Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) - Race Reviews

The 2019 DC Rock n Roll was by far the worst marathon course I've experienced. The course went through ugly parts of town and not past any of the monuments or sights. The course was point to point, mostly uphill. There was zero crowd support. Poor swag. Cheesy medal. 33f at start and zero warming stations. On the upside, plenty of water tables. RnR races are becoming money grabs - not worth the entry fee - save it for Marine Corp.

This race was my first marathon, and was a good experience overall. The expo was held the Thursday/Friday before and was a phenomenal experience. It was held at the D.C. Armory and was organized incredibly well. There were a lot of diverse booths selling march, gu, watches, etc. and it was very well done. The first 14 miles of the race were really cool to have on the course! Started out by the White House, and ran alongside a lot of D.C. staple sights (Lincoln Memorial, JFK Center, Watergate) before heading toward Rock Creek park. From there, runners start to run through the neighborhoods of D.C., which really gave me a cool perspective on the city I hadn't previously seen. The race itself was definitely geared more toward the half-marathon, as miles 15-23 of this race are pretty brutal. This section of the race was mostly run on the highway, essentially doing an out and back towards Maryland/National Harbor. Some more course support would have definitely been helpful here. On the back half of the out-and-back, there were some pretty gnarly hills between miles 21-24 that were a real gut check. I can't say enough about Rock and Roll's onsite medical staff. I was having some problems with my IT bands around Mile 24, and they wrapped my knees up quickly and carefully to get me back onto the course. They were super responsive and did a great job. The finisher area was great! There was a ton of support by the finish line, and they had a lot of great amenities at the finisher area, including a marathon recovery zone. Also, the gear they were selling at the merch tents were great. All in all, this was a positive experience running this race with a lot of great aspects, but I feel it could be improved with a bit more attention to the course by RNR. They should try to incorporate more of the staple D.C. sights like the Jefferson Memorial or some of the places along the Army 10 Miler course. Also, if you're running this race, train for hills! It was unexpectedly hilly, especially in the last hour of the race. Overall, this race was fun, but not without its flaws.

Overall, I am very disappointed with the race organization. It starts with a minimal to almost no swag packet pickup. They made everyone go thru several flight of stairs just to grab the race bib and then walk back up to the expo. This was probably the only marathon (of my 30+ big races) where there was zero swag. The full and half marathons had staggered start times and followed separate courses. I guess this kept the course to be less crowded and it would have been nicer if the half marathoners joined later in the course to provide a sense of motivation for the full marathoners. There were some steep hills around mile 23 and several of the marathoners were having hard time pushing thru at the end. The gels provided on the course were disgusting to say the least. I never tasted a gel that was that horrible and had to spit out right away with the disgusting taste. They had 'food' at mile 24 which was unripe green bananas... Seriously! At the finish line, there was so much confusion and no one to really usher finishers thru the runners village. It was windy and cold and I really wanted a mylar blanket and it took 10mins of asking around and finally sighting it at a distance. There was no food or any kind of indication of what was provided and it felt like for ever to sight a small food truck with Pizza that only provided a quarter slice of pizza. I was also planning on getting a massage but no one seemed to have a clue. All in all, this was my first Rock n Roll and will surely be my last one. I was expecting a great show put up by this organization and was shocked at how poorly they organized... TOO much HYPE...

Out is a nice trip to Arlington Cemetary; in is a BRUTAL 4.2 mile finishing section. They seem to tinker with the course every year, and this year it was poorly thought out. All RNR races tend to concentrate on the half marathon with the marathon as an afterthought, no different here. The half course was scenic enough and was, generally a very good course. The last 4 miles miles of the marathon were by far the courses' toughest 4 miles, and that should never occur at a marathon. The 20mph headwinds are no fault of the race committee, but why in the world are they putting in a mile long significant hill in the 22 and 23 mile range?

