R'n'R Mardi Gras is the most fun of all of the R'n'R races. I loved the course - it's flat and fast. Spirited spectators. Organization was good for an inaugural race, but there is definitely room for improvement.

I would like to run this race every year, but the fees are very expensive. Elite also charges additional fees for access to the pre-race VIP area.

Nonetheless, this is a great excuse to visit New Orleans.

Read the comment by MG from Arizona, who has run 50 plus. Very well said. I would have given the course a "5," but there were potholes and uneven roads for several miles. I do not believe that they can control all of that, so I give them a 3, as it probably "is what it is." Volunteers were great!

Having run the MGM in 2007, I was looking forward to this race and spending a long weekend in New Orleans. The city was fun, and the restaurants were excellent as usual. Even the weather from Saturday afternoon through Sunday night was perfect. I was a bit apprehensive since the race organization by R'n'R/Competitor group leading up to the event was pretty bad - offering a lousy website without many details until just a few days before. They did a great job of trying to SELL you stuff on the website, but not so great at giving advance details of shuttles, race course, parking, etc.

So after finishing the race, here's my observations.

The Good:

Weather was almost perfect.

The course showed off a lot of New Orleans and avoided some of run-down industrial areas we passed through in 2007. Liked going out to Audubon Park early, and having a split course for marathoners and half marathoners.

The start area was well organized: it was easy to find gear-drop trucks, and there were lots of porta-lets, including a few in each corral.

The OK:

The expo was a letdown: there was lots of Brooks stuff for sale and lots of information for other R'n'R events, but not much else of interest. The main speakers were Competitor's on-staff experts, and there were only a couple of them. They had repeat "clinics" in morning and afternoon.

Runners were assigned to start corrals, but there was nobody checking race numbers at the corrals. I heard numerous stories from others of having to dodge walkers lined up in corrals 3-4 instead of towards the back.

The Bad:

The 2 mile out-and-back segment east from city park over a small bridge and back was terrible. Why would you have miles 20-22 of a course do that?

The post-race area and festival was an example of terrible planning. After leaving the finish area with medal, food and drink, runners had to walk almost a half-mile to get to the gear bag pick-up. There was all kinds of open space along the road, and around Tad Gormley Stadium - why not use that? Talk about a death march. I saw at least 2 people down along that hike - good thing the weather was not worse. And then there was another half-mile hike to get to shuttle buses.

This was the first race I'd ever been to that limited the number of "adult beverages" for the runners - 2. After that you had to pay $2. And PF Chang's was supposed to have food after the race, but ran out of wristbands very early on Saturday afternoon at the expo. No wristband, no food. Runners could BUY food from a grill if they wanted.

My advice: if you do a R'n'R Series event, don't expect much information before the race and carry LOTS of money with you at the post-race events afterward. I've never seen an organization so devoted to gouging runners for every cent they could.

I thoroghly enjoyed my time in NOLA. The weather was absolutely perfect.

I thought there would be more music on the course, and I darn sure was surprised to see so few toilets. I ran until mile 8 looking for a toilet that could quickly be gotten in and out of; there should definitely have been more than 2-3 at some of the designated spots. Horrible! My friends actually went into the Burger King on the route to use the bathroom.

You got TWO free beers after you finished the run, but even THAT was no easy task. Stand in a line to get your arm band... then stand in a line to get your 2 tickets... and then stand in a line to get your 2 beers (they gave them both to you at once - thank goodness). The PF Chang's line was at least a 1,000-people long if not more each time I checked on it. Finally we gave in, walked nearly a mile to the shuttle, and called it a day.

I was glad when I saw that Rock 'n' Roll took over the New Orleans Marathon. I thought that it would be professionally organized, and that all of the details would have been carefully thought out. This was NOT the case. For starters, the marathon course was not posted until right before the date of the race itself.
Trying to plan for where we were staying was hard because you didn't know where the hotels were with reference to the start or finish line. When you go to book your hotel, next to each hotel choice should be written the mileage from the hotel to the starting line.
Hotels should be within walking distance of the start. (When you are about to run 26 miles, 2 miles is not walking distance.)

The start and finish should be in the same place. The whole shuttle thing was a big cluster, and why would you not provide shuttles from the host hotel to the expo the day before, and to the start the morning of the race and from the finish back to the hotel??? It makes no sense!

All I can say is that whoever planned this has probably NEVER run a marathon - because it is cruel to have the only mode of transportation from the finish area over a half a mile away from the finish line.

There was no spectator or runner parking at start or finish.

The expo was being held in the civic center along with a cheer competition. There were no signs (that I saw) outside the convention center telling you where to go and no convenient parking at the expo unless you were a cheerleader. In all of the prior races I have done, the host hotel hosts the expo (or at least is right across the street) so that, again, you don't have to add extra walking when you are running 26 miles the next day!

Did the people of New Orleans know that there was a race going on??? In the residential areas very few were sitting outside cheering and watching the marathon.

I know New Orleans can't help the roads, but the conditions are horrible. There are potholes, piles of asphalt in random spots, cracks, and it is uneven for the majority of the race.

You should get a hat or t-shirt when finishing the marathon that says, "Finisher."

Cytomax is gross - sorry, Cytomax - and no one I know trains with it.

Porta-potties were far off the race course.

They should offer pretzels near the end of the race at the water stations.

They didn't have a clock every mile so you could keep up with your time.

On the positive side, I love New Orleans as a city. If you have never been to New Orleans, come down, do the race and put up with all of the transportation woes.

