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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 251 to 261]
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JOHN CONNOR from NEWPORT KENTUCKY
(12/15/2003)
 "All in all, a well run marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I got a stitch at mile 14 that would not leave. Luckily, I met up with someone else and we walked the last 8 miles to the finish. I want to really thank the hems car that guided us to the finish. He took care of all crossings and kept us safe. Thanks. I will be back. | |
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C. S. from Springfield, Illinois, USA
(12/15/2003)
 "This race really takes care of the runners!!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The course really is flat for the most part. The few 'hills', to use the word loosely, aren't really anything to get too excited about. Not much action at the expo, but the race director was there mingling with the runners, and willing to take time to solve problems that might come up. Now, a word about the course support and volunteers. The weather was in the 30's, with a little wind (probably why not many spectators), but the volunteers were the best! All the water stations ran smoothly and were appropriately stocked with supplies and volunteers. Times were called out at each mile. At the finish, a volunteer came out and greated each runner, taking your arm, staying with you until he/she was sure you were ok. The after-race food and service was superb (vegetable soup, and a lady to make you a jelly sandwich) along with anything else you could reasonably expect. I kept being asked if there was anything else they could get for me. I'm a middle of the pack guy (3:54) with 14 marathons completed and these people are the best!! | |
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S. D. from USA
(12/15/2003)
"A great runners' marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 What a great marathon experience! I didn't notice any hills. It's definitely a flat course. It was windy at times, but it's the middle of December. This is such a well organized race. The information booklet that's mailed out several weeks before contains everything you could possibly need to know about the marathon. The entry fee is cheap and you get the same things as a big marathon (and more)--finisher's medal, t-shirt, patch, food, beverage, results book and picture. Plus, it's inexpensive to stay at practically any of the hotels in town and be able to get to the start in 5-10 minutes. There was plenty of free parking across the street from the start/finish. Absolutely convenient! It was great to go right inside the hotel when the race was finished to sit and eat. There's no standing around outside in the cold or walking an insane distance after you've just run 26 miles. The finish line card is not a difficult task at all. A volunteer gladly completed mine for me when I turned it in because my hands were cold. The whole thing took all of 10 seconds. No doubt about it, there are very few spectators. If you need crowd support, don't do this marathon. There are no costumes and bands at every mile. They save the party for AFTER the race. If you want a marathon that is very well organized, fast, flat, and won't take you 10 minutes just to cross the starting line, this is a great marathon. Although, there wasn't much crowd support, I found the competitive runners who are there to race to be the support I needed to finish well. | |
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S. H. from Alabama
(12/15/2003)
"Rewarding marathon experience" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The Huntsville Rocket City Marathon was my first marathon. The course is relatively flat with lots of turns in the first six and last six miles through tree-lined neighborhoods. There were plenty of Huntsville Police and support staff at every turn directing the runners and holding automobile traffic. The 55-page marathon information book mailed out in November provided a two-page course listing allowing each runner to calculate approximately what turn you would be at based upon a projected running pace. My family and friends were able to see and cheer me on not only at the finish line but also at eight other locations throughout the course. They personalize each runner's race number by printing their name on it, which was nice. The weather forecast was dismal with cold rain and sleet. However, the expo vendors were well prepared with rain and wind gear at reasonable prices. On race day the wet weather held off and most of the race had near perfect running conditions. The Rocket City Marathon had delicious post-race snacks, a nice looking long sleeve t-shirt and medal, and a free post-race shower at a nearby aquatic center. For a marathon cost of only $30, this is tremendous. Within two weeks each runner receives their runner's certificate, a results book including photographs of the race, and my finish line photo. I can't wait to get mine. Thank you, Huntsville Track Club. | |
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R. L. from Seattle
(12/14/2003)
