Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon) - Race Reviews

This marathon is okay for locals but you definitely shouldn't consider it for a destination marathon. It's pretty much a low budget gig. The course is okay and there are some spectators along the way but the expo is small, after race food is minimal (bananas), and the age group awards are cheap medals (I threw mine away). Having said all that, as a local I've run this marathon 3 times so it's not horrible by any means - just don't expect much.

Ran the full marathon today on a lovely day and enjoyed the superb organization and beautiful city. Your best bet for this Marathon is to run the half... The first 13 miles are beautiful and well populated. The next 13 are sparsely attended, seemingly all up hill, and you're stuck running among traffic for a good bit of the time.

I was worried on race day because I heard the six hour cutoff was strict and I also heard the course was hilly. Fortunately neither of these issues ruined my day. The course is truly rolling hills. As a New Englander, I never found any of the hills too steep and there were plenty of gentle long downhills to help with the course. The water stops were plenty and we have a few opportunities to grab candy and there were Gu packets at two water stops. This is a big bonus for me! The race starts and ends in the downtown area, near the host hotels and the convention center - very convenient. One thing to note is we were in the shade a lot and with low temperatures it was quite cool. On hot days or for hot runners, not a problem but I had to be creative since I didn't have quite enough clothing at the start. Be sure to plan for layers. The race is strict about the 6 hour cutoff and only allowed about five minutes leeway this year. We did have a six hour pacer who probably saved my day with her encouragement and supplies of alternative fueling options like apple sauce. There were several live bands on the route and the neighborhoods and parks we ran through were beautiful. Charlotte, thanks for a great time!

This is a small bit very very well organized marathon. I was very impressed how most of it operated. The expo is really small and annoying that you have to go to it in order to participate but otherwise extremely well organized. There do seem to be alot of hills but it's a beautiful course. My only complaint... The bicyclers... Even though it's a running marathon, there were several road bikes on the course that didn't belong there :(

This year was my first year running the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon. Director Tim Rhodes did an excellent job organizing the race festivities, including the pre-race advertising and marketing, expo, race day festivities, and post-run party. I am a huge fan of the marathon route. The route showcases the city's beautiful uptown scene, including some of the parks, stadiums, and corporate offices. The route then proceeds to some beautiful neighborhoods off Providence, Sharon, and Queens Road. The route progresses through Dilworth and Historic SouthEnd. The race winds back through Uptown where the half-marathoners split to finish the race, but the full-marathoners move out towards the North Davidson (NODA) area. The marathon course winds back through Midwood and through other Charlotte parks including: Independence, Elizabeth, Thompson, and Marshall. The final mile or so of the race is an uphill run past the Nascar Hall of Fame, Charlotte's Convention Center, Bank of America Stadium and Romare Bearden Park. The course is full of rolling hills so please ensure you train properly by including hill repeats. It makes the course challenging, but scenery more than makes up for it. The crowd support was fantastic through uptown and throughout the neighborhoods along the course. My only complaint about the race was the swag. Personally, I would have preferred a technical style t-shirt over the race shirt provided. I ended up purchasing two New Balance Charlotte Marathon technical shirts at the expo (expensive) and I wear those often compared to the actual race t-shirt provided. I loved the marathon medal. Overall, I would recommend this race to all runners and I plan to run the race again in the future.

I had not run this Marathon in several years, and found the new course to be a pleasant surprise. Just rolling hills throughout, not too many turns, except for the zig-zag at mile 24. Packet pickup was quick and easy while the Expo had enough vendors to make it interesting. The Start went very smooth, plenty of bathroom facilities for all. The aid stations were well stocked and had plenty of smiling volunteers. I personally prefer GU or Blocks to the gels they were handing out at miles 16/20. The post race had sufficient food and beverage, even a small Publix bag was provided which was very convenient. The post race Band was awesome. The only other negative comment was the award themselves, the age group winners just received a generic medallion. A plate or plaque would have been better. All in all a very well organized marathon from start to finish. A big thanks to the all the volunteers and the local police for making this Charlotte Marathon enjoyable.

I can't recommend this race highly enough. Super responsive race staff, enthusiastic volunteers, a beautiful city, great spectators, ample on-course entertainment, and a fun (yes, I said FUN) course. Yep, no doubt it's hilly, but train for it and you'll be fine. Do yourself a favor and stay at one of the downtown host hotels so that you can walk to the start/finish area and take advantage of Charlotte's great eateries and drinkeries (if there is such a word). If I didn't live on the other side of the country, I'd do this one again for sure.