The various reasons to run the Washington DC Rock & Roll marathon. 1. As a marathon in March, it is a perfect race for many of those (like myself) who live in the snowy Northeast, Midwest and Northwest respectively. A March race forces you/one to keep training through the winter months instead of hibernating, keeping you well trained and toned throughout the year, meaning that when majority of the races in Spring start, you shall be ahead of those who didn't train through the winter. It was a relatively cool 50 degrees on average in 2016 but it was below freezing some years before so just beware. 2. If you are doing the 50 marathons in 50 states challenge, this is probably one of the only two marathons held in Washington DC proper (The other is the Bikila memorial marathon in September) that you can use to cross the District of Columbia off your list if that's your wish! You can also pay for a 3 city 'Global Tour pass' which enables you to run for 3 races in any rock 'n' roll event worldwide and the 'unlimited' global tour pass which allows you to run in any of the rock 'n' roll races worldwide. This may be a money saver in the 50 marathons in 50 states challenge instead of paying for individual fees for individual city races. 3. The capital city is a must-visit for out-of-towners and residents alike. A runner could take advantage of this marathon to visit the White House and the many monuments and historical sites. 4. As a large city, accommodation, transport to and from the city and other amenities are available. It is an expensive city to stay, travel and dine in, so be warned. 5. It is one of the more picturesque races you shall run in. You get to start in downtown DC and run through the streets and see the monuments while running. You also get to run through some DC neighborhoods and then finish close to the DC Armory, close to the soccer stadium. 6. As a rock 'n' roll event, they have musical entertainment at various places during the race itself and there is entertainment at the finish line tent. 7. They offer a finisher jacket in addition to a finisher medal, which is quite nice. Reasons not to run the Washington DC Rock & Roll Marathon. 1. This is the only major reason I could think of. It's a very hilly race! Its the hilliest race I have ever run! You need to see and run those hills to experience it. This race caters for the half-marathoners. Full marathoners are an afterthought. This is definitely an ironman worthy run if that's your type of thing. The hills from mile 16 and 22 are Everest steep! It's not the ideal race to try and get a PR (personal record) or BQ (Boston Qualifier) as your finishing time shall be significantly slower than your other finishing times. There is another race in Washington DC (Bikila memorial marathon) that is held in September which may be less hilly. 2. Full marathoners and half marathoners start at the same time, slightly contesting the start line. I don't mind running with half marathoners, some people do. However, the corrals solve this problem somewhat. The Expo. - If you can, (and are traveling from out of state/town) drop your bags in the hotel room/host's house before coming to the expo. The expo is quite exhausting if you bring in your heavy luggage. (Like I did) There is also security at the entrance that checks the bags and the security lines are long. - Don't try to come late on Friday evening. (The last day) Get your bib as early as possible. The lines were impossibly long on Friday evening and traffic towards the DC armory and parking was a nightmare! - If you are raising money via St Jude's and made a pledge, you pick your bib from a separate St Jude's booth. As I was passing by, I saw a runner who hadn't fully paid up their contribution pledge and they wouldn't release their bib until all the pledges were paid off. Getting to the expo. The expo is held on two days, Thursday and Friday. I went to the expo on Friday, March 11, 2016. You can get to the expo in quite a number of ways; driving (and looking for parking, very rare and expensive in DC) taxi/über/lyft or using the Metro Bus/subway system. Use travel apps (google maps, maps on Apple/Android) to map out your route for Thursday and Friday (but not Saturday as the metro operates differently on race day) if using the DC metro or bus system. Buy a smart card and load it with $20-25 (more if you'll do more traveling) if you are just going to the expo, hotel room/home, starting line next day and from the finish line back to your hotel/home. It's easier than fumbling for cash and in some stations, you might not be able to get in with cash and without the card. It simplifies your life. It's easier to use the metro subway but you can also use the bus. I took bus #96 from Union Station and bus # 97 from the Armory, which buses bring you within 3 minutes of the entrance to the armory. The exit is 'Stadium Armory Station', junction of 19th St and Capitol Street stop. The stop is a big stop. From Union Station, take the buses to 'Capitol Heights' station and from 'Station/Armory Station' take the bus to Union Station. The DC subway uses a system where you pay at the end of the ride at the subway exit. This is the largest expo I have ever been part of. It is held in the DC Armory, the size of a football field or two! The expo is quite organized. This is where you get reminded that the Rock 'n' Roll is a for profit organization. Insurance companies, car companies, athletic apparel companies, sports nutrition, food vendors, you name it, all vendors are represented. Some people take offense to this type of commercialism but it doesn't faze me one bit. The positive side is that you can purchase all your running gear and refueling nutritional products here. All full marathon bibs and goodie bags have to be picked up on Thursday and Friday as there is no Saturday race day pickup. There are friendly staff members ready to direct you to the spot you want to go to. The goodie bag. Picking up the marathon bib and bag is really easy. You go downstairs and pick up the bib number. Bring your ID and your signed completion sheet that was sent to your final confirmation email a few days before the race. Once you check your bib number, pick up the bib and pins and pick up the clear marathon bag that already has your t-shirt in there. You can change your corral placement while there. The t-shirt was an official Brooks t-shirt which could be used in your regular training runs as it is moisture wicking. The bag has quite a number of fliers/pamphlets and a few tiny sachet samples. Once you are done with the bib and t-shirt pickup from downstairs, you then go up the steps and get to the expo proper. Getting to the marathon on Saturday morning *Make sure that, if possible, you have a running pouch/belt/armband that can accommodate your Metro card/Smartcard, hotel/car keys, credit/debit card, money and your ID. This is because, after the race, you'll need your ID to get your free/complimentary beer at the finish line. You'll also need a place to store your various cards to use when going to the start line (metro card) and so forth. - Public transportation. The DC metro is probably the quickest way to get to the start (it was 14th and Constitution avenue) 'Federal Triangle' stop on the DC Metro. Most people were catching the metro that Saturday morning. There may have been a change of schedule to have the metro trains run earlier than usual in response to the race. - catching a cab/uber/lyft or driving to the start line is very tricky. Make sure you start your journey way before time. Many streets