Charlottesville Marathon - Race Reviews

Fairly scenic race around neighborhooods and parks. Just as hilly as advertised, which definitely hit some runners hard on the back-half. Cool medals and organized well enough. Small race with the large majority doing the half marathon and very few doing the full. Very minimal crowd support aside from the occasional locals (which were appreciated). Good as a scenic or local race but probably not as a first marathon.

I have ran a lot of marathons, both small and big and I can say without hesitation this is the worst one I've seen! 1.) Expo- a booth to pick up a bib and shirt. A booth selling internet. That's all 2.) Pre-race- Minimal porta-johns No clear start 3.) Course- Nothing scenic about it. It goes through suburban residential areas, every area 2x. The course elevation is 700 ft more than the profile provided. The hills are worse than some trail ultras I've done. Course is very poorly marked, a whole group of us got off course, adding a quarter mile in what already a long course (final mileage 26.7), no medical aid on the course. 4.) Post race. No Medal, no heat sheets, nasty food options (cheap small bag of chips, meat sandwich (no vegetarian option) or cheap cookie. I got 3rd and had to wait over an hour to get my award even though she said 10 minutes. 5.) Overall..I tell everyone I can to avoid this race! I'll never do a race run by this organization again.

Everyone involved with organizing this was very nice and accommodating. I appreciated the efforts of the volunteers. The course is extremely hilly, with about 2000 feet of ascent. Once outside of downtown there wasn't a lot of crowd support, but the rainy weather could have had something to do with that. Running through subdivisions and along highways is pretty uninspiring. A number of us took a wrong turn at mile 25. Fatigue was a factor, but the course marking was poor and there were no volunteers directing us. That added about 1/4 mile on to the already cruelly hilly course. I'm glad I did it, but won't be returning.

Although this was my first marathon, I have participated in many races (running & triathlon) and this was the most poorly organized I've ever seen. And especially since it was my first marathon, it was especially disappointing. There were lots of little things that added up (long lines at packet pickup the day before with very disorganized staff, only 5 port-a-potties at the start, boring boring suburban course in such a pretty city, highly touted beer tent closed at the 4.5 hour mark, etc) the most disappointing thing was that upon finishing my first marathon I was not even sure I'd crossed the finish line. There was no one handing out water, no high fives, no congratulations, no 'FINISH' sign, and NO MEDALS. I had to ask someone that was milling around if I had actually finished! Ridiculous. The medals were mailed the next week and were very nice, but definitely meant a lot less to me after the fact. However, all of this I could have just glossed over with a simple apology from the organizers, but when I posted my poor (but not scathing) review alongside others on their facebook page, THEY TOOK DOWN ALL THE REVIEWS!! So insulting.

Organization really needs improvement (very condescending attitude towards participants). I was aware ahead of time this was a for-profit organization that has the rights to the marathon but the city of Charlottesville might want to consider a different organization when their contract is up for renewal. They basically used the outdated runner magazine/ny times reviews from 10 years back as a marketing ploy to basically deceive runners. Literally the epitome of corporate greed Race is not cheap (in reality over-priced) and the race-shirt quality was probably akin to the shirts they give at baseball games. As for the course, it is not an easy course with lots of steep rolling hills. But you already over-paid for the race so might as well do your best and finish with the best of your abilities. Mile markers were misplaced... so if you don't have a tracker it was hard to guage your splits. Also no electronic split gauges/clock what so ever between start and finish. Volunteers I will never complain about because they sacrificed their precious time for us runners.... to them I say Thank You. Side-note.... first marathon that didn't have a medal at the finish. Was mailed to us and I know why cause it is basically a flimsy hollow medal coin that looks like it was designed by the local arts and craft center. Guess they didn't want to hear any more whining and moaning. *****hopefully they get their acts together or the Charlottesville Marathon won't be around for long if this organization continues to run this race.

This race is atrocious. Boring course through subdivisions. 'Expo' with no vendors. Race packets with a cheap t-shirt and crappy advertisements. No beer at the finish as was advertised. No community involvement at all. Mailing you your medal? You have to be kidding. This is the worst marathon I've ever seen. The race director is clueless and sent a happy email response with lots of exclamation points in reply to these critiques. Never run this race. Never run any race that these idiots put on.

