This was the most fun of my six marathons. I do have one word of advice: when they say get there early, they mean really early. I was on the interstate less than three miles from the 8:00 a.m. start at 6:40, and by 7:15 I was two and a half miles away. People were jumping out of cars on the interstate, running to the start, and I was wondering whether after training since August I was going to miss the start. Several others and I finally took an early exit and then ran to the start 1.2 miles. Fun!

But it was worth it. I loved cruising to the finish on a gentle downhill the last five miles, I saw the best crowd support I've ever seen, there were great and plentiful aid stations, and I got a P.R. even though I really ran 27.4 miles.

I have to agree about dodging the runners, though, for the first six miles. I was honest about my projected time and in the "D" wave, and I saw (and dodged) many with "C" and even "B" on their bibs who must have been just too optimistic given their, ahem, physical characteristics. I also saw some plodders with "D" that must have started with the "A" wave.

I still recommend this marathon to anyone.

This was my second time running the full marathon. I have a few complaints. Course was great, except the corrals and start. The first 3 miles were crazy. Too many slow people got in the front. Fans were nice. Plenty of fluids, and the workers were super. The expo was nice, but I believe they have outgrown the AA Center.

This was my second time to run this marathon. It is an excellent course, very organzied. There are plenty of food/water stations. I set my PR (3:35) and was able to qualify for the Boston Marathon! I would recommend Dallas White Rock to anyone considering running in one. I walked away with a white, long-sleeve, running shirt, another white, technical, long-sleeve shirt and a "Top 100 Finisher" hat! The expo was great too. (Spent over two hours there!)

This is a must-run marathon! The weather was great! The expo was very well organized. We stayed at a hotel between the expo and the race, so everything was walking distance. The course was awesome; I enjoyed running around the lake and the downtown areas. The spectators were the best I've seen. Kudos to the organization for including the names on the bibs. It really helps at mile 20 hearing cheers calling out your name. The neighborhood support with self-made water stations and candy canes from little kids can put a smile on your face no matter what kind of race you're running. I really enjoyed the Dolly Parton girls and the hills they speak of really should not be considered hills.

Now the negatives: The corral system was a nightmare; it was too crowded, and I never did find anyone directing anything. I didn't see corrals. I waited with the rest of the crowds for the gun start and moved with the crowd. I never saw my pace group either. This race was considered a top race to PR at. I have to say that I disagree. With the half marathoners and the relayers, I have to say that I was constantly dodging back and forth trying to get around walkers for the first 6 miles and again at every relay exchange. It just wore me out, physically and mentally. Finally, I just relaxed and just enjoyed the course. I recommend to PR at a smaller or more organized race. The finish was very crowded, with no direction given for anything. All I wanted was water. You have to have that at the finish - not a block away at the party tent.

Overall I definitely recommend this race, and I have to say that the positives were better than the negatives. The best of all was the law enforcement, They did the best job I have ever seen, and even six hours or so after the start I saw them waiting for the stragglers (after the time limit). Very impressive, Dallas!!

This was my first time running the White Rock Marathon. I haven't run such a big marathon since 2004, and I was pretty impressed with the organization of it. The expo was pretty expansive, with lots of organizations there to see. Got my packet and shirt pretty quickly. :)

I LOVED the lettered corral start at the beginning! For a marathon this populated, it was nice to not feel like you were being kicked and elbowed every five minutes. It felt more spread out than someplace like Chicago.

The course was really fun! It was flat with just enough hills to keep it interesting. Some VERY beautiful houses in Dallas! Dallas, overall, is a very beautiful city! Coming from less-than-scenic Kansas, I get excited about stuff like that.

Overall, a pretty exciting marathon! Thank you to the 3:40 pacer guy for helping me to qualify for Boston along the way!

I would definitely do this one again. :)

This was my first time running the Dallas White Rock Marathon, and I enjoyed it. The event was well-organized, and the weather was perfect. The AA Arena is an excellent locale for hosting the event. The expo was also very good. The course is relatively flat, and offers the opportunity for a good finishing time. My suggestions for improvement: the post-race food area was a little tight considering the number of runners, and the huge number of half marathoners would benefit from a separate starting chute and start time. Overall I liked the race and would run it again.