close to the start and finish line are closed and security is on full alert at the start and finish lines. You may have to walk farther than usual if this is your preferred mode of transportation. Checkpoint, dressing, clear bag and corral - Security in DC is quite beefed up on this day. The police are everywhere, a reassuring thought especially after the Boston marathon terrorist attack. By 6.00 am when I got there, the security points were already opened and the security staff were only allowing the clear bags and checking them. Once past the checking point, you will have to walk a bit far, more than a block away/half mile to the UPS trucks where the bags are stored. Some bananas were on the way for those who may like to load up on their carbs and potassium. Once you get to the UPS trucks, your last name initial will determine which truck your bag will be placed in by the UPS staff. You just need to tear off one of the tags from the bib to the goodie bag for identification/location purposes. There was a row of porta Johns close to the start point but as in all major races with a multitude of people, there will be long lines, so come early if you are the kind of people who use porta Johns a lot or need to use it before the race. Please bring/carry your own tissue paper just in case. - Dress up warmly for the time before the marathon. It was about 40-50 degrees in 2016. Use old clothing, an old hoodie/sweatshirt and pants that you can discard on the roadside while running. They donate discarded clothing to charity. On the course, I saw expensive brand name 'new' or slightly used clothing discarded and I felt bad for the people who had discarded the newish clothes. I think the generally agreed upon 'Dress up for the race and add 10-20 degrees' applies here. The temperatures in 2016 never went above 50, which made for perfect running weather! - Corrals. During registration, the runner chooses a corral based on their estimated finish time. (You can change your corral at the expo. This enables there to be spacing as it is a huge event with an estimated 20,000 plus runners. If you are trying to chase a time or don't want to be held behind by slower runners, you can be at the very front of your coral. As you run the race, you'll realize that being at the front of the coral might not really matter as I'll explain in a moment... The start up to the 13.1... The race started on time and the announcements were clear and concise. Due to the large amount of runners, depending on what coral you are placed, you might not start racing for several minutes as they space up the runners. They don't enforce the no earphones/headphones rule. I don't think that it is an issue anymore, used to be an issue in some races a few years ago... The start of the race from the National Museum of American History takes you towards the Washington Monument onto Rawlings park. On Mile 2, you are past the Reflecting pool and you can see the Lincoln memorial. You then cross the Potomac River on the Arlington Memorial Bridge as you get to mile 3 for an out and back. Mile 4 finds you on the Watergate complex past the JFK Center for performing arts. Once you approach mile 5, there is a steep hill on Rock Creek Parkway that will sap quite a bit of your energy and slow you down. From mile 6 to 8, you start approaching the DC neighborhoods and on mile 8 you are in Columbia Heights. The crowds get larger here and they provide the emotional boost, much needed after the mile 5 hill. Mile 8 and 9 takes you past Pleasant Plains and Mile 10 brings you back to downtown DC, with the Capitol Building in front of your view way ahead. It's a long straight stretch where you can gauge your running and determine if your pace is working well. Mile 11 brings you close to the Washington Union station and then you head off to Lincoln park for mile 12. The 13.1 to the 22 mile Mile 13 takes you towards the State Capitol building. Mile 14 finds you close to Folger park. The scenic route is over for now and you enter the more gritty roads of the marathon with fewer crowds. Mile 15 brings you to the Nationals Park before taking you to another out and back for mile 16 and 17. This place has some industrial look to it and you do meet runners who are ahead of you and runners who are behind you. Both a source of heartache and solace. After mile 17, you cross the Anacostia River to go to the Anacostia park after mile 18. Get ready for the toughest part of the marathon, a dream killer, where your PR and BQ dreams come to die! The hills are so steep many runners simply choose to walk up the hills! Once you are done running (or walking) up the hills, you then come to another in and out at mile 20, close to the river into the park. I don't get why they make these hills part of the marathon route. Maybe they want to give the marathon a 'tough' image, being that the marathon was formerly the National marathon and was associated with the military. You will find quite a number of military banners and a lot of support for the military by spectators. Mile 22 to Mile 26.2 Mile 22 to the finish line is an absolute test of strength, both physical and psychological, after the punishing hills. Mile 23 cuts through the Fort Dupont park and as you approach mile 24, you approach the Greenway neighborhood. A straight stretch takes you to mile 25 where you run a circle and now approach the Anacostia River towards the finish line. The crowds are larger here after running through the various parks and once past the river, the Robert Kennedy Stadium (DC United soccer stadium) is in sight at mile 26. The finish is close to the DC armory, a familiar sight, where the expo was held the day/s before the marathon. Treats After The Marathon... Once past the finish line, there is an official photographer who takes a post run picture of you. A volunteer hands you a finisher medal. Ask one of them to take a picture of you if you have been running with your smartphone and you do not have anyone close to the finish line, just like I did. As you keep walking from the finish line, you are offered bottled water, Gatorade and chocolate milk for rehydration. There are bananas and pretzels too. It's then time to collect your marathon clear bag from the UPS trucks. They place the bags under your last name and bib number so the bags are easy to retrieve. - once you pick up your goodie bag, you then go back to the main tent to pick up your marathon finisher jacket. You are allowed to wear a sample one before picking your jacket but for some reason, they don't allow you to exchange the jacket once you have picked it up. You have to tear off a tab from your bib to get the jacket. - There is also a place where they give you a free alcoholic beer. You need ID and be over 21 to enter the enclosed place. They are very strict about the ID. No ID no entry! - There is a lot of entertainment at the finish line with featured bands playing live music. - Leaving for home/hotel is easy. Since you were at the expo the day or two before, you shall use the same station to go back to your respective hotel. Use the smartcard if possible. The metro is crowded but you'll be in the company of other runners so there will not be any awkwardness. There are regular trains so the wait is not as bad. The Race Photos The race photos were processed by marathonphoto. The race photos were ready after about 3-4 days which was very impressive. The photos are pricey and budget wise are not for the faint hearted but the memories are well worth it. The photos capture you at various stages of the race and at the finish line.