The bad, the good and the great... I've run for years, but this was my first marathon. I heard the rumors about the hills, and how tough the course was. It didn't disappoint! Yes, there are rolling hills, but there are also some fairly steep ones (mile 20!). No announcement was made to have everyone corral up, and runners entered from the front which made it difficult to get to your pace marker. Runners were packed in. No actual address was given for the start line, so runners weren't exactly sure where to be dropped off. Charlotte's downtown is truly scenic and we lucked out with a great day. There were bands or DJs every couple miles, so music meant another mile down. It helped make the race fun. Gatorade and water were readily available. Lots of vendors and a party atmosphere. The shirts were NB sports shirts, very nice and the medal was huge! Now for the great part, the spectators! The local residents were fantastic! Between funny signs, i.e. 'If marathons were easy, they'd be called your mother!' to a guy in an Elvis costume yelling encouragement over a PA system. Instead of being perturbed that they were land locked for 6 hours, these Charlotte spectators turned every mile into a party! On mile 25, I was running out of steam and started walking. A local woman came up to me, and started to run WITH me! The amount of support blew me away! Seeing that finish sign in the distance was one of the best sights in my life. Thunder Road is as tough as they say, but worth every step. You'll be glad you ran it.

This was my 15th marathon and 2nd Thunder Road. They made a lot of great changes since I last ran it in 2006. Organization was top notch. Literally nothing I can think of to make it better. The course is challenging, but very fair. The only daunting hill was a long one in the 26th mile. You get to see most of the downtown area and several neighborhoods. A large portion of this course is on shaded roads, which is helpful. With the start and finish downtown, there are multiple hotels close enough to enable just walking over. No need to worry yourself over parking and traffic. I highly recommend the race.

The was a very well organized marathon. Water/electrolyte/nutrition stops were positioned well and volunteers did a great job. The first half was great with some hills. I felt like the 2nd half of the course was dramatically hillier than the first half and I feel like the elevation chart was misleading (did not indicate that there was a dramatic difference from what I recall). The spectators were very good for the first half. However, when the course split for the half marathon finish and beyond, most of the 2nd half had minimal spectators (there were pockets of large spectators that were great in certain neighborhoods, but each pocket would last less than half a block and then spectators were sparse again). Charlotte is a great city to visit and it would be worthwhile for out of staters to take this one on. Just make sure that you #1 train for hills (which I did) and #2 don't be lulled into a false sense of security in the first half (most of the last 3 miles is up hill).

Very impressed by this marathon...very well organized, challenging course (hills yes but they were not bad), amazing spectators, and a big shout out to the 4:10 pace dudes. You got me through!!!! Highly recommend this race!!!

Great crowd support at this race!! The course really highlights Charlotte and goes through some beautiful neighborhoods, in front of Panthers Stadium and new baseball stadium. Police officers very friendly and cheered at road crossings. Tough course but scenic. Great medal and shirt. Pacing service offered. Well organized and ample porta jons. Ample cheap parking close to start line. Would do again!

Spectators were fantastic - loved the neighborhood parties. Race was well-organized from volunteers at aid stations to police directing traffic to race volunteers directing runners through course. Previous comments indicated the race is hilly, which it is, but the hills are rolling with no major inclines, which only made the course interesting. Weather was very cold at start but cold is preferable to too warm.

First off...this year was VERY cold (nothing that you could do about that). Second, there are hills, however, none of them were too daunting (except the one near the finish line but that probably wasn't as big as I thought at the time.) Thirdly, the spectators were awesome, especially in some of the neighborhoods on the back half of the course like Dillworth and a few others. There were mini block parties set up for the spectators (and some of the runners). This is a challenging course but it's also very scenic. The course winds through some of Charlotte's nice neighborhoods and even when you were in the industrial areas, there was good spectator presence to help you forget. Also great job by the Charlotte/Mecklenburg police/sheriffs for their traffic control and a few cheering officers along the course.

I found this race to be very well organized, from the free shuttle bus from the airport, to the cluster of hotels near the start and finish line, to the race itself. I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn and had a 4 block walk to the start, and the race finish chute was literally steps away. The course was hilly, although I train on hills and had run Mt. Desert Island 4 weeks earlier, so it was no big deal to me. The course starts in downtown and quickly moves out into some nice tree-lined residential areas, skirting a park or two before hitting a few industrial areas. Had it not been for a misty rain for the first 10 miles and persistent cloud cover throughout, I might have found the course a little more scenic. The course was very well marked, and there were abundant volunteers throughout. I tend to run pretty hard, finishing 29th overall, so if there are spectators on the course, I don't tend to notice them. However, in Charlotte, enough held up some rather provocative signs that I actually did notice them. I was impressed that the water stations had very knowledgeable volunteers, who called out what beverage they had and knew how to move their hands in the direction I was running in so it was easy to grab without breaking stride. Medals were enormous and ornate. I would have preferred a technical shirt to cotton, but we're picking nits if this is the major criticism. Age group awards were unique-checkered flags with the race name and your place in the age group. Overall, I really enjoyed this marathon. It's also pretty easy to get to as Charlotte is a US Airways hub.

