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☰
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 71 to 81]
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H. G. from LA
(12/7/2009)
 "Thanks for sending us through the hospital grounds" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My son was diagnosed with cancer at St. Jude when he was three. He was treated there for a year and has been in remission for three years. We have been involved in the St. Jude Marathon for four years, but this was my first year to run the full marathon. It was an emotional experience for me! I echo all of the positive comments on the site. Specifically, though, it was phenomenal to run through the gates of St. Jude and onto the grounds. So many patients and their families were lined up cheering for us. It was an emotional boost that lasted the rest of the race! The course was challenging, the staggered start was great, the corrals were clearly identified, and the spectators were amazing! | |
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B. M. from Saltillo, MS
(12/7/2009)
 "Great race but seemed longer than 26.2" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My first marathon, and all I wanted to do is break 4 hours. I ran 3:58:42, so I did that; but my watch said that the course was 26.4, and so did all of my buddies who had the same GPS watch. Now my thoughts are how many people didn't qualify for Boston because of a long course. To me this should have never happened. Also, I signed up in June and they ran out of shirt sizes. They only had large and extra large. Wow. Overall, a great race. My first. Crowd support was great from start to finish. Very good race to run. | |
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John Vanderslice from Conway, Arkansas
(12/7/2009)
"A great and meaningful experience" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 4-5 Memphis Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've run this race six times - five marathons and one half - and it remains as great as ever. It's exceptionally well-organized. The course is solid, neither too hilly nor too flat. And the water/aid stations at every mile are very much appreciated. Best of all is the enthusiastic crowd support. That makes this race. It's deeply satisfying to know and be so often reminded that you are supporting a great cause like St. Jude's, and boy, do people show their appreciation to you! Having downtown Memphis all around you makes for quite a fun weekend besides. Plenty of places to celebrate! One note: the race is getting quite big, and for that reason the organizers are especially concerned about moving people along (through the expo, through the chute, through the stadium). This is understandable, but can also be carried too far. My family and I were enjoying a few moments together in the stands after the race (I ran the full 26 miles) - surrounded by empty seats and away from the aisle - and were told by a race official that we couldn't stay there. We had to leave in order to control "crowd flow." There was no crowd right there. There was absolutely no one around us fighting for that space in the stadium. It left an unfortunate aftertaste in what otherwise was a terrific day at an exceptional and meaningful race. I feel very sorry about the tragic death of a half-marathoner - for her sake of course, but also because the organizers do absolutely everything they can to make the race as safe as possible. They do more in that regard than any other race I've ever participated in. One of the very many things they do so right. | |
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A. S. from Freeburg, Illinois
(12/7/2009)
"Great for organization and first-timers" (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I did the half-marathon in Memphis on Dec. 5 and it was fabulous. It was my first half after two full marathons, and I sort of thought we'd be treated like... well, halfers. No. We were treated excellently. Organization was wonderful! Great food, snacks and water/Gatorade at every mile. The course is interesting, there's good fan support, and it would be an excellent race for a first-timer. IF ONLY it had been 5-10 degrees warmer! | |
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Mark Piercy from Naperville, IL
(12/7/2009)
"Outstanding Event All Around!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 21st marathon (15 different cities). There is something for everyone: 5K, half, and full. There is much to see and do in Memphis - from Beale St., to Graceland, to college and pro basketball. The course was a great mix of urban and residential environments, with just enough challenging, rolling hills. The start was well organized; with a wave start and chip it doesn't matter where you line up. I had yet to experience so many fluid and portable toilet stations. Traffic control was great. The spectators were enthusiastic and vocal. The finish into the baseball park is incredible. Reuniting with friends and family was a breeze. Post-race amenities were outstanding. Every aspect of the event came together despite the very cold conditions. I want to give special thanks to the medical staff who treated me after the race. They recognized that I had issues beyond fatigue and did not let me leave until fully recovered. All around kudos to the St. Jude Memphis Marathon organizers, fund raisers, and, especially, ALL of those volunteers who endured the frigid weather just so we could run around and indulge ourselves! | |
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M. D. from Oxford, MS
(12/7/2009)
"Wonderful motivational experience" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Memphis Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Excellent race and race day temperatures. Great crowd/route support and assistance. Only sad event was the passing of the 30-year-old female half marathoner. I observed the EMT staff transporting this young woman out of the elevator at Autozone Park and was sincerely hoping for a different result. My prayers and sympathies are with her family. The last 100-yard switchback hill at the 26-mile mark was masochistic... but the finish was exciting. You should not make runners climb 50-plus stairs to take elevators down to the locker rooms, though. That is brutal and avoidable.... The volunteer staff in every venue was outstanding. I would hold the 5K separate (different day) from the marathon/half; way to congested downtown with these recreational runners. | |
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Greg Oliver from Birmingham, AL
(12/6/2009)
"Better the second time!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Memphis Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran this race in 2004 and again this year and I was really impressed at how they've improved every aspect of it. Not that it was bad before. The organization was terrific; the re-route through the hospital campus was a great idea; the pace group leaders were well-prepped and did a phenomenal job (at least the ones I ran with - thanks Scott, Billy, and ______, sorry but I forgot your name!). Great police support on the course, too. | |
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L. M. from Cross Junction, VA
(12/6/2009)
"Must do it as a St. Jude Hero!" (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have hopes of being a 50-stater but it will be hard not to do this one every year. Great city, great course, and great enthusiasm from beginning to end. Kid bands were the best of the music, but there was enough music along the way that I didn't think about wanting an iPod. Raising over $1,000 as a St. Jude hero came with great rewards, like the outstanding pasta dinner at the Peabody Hotel, and top-notch amenities and hospitality for the Heroes Lounge pre- and post-race. Worthy cause made it easy to keep going. Don't change a thing, except maybe having to walk up the steps to get out of the stadium after the race! | |
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Christopher Snipes from Columbus, GA
(12/6/2009)
"Great first marathon!" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great race for a great cause. I pushed my disabled son in a special needs jog stroller for the whole race. There were lots of great spectators, and running through the St. Jude campus was awesome! My only complaint is with the course marshals in the first five miles. I started alone in the wheelchair start and got lost between mile two and three because there were no volunteers out to direct runners - and the Memphis Police had no idea of where to go. | |
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J. H. from Biloxi, Mississippi
(12/6/2009)
"Perfect day!!!!" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Memphis Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Perfect day: cool but not cold, and sunny but not hot. Aid stations were well staffed by enthusiastic people. I loved going through the St. Jude campus. Special thanks to the 3:20 pacers. BQ for me! My only point of contention is that the elevation map obscures the many rolling hills and valleys. I recommend it highly. |
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