I hadn't run the RnR DC race since 2012. This was pretty well run. I got to the start pretty early in the morning and there was still some setup to do but plenty of porta-pots to do your business. Half marathoners and marathoners start at the same time, so marathoners have to watch their pace a little bit. Cons: Not a lot of signage on where gear check was or where to go when leaving the Metro. Gear check drop off was a couple of blocks away from the start and a good distance away from jacket pickup after gear pickup. Not too many signs to direct you. Strange part of the course took you into and industrial park, just not a lot of scenery from 16-18. Pros: Great course, some nasty hills at mile 6-7 and from miles 21-24, but it was it was. Well stocked fluid stations. Good support from spectators. Great looking jacket for marathon finishers. Nice looking medal Decent food and drinks at the end. I missed the headliner band. I signed up to run the marathon next year as well. Train for some hills.

Great course, well-organized, and fun event. Excellent volunteers! First time running DC so coming from out of town was a treat. Marathon had everything we needed. Complaints about the hill at mile 6 are silly. Hill is not that bad at all but it is the toughest part of the first half. Go a little further and the hills at miles 21 through 26 are a bit worse (make you work a little more). Overall a very good mix of flat/hill so no complaints here. I'm not a follower of the rock and roll series of marathons and was simply looking for something different. This run fit perfectly. Well done! Would definitely do it again!

I enjoyed this marathon despite the unfortunate timing of mother nature to greet us with a cold, rainy, somewhat windy day. Despite the weather, most of us bundled up and enjoyed the race. The race was well organized. We received very informative emails prior to the race. The packet pickup on Thursday went very smoothly. The expo was fairly large with a good variety of running items being offered. The race started on time and the release of each wave was timely. There were plenty of water stations and the volunteers did a great job of serving us. They provided a very nice t-shirt for participating, but the real bonus was receiving a terrific jacket for finishing the marathon. The medal was pretty decent also. We did a lot of walking prior to and after the race which is what I would expect for a race that had around 18,000 participants. We had to hike a few blocks to get to the drop bag trucks. After the race, we walked a few more blocks to retrieve the bags, and then another quarter to a half mile to get to the Metro. As for the Metro, be smart and purchase your Metro card the day before otherwise you'll be waiting in a huge line after the race to buy a card so you can get on the Metro. The food after the race was good enough, especially the chocolate milk. The course is fairly scenic with several good glimpses of the nation's Capitol. As others have written, it's a rolling hills type of course with a long uphill climb in the Rock Creek area and a steep hill around mile 23 or 24 that many walked. In summary, I would recommend this race as the course was good with Capitol views and other scenic views such as the Rock Creek area, the volunteers were great, t-shirt, jacket, and medal were definitely keepers, and you get to run at our nation's capital.

