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May 2, 2024

Jacksonville Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Jacksonville Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.1

Organization 3.9

Spectators 2.7

Number of comments: 166 [displaying comments 51 to 61]

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K. H. from Stockbridge, Georgia (12/21/2009) "Flat and fast" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Jacksonville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The course is not pretty, but it is fast. This year's transportation pick up at 1st Place Sports was a BUST! With 40 minutes before the start of the race, an announcement was made that there would be no bus transportation. A nightmare!!! There is an issue of local traffic but I felt that the local police were doing the best that they can. Some drivers in the loop neighborhoods weren't exactly runner-friendly. A nice, small race with a great finish area loaded with a variety of food and drinks.
D. W. from Gainesville, FL (12/21/2009) "Fast, small, affordable" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Jacksonville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Not every race is as big or well supported by crowds as Boston, but if you are looking to BQ, this race may be for you. Course: Fast and flat. Despite some wind, the trees broke it up for the most part. One lady was lost in the running lane, but she seemed genuinely confused; otherwise, traffic was very well controlled, and even when the herd thinned, I never worried about getting lost despite a course that can be a little winding. Weather: Stellar; if only 1st Place had control over this variable.... Packet pickup: Prompt. The flagship store on Baymeadows was pleasantly busy, but not so bad that I couldn't stop in for a gel pack or two. Goodies were great. In addition to the shirt, I got a couple energy bars and a Myoplex drink (both of which were in abundance at the finish). Prerace: Abundant directions and bus shuttles from the sponsored hotels. The hotels had directions, times, and an extra early continental breakfast at 0500. Toilets: The pre-race wait was about 10 minutes, which I found suitable. Thankfully I did not need any on the course, but they were plentiful, as were the water/sports drink stops. Crowd support: Sparse compared to major events, but I thought it was fine given the size of the event (750 in 26.2 and 1,200 in the half). Finish/Post-race: Line was at Bolles track, with stadium seating and a big PA for people to announce the names of runners. Plenty of water, cookies, bananas, bagels, soup, Myoplex, energy bars, and Mylar blankies. The chute was open for me and for everyone I saw after me while I was waiting around for a half-hour. Results were up within an hour or so. Downsides: -Coffee ran out at the finish (I think I'll live until I can get some). -The last half-mile twists through an unpaved residential driveway with loose rock that I almost tripped on (and others I spoke to actually fell). -Not sure how many people paid the $10 for post-race massages, but I thought that was a little pricey and the tables were empty when I got done. Overall: I ran with the dream (granted!) of a BQ. Definitely a great race for this. The staff/volunteers were very helpful, and as a city, Jax has a great running ethic. Not to mention that $60 for a marathon is a bargain these days. 1st Place has got their stuff together. Thanks to Doug and everyone who helped; you made my weekend great and gave me a great early Christmas present.
Lianne Griffin from Atlanta, GA (12/21/2009) "Flat, fast, laid back" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Jacksonville Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Course - Would have given it 5 stars except for the traffic. I'm a slower runner, and the roads are open to traffic. Early on, police "escorted" cars that needed to get on the roads and kept them going slowly, and I had no issues. But later, there weren't escorts and the cars just seemed irritated we were there. I nearly got hit by one that passed by super close (even though he had the whole other side of the road to pass on!). The course is beautiful, past gorgeous houses on shaded roads - with big oaks with Spanish moss. Very serene! Easy to get a good time on this flat, fast course. Organization: Registration and packet pickup were easy. No expo, but you could get what you needed at the running store. I heard there were issues with the buses from the hotel to the start, but that didn't impact me. My husband dropped me off at the start, and we were able to drive right up to the start and drop off with zero issues. Only had to wait around in the cold for 15 minutes. Minimal port-o-potties at the start, but I heard there were also bathrooms at the registration (just not too near the start). Nice technical short sleeved shirt and lots of goodies in the goodie bag. Nice medal. Course volunteers were great, and there was plenty of water and refreshments, even to the very end. Great police support along the course. Near the end, I almost missed a turn into a neighborhood though - there was no one at the intersection to make sure we saw the sign. Good thing I had looked at the course map and knew to be on the lookout for it. WONDERFUL post-race support. Excellent vegetable soup, rolls, bagels, fruit, iced bottled water, etc. Even the massage folks were there until the very end. THANKS from the back-of-the-pack folks! Spectators - Few and far between. Bring your family if you want someone to cheer. If they had the course map and a regular street map, they could "chase" you around the course very easily, and you could see them dozens of times. I saw my peeps at the park turnaround, and was able to drop a layer of clothes off with them. Bring your iPod if you need "entertainment" on the course. The spectators that were out were very enthusiastic; there just weren't many of them. Many of the locals didn't even know there was a race going on. This is a great race if you need a long training run or a BQ, but it does lack the fanfare and hoopla of the bigger races (there were just around 800 marathoners this year). Great weather this year - 37 at the start, low 50s at the end of the marathon. I liked this marathon both times I ran it (I also ran it in 2004) and would recommend it.