Always impressed with the City of Charlotte and the marathon didn't disappoint. A tough course - there are almost zero flat stretches, however, with few exceptions the hills are very manageable and the change of pace from what I'm used to was nice. I didn't PR, but came close and my time was just barely a BQ. I'm surprised it is such a small race - Charlotte is a fairly active large city. The corrals were open access, but getting towards the front was not an issue it seemed most of the field was lined up correctly on their own. Spectators were great in pockets, but some dead stretches particularly in the tougher parts of the 2nd half. I will definitely run this race again in 2013.

This is my second Thunder Road. Ran with a pace group, extremely helpful. Well organized from expo to finish line. Parking for the expo at 5pm was difficult. Plenty of options for race day parking, short walks from the start and finish. Thanks to the NoDa and Plaza neighborhoods!! The mental energy boost helps during the tough 3-4 mi. at the end. The course is challenging. Rolling hills along the way. If I remember correctly, miles 18-20 are a steady gradual incline... Lots of food/snack options at the end if you still have an appetite. I did find the beer truck! Shot blocks were difficult to open. Might consider going back to gels. I would recommend this race to anyone that wants a small race with the organization and attention to details of a large race.

The race provided a shuttle from the airport to packet pick. This was a GREAT idea and very much appreciated!!! Packet pick-up: very organized and plenty of gear or last minute items available Hotel: nearby hotel was within walking distance of everyone and everyone was friendly RACE DAY: plenty of porta potties, organized start line, local shops allowed up to enter to stay warm. THE RACE: the race was absolutely scenic!! Beautiful tree lined streets, nice bands, spectators. The race is Hilly and challenging, so practice hill work!! The finish line was organized, plenty of food drink and volunteers. GREAT RACE and I'd recommend it to any and everyone!

Overview: This was a great race for me. I achieved my goal of running a BQ and set a 16 minute PR. Just about perfect running weather, although a little windy at times. I arrived at the Westin, one of the host hotels, in the early evening. There were several events going on at the Westin and we had to wait about 45 minutes for check-in, so I didn't get to spend a lot of time at the expo. They ran out of shirts in the size I registered for, but they offered to mail one in the correct size. I'm still waiting on it to arrive, but I'm hopeful it will come soon! The Course: Not as hilly as I expected based on other reviews here. I live and did all of my training in the foothills of western N. Carolina and was prepared for some major climbs. But the course is rolling with no major up or downhills and enough straight sections to make it interesting. In general, the first half of the marathon is much prettier than the second half. There was a section with lots of construction and some industrial sections along the way. NoDa was lots of funlove the spectators and their enthusiasm. The race website suggested there would be more bands and entertainment along the way. Not really impressed with this aspect, but I generally don't run races for the entertainment. Spectators: Some bare spots, but overall good support. My family was able to catch me at the 14 and 16 mile marks. Again, kudos to the NoDa and Dillworth neighborhoods. A fun block party that made everyone feel welcomed. There we some fun motivational spectator signs along the way too (pain is temporary, internet results are forever). Water Stops: Plentiful and well stocked with water. Also had gatorade, but I just opted for water. They offered Shot Blocks 2x, but I carried my own nutrition and didn't take the blocks. Post Race: A good selection of snacks and entertainment. Nice finishers medal. I was able to find my family immediately. No complaints! If you're looking for a well-organized, modest sized race, this is a great event. I will definitely do this one again. Thanks for a great experience!

Start and finish close to hotels. Loop course with no backtracking. Plentiful porto potties along course. Scenic and varied course. Enthusiastic spectators. Police department went above and beyond:they were out in force and many of them cheered us on when they could. You could see the finish coming from a distance so you could pace accordingly.Variety of food and drink at the end and places to sit if you had to. Only thing I would have preferred differently is gel instead of energy chews along the course.