I last ran the National Marathon in 2010. Then it was a positive experience. The start was by the armory, and you could stay indoors until real close to the start. The RnR organization came in, moved the start so they could charge an extra $90 for pre-race and post-race shelter. The course now has a LOT more turns than it had then, adding significantly to the effective distance run over the course of the marathon. Also the pace group leaders did not seem to account for this. Also, RnR cut back drastically on the number of pace groups provided. I was hoping for a 3:15 pace group, but the only options for me were 3:10 and 3:30. The 3:10 pace group had three pace leaders - why not have just one as the National did and spread the volunteers over other increments. I had to let the pace group go after 22 miles, but after analyzing my results afterwards, I'm sure there were a lot of disappointed folks who stuck with them hoping to qualify for Boston. When I let them go at mile 22, they were at perfect 7:15 pace. Unfortunately, this was according to my GPS watch. The effective distance I ran was 26.6 miles. All that weaving and wide turns add up. They apparently didn't account for this unless they expected everyone to drop to 6:30 pace for the last 4+ miles. The race itself was well organized. RnR definitely turned this into a much bigger race than in the past. For me, that's actually a negative. The first half was ridiculously crowded until the 1/2 marathoners broke off. If I run this marathon again, it will only be because I'm local. I would definitely not travel for this event. If I don't get into Marine Corps in the fall, my alternate will definitely not be a RnR event.

This was my 5th marathon and worst run. Pittsburgh, Boston and USMC were exceptionally well run. The Rock and Roll marathon was a disaster. Their race director should not have that job. They changed the course a month out to add a massive hill at mile 22. The course itself was .3 miles longer than 26.2. Bag drop and pick-up were incredibly far out of the way and poorly organized. The finish area was disaster. Bananas were hard and green, gatorade needed scissors to open (none on hand) and then you needed to walk almost a mile to metro up narrow steps and around the armory & for which you then waited over 35 minutes to even get into the metro station. Total cluster. The roads were blocked off so ubers and taxi were not an option home. Also no post race communication.

This was my 5th marathon and worst run. Pittsburgh, Boston and USMC were exceptionally well run. The Rock and Roll marathon was a disaster. Their race director should not have that job. They changed the course a month out to add a massive hill at mile 22. The course itself was .3 miles longer than 26.2. Bag drop and pick-up were incredibly far out of the way and poorly organized. The finish area was disaster. Bananas were hard and green, gatorade needed scissors to open (none on hand) and then you needed to walk almost a mile to metro up narrow steps and around the armory& for which you then waited over 35 minutes to even get into the metro station. Total cluster. The roads were blocked off so users and taxi were not an option home. Also no post race communication.

I enjoyed this marathon despite the unfortunate timing of mother nature to greet us with a cold, rainy, and somewhat windy day. Despite the weather, most of us bundled up and enjoyed the race. The race was well organized. We received very informative emails prior to the race. The packet pickup on Thursday went very smoothly. The expo was fairly large with a good variety of running items being offered. The race started on time and the release of each wave was timely. There were plenty of water stations and the volunteers did a great job of serving us. They provided a very nice t-shirt for participating, but the real bonus was receiving a terrific jacket for finishing the marathon. The medal was pretty decent also. We did a lot of walking prior to and after the race which is what I would expect for a race that had around 18,000 participants. We had to hike a few blocks to get to the drop bag trucks. After the race, we walked a few more blocks to retrieve the bags, and then another quarter to a half mile to get to the Metro. As for the Metro, be smart and purchase your Metro card the day before otherwise you'll be waiting in a huge line after the race to buy a card so you can get on the Metro. The food after the race was good enough, especially the chocolate milk. The course is fairly scenic with several good glimpses of the nation's Capitol. As others have written, it's a rolling hills type of course with a long uphill climb in the Rock Creek area and a steep hill around mile 23 or 24 that many walked. In summary, I would recommend this race as the course was good with Capitol views and other scenic views such as the Rock Creek area, the volunteers were great, t-shirt, jacket, and medal were definitely keepers, and you get to run at our nation's capital.

After running nearly 60 marathons, this event was borderline negligent in their failure to plan for 40 degree temperatures in the forecast with wind and rain. The start, course, expo and particularly the ending were near chaos. Ending the race with soaked runners with no warming tents, transportation (they closed the metro) left runners stranded in a driving ice rain facing hypothermia. The medicine tents were over flowing in what looked like a mass casualty event. Bag drop off and pick up forced exhausted and expended runners to criss cross acres of open 1970s era parking lots to find their non sequenced bags and then a HIKE to try to get in line with thousands to the metro station&no guidance or markings & medical tents had insufficient staff and IVs to handle runners in distress. Never again, this race.