The last time I ran this race with in 2002. I ran again this year hoping for a PR and I did accomplish it. I am shocked that I did because I had to work HARD during the first 6 miles until the split. Why don't organizers cater to the full marathoners anymore? Why can't the half marathoners start later? I just don't understand why those of us that are working so hard have to work even harder dealing with the half marathoners. And, the corral system was a joke! Why was I in C? I finished the race with A and B runners. And, please... why wasn't "finisher" written on the shirt??? Waste of my money! I will not be returning.

Pros:

1) Nice expo:  many vendors with some good sale prices, tables advertising other races, and good product samples.

2) Race bib  super nice touch to add each runners name to their bibs. It allowed spectators along the course to cheer for you by name... just the thing to give you a boost when you need it.

3) Course: Relatively flat with small inclines in the first half, but the last 6 miles were all downhill. Roads were closed to traffic and the course marshals and police officers did a really nice job.

4) Wave start with 20,000 runners; it was a great idea to add the wave start. I started in Corral B and it took a few minutes to cross the starting line, but it cleared out fairly quickly and the volume of runners was not an issue at all.

5) Crowd support: Great crowd support all along the course, even through the quiet residential areas. Many spectators created their own aid stations and provided oranges, bananas, water and even beer if you were up for it. There were some great homemade signs, including this one somewhere around Mile 18: "You paid to do this to yourself." You had to laugh.

6) Aid Stations/Volunteers:  the aid stations were large and well staffed. The volunteers were fantastic and cheered for you by name as you ran through.

7) Finisher photo and technical shirt: right after crossing the finish line, volunteers took your picture in front of a White Rock Marathon backdrop so that you could purchase it as a souvenir. The technical running shirt was also a nice gift at the end.


Overall this was a great race. Dallas did a nice job managing the volume of runners, the community clearly supports the race and is very encouraging to all the runners, and the race organizers added some nice touches to make this a special race. It's also nice that the race is a benefit for the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Its a pretty fast and forgiving course and I'd recommend this race to anyone. This was by far my favorite marathon.

DWR had ups and downs. The expo was a highlight, so kudos there. The technical difficulty of the course was nice. Not too flat; not too rolling.

The course would have received 5 stars, but having horses out in front of a crowded run meant you had to dodge road apples in the first mile... not easy when 20K people are trying to fit on the street. Add in the pothole risk in the 5-9 mile range and there was to much injury potential. The lake miles were very peaceful. The aid stations were spaced well.

The organization only gets 2 stars due to the attempt at corral management. If this had been executed better, it may have boosted this score. There were entirely too many walkers and slower runners at the front of the race. I want everyone to enjoy the event, but it's tough when you feel like you're having to shove your way forward. Better corral discipline is a must if DWR is ever going to succeed.

The aid stations although placed well, were confusing. The publications said it would be water, then Gatorade. Some stations did this, but others had the opposite order. Tough to stay on a fluid consumption plan when you get a surprise every station.

Thanks for the porta-johns on the course... plentiful. Could use a lot more restroom support in the start area though.

The finish was abominable. No water. No directions on where to go to get food. No massage stations. I can't get past the concept of making the finishers walk down arena stairs to get to the beer/water distribution spots. Brilliant. No food on the arena floor area... back up the stairs you go. The finish area earns a "1."

As far as spectator support, mahalo to those who came out. Your enthusiasm was appreciated. The Dolly Parton Hills "gals" and the various aid stations crowds were energetic and involved. However, between aid stations in many of the neighborhoods it felt like there was nobody watching.

A special thanks goes to the police officers and cadets that supported the race with traffic control. Well done, all, and thanks for the encouragement. Y'all were a "5."

I'm glad I ran DWR. I won't be going back though.

While I agree that the corral system is a great idea in theory, it just doesn't work well in practice. I saw folks with an "A" corral bib who were walking within the first mile. But slow runners/walkers starting too near the front is a problem all races have, and you really can't blame the organizers for that. If someone puts on their entry that the hope to run 8-minute miles...

You can blame the organizers for the lack of water at the finish until you entered the food area and stood in line. There should be water bottles at the finish line, before entering the food area.

But overall, I really enjoyed the race: Great course, great volunteers, great weather. I've run the full and the half, and enjoyed them both.