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May 11, 2024

Richmond Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.5

Organization 4.7

Spectators 4.5

Number of comments: 401 [displaying comments 71 to 81]

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 6 7 8 9 10 .. 41 > ]

A. K. from Virginia (11/16/2011) "Fan-freaking-tastic race" (about: 2011) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Richmond Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is my second year running the Richmond full marathon, and I can't wait to run it again next year. The weather was great (not that the RD can control this but the time of year lends itself to good weather). The expo is great; the course is great (not hilly at all compared to the hills I trained on); the volunteers were awesome. I plan to do this race every year (whether it be the 8k, half or full).
J. B. from Washington, D.C. (11/15/2011) "A well-oiled machine" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Richmond Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I disagree with J.D.'s comments. I mean, Richmond is not NY, Boston, or Twin Cities in terms of spectators, but that's to be expected. Also, TCM is in a class by itself when it comes to Fall scenery. You simply can't expect other marathons to live up to it. That said, I thought Richmond was close to perfect. The expo, shirt, and medal were all good (not that I really care about those things). The spectators were more numerous than I expected and extremely enthusiastic. The course was very scenic in parts and not so scenic in others, but practially all marathons have miles that are less than spectacular. We're running 26.2 miles after all. As for the porta johns at the start, I waited ten mins. about 40 mins. before the start, which isn't bad for a decent-sized race. At that point, I was on line with half-marathoners. All in all, I thought the course organization was one of the best I'd seen. I wasn't wanting for anything. I could have done without the nasty headwind for most of the last four miles, but that's not something that can be controlled. My goal was to BQ, which I did, but I even enjoyed myself for some brief moments. That's more than I was asking for.
D. R. from Gaithersburg, MD (11/15/2011) "As 'friendly' as most marathons" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my fourth competed marathon (first Richmond) and I've spectated at 3 or 4 others. The people in Richmond cheer just as loudly as those at NYC, Boston, Chicago or DC (for Marine Corps) - when they are there. The course has relatively long stretches of barren road with few spectators. So, it was nice when there were people, just like in any other marathon. Now, about the race itself. The course is a known entity, so one can expect the hills, flats, etc. Not the easiest course but a fair challenge. The wind this year was no one's friend. Although they touted record registrations, less than 4,000 people ran the Full Marathon. Water stations were smaller than expected and I actually ran past one with no chance to grab water (unless I stopped and walked back) because of their size. So grab water early. It would serve the organizers well to instruct the 3-4 girls who pass out Accel Gel at Mile 14 (and at Mile 21) to actually reach out to the runners and not expect runners to veer off and reach for Gels. And, when a runner DOES reach for a Gel, GIVE IT TO THEM, don't pull your hand away!!! In all it is a very well organized race. The amount and flow of information is more than sufficient. A little bit of training to those providing on-course support would help, as would an indication of the size of the water stops. Love (and count on) the STEEP downhill finish! It will carry you to a heroic conclusion. I did PR (under 3:30), but will likely not run this race again any time soon (there are other races I'd rather tackle first).
A. A. from richmond, virginia (11/15/2011) "This race was amazing!!!" (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon was an amazing experience!
D. K. from Alexandria, VA (11/15/2011) "An excellant fall race!" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Richmond Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The expo had a nice variety of vendors and organizations. The shuttle to the expo was key for those who came in from out of town and did not have a car. Although the Marriot was not the host hotel, they were so kind and had arranged special thinkgs for the runners. There were a lot of spectators out there cheering us on and I really appreciate that. The volunteers were fantastic and I am very grateful for them. There was plenty of water and powerade at each station. I thanked God profusely at the downhill finish! Thank you course director too! And the post race party was great. Thank you very much. I have run this marathon twice and will do it again.
J. S. from Richmond, VA (11/15/2011) "Come Run Richmond!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Richmond Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 OkayI may be biased as this is my home course. That being saidyou will find a scenic and fair course that will not leave you bored. The race is well organized and extremely well supported. Richmond is blessed with an active community and supportive volunteers who will make the experience wonderful. One of the best ways to get VA off of the map for 50 statersand very good choce for doubling up after an October Marathon. Come run Richmondwe would love to have you on the course! And if you are a real nutyou can get in the car and do the OBX marathon the next day!
C. A. from Virginia (11/14/2011) "Excellent organization + a beautiful course." (about: 2011) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I just ran the Richmond Marathon and it was excellent. The Facebook page was great - and the Richmond team on Facebook was extremely responsive. The expo/packet pick up was extremely well organized and the expo itself had great vendors. But the real gem was the course itself and the great touches that makes Richmond special. There was bottled water from Diamond Springs at the start, and UPS gear check was flawless. Every water/gel station was well manned and stocked, and the local support was wonderful even in places I expected dead zones. There were moments of just breathtaking beauty on the run (running across the river, crunching over fall leaves) and the course itself had some nice rolling hills before jetting down to a super fast downhill finish. I also wanted to highlight that the finish area was great. Unlike other big races that end in a parking lot or a too small public space, there was plenty of space to stretch out, lots of grass, and services (the Omni hotel was right there which allowed folks to stay warm before the start and to get free massages after the race). And, finally, the junk food stations and the pizza at the finish were delicious!
S. O. from Niagara Region (11/14/2011) "Absolutely Loved It" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Richmond Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Wow! The perfect weather didn't hurt, but even if the weather had been bad it would have been great. Pros: - great, fair course with some rolling sections, but generally flat. - numerous hotels within walking distance of both start and finish - obviously not Boston type fans, but always someone cheering at every point along the way. - shuttle to expo was very convenient (odd that the expo was so far away, but the shuttle gave a nice tour of VCU area) - great dining (Sine Irish Pub after!!!!) - great historical tourist area, both in town and plantations nearby. Cons: ...... I honestly can't think of one Obviously Boston and New York are #1 and #2, but I prefer Richmond because I left the comfort of my hotel room just 20' before the start and had plenty of time to get to the start, plenty of spectators, faster course... back in my hotel room within 10 minutes of finishing and at the pub within an hour. Add it to your list. It is near perfect.
J. H. from Charlottesville, Virginia (11/14/2011) "Very pleasant, fun, lots of entertainment" (about: 2011) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Well organized, great volunteers at many stops, lots of water, powerade and porta-potties, lots of support staff and police, and very few hills for the last 7 miles. Some of the Richmond streets needed some work but overall great!
Toni Aurilio from Quantico, VA (11/14/2011) "Beautiful course. Perfect weather. BEER mile23!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Richmond Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is my second time at Richmond and I loved it both times. It's big enough that you always have friends around, but not so big that you're fighting a crowd the whole time. When there are spectators, they're awesome. The college kids are always a highlight as well as the last neighborhood you go through around mile 22 or 23 where they have some beeer and alcohol stations set up. They have situated themselves perfectly to where you can warm up with a beer, drink a shot of jack daniels then chase it with another beer and eat some pretzels to soak it all up. this combo made the last few miles very plesant for me. I highly recommend running this race. They organize it perfectly from start to finish.

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