Living in DC and having missed the boat for the MCM, I was really excited to be able to run a local race through the city, and the course didn't disappoint me for that. Even though it was POURING rain, I had a great race and was very happy with how I did. That, however, doesn't change my analysis of the race and the major issues that I experienced, and my recommendation sadly is to steer clear of this race generally. PROS: -Great course, relatively flat, only one hard hill by mile 6, but it's also where the greatest concentration of spectators is so it was actually a very motivating part of the course. -There were stations handing out GU (see CONS for more info) -Marathon finishers got a free Brooks running jacket -Gear check had lines, but they used a bunch of UPS trucks so the lines weren't as bad as previous years and retrieving gear took no time. CONS: -One entire GU station was missing - they promised 3 but only 2 were actually there -A bunch of mileage signs were missing, including the 35K sign. -Gear check closed at 7:20 with no exceptions, so over half the racers had to stand in the rain for 30m to an hour waiting to start. -Water stations were an absolute cluster****. Not enough staff, too many runners, and only half of the water stops had Gatorade. I actually missed two of them because of the crowds, and ultimately had to resort to yelling and pointing to actually procure fluids. -The first half of the course is shared with half-marathoners, and it's AMATEUR HOUR, so experienced runners or runners who are easily irritated by this should steer away. -EXPENSIVE. There's a 20 dollar fee to register that isn't part of the $150 registration fee. -Literally no spectators on the second half of the course. NONE. Which is fine if you're prepared for it, but you could definitely tell there was a loss in energy for most runners -Apparently there were bands, but I could only hear them for MAYBE 1 minute of my run total. -The finish line concert ended within an hour of me finishing the race, so if you do the full then you basically miss out on all the stuff they try and sell you on. -Medical stations want half of your medical history before they'll give you 200mg of ibuprofen. REALLY? Give me the pills and let me run. -Cannot emphasize enough: WATER STATIONS ARE AN UNDERSTAFFED MESS. ADVICE if you decide to do it: -BRING YOUR OWN HYDRATION AND NUTRITION -Bring a GOOD playlist to get you through the second half where there are suddenly no runners or spectators -Be mentally prepared for the sudden disappearance of 90% of runners at mile 12 - it can cause a huge drop in energy -GPS gets messed up because of the tunnels -Rolling hills from 21-24 surprise a lot of runners -Be OK with the number of first-time racers - this can drive some people up a wall I had a great time, but I definitely don't plan to do another RNR event. There was just way too much amateurism from the organizers for a race that was so expensive and has been going on for so long. That said, for longtime DC runners, if you get a cheap bib (they can go as low as $50) and haven't done it, it's a cool course at the very least, but not one that I'm planning on doing again.

Ran this race in 2011 when it was the National Marathon and loved it. This is an expensive race to begin with, and RNR made it clear that milking every dime possible from me was top priority (e.g. charging for runner tracking, $25 to use some of the porter potties, $25 to park near finish, $20 per packet to pick up for friends/family!, etc). This will be my last RNR in general. Pros: Nice volunteers, wave start well organized. Nice shirt. Cons: Aforementioned constant solicitation of $$. Bands were far and few between and some not playing. Gatorade only every other stop. Course was much more runner friendly and scenic in 2011 (be prepared to run on rolling hills almost the entire time.) Start used to be at RFK, which provided shelter in the morning. Weather worked out well this year, but that won't always be the case. There is absolutely no where to take cover now.

Yes this is an RNR race and some people will hate that. But as someone who relies heavily on these reviews its important to give credit where credit is due. I ran 2013 and had to drop to the half. The race was pretty much as described. 2014 they took the feedback from 2013 and used is as an advertisement. After saying I'd never run it again I signed up and decided to give it another go. Pros: Far more volunteers this year Not that bad of a course. Some rolling hills, one big hill, and a lot of rewarding downhills. More space in the expo As much as I complain about RNR my PRs always come at their races because their corral start spaces runners out better than any other races I've run. Temps were 50s-60s F and clouds stayed out for a good percentage of the race which always helps. 2013's full sunshine made the water situation worse. Cons: Still gatorade only every other stop. And if the sun actually came out I'm sure they would have run out again. Annoying that it ends at RFK stadium instead of downtown which means a long metro ride back for most but at least its mass transit accessible. Expensive if you don't register early or with a coupon DC is a great city, mid-March is a great time of year to get a marathon in. Having the pleasure to meet some international visitors during the race I realize the importance of these reviews. This race is not perfect, but DC is very accessible, the hotels were not very expensive race weekend and the people were great. I'm glad I gave it a second chance.

There are too many people for too few aid stations. People backed up at the aid stations and you had to serve yourself. This is a poorly organized race.