I signed up at the expo for the full, but they only had 1/2 bibs and 5K shirts. If it weren't for the fact that you pay a 2/3 premium to sign-up at the last minute, it wouldn't bother me as much about getting the leftovers. They do offer a one-year deferral, which is definitely a plus, as this is not very prevalent. As for the uncontrollable factor, it was great marathon weather. A bit chilly at the start, but there were a couple of buildings with plenty of space where you could stay warm and prepare until just prior to the gun. Parking isn't free, but reasonable and plentiful on an early Saturday morning. Charlotte has a really nice downtown, actually called uptown, where the course started and finished. In between, the course meanders through a variety of tree lined neighborhoods and business sections. It's not a large marathon, yet I couldn't hear the starting announcements from a short distance back in the pack. I think the fanfare of the start could be improved. There are a lot of low, rolling hills, but nothing overly difficult. While there are sections that do a great job, like NoDa, fan support for a city this size is weak. Maybe 12-15 bands were supporting the runners. Water stops were plentiful, with a few neighborhood sponsored, which are always greatly appreciated. Only one sponsored energy stop along the way, and no beer at the finish, but this seems to have become more the norm since the Great Recession. A streamlined, barricaded exit for the runners with chips, fruit, liquids, and energy bars made for a smooth transition to vendor booths and a band stage. Overall, this is a reasonably well-organized race in a nice setting. Amping up the starting and finish lines, and getting the community more involved would move it up a notch. The former is an easy upgrade. The latter could take some work.

I have to say, I loved this marathon. There are some that I would love to repeat, in spite of trying to get 50 states. This ain't one of them, but if you need NC, it's a truly wonderful race. I think the town was beautiful and the race was incredibly organized. No big surprises and we had a LOT OF FUN during this one. It was a great race, great support, safe clean streets, and I truly enjoyed it.

I loved this race. Very gentle rolling hills throughout, much easier than some comments would lead you to believe (but I come from a town where the HS team name is 'Hillers' so maybe you can't go by me). My only complaint is that the website brags about access to warm indoor waiting area with bathrooms before the race. In fact we were all shivering outside and waiting in too-long porta potty lines. If you're not providing the indoor facilities you need to update your website and you need to have more outdoor porta potties.

Enjoyed this difficult challenge. I wish the last mile did not have a hill because i would've finished stronger. Also wished we had more food for us runners after the race. I also think it would be great if on the medal it had the engraving of FINISHER.I am glad that they gave out SHOT bLOCK GUMMIES INSTEAD OF GU BUT PLEASE AGAIN PROVIDE FOOD FOR THE RUNNERS BESIDES BREAD AND GATORADE . WE NEED SOMETHING MORE AFTER 26 LONG HILLY MILES!

A very good race with a lot going for it. Orderly start and with wide streets so you can get into your pace early. Hilly course, but the ups were not bad and the downs were pretty sweet. The hill at the end was tough though. The first half was more scenic than the second but the support in the community was good throughout. Lots of food at the end. I would have liked a little more food on the course and please open the Clif Blocks next year, I really struggled with the package. The medal and shirt are solid. Park at the NASCAR Hall of Fame if you are doing this race. Only $5 and 2 blocks from the finish. I was on the interstate 10 minutes after my finish. Charlotte is a beautiful city and this is a great time of year to experience N. Carolina.

Nothing about this race 'needs' to be improved. Everything during the race was top shelf, even the 'beer stop'. I don't even know if this is feasible from a logistical or financial standpoint, but it might be really cool to run a lap inside the football stadium we ran by at about mile 16...

Nice hilly course with some fantastic spectator support in pockets. Poorly organized with promised warmth of the inside of the convention center not fulfilled. Too few restrooms along course. Organizers failed to deliver a high quality experience for runners.

First time running this marathon. Coming from a flat lander area I would call this a very hilly course but one that's still doable. The couse support was awesome. The Charlotte Police and Fire Departments were fantastic at directing traffic AND cheering us on at the same time. My only complaint was that packet pickup needs to be available on race day morning since it is a Saturday race and I cut it pretty close due to having to work on Friday. So I totally missed the expo to purchase GU. Charlotte is a very friendly town with so much entertainment available. Very family-friendly.

This was my second full marathon and I loved it. I live close by so I decided to go for it even though the hills intimidated me. I really thought the hills were NO BIG DEAL at all - continuous hills, yes, but all very gentle and gradual. I loved it and beat my San Diego time by over 22 minutes. The support was very good for a mid-size race, and running through the enormous constructed "wall" at mile 21 was very cool. I would definitely do this one again; I just wish they would keep the December date - I like the chill to the air and the festive atmosphere!