This was the second year running this marathon and I really wanted to like it, but there were just too many problems. 1) Non-existent expo with no vendors during packet pick-up 2) Poor course markings in key turns 3) Course takes you to neighborhoods and back roads which aren't especially scenic 4) Course is brutally hilly, even more than last year with at least 2,000 elev gain  why? 5) The biggest for me - no finisher medal as they are supposed to mail them to us. It deprives you of the full experience when you can't get your photo taken on race day with your medal, especially after beating yourself up for hours 6) Poor selection of post-race food (no pizza and there were mini-sandwiches with mayonnaise sitting out from Costco). 8) Small array of portajohns (about 15) for all runners before the start 7) No real value to speak of in the race packet, just a shirt and some race advertisements. Also, this race did not have anywhere near the 3,500 runners I've seen noted on other sites. I think it's shrinking year after year. I plan to choose something else next year and skip this one. Very disappointed in Bad to the Bone. One last thing  the race organizer removes all negative comments from their Facebook page, so you won't see anything negative there. If a negative comment goes up, it come down within a few hours. Very poor.

'America's Destination Race' is a crock. Packet pick-up was outside and ho-hum. Just a shirt and some flyers. The course was an out and back of I'd assume all the hills in C'ville. Zzzzzzzzzz!!! Rest stops spread out at random, few rest rooms on course, police were nice though. Last mile or so is uphill and demoralizing. Then to top it off 'we'll mail you your medal'!!! I'm not a medal collector, but it's the principal. Oh and we hope you like chocolate chip cookies and some kind of ham/turkey wrap because that's all there is to eat after you've run 26 hellacious miles. Virginia, checked off, but I recommend you race elsewhere. Don't say you weren't warned!!!

Don't waste your money. Do the Charlottesville 10 miler or a Richmond, VA race if you want to have a destination race for a long weekend or week of it. Bad to the Bone, the company that runs it, is for-profit and had poor post race food, drink and no music. No Charlottesville local would choose to run this route as it is not scenic in addition to being very difficult. The awards for top three in each age group were pieces of paper that said 'congratulations.' I live in Charlottesville and will not do this race again.

I've lived in Charlottesville for 3 years now and love running downtown and around the UVA campus. This course starts near the end of the downtown mall and sends you directly away towards nothing but average neighborhoods with big hills. Didn't get a good look the first time? Don't worry, they backtrack everything! Cville is a beautiful place but you wouldn't know it from this race. Also, they didn't have our medals this year and the bag they give you at the beginning only has a shirt if they ordered enough.

I live in Charlottesville and am used to running around town, but the course seemed designed to use ALL of the longest, steepest hills in town. Organization isn't too bad, but the giveaway bag is poor and the lack of portajohns at the start is still inexcusable. The small field and remote areas that are covered during the last several miles does make for a lonely, uninspiring experience. All-in-all, this race is physically challenging, but still needs work. As one other reviewer put it, I've seen 5k's that were better run.

Overall this was not a bad marathon, but the organization could have been better, for the following reasons: * Five portajohns for 1100+ race participants (three races) and spectators! Do the math - that is 200+ people per john * No race information in bag at the race start not even a map. I know you can get this online, but shouldn't you make this available to folks in the race packet? * Info wasn't disseminated about where drop bags were to be left. Maybe this could be in the race packet? * No shirt in race packet. I was a late registrant and the website said you might not get the right size, but it never said anything about not getting a shirt at all, as I was told at packet pickup. The rest of the race was fine  plenty of water and gel stops. The course was very hilly and had many turns and intersections. The latter were well marked, and the police did a good job with traffic. It was hard sometimes to take a good line because the course was not always closed to traffic. The expo was very limited, but I had low expectations. Overall, Im not sure if I would do this again.

I've run this half marathon 5 times. I'm not sure when they changed the course (it's been maybe three years since last I ran), but it's a real monster now. The hills are relentless. I ran as a tune-up for Boston and sure got a good workout, but I was disappointed that the half no longer takes you out to the country. The new course is mostly residential and nondescript. It's basically the C-ville 10 Miler on crack. Separately, perhaps there have been cutbacks, but organizationally, 2015 was a mess. There were a bunch of intersection crossings without anyone to stop traffic. A few of the turns on the course were not clearly marked. There are only five water stations on the course, which isn't awful, but the last two were unmanned when I ran through! Volunteers hadn't showed up to work them yet! All-in-all, if you're going to charge $115 for a half marathon, there are some basics that you should get right. I'm hoping that they change the course back to what it was.