First - volunteers, thank you!!! Organizers - amateur hour. Packet pick up was disorganized. The volunteers were very friendly, but, very uninformed. Go down to the basement for bibs, go back up stairs for bags and shirts. Good luck finding the exits. Pre-start/Start- yes there were corrals, but, anyone could go into any corral. Not a huge deal to me, but, then, why have the wave start? 25,000 runners... only 13 water stations, 6 Gatorade stations. Seriously? And the stations were not very well manned. By the second half of the race, you had to get your own water at some of the stations. Poor volunteers. Good luck getting them to come back. Post race - very little food or drink. No directions to metro. At 5 hours, they seemed to be closing up shop. If this was an independent race, I would give the organizers a lot more slack, but, as a Rock'n'Roll, you should have 5-10 more water stations, 15 more Gatorade stations and a lot more aid station support.

This is a big race in a big city so you need to deal with it. Plan ahead for traffic and porta potty lines. Overall good. Nice course. Pretty. One hill that isn't bad. Wave start was good. Plenty of runners on course. Not too bad. Wish there had been more bands. Overall it was fun.

I ran this twice when it was the 'National Marathon' and now twice since it has become part of the Rock-and-Roll Marathon business. This year was probably my last, and I don't expect to run any other R&R events. Although the organization under National Marathon had its flaws, it had a much better feel to it. For the entry fees the R&R corporation charges they really should be more runner-focused, but it's clear that their bottom line is the financial bottom line. PROS: - ok, I'll hand it to them for getting Metro to open at 5:00am. That does cost extra money ($30k per hour), and it made getting to the start by metro much more feasible for a lot of participants. - wave start was well done - the new route for the first half was nice, but they got lucky this time (see the Cons section below) - the 7:30am start is better than the 2012 start at 8:00am, but not as good as the 7:00am start that just about coincides with sunrise CONS: - sports drink only at every other station (ie, every 4 miles)?! I've never seen a race so stingy with sports drink, except for the 2012 edition of this race. - changing the start line meant not having the Armory to warm up in as they have in the past. If they had gotten the 40-degree rain that was predicted there would have been a lot of cold, wet, unhappy runners. And some year that will happen. - it's all about max'ing the number of runners, especially half-marathoners, without providing the facilities to support that many runners - the placement and ordering of the bag drop-off relative to the starting corrals was crazy and very inefficient. The bag pickup was worse, with volunteers basically telling runners to climb in the school bus and find their own bags amidst the unordered pile. A couple final comments. I can't believe the person who posted that miles 10 & 11 were 'scary' and that it's good there was a police presence. Yes, there are homeless people in DC, and some of them live under the same underpasses that we ran through. But scary? Or the person who complained that the Armory (site of expo) was in a bad part of town. Please, go back to the 'burbs. Second, I'm ambivalent about the second half of the course. I'm glad the course goes east of the Anacostia, but the combination of fewer runners doing the full and routing them through parkland much of the way makes for kind of a lonely run. I'd love to see what happen if they reversed the course direction some year!

The DC rock and roll marathon was the most expensive race i've run. It was also the most disappointing. There were huge lines for the pre-race port-o-potties, the back half of the course had few fans, and i waited about 45 minutes to get my bag at the end of it. The race was clearly geared for the half-marathoners and the for-profit nature of the race is sickening. The bands along the course were terrible and especially sporadic the final ten miles. The pittsburgh marathon does a much better job of having music along the course. The post-race concert started long before the majority of the full marathoners were done. Hopefully the district will pull the permits on this joke of a race. Don't waste your money.

Running prior Rock & Roll events I was looking forward to this marathon. The race did not impress me or disappoint me. I expected the majority of the runners are for the half. This made the first half much more enjoyable to run but very difficult to get water/gatorade. The stations in the first half were a mess. This was aleviate in the second half due to less runners but without proper hydration early and when taking GU's hit hinders your performance in the later stages of the race. As for other problems that others have mentioned, I did not see many of them. Being from out of town and staying at a hotel (Hyatt) clase to the start. I was albe to wake up later than most and walk up to the start with no problems. No need for bagagge, port a johns, or warmup. Actually got there too early at 7:15, did not start my corral until 8:00. The course was fine, the first half went through the tourist areas and some college parts (the hill at mile 6 was a killer), the second half went along some of the waterfront (little breezy) and by the Nationals stadium, the last few miles were residuantial then back to RFK. Psot race was fine, plenty of food , chocolate milk was gone for us slower runners(4:45) but plenty of the rest. Note always good to carry the goody bag they give you, fold it up and put in your pocket if you can. this enables you to take as much food as you can carry, leave the area and find a spot to sit and eat and recover. The post race beer was a nice touch even though the weather was chilly. Did not use the bagage so I cannot comment on the delays others had. Getting back to my hotel was easy, found a cab. Overall needs some improvement, but since it gears to the half more than the full it is understandable. Maybe run the full 1 hour before the half and have a seperate food and recovery area.

