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Apr 28, 2024

Richmond Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Richmond Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.5

Organization 4.7

Spectators 4.5

Number of comments: 401 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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B. A. from Durham, NC (11/17/2014) "The course is gorgeous. The start is not." (about: 2014) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Pros: The course is gorgeous. Richmond has beautiful homes and very scenic routes along the river. Hosting the race in November is great for temperature and capturing Richmond at its best. Needless to say, the downhill finish is incredible. If runners can just make it to mile 25 or 25.5, they can coast to the finish. Cons: The start of this marathon was very, very bad. Bathroom lines were 20-25 minute waits. Probably 600 people were still in line for bathrooms when the race actually started, and the toilets are lined up along the corrals. There needs to be more time between the starts of the two races, or they should start a couple of blocks apart from one another. Also, the fan support was very good but I think the cold weather (30-40 for most of the race) deterred a lot of supporters. Overall, a very good experience but I hope organizers improve the start.
C. P. from PA (11/16/2014) "Nice race in a great city" (about: 2014) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Overall a great experience. Convenient, easy packet pick up, and with some advance planning we had zero trouble finding a free parking spot close to the finish. Stayed at the airport Courtyard and it was an easy 15 minute drive in. Based on the designation 'America's Friendliest Marathon' I expected big crowds, but people were sparse throughout, probably due to the very cold temps. At least it was sunny, although the wind was killer. I never took my hat and gloves off the entire 26.2 and that is rare for me even in much colder PA. Baffled by anyone calling this course 'flat'&no huge hills but at least 75% of the course is a continuous 3-4% grade incline&my calves have never been so sore during and after a race. The Lee Bridge was rough, head on into the wind and even after you turned off the bridge, more uphill! The absolutely worst was the LONG uphill between miles 20-22, it was just demoralizing. Downhill at the finish is quite steep, by that points my quads weren't having it and I had to run really slowly. The swag for this race is awesome, blanket/hat/long sleeve tech shirt. I did get a free beer but they were all out of pizza which was a bummer&the course was still open 2 hours behind me, and all those runners paid just as much as the winners to run, all amenities should be available for all runners. Give yourself a few days to explore Richmond, a very friendly and easily navigable city with great historic sites and some really nice craft breweries and interesting restaurants.
T. S. from Charlottesville (12/2/2013) "Well organized race" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran Richmond half-marthon two years ago and full marathon this year and was both times impressed with organization. This year they had some minor glitches at the start: transition from half to full marathon was not clearly announced; There was no clock at the start. However, there are many positives: -Music bands and DJs were numerous despite bad weather -Course relatively scenic and mostly flat -I got more food during this race itself than any other I participated in. -Spectators not many but very supportive - Wet towels during the race were very nice touch! Constructive feedback: I think that pacers should carry baloons so that they can be easily seen from the distnace. I lost my pacer when he went to the bathroom and I connected later with another (faster group). Obviously, this cannot always be done.
J. B. from Austin, TX (11/25/2013) "Great race!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 First off, I LOVED this marathon. I think it is the best course I have run to date. I loved the fact that there were no out and backs. There were a few inclines but not major hills by any means. The water stops were a little confusing, water first in some stops then powerade in others. The crowd support was awesome. The only thing I can think of that I didn't like about the course was the finish, going downhill, and the roads were wet. I was a little scared trying to have my normal 'kick' to the finish line. Thank goodness I didn't fall. The expo was not so good. You do have to pay for parking and wasn't real easy to get to. Once inside it was pretty crowded, it made it very hard for me to want to shop. There was plenty of food after the finish and a decent selection. I was a little confused though where to find it, had to walk a ways to get there. Richmond is a beautiful city and I was very happy with the scenic course. I definitely would recommend it to anyone looking for a destination marathon.
T. C. from Syracuse, NY (11/24/2013) "Nice mid-size marathon" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I really enjoyed my experience in Richmond. The course was varied with urban landscapes in the first and last thirds and a nice rural stretch along the beautiful James River in the middle. It was relatively fast (Despite worse weather, I ran 10 minutes faster than my last marathon), but not completely flat. Water stops were well manned and available every 2 miles with lots of portapotties. The moist towels were a nice touch. The crowds in the first third and last third were supportive, but it was quiet in the rural middle. My only complaint was that there was a steep downhill at the very finish which was tricky in the rain. The start was a little disorganized, but the finish area was well run. The post race food was fine-Papa John's pizza never tasted better. I really loved the blanket they gave out at the finish. Richmond was a great city to visit for a weekend; civil war battlefields, a great art museum and good places to eat. I would recommend this marathon.
