ample port-o-johns at the start and on the route; aid stations were well stocked and the crew enthusiastic; decent expo for a race this size; beautiful views and exceptionally nice people. Bad: race shirt. You can see your freckles through it - not cool to chintz on the shirt. the wood Medal - seems like plywood and is very cheap - nothing even written on the lanyard. the food at the finish...what a let down. The same bananas and orange as on the route; plus donuts. really? The Ugly: a terrain that was unrevealed was unbelievable - not a road race and not a trail race it consisted of7 miles of paved path followed by forest service roads with 4 inch boulders under your feet. At one point on an out and back at the halfway point, the rocks were so big, it looked like a single track trail race laced with twisted ankles. Also, the fake-out double loop advertisement of the 20 mile marker--that was also the 17ish mile marker and the need to take a second spin around the 'dam hill' again. The cold: we're told it was a 9 degree windchill at the start; and 13 degrees windchill at the finish...the out and backs along the beautiful river were overcome by the headwinds...bitterly cold.

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