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Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.8 
Organization 4.2 
Spectators 4.4
Number of comments: 481 [displaying comments 441 to 451]
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A Runner from Florida
(4/28/2002)
 "Hills, Yes. Worth it, ABSOULTELY!!" (General Comments)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I am avid runner from Florida and have never been able to train on hills like the ones in Nashville. The day before the race I thought it would be a great idea to drive the course. Afterwards I thought I should have stayed in my hotel room. I immediately predicted my time slower by 15-20 minutes. As I started to run the first half I didn't even think about the hills due to the fact that the crowds and the bands were terrific. By the time I reached the half, I've completed my fastest first half of a marathon ever. The second half was a bit slower due to the fact that there was a big hill starting at mile 19 and going until 20.5. Overall this was a fantastic race. The finish line certainly inspired me to run another marathon. I ended up having one of my best races ever. Thanks to Nashville and the people who were involved. | |
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A Runner from Ohio
(4/28/2002)
 "Mountainous Course" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Rolling hills are not a fair description of this course. It is VERY hilly. I have run 7 marathons and train on lots of hills, but I was not prepared mentally or physically for the hills from mile 18 pretty much to the end. The organization was A+. Fan support is great in the beginning and at the finish line but is lacking in the middle and end of the course. The bands add enjoyment to the course. The Ultima replenisher drink is HORRIBLE. The majority of the runners skipped the ultima and drank only water--not good, but your body needs simply sugars, not complex ones. The ultima tastes horrible and does nothing for you. I will NEVER run another marathon that uses Ultima. Dont plan on your PR being set on this course. Overall it's an okay race, but definitely better spring ones out there.... | |
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A Runner from Marietta, GA
(4/27/2002)
 "Great org and fans, -1 on course for the hills" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Organization was fantastic. Plenty of fluids, medical aid was abundant. Cheerleaders helped greatly in low spectator business park. Nashville is just a hilly town, no two ways about it. Thank goodness for the business park, all flat! Weather was wonderful, cloudy, only a few spits of rain. Very lucky today! Not sure if I would do it again, only because of the hills! Don't care for Ultima, so had to carry my own Gatorade. I might come back for the 1/2 because it is a nice place to visit. | |
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A Runner from TN
(1/31/2002)
"Crashed and burned" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved the bands and cheerleading squads. The organization was very good and the fans were great in the beginning. The first half was very enjoyable and entertaining. The hill from 2 to 4 was a little rough but the scenery made up for it. The second half it got hot with very little shade and the exuberance I felt in the beginning changed to concern followed by pain and survival mode the last 6 miles. A long grade @ 21 was not nice. An earlier date would be less risky and they should change the course to make it more scenic for miles 12 thru 22. The fans were worn out by the end too. | |
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A Runner from Tennessee
(12/21/2001)
"Tough Course, But I Had A Blast !!!!!" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and going in I was expecting a tough course because some friends that did it last year told me about the hills. I trained for the hills and I'm glad I did. It was indeed full of rolling hills but the spectators, the bands and the cheerleading squads along the course kept my mind off the hills until the last 3 or 4 miles. The weather was a little warm but that is something we can't control. Plenty of fluids along the route and a very well organized race. I take my hat off to the spectators that turned out in big numbers. Way to go Nashville!!! I will be back in 2002. Although I plan on running a flat course in the fall, I will probably make the CMM an annual event. Also great headliner concert the night after the race. | |
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A Runner from Gainesville, FL
(12/9/2001)
 "Oh the hills........" (about: 2000)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon at the age of 26 and it was great. The spectators were wonderful and the course was beautiful. The entire event was well organized. I was shocked at the hills though. Being from Florida, I didn't have hills to train on. Make sure you do plenty of hill training if you do this one. I highly recommend it-the weather was perfect and the entire atmosphere was just wonderful. | |
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A Runner from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
(10/27/2001)
"Loved CM Marathon" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Country Music Marathon was my first marathon ever. At age 52, it was a great way to be introduced to the sport of marathoning. I joined as a Team in Training member racing for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. We had a great pasta party the night before in the Country Music Hall of Fame (which wasn't open to the public yet). I was a walker and found the cheerleader support almost nil. They gave up LONG before I did. I found the industrial park portion of the race boring, but all in all, it was GREAT! I trained on hills so the hills in Nashville were practically flat compared to what I trained on. I loved it - except for the heat. And the organizers of the marathon can't be blamed for that. The weather is all part of the sport; rain, shine, sleet, hail, whatever we get. | |
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A Runner from New York
(9/26/2001)
 "The course is ridiculous." (about: 2001)
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I trained hard for and was completely ready to qualify for Boston (based on my training runs); unfortunately it just wasn't going to happen in Nashville. Organization for the race was good. The only problem was a lack of transportation at the finish (or lack of communication if there was) and when you were dealing with body temperatures of 400, it made it a little frustrating. Spectators and support for the race were good. The course on the other hand was borderline comical. The hills were absurd. You would have a tough time convincing me that there was any input from actual runners regarding design of the course. I actually enjoy running hills, specifically uphill, but this was just silly. Combined with the heat, it made for an extremely unpleasant morning. I have done numerous organized runs (including marathons) as well as training runs with substantial hills, but nothing I have ever seen is even close to the same ballpark as the CMM. Also, I was coming out of cool (not far removed from winter-like) training conditions, which makes the temperature of this race a no-brainer to stay away from. With the humidity it must have been in the 90s at the finish line. Lastly, it would have helped a great deal it the organizers were truthful about the hills. Their comments to me were, 'aside from a couple rolling hills at the beginning, the course is flat.' I probably could have bought swampland in Arizona pretty cheaply from them too. I asked the same question several times to multiple individuals, as I was taking my qualifying very seriously, and was given the same answer each time. If changes are not made to the course I see the numbers for the full marathon declining each year. Unless you're looking for a painful morning in April, simply for S & G's, I do not recommend this marathon (especially as a qualifier). | |
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A Runner from biloxi,ms
(7/31/2001)
"hills are a killer" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Ran it in 2001. The first 20 miles are nice with a few challenging hills; the last 6 are killer. One hill after another until the end mile which is flat if you have anything left. The heat was a real factor also. Terrific fan support. The concert after is a deffinite plus. Recommend running it at least once. | |
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A Runner from Baton Rouge, LA
(7/28/2001)
"Tough course, awesome crowd support" (General Comments)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and it was tough. The course was very hilly, and all of my training was on flat areas. The first 10 miles of the course were excellent in running through downtown, the Vanderbilt area, and some nice residential areas. The middle part was in a remote area, but at about mile 18 it got back into downtown and was better for the rest of the race. The finish at Adelphia Stadium was great. Nashville was a beautiful city, and staying at the Union Station hotel downtown was a real treat. The downtown area was beautiful with plenty of places to eat and enjoy. It would be nice if they had a pre-race carb dinner, but the expo was nice. The crowd support was excellent. The race is advertised well in the newspapers, and the whole city seems to know about and support the race. I would highly recommend this race. Just be prepared for a hilly course that will challenge you. |
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