 "Cool marathon, but a study in contrasts" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This is a fairly interesting marathon, though others seem to enjoy it more than I did. I found that every good thing was balanced by a not-so-good (or in some cases, downright weird) thing. I'd recommend it for 50-staters who want to mark off Alabama, but it isn't one I'll run again. The course itself is pretty nice and seems to show some of Huntsville's sights. Unfortunately, in the dead of winter, Huntsville seems to be a predominantly brown, dead place. Back to the good - some of these sights include remarkably-well-cared-for neighborhoods. OTOH, I guess they shipped everyone out of town - these neighborhoods contained few if any live beings. It was rather eerie to run probably 12 miles out of 26 through neighborhoods and not see a living soul who wasn't also running or directing traffic. The only place that had spectators were the commercial areas - but these were some active, motivated spectators: hooray. The race course was well marked... which is good because it is one of the most twisting courses I've ever run (the info packet claims 67 turns). The race is billed as 'relatively' flat, which is certainly true for the area. But there were still hills aplenty - the really natty 2-3 mile kind. But back to the good... they send a remarkable pre-race info packet. And after the race, they serve some great food including hot soup, fruit, lemonade, MOON PIES, bagels, water, yadda yadda. OTOH, I think this race is run by a lawyer because between the packet and the pre-race announcements I heard about 10,000 disclaimers. And what gives with the timing? It's difficult to explain in this space, but suffice it to say that they put a bit more of the onus of timing onto the runner than most races. The last thing I need after running 26.2 miles in 35-40 degree windy conditions is a long set of instructions about dealing with, filling out, and turning in a card for my time. A card which seems to have nothing to do with the bottom of my bib (they rip that off ostensibly as part of timing too). And they really want you to know that the penalties for not standing on your left foot and doing the hokey pokey with this card are severe. SEVERE! But back to the good - the hardworking folks who worked this race were all high-spirited and really looked like they loved what they were doing. I'm glad I did the race, but I probably won't go back. | |
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Jim Goodrum from Asheville North Carolilna
(12/14/2003)
"Race worth running" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The first thing I noticed about this race was that there weren't the usual costumed entrants. The nature of recent marathon times on the website pointed to the idea that people entered this race to do just that... race. It is not a true flat course, but the hills are gradual and not killers. There was a strong headwind on the Bailey Cove stretch and lots of exhaust from traffic, but no one can control the weather situation and the car problem was not that bad. It was a well run race and the volunteers including the traffic control people were supportive. Spectator support was minimal, but the weather for spectating (41 degrees and windy) was not good (it was great for running, though). T he Holiday Inn Express where we stayed (a race recommended hotel) was nice, reasonably priced and very supportive of the runners. They had late checkout and a early breakfast buffet. After the race there was a free massage and good food and drink. Set a PR and qualifed for Boston. I would definitely run it again even though it is a 5.5 hour trip for us to get there. | |
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J. S. from Birmingham AL
(9/15/2003)
"Flat, reasonably fast course" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I ran it in 2001 and 2002. The course is flat, and fairly fast, with lots of turns in the first and last few miles. Parts of it in the middle are one coned-off lane of a four lane highway. Few spectators outside of downtown Huntsville, which is about the first five and the last mile. I ran my PR here in 2002 (3:40). | |
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g. h. from memphis, tn
(3/25/2003)
"A Nice Race" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran this one in the pouring down rain & had a great time. it is not the most scenic, but i enjoyed it. I would definitely do it again. | |
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T. B. from Cleveland, Ohio
(2/11/2003)
"BQ time but a windchill of 28 and course was twist" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I loved the friendly folks, host hotel logistics, the food was plenty, tons of awards, I got my Boston time so it is now one of my favorite courses but the turns and then a long stretch was mind numbing. Great job to HTC and the community involvment. A fun weekend | |
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Gary Moser from Rock Hill, SC
(12/30/2002)
"December Lucky For Me Again!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 In the last four years, I have run seven marathons after an eighteen-year hiatus due to leg injuries sustained in a car crash. The two fastest times of these seven occurred in the two races I ran in the month of December: the Kiawah Island Marathon in 1999 and now the Rocket City Marathon in 2002. Coincidence? Who knows...but one thing I do know is that both of these races are first-class events. The Rocket City Marathon course was not overly scenic, but was challenging enough and very well managed. My only recommendation for improvement would be to ELEVATE the mile markers to make them more visible to the runners as they approach them. The specator support was not heavy, but what there was proved quite enthusiastic. The Huntsville Hilton did a wonderful job as the host hotel, especially in terms of the post-race feed and related activities. On the 'memorabilia front', as it were, I came away with a very nicely-designed medal, extensive local newpaper coverage before and after the race, and a free finisher photo. And all of this for a very modest entry fee. In summary, I would highly recommend this race to first-timers and veterans alike as an all-around great marathon experience! |
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