M. W. from MA (12/21/2009) "Great course!" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Jacksonville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 It is true that the race is flat and shaded. I was lucky that the weather was perfect: no humidity, temperature in the high 40s-low 50s. Volunteers were wonderful, and traffic was well controlled. There were few spectators, but all very genuine. I run well without a crowd, so I was fine. Now, the one thing I thought was far from good was the organization pre-race. First, the carbo-load dinner was mediocre, and there are other places where you can get really good pasta right across the street. I thought I'd go to the dinner to socialize, but everyone was being very shy and sitting with their own peers. I ate on my own (a not-very-tasty plate of spaghetti) and didn't get a chance to talk to anyone. I feel there should have been some ice-breaker type of organization behind the dinner. But, honestly, not a big deal. The one big problem was that on race day, something like 60 runners staying at the Holiday Inn hotel were never picked up by the bus that was supposed to take them to the start line. There were two official hotels - the Embassy Suites and this one - and we waited for more than an hour. The bus went to the first one, and never to ours. Some of us ended up driving to the race (where parking is not easy) or went to the other hotel to try to catch a ride. That said, the organization during and post-race was great. All in all, good, flat course. If you're lucky with the weather, it could be pretty much a perfect race. Thank you, volunteers, police, and neighbors who put up with us runners disrupting your Sunday morning!
B. K. from Alabama (2/16/2009) "No-Frills Marathon. Flat Course. No Expo." (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Jacksonville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Pros: +Pancake flat course. +Plenty of aid stations. +Great volunteers. Cons: -Hot and humid for a marathon, but not a surprise since it is in Florida. -Narrow course - one lane that is blocked off by cones. You will encounter traffic during this race. -No spectators. If your family and friends want to watch you, they can't go anywhere other than the designated spectator areas. -No pace groups that I saw. -The only clock on the course was at the 13.1 marker. You pay for what you get with this one. Probably better for a training/tune-up run than anything else. Flat course would be good for a Boston qualifier, but the heat might negate that.
J. S. from Houston, TX (1/27/2009) "I would've given it 5 stars except for the cars." (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Jacksonville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran this race as a comeback after a less-than-stellar earlier fall marathon. There is no expo to speak of, but the packet pick-up was at a running store, so if you need to pick up some last-minute items, it's there. I was looking to BQ, and wanted something flat. This is the flattest race I have run! I ended up with conjunctivitis and a sinus infection the morning of the race, and it was in the low 60's, which is a little warmer than I was hoping for. I still BQ'd and PR'd! I had read about the last part of the race being run across a soccer field, so I went to the school the day before to scope it out. I think knowing what to expect made that less of an issue for me. The entire race is shaded, except for the first few miles (but that's so early that it doesn't matter) and also, since it's essentially out and back, the last few miles. This didn't bother me too much. The worst part of the race was having to worry about the cars passing, since a lot of the race is open roads with cones blocking off a half of a lane. This is not the race to run if you need crowd support. There were definitely spectators and easy to access points, but a lot of the route is in residential areas that are closed off by the race route. I read some reviews that didn't think it was scenic. It's not Big Sur. There aren't really many water views, but if you like the Gothic look and feel of live oak trees and Spanish moss shading your run for almost 20 miles, then this will fit the bill. I thought it was gorgeous.
L. c. from Florida (1/14/2009) "Flat course, but not well supported" (about: 2008) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Jacksonville Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 Despite the 6-hour time limit, organizers started shutting down the race at 4 to 5 hours: pulling volunteers from water stops, discontinuing medical and police support, and asking all marathon runners left on the course to run on the sidewalks. Those few runners who did come in at or near 6 hours were greeted by a nearly disassembled finish line, with no food, little water, and no options for massage therapy or other luxuries. Clearly this race is geared to the marathon halfers and quicker runners.
N. S. from Tallahassee, FL (1/9/2009) "Improved organization, and I still love the course" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Jacksonville Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Last year it was my 3rd marathon; this time, it was my 7th. The organization was better; the course is still flat and in lovely neighborhoods; and the police, volunteers, and spectators are OUTSTANDING. :) They deserve all of their accolades. Well done. I will come back a third time (maybe more)!
J. A. from Winston-Salem, NC (1/5/2009) "Flat and fast! A good, small marathon." (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Jacksonville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Definitely a PR course if the weather cooperates. The finish on the track is a nice touch. The race is very well organized, and running the half and full together was not a big problem, as it can be in some races. Lots of parts with few spectators, but that didn't bother me.
Kevin Benedict from Jacksonville, FL. (1/2/2009) "A great course for a PR" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Jacksonville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It was my first marathon; in fact, it was my first race over 10K, and I must admit that it was tough. The race itself was really good. It is a flat course, with a great field, and the volunteers seemed endless. The water stops were perfectly spread, and GU was provided regularly past the halfway point, which I found out was a great thing to have! I would definitely recommend this race to anyone trying to qualify for Boston or even set a personal record. My main piece of advice is to run your own race and not go with the pack, since the majority of the group is only running the half marathon. Great race with great weather!

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