If you're looking for a challenging but beautiful course on the east coast in a cozy but gorgeous town, this is a great choice. The course was challenging but not unrealistic, the hills in mile 24 and 25 are a bit much but didn't ruin it. In terms of organization, they could use a bit more in keeping the race traffic-free. All in all, i would love to do it again

I ran this marathon twice before 2014 but those prior races were before the recent changes in the course and other features. The course is much, much better than a few years back, particularly the start, finish, and the elimination of two loops of the river park. I've seen some complaints written about hills toward the finish but, hey, this is Charlottesville, which has hills, and marathoners should seek challenges, not whine about them. The nature of the course doesn't allow for many spectators if that is important to you but it is a very nice course. The changes to the finish are great and the food = some of the best post-race food ever. Nesquik is a must and the rice and beans from whole foods were perfect. Nice job on the improvements staff! Finally, this year's medal may be the most handsome of my 43.

I have done this race twice and love it every time. The course is beautiful, the officials and volunteers are so nice, and the finish line is fun and lively. If you're looking for a great, scenic run with great people, I would definitely recommend this race.

This is my 2nd time at the Charlottesville Marathon (chance to visit UVA campus for LAX game)- and I really enjoyed the changes. The greenery throughout the course was refreshing. Spring didn't reach us at home until May. I enjoyed the terrain though my training buddy whined about a hill or 2. I hope to run it again in a year or so.

This was my 8th out-of-state marathon and I've seen how well organized races should be run - this one wasn't. The online presence and course information was lacking. The packet pickup had no signage and it was a struggle to find the entrance (had it not been for other runners with their tell-tale bags I'd still be looking). Others mentioned already the late gun, lack of porta-potties and the disorganized starting line. I've seen 5K charity races better prepared. And then there was the course. Consistently misplaced mile markers which was mildly irritating as I wore my Garmin but I can totally sympathize with those who didn't. The out-and-backs throughout the course were alright but why didn't they find a little more scenery on the campus or through town? Certainly would have been a bit better for spectators who traveled with the runners. And finally, who thought putting such a steep hill at mile 25 was a good idea? The course was tough and gives you plenty of opportunity to experience rolling hills but it's almost inexcusable to have a 3-mile flat riverside trail followed by that hill at the end. The best parts of the race were the weather and the other runners especially the pace groups! Both outside the control of the organizers. I'd hoped for much more but don't regret finishing even if the final hill busted my PR!

The course is tough, but has some great sights. What was up with the medal? A race sponsored by Miller Lite and not a single free beer after the race - REALLY??? Maybe this was an off year because the previous two years seemed to be much better organized. Why is it that there just can't be more porta-johns available? I understand that races are for charity, but between the medal and shortage of other runner amenities there was a disconnect. C'Ville is a great place and deserves a first class race to show it off.

This was the third time running the course and was by far the most disapointing. The course is nice, but the hills are not for the beginner. The sponsor should be called Miller Tight! What was that medal ... an after thought? They should market the the medal as the 'smallest in the nation' The previous year's medal was light years better! - What is the deal with not even getting one beer for running the event - com'on really? I'm all about raising money for charity, but put a little back into the race. C'ville is a great place and wonderful community the race could have and should have been better - more port-a-johns!

This was one of the poorest organized Marathons that I have ran. I have done 18. The race started late. 6 or 7 minutes. I can deal with that but what was troubling was that the mile markers were off. One mile would be 12 minutes and the next would be 6 minutes. It made it hard to get a good pace. This is inexcusable. How can mile markers be that off? The course was pretty and a nice course. It was a hard course but you need accurate miles. I don't wear a GPS so I had no idea. Then when I finished I went to the post race food to find cold pizza. Also beer was 3 bucks a can. Are you telling me that a marathon sponsored by Miller Lite can't provide a free beer. I paid a lot of money for this race and I expect more. I can deal with starting late, cold pizza, and buying beer but the inaccurate miles is inexcusable. I am trying to run a marathon in every state but if I could I would not run this one again because of the mile markers. The city and area are beautiful if the organization was better this would be a good destination marathon. I would steer clear of it until it is better organized.

This race made Boston seem easy. A tough course for sure, but definitely see some pretty sights. The marathon really seems to be an afterthought and the course gets a little sparsely populated with fellow runnersamd spectators after the split. The fans that were there were great, just weren't a lot of them. If you are slower you will sometimes wonder if you are going the right way. Course marking dropped off considerably as the morning went on. Do a lot of hill training or be prepared for an unpleasant day.

