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☰
Rocket City Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rocket City Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.0 
Organization 4.7 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 285 [displaying comments 241 to 251]
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Matthew Byerley from Kingsport, TN
(11/15/2004)
 "All in all a good down south marathon!" (about: 2001)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Rocket City Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I think that this is a great marathon, especially for the first-timer. The course has a lot of turns and spots that are boring that is why I think that it is important that you have a partner that is about the same ability as you to run with you. After-party is done very well. All in all, this is a good marathon for a novice or expert. | |
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G. W. from Texarkana, Tx
(10/19/2004)
 "My best marathon, I qualified for Boston" (about: 2003)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rocket City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Great race. Too many turns, but truly worth running. | |
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R. R. from atlanta
(7/9/2004)
 "Great for a PR" (General Comments)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Rocket City Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Weather can be tricky that time of year. I've had my two fastest times on the course. My PR was in a 12 degree wind-chill at that start and it was so miserable, I was in a hurry to finish! It was cold and windy the other two times too. The course is really boring - mostly suburban neighborhoods with lots of turns (but flat) although there is one very long downhill stretch in the middle which is nice. What I really like is the race hotel. They really do a good job in supporting the race and the food afterwards is warm and welcome. This is one marathon my family actually looks forward and enjoys going to. | |
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J. F. from Birmingham, Alabama
(4/28/2004)
 "Fell short of expectations" (about: 2003)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rocket City Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This was my first marathon, and granted I did not do as well as expected, and hit the wall at mile 19, I still managed to finish. I selected this as my first marathon based upon the many things I had read about it on this site. I disagree with my fellow runners who think this is a great marathon. As the old saying goes, everyone is entitled to their opinion and here is mine: small town marathon with little to no crowd support, it reminded me of a very lonely, boring training run. The term boring is a very apt description for this marathon. Though I have now caught the marathon bug and I am in training for yet another, I will not run this one again. | |
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l. L. from Tn
(1/25/2004)
"Not a top 10 marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This was my second marathon and my friends who ran it previously seem to enjoy it more than I did. I'd recommend it for runners trying to run all 50 states. It was a fairy nice day, about 35-40 degrees but very windy conditions. A very flat course but there were still hills of the long mile type. The course is somewhat boring as there is not a lot to look at unless you like looking at remarkably-well-cared-for neighborhoods, which, by the way, have no port-a-pots set up in them. I got constipated around 17 miles and by the time I found one it was to late. I finished the last 6 miles in pain. The really nice info packet sent claims 67 turns, all of which are in the first seven miles and final five, and in between is a 5-7 mile strait 4-lane highway, which seemed like it would never end. I agree with another runner, this marathon cannot be in the top ten nationwide, as advertised. Good competition, for some reason, only pretty serious runners seems to come to this one. There are not a lot of 5-hour+ marathoners. Out of the 10 aid stations, none seem to have the same favored drink but two of which had Gu. The finish line index card method is clearly outdated. Chips would be a big improvement. The food and course support were good. The food and massages at the finish were a definite plus. The expo was small, but had good merchandise at bargain prices. My name was not called off at the finish because the runner in front of me must have been kin to the announcer. He spent at least 1 minute telling everyone how excited he was to finish. Like I was not. They truly did a great job with organization, aid, and the post-race party. I would definitely recommend this race to anyone looking for a fast race to PR. | |
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T. A. from Texas
(1/1/2004)
"Topnotch organization" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The Rocket City Marathon (in 2003) was my 12th state marathon out of a 50-state goal. I was surprised by the organization of this small-town marathon! The recommended hotels had free breakfast buffets early enough for marathoners to eat before leaving for the start-line. They also provided shuttles to the start line, and back to the hotel afterward. The expo was nice, and was open on the morning of the marathon before the start! Race day registration/packet pick-up was available and food and drink were provided to runners as they waited for the start. The number of traffic cones used to mark the course was amazing. It would be impossible to get lost on this course! The course itself was pleasant as it wound along gentle slopes through nice neighborhoods. Naturally, it couldn't compare with some of the destination marathons or the big city marathons in beauty or crowd support, but the overall feel was very nice. This marathon had the BEST post-race party I've seen! Real food was provided at an indoor seating area, and a $1,000 door prize was given out during the award ceremony. After the race, we enjoyed a tour of the rocket technology museum. The final touch that compelled me to write this review: I received 2 5X7 photos of myself crossing the finish line at no extra charge! All the little touches make this a great marathon!! | |
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k. w. from alexandria,va
(12/18/2003)
"Great small-town race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 7th marathon, and my first small-town race. I even got a PR here by 11 minutes. The course is flat, and I enjoyed running through the nice looking neighborhoods. The race was very well organized from start to finish. Fan support was small but this is a small town. I would run this race again. If your looking for a PR for Boston this is the place to get it. Thanks Huntsville for the memories. | |
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A. P. from Texas
(12/18/2003)
 "Twisted, Small, Different" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Hats off to the impeccable organization of this race. The course has a lot of turns through neighborhoods but every turn was manned and signage on the road was excellent even when you brain stopped working after mile 20. Being from Texas, there were a couple of little hills but mostly flat. Little in the way of spectators but the crossing guards and aid station volunteers were great. Huntsville is a very historic southern town that was interesting to run through. The Space/Rocket Museum is a must the following day to walk off any stiffness. They are serious about their 6-hour cutoff - people coming in around 6:15 still finished but those with longer times were taken off the course. Get in early the day before so you can run a 2 or 4 mile historic district run with a tour guide. If you are looking for a different type of marathon or to mark off Alabama, I would recommend this one. It was my 20th marathon. | |
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T. E. from Brentwood, TN
(12/17/2003)
"Boston Qualifier" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is the second time I've run this race and each time I've gotten a good, fast time. For some reason, only pretty serious runners seem to come to this one. There are not a lot of 5-hour+ marathoners. The finish line index card method is clearly outdated. At the risk of revealing my age, it reminds me of the old popsicle sticks they used to hand out with a number on them. Chips would be a big improvement. The food and course support were good. 10 aid stations, 2 of which had Gu. The food and massages at the finish were a definite plus. The expo was small, but had good merchandise at bargain prices. All in all, this is a good marathon. Good competition, good organization, good support, and a reasonably flat and fast course. It also has a relatively low entry fee -- just $30 to pre-register. | |
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B. L. from Nashville, TN
(12/16/2003)
"A Good December Marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my seventh marathon. I found this to be a very well organized race from start to finish. The course was well marked and the traffic control was good. The crowds were sparse, but the volunteers did an excellent job. I found the course to be very flat. I was able to set my P.R., even running into a headwind for about six miles. There is a volunteer at the finish to help each runner, which I thought was a very nice touch. Quality long sleeve t-shirt. Nice finisher's medal. Good food at the finish. The only change I would suggest is chip timing. However, the card system seemed to work pretty well. All you have to do is hand the card they give you at the finish line to a volunteer and tell them your name. You get a lot for your money at this race compared to other marathons. If you want to run a fast winter marathon I would recommend it. |
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