Cowboy Mouth at the end! (Although, I went back to shower and couldn't listen to them.)

The weather was nice. The course was flat. People were wearing hats and funny outfits, making them momentarily entertaining.

With some adjustments, this race could really improve. Say what you will; Elite has got the system down pretty well. But this race didn't show their prowess this time.

What went right:
Packet pick-up was easy.
Official shirts and all of the Brooks garb were way better than Sugio from other Elite events.
Race started on time and wave start worked efficiently.
Course was flat throughout.
Weather was perfect.
Medal was perfect.
Volunteers were exceptionally friendly.
Bag drop was easy.
Course went through many scenic areas and a lot of it was shaded.
Half and full courses worked nicely together - no confusion, and signage was great.
Plenty of post-race food.
Reunion area was spacious.
TWO GU stops; thanks!
Plenty of porta-lets at the start, and many conveniently in the corrals - great job.


What needs work:
With the exception of the miles in the park (14-20), the road surface was horrible - pot-holes and uneven surfaces all throughout. Tripping hazards everywhere, especially in shaded areas.
Expo had no rhyme or reason; there were aisles with branches in all directions, and it was easy to miss many vendors.
Bands weren't as numerous as expected.
Water stops, while staffed with friendly people, were disorganized. Cytomax needs to be the first beverage offered, followed by water to wash it down with and to get rid of stickiness; they had it the other way instead.
No signs for the fluids, and the cups looked the same. They need signs at each water stop.
Some volunteers had gloves, but others did not, and many had their fingers in cups. Elite has done better.
Many mile markers had no clocks again, Elite is a machine - there's no reason not to have all of the equipment needed to stage a race.
A few more water stops would probably help. It was a great day weather-wise - any warmer and there would have been issues.
Spectators were scant at best.
Prices were too high for later sign-ups. While Elite is staging growing races, their amenities do not warrant $145 entry-fees.

With these comments in mind, I'm very content with just an accurately-measured course, a race that starts on time, some good weather (which no one can control), and enough fluids on the course. All of the other stuff is just stuff, but with the masses signing up for these themed events, expectations continue to rise. Anything less and the value diminishes quickly.

This was a new course with a new sponsor (Rock and Roll Series), so I worried about glitches; but for the most part, it was a super event. Water stations were about 200 feet long, so no worries about everybody stopping at the same table. The course itself was very scenic and showcased the best of New Orleans. Certainly a very flat, very fast course. Great music, plenty of aid, and a big party afterward.

Suggestions for the future: closing the expo and packet pick-up at 5:00 was a little inconvenient for travelers, the support/bands/potties seemed a little more sparse on the back side (but they all seem that way), and the main gripe is the mile-long walk from the finish to the shuttle. Had I known that, I would have had somebody pick me up. Thats a long walk after a 26-mile run.

My 40th marathon, and one of my absolute favorites!! I ran it as a training run for Boston - took my time, took pictures, and enjoyed the ride. This is a top destination marathon for the following reasons:

1. The vibrancy of New Orleans: what a GREAT, spirited town. This Giants and Jets fan - and ultimately Saints supporter - ran in a Saints singlet and Super Bowl hat. Every step of the way, spectators cried out, "WHO DAT!??"

2. Great organization - lots of volunteers, water stops were well staffed, and number pick up was very swift.

3. Very nice expo, with a hometown feel and nice merchandise

4. Flat course, replete with Mardi Gras floats that showed off Audubon Park, the campus of Tulane, the magnificent architecture of the homes on St. Charles, the French Quarter, City Park, and neighborhoods that were clearly on the rebound from Katrina.

5. GREAT MEDAL!!

6. A finish line like no other - unlimited beer with your wristband, and a sit-down area sponsored by PF Chang's (serving very tasty lettuce wraps, dumplings and drinks). There was also lots of great NOLA music presented on a huge stage.

7. The shuttle bus service back to town was efficient; there was no waiting, and it was very easy to find - just follow the obvious crowd!


What can be improved:

1. Marathon shirts are a dull gray, and it's hard to see the graphics. Such a festive marathon needs a more festive shirt. The half marathon shirt was nicer.

2. As is often the case with a larger half marathon, most of the excitement is downloaded for the first half of the race (more bands, more floats, etc.).

3. That Cytomax is nasty. The majority of runners train with Gatorade.

4. They don't seem to publicize it that much; you would never know a marathon was going on.

My first time doing this marathon (I'm a veteran of over 18). The course was flat, the weather was lovely, and the organization was top notch. The shuttle from the finish line could have been marked better to make it easier to locate.

This is my new favorite marathon. New Orleans has a heart; I love this city.

The Course: Astonishingly beautiful run through the city's neighborhoods. How can one city have so many beautiful neighborhoods? We ran past mansions and tree-covered streets (Spanish Oaks?) of the Garden District for the first 10 miles, then back through downtown and the French Quarter, up The Esplanade (more mansions and great crowd support), and then the beautiful City Park. In City Park we ran along the new levees (on one side) and the canals (on the other). The canals are more like long and narrow lakes (or was it a bayou... who knows?). Really quite graceful. Then out of the park and into the flooded zone. Some houses are missing and there are still slight signs of distress, but the crowds were great. I graciously declined a beer with a few locals. Back to the Park for a finish that can only be described as dignified, stately and humbling. We rounded a corner and ran half a mile straight toward the art museum, a grand Beaux Arts building with formal landscaping, and I felt a bit of a lump in my throat as I felt the moment. We ran around the building to the shady backside (good idea not to finish in front of the building - too sunny), where I kicked it home.