T. C. from Boston, MA (11/23/2013) "Great Day for Not Great Weather" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This year's race struggled with rain and chilly temperatures but this marathon is well organized, well supported and a lovely course. The route has nice variety, running past some of Richmond's monuments and also travelling along the river. The spectators were sparse at spots but better than many races, especially when you factor in the weather. What they lacked this year in number, they made up in effort. I noticed several of the fans moved along the course to offer support repeatedly. Also I ate more things on this course than ever before. There were cookies, fruit, candy bars, sports gels, beer, cola and gummy bears available. Some at these were at official stops; others were less official. I only have two complaints. First parking in Richmond for the race is tricky because of the many roads that are closed. Fortunately even with the closed roads, it is easy to circle back around but I could not get anywhere near the finish of the race as I planned. Coming back to my car, I met several runners who were struggling to find their cars. Make sure you know the intersection of where you parked because there are several parking lots available. Secondly, while there was a shuttle from the finish to the starting area, I could not find it and ended up walking back to my car. The extra 1/2 mile was probably good for my recovery but for tired runners it can feel like a bit much. I stayed in a motel near the airport to save on cost. The drive is very short; maybe 15 minutes at most. Unless you want to do a lot of walking, you will need a car to see much of Richmond since the expo is about a mile from downtown and the start of the race. While these were small hassles, overall I really enjoyed the race. The course had just enough hills to give some nice downhill breaks without any brutal uphill climbs. The people were indeed, very friendly and it is easy to move about the city. I would recommend this race to anyone.
L. E. from St. Cloud, MN (11/21/2013) "Great race in Virginia!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Overall I had a great time at Richmond. I ran the half. I thought the expo/packet pickup was smooth and easy to get through, glad they were open later since we hit a lot of traffic and didn't get there until about 7. The course was pretty, loved running on Broad St for the first several miles, residential neighborhoods, and Bryant Park. The middle miles were rolling hills and I was unprepared for that, but nothing drastic. I appreciated the downhill finish but it was a little long and a little too steep for me... at the end of a long race my legs were shot, and with the slick roads I was worried about wiping out. Weather was not ideal. Rained on and off, but at least there were no downpours. Being from the Midwest, I actually thought the temps were perfect! Nice medal and the blankets were great! Definitely helped keep me warm as I waited for my friend to finish the full marathon. Great post race food spread too, one of the best I've seen with a variety of options. I'd definitely recommend this race!
J. L. from NY, NY (11/20/2013) "Great Half Marathon in a Great City" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The weather was terrible in 2013 but I still enjoyed the hell out of this race. Richmond is a cool, under the radar town with a burgeoning running scene. Pro's: Plentiful marshals and pace teams Water stops were more than adequate Epic downhill finish Post race party on Brown's Isle was a lot of fun Con's: Expo was a bit far from downtown unless you had a car It would be nice to be able to opt out of the tech shirt for a lower entry fee. Not many spectators until final miles but I wouldn't have been out in 50 dgs and drizzle either It was nice to have beer at the finish, but not Coors and Leinie's. Richmond has an amazing craft beer scene. Certainly there are some local options
Jack Chambers from North Carolina (11/18/2013) "A Pleasure to visit and run Richmond Marathon" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great race, organization, volunteers were excellent. Police handling the road closures are to be commended! This was my fifth marathon, and with the exception of Boston, this was the best. Course was great, rolling hills, not much to worry about, bridge at about 16 was the longest of the steady climbs, but lots of down hills too, the finish, oh the wonderful finish! Downhill - my 26th mile was the 2nd fastest mile of the day! Fans were great, bands along the course were great, just at times the Fans were limited due to course direction, (along the river for example - reason for 4 Fan stars, not five). They were very supportive along the course, and it was 52 degrees, misty rain, foggy - great running weather, not sure if I could stand and cheer like they did! Finishing shoot was very helpful, and not right on top of the finish line, which was nice, you could walk a bit before being taken care of by some nice people. Post race refreshments were good and lots to choose from, no complaints what so ever. Thank you Richmond, it was a great experience. I would definitely run here again.
Virginia Marathoner from Virginia (11/18/2013) "Great Organization, Dull Course" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The organizers do a superb job with this race. Easy to grab the packet at the Expo, the wave start was great (as was standing in the nearby hotel out of the rain), mile markers were right on the money, everything was set-up as well as a marathon can be organized. The course, though, is as uninteresting as could be arranged for around Richmond.

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