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May 9, 2024

Memphis Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Memphis Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.7

Spectators 4.2

Number of comments: 382 [displaying comments 61 to 71]

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 5 6 7 8 9 .. 39 > ]

Evan Bone from Bartlett, TN (12/10/2009) "Great race - highly recommended" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Memphis Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The course is decent but the road was slanted for a lot of it and had lots of cracks. When it's all I can do to hold my pace, it's a lot more difficult. I can't complain though; I set a PR and qualified for Boston. The fan support was great through the half marathon and decent for the rest. Post race chow was excellent. I read some comment from others that indicated if you got there later, it wasn't as good. Glad I made it because the hot soup and warm pizza were right on time.
S. C. from Arkansas (12/9/2009) "Caring medical support" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Memphis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've never had to make use of a race first aid-station until St. Jude's half marathon, and was totally impressed with the attention I received. I run on a weakened left leg, which caused me to trip and fall heavily on my shoulder during the beginning of the 13th mile. As I crossed the finish line, I was immediately escorted to the medical staff for evaluation. Thank you!
m. m. from Peoria,IL (12/9/2009) "Awesome" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Memphis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 No better reason to run a marathon. The course was laid out nicely and there were lots of volunteers. Great race!!!!
E. B. from Louisville, KY (12/8/2009) "Great Beginner Marathon Experience!" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Memphis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I did a lot of research before selecting my first marathon location and race. The St. Jude Memphis Marathon experience far exceeded my hopes and expectations! The course was interesting (and not repetitive), weaving through downtown, by the river, through Beale Street, through a park/zoo, through St. Jude's campus, etc. The rolling hills were mostly short and not steep. The race was orchestrated perfectly! The wave start was smooth. The water/PowerAde stops at every mile were easy to maneuver through (water and PowerAde in different colored cups to facilitate choosing your preference quickly). The GU was at the mile markers as advertised (miles 9, 15, 18, 21), and there were several flavors to choose from. At the end of the race, the marathoners had their own food/beverage section, so there was plenty to eat after completing 26.2 miles! By far the most amazing aspect of this race, however, was the crowd support. The St. Jude/Memphis community really carried us through with signs, cheers, music, and smiles. Thanks, Memphis and St. Jude, for an amazing, exhilarating, and rewarding first-time marathon experience! I will return....
S. M. from Conway, Arkansas (12/8/2009) "Good race overall and a GREAT cause" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Memphis Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Aid stations were well laid out. I would have preferred something besides GU (like fruit) along the way. I agree with another entry - the camber on some of the roads caused me some IT band issues. Another couple of runners in our group finished around 5:30 and most of the food was gone. They were pretty disappointed.
L. C. from Springfield, MO (12/8/2009) "You have to add this one to your list" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Memphis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved this marathon. Great course organization, great support, and great fans. First-class act; Elvis would be proud.
M. J. from Grapevine, TX (12/8/2009) "Great Race for a Great Cause" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Memphis Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run several previous marathons, and St. Jude Memphis is the most organized. The weather was perfect, the spectators were great, and running through the St. Jude campus and along the Mississippi was truly inspirational.
L. G. from Pineville, LA (12/8/2009) "Run This One At Least Once" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Memphis Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first St. Jude's Marathon. The experience overall was very good. The expo and packet pickup were organized and informative. Marathon morning was also very organized. The race had a wave start, with new waves starting every two minutes. The course was challenging. There were quite a few long, gradual uphills that slowed you down a bit. The aid stations were at every mile and were fully stocked with water, Gatorade, GU and a lot of enthusiastic volunteers. The spectators were very supportive but were a little thin in some areas. However, when you hit an area with spectators, there were tons. The finish was in Autozone Park, which was cool because you had your name announced as you crossed the finish line in a baseball stadium full of spectators. The food area was a little disappointing. Cold pizza, sweets and drinks, but no plates. You had to hold everything in your sweaty hands, which I didn't like. The overall experience was very good, and I would run this one again - especially when you consider that the proceeds go to help St. Jude's children.
D. H. from Dertroit, MI (12/7/2009) "Poor roads, poor course" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Memphis Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It is hard to say something bad about a marathon with such a wonderful cause, but it has to be said. The roads were in terrible shape, and the coned off lanes were way too narrow to allow passing, so many runners cut into on-coming traffic. There were too many miles of just nothing. There was very little to no fan support after the half marathon split. The volunteers were very helpful and friendly, and the race was well organized, but the course was just awful.
B. V. from Memphis, TN (12/7/2009) "Must-do marathon!" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Memphis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I am from Memphis, so I have done the half or cheered the past several years. I always wanted to do the full in my home town, so this was the year. The organization was great, and I loved the aid stations at every mile. I am a slower runner (finished in 5:30), but I always had people around me running, so I didn't feel totally isolated (I was prepared just in case). True, the spectators drop off after the half, but there were enough people around to keep me going. Seeing the families or signs about the children from St. Jude was overwhelming at times, and made me realize that I could keep going for them. My only complaint is that I didn't like the marathon tech shirts. They were men-sized, so even the medium is too big for me. I have seen people around town showing off their long-sleeve tees from the half-marathon and 5K, yet I didn't get one like that to wear around. Also, by the time I was done, there was no pizza or soup left. Just donuts and fruit, which was ok, but I really wanted something more sustaining than that.

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 5 6 7 8 9 .. 39 > ]

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