The marathon is a quaint and hilly course that features some breathtaking views of Charlottesville and the surrounding countryside. It really feels like two different races. In the first (roughly the first half of the course) the crowds are denser and you share the course with the half marathoners. Running through the Piedmont Virginia horse farms with the sun breaking was unforgettable! The second race starts when the full course splits off from the half. Herein, the runners and the crowds thin out and you have to work a bit harder to pace yourself. The views keep you going though, as this part of the race features the Rivannah trail and some city parks. I found the organization a bit lacking. They had far too few porter potties along the course (only a couple different stops as far as I could remember). Also, they didn't distribute the GU energy gels very well. As in, volunteers who were handing out water / gatoraid also had to scramble to retreive gels when runners asked for them. This wasn't a matter of not having enough volunteers. But instead of having all 5 or so volunteers at each aid station handing out liquids without any of them advertising the gels, they should have at least one dedicated to handing out gels. The pre- and post-race events were good. Opening up the Ice Park (which is right next to the start) was great in aiding the runners in their last-minute prep for the race on a very cold morning. The post-race food was excellent and downtown Charlottesville made it a great atmosphere to hang out afterward.

I chose this race because it was the only marathon in the country on this particular weekend. The race was quoted as being scenic, but the elevation was not posted until about 2 months after I had signed up. A very hilly course, particularly at mile 24....but absolutely stunning with blossoms everywhere. I enjoyed the two out-and-back loops, and it was a treat to discover 2 miles of relatively flat from mile 22 to 24. Packet pick-up, parking, aid stations were all clearly marked. Volunteers were awesome and very supportive. Spectators were primarily in town and at a few major intersections, but I usually get my inspiration from the other runners anyway. Most fun I've had running a marathon so far. Think the perfect weather really helped. Biggest disappointment was the medal which didn't even have the year on it.

This is a challenging course but really scenic - especially the parts though the horse farms. My complaint is that the amenities were lacking: the age group awards consisted of a coupon for a (small) frozen yogurt at a local shop, and 15% off another race by the event organizers. The medal was cheap, with a Miller Lite ribbon. Based on this, you'd expect free Miller Lite at the finish. But there were only cups of water - not even bottles. The clock was one minute fast, so if you finished in 3:30, the clock said 3:31 (paltry, I'll admit, but what if you were trying to break a specific time?) Other than that, it was an enjoyable experience and the race itself went off without a hitch.

As the title says, the scenery was beautiful but more hills than I had expected. A tough run but the weather was beautiful for running . I thought the organization was good...I just wish the marathon and half marathon would start ate different times. The 6:30 a.m. start time was brutal (just me waking up for it) so we stayed at the host hotel (Omni)...that ease to the start line was well worth the extra $$$ for the room. I thought there were enough water stops along the way...just not enough porta-potties (I only saw two of them...maybe I missed one or two along the way???) I enjoyed the fans, especially I toward the end...it was fun to finish with cheering fans (I even heard my name over the speaker as I was crossing the finish line). Overall, I would recommend the run, especially if you want to challenge yourself (you won't get a PR on this one).

I had a great time and this was a very different marathon in many respects from some of the others I've run. If you don't like the crowds and want a fairly scenic, well supported run, check it out and put it on your list. I found logistics, such as traffic, parking, getting around to be very easy. There were more than enough bathrooms close to the start. and there wasn't a 20 minute wait either. There are not a lot of bathrooms on the course, unless you count the woods and trees - if you trail run like I do, then there were a lot of choices for a pit stop ;) Course support was great - there was plenty of water and electrolyte drink, and Gu being offered at various points as specified on the map. There won't be crowds of people cheering you on, but those along the road or at the aid stations were friendly and supportive. Quality over quantity! The out-and-backs were fun, because that's the only way I'll ever see the leaders running, a treat to see. A lot of camaraderie between fellow runners while passing each other  hey, there's your support crowd ;) ... The race was divided into three sections: west, north, and east (mostly a loop with a great cool stretch along a river, but some long hills up and down). This course has hills, look at the area. They aren't bad, albeit in a few places (mile 24) they were a little painful. Besides the country roads, parks, bike trails, and historic spaces/sights to cruise by, I enjoyed having space to run free of the crowds. This division made it easy to break up my race in sections. This is not the corporate 'Rock n' Roll' marathon, nor is it a massive Marine Corps marathon. I've run in crowds, but its not my thing. This is a nice town on the Virginia countryside with a locally homegrown flavor. I enjoyed the experience, and would definitely run it again.