The marathon in Charlotte was my 17th marathon in my pursuit of the 50-state goal. I'm not a NASCAR fan, so NASCAR had no special draw for me. I needed to run in North Carolina and this weekend worked well in my schedule. I think this might have been the coldest start-time temps I have experienced in a marathon (temps in the low 30s). But it wasn't too bad. It wasn't windy or rainy, so it was easy to dress accordingly. The first half of the marathon (most of it shared with the half marathon) was very aesthetic, a run through attractive residential neighborhoods. But after the half marathoners split off, the course got significantly uglier. Much of the last half was run through industrial zones or busy roads lined with strip malls, etc. It wasn't terrible; it's just not as nice as the first half. The course was somewhat hilly. Nothing was too steep or too long, but the hills just kept coming and coming. I wasn't going for a PR anyway, but I doubt I could've gotten one had I been trying. Crowd support was very good in the residential areas, but a little more sparse later on. Some of the roads were still open to vehicle traffic with orange traffic cones separating the runners' lanes from the automobile traffic. I didn't feel threatened by oncoming traffic, and there were plenty of police officers keeping vehicular traffic from interfering with the runners. But still, I would prefer that the runners have the roads to themselves during a race. Overall, I give the Charlotte Thunder Road Marathon a thumbs up. It wasn't my favorite race, but it was enjoyable. And I would recommend it to someone who wants to run a December race or someone who wants to check North Carolina off their list.

I have done this marathon three times now, and it continues to be a good one. It is very well organized. A decent expo, and fairly challenging course, but nothing too hard. Not the crowd you'd get at a larger marathon like NYC, but there is a steady group of super folks along the way.

I decided to run this marathon while visiting family in the area. I really enjoyed it - my favorite marathon out of the six I have completed. Large enough to be interesting but not overwhelming like MCM. The course was challenging, with almost constant climbs or descents to prevent your muscles from getting bored. The first half was a little crowded until the 13.1 crowd peeled off, but then things spread out nicely. The course winds through a bunch of pretty neighborhoods with stately southern homes before entering the requisite industrial areas associated with any city marathon and ending in "uptown Charlotte" with free beer, live music, and a nice stretch by the PT department from a local hospital. There were a lot of tight turns but thankfully no out-and-back, which I find so depressing. I found enough lively, friendly spectators, some partying on their lawns and passing out beers. Thank you! Dj's and bands at key points helped me get up the hills. I really enjoyed jumping up to slap the "wall" around mile 21. Nice T-shirt and a solid medal. Parking in the garage at the Nascar Hall of Fame was discounted to 5 bucks too - easy in and easy out. No traffic. Really a great run. I highly recommend it!

I really liked this race (hey, I PR'd). I didn't expect to run so well with so many hills. None of them are huge; but, you certainly weren't going to miss them. I liked the expo and the tech t-shirt. Spectators were very enthusiastic. Even the police manning the intersections were positive. Most of the downtown hotels are an easy walk to/from the starting line.

Really enjoyed the race - this was the first time I did the Thunder Road Marathon. Plenty of aid stations and great support along the way, beautfiul course through some very nice neighborhoods and very friendly spectators throughout.

Great event. Charlotte Marathon has a gem that is under most people's radar, and I expect this to grow in size and popularity over the next few years. This has everything done well: great organization, water stop frequency, fuel stops, course markings, etc. Not one complaint from me. I'm putting this on my 2011 calendar for sure, and look forward to an even greater event.

I liked this race quite a bit. The little expo did what it needed, the cost was reasonable and it was really easy to get to and from the start/finish lines. The course was very hilly; I watched a 1:46 half turn into a 3:54 from lack of hill work. That said, it was well thought out and wide enough to handle everyone. The crowd support was awesome and there was ample food and drink on the course and at the finish. It was also great to post a clock at every mile marker; it made them really easy to find. The only negatives were the lack of diversity in the neighborhoods (first half had nondescript wealthy neighborhoods, most of rest commercial/industrial, though neighborhoods late in the race were cool) and traffic (cars were waved on the course during perceived lulls towards the end). This a great race overall that I'd recommend to others. Just train for those hills!

This was my second Thunder Road Marathon. For my first, a few years ago, the marathon was going through a learning curve. But 2010 was a great year. The course was very runner-friendly, with rolling hills - nothing too difficult or exhausting. The volunteers were all terrific and traffic control was flawless. The expo was nice, with plenty of variety and freebies. The finish line had plenty of food and beverages available. The only venue that did not go right was the award ceremony. The website and folks at the expo said it would be held at the Epicentre. But at the last minute it was changed to the Convention Center. Now to obtain my award I have to pay to have it mailed. And why should I have to pay for someone else's mistake or miscommunication? Overall, I enjoyed the 2010 Thunder Road Marathon and look foward to its new November date. Just don't change the course!