I have run this marathon twice. It is a very pretty (though hilly) course. The crowd support, while sparse, was good. It's fairly expensive, and one year they ran out of water / gatorade. My biggest problem with this marathon is their poor clean-up effort. For the last 2 years, I found myself running through the park days after race, finding it still littered with half-used gu packets. As a steward of the local running community, I cleaned up after them, though this is not my job. I emailed the race director about it previously, and they said it was an oversight and would be fixed. But obviously, it wasn't. I find it sad that this FOR PROFIT race makes their money while littering our community under the guise of running and fitness. As a runner and C'ville resident, I would encourage runners to NOT run this marathon because I am tired of cleaning up the park after the marathon while the organizers neglect our community.

Overall, I would recommend this race. The positives are: 1) Physically challenging course. This one is no joke, it will put all that training to good use. It was a tough challenge, throughout the course, 2) Beautiful course. From the lovely UVA campus, to the rolling farmlands, this course is very beautiful for the most part (1st half is nicer than 2nd half), 3) Its a great destination race. We checked out Monticello, Monroe's estate, and toured the wonderful VA countryside, in addition to participating in race weekend. 4) Its the best early Spring race I've run on the east coast. The negatives are: 1) The medal is awful. Considering how much time and effort goes into training, preparing and completing a marathon, I think the medal should be more personal that what we received. To receive a 'Miller Lite' metal for running this race is borderline offensive. I'm sure someone in the organizing committee got some good sponsorship dollars for plastering Miller Lite all over the ribbon and on the metal, but next time, acknowledge Miller Lite on the medal, but stick with the Charlottesville motif, VA icons, and maybe something that will remind finishers of their significant achievement, 2) the organization was spotty. Bottleneck at the start, no timers anywehere along the course (not even at the half marathon mark), and several long stretches of road with no water stops. Overall, I'd recommend this race. But, for a race that is billed as a 'top 10' race, I'd have to say it did not meet those expectations. Its a good race, and one worth doing, but there is room for improvement if this is truly going to be a top 10 race.

I ran this as a Virginia marathon that fit in my schedule. I nice destination in a scenic area with many different shrubs flowers and trees blooming. There are many rolling hills. It may not be a BQ course for you. Aid stations are well placed as with the porto-potties. Race shirt is good, medal very plain.

I loved everything about this marathon. The expo was fantastic, and right by the start/finish (at the Main Street Arena, right in the downtown area). The course was so spectacular that I could not believe the views. The volunteers were the friendliest I had ever encountered, and everything was really well organized. The post race was a blast! I will definitely go back!

A bit overhyped. Weather was perfect and course was challenging. Knew going into it that it was an out-and-back with two loops. Barely avoided getting lapped by the leader! The hills kept it very interesting, but this is no place for a PR. No starting corrals (just one big gaggle) and amateur mile markers and people holding small directional arrows. Only one announcement: on you mark, get set, go - and that was it. No call to starting line, countdown, or entertainment. Packet pickup and starting line are literally at the Omni Hotel, and I'm glad we stayed there. Would like to visit C-ville again, but probably would pass on the marathon.

The main reason I enjoyed the weekend so much is that we planned a mini holiday with the marathon thrown in. Charlottesville is a lovely place and there was lots to do for a long weekend. For many of the same reasons already mentioned, I'm not really sure if I will run this again, but I will definitely visit Charlottesville again.

Best time of year for a race in Charlottesville, and I highly recommend it for the course, the organization, the volunteers and the post-race atmosphere. The volunteers and race staff did a fantastic job, and I had a blast at the post-race party. The organizers did a great job, and I will definitely be back in 2011.

The Charlottesville Marathon is a super fun race, which takes one along the beautiful countryside and the city's historical areas. Though challenging, the race is forgiving enough to allow for some fast times for the seasoned runner or an obtainable goal for a newbie/casual marathoner. The aid stations are perfectly spaced throughout the course, providing many hydrations and nutritional options. My wife and I make this race a part of our spring routine each year. There is no other marathon in the area at this time of year that provides such a spectator-friendly race in such a great and enjoyable location.

This was another year of a great marathon race. I have been doing it since the first except the 2 years that I was pregnant with my kids, and I love coming back to Charlottesville for it. This year I had about 20+ people come from the northern Virginia area, and they also ALL LOVED IT. it was great. I loved everything. I cannot even come up with something that would be helpful to know and change... it was all great. I loved: * the new course (although I do also love the old course) * that everything was so smooth - registration/ packet pickup, start, volunteers, etc. * the great energy of the race, etc.

I totally agree with the two previous comments... the lack of bathrooms and the lack of water stations/GU was worse than I've seen anywhere. This race way overpriced and way overhyped. It is currently 5/25, and still no official race results!!!