Volunteers/support staff: (The good) These people were extremely helpful, motivated, and genuinely tried their best to satisfy all requirements in a professional manner. (The bad) They were absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of people on race day. Water/Gatorade stations for example; I did not get my first cup of Gatorade until after the marathon separation point near mile 13, it simply wasnt available when I approached a table at any of the previous stations. Runners were actually waiting in line for cups. At some water points I had to pick up an empty cup and hand it to a volunteer who then filled it up from a hose that was dribbling water. This was the first marathon where I had to actually stop and wait while someone filled up a cup. Information/directive signs: (The good) Mile marker signs were visible and there was no confusion at the marathon/half marathon split. (The bad) Unlike other marathons I have run, I did not see any signs informing me that a water station was near. There were so many people running this race it was hard to see ahead. On more than one occasion, it seemed as if I was halfway through a water station before I even realized it was there. Port-a-johns: (The good) There were port-a-johns. (The bad) Not nearly enough. Ive never stood in a line that long before a marathon, not even close. Baggage check: (The good) There was enough space for everyone to check in a bag. (The bad) much like the port-a-johns, the lines were extremely long and slow moving. Check-in points were lined up in alphabetical order (first 3 letters of last name); I think the whole gear check process would have been less confusing if check-in stations were arranged in numerical order of the bib, just like packet pick-up at the expo. The course: (The good) First 16 miles. (The bad) last 10.2. Not sure if planners care to do much about this since this event is definitely catered to the half-marathon runner; less than 1/4 of all participants actually signed up for the marathon. Race tracking service: (The good) It was offered. (The bad) It was not free. Marine Corps Marathon, which is by far a better marathon experience in every single aspect, does not charge extra for this service. There is a reason why MCM sells out 30,000 tickets in less than 3 hours and R&R has tickets available a few days prior to their marathon. Transportation: (The good) Metro stations opened early enough and were in close proximity of both the start line and finish line. (The bad) No complaints

Pros: Its DC - scenic T-Shirt Expo Cons: Some people behind me didn't run the whole course. Course was too crowded No Chocolate milk by the time I finished After the course split it was very dry Water points under staffed or something, very poorly organized No Chocolate milk by the time I finished No Chocolate milk by the time I finished No Chocolate milk by the time I finished No Chocolate milk by the time I finished Yeah I meant to say it all those times!

RnR series has become way too crowed. Too many people to really enjoy the course. I was lucky to have a decent bag check in my but the lines for other check ins were ridiculously long. Not to mention the line for pick up. Waiting 20-30 minutes after racing 13.2/26.2 is totally unacceptable. There should have been Gatorade at every water stop instead of every other stop. I got a cramp in between stations and went to a medical tent. I asked for salt packets and they looked at me like I was stupid. It took me 40 mins to cross the start line and I wasn't happy. I believe that this series has become more interested in turning a profit and packing as many people as they can into a race. I left the race feeling as though the RnR serious is less concerned about the runners' experience and more concerned about $$$. I have participated in several RnR events but this will definitely be my last! Oh, the course was probably one if my least favorites. I don't think it's professional to cut a course in a way where the runners have to hop over a curbed median at an angle. I forgot what mile it was but it was before mile 6. I hope the race director really gives my comments some consideration. I will definitely discourage others from running this race. On a positive note, the bands were fun and the volunteers were great!

I am no grizzled vet, so I cannot tell you how other big races are. So let me give you my impressions: Big port o let lines. Nice wave start. Good, mostly downhill course (anyone who complains about the hill at 6 must never have trained on a hill). Some water stations inexplicably unmanned. Good fans. Great clear running after the halfers went away. A wonderful run. I didn't check a bag and I didn't drive, so I cannot address those issues. But from a running standpoint, I had a great time.

I ran the half marathon and enjoyed the course. I had to pick up my own water since the aid stations fell behind. The organizers need to provide more incentive to volunteers to get enough to man the volume of runners. It appeared to me that the race organizers were not prepared to handle the number of runners. They need to employ some runners to tell them how to conduct a race with big numbers.

This for-profit organization laughs all the way to the bank. They charge top dollar and then rely on volunteers to make the race work. The lines at bag check took forever. I just made the start and there were thousands still on line to check their bag. Picking up my bag was worse! I was fifth in line and still waited over 40 minutes to pick up my bag. Volunteers were inside the bus ignoring us as they seemed to just begin organizing hundreds of bags. The course is fine but if you are a runner who likes Rock n' Roll bands, just remember, they're volunteers too. They might show up; they might not. They may be playing or not. And they may have no talent. Once again, the for-profit owners don't really care. They're counting their dough and laughing while volunteers carry out the race. This 'Competitor Group' seems to be intent on buying up every race in the world too. What a shame. Especially when the take over excellent races with long histories like the Philadelphia Distance Run where they tripled the price. They smell profit!

Horribly organized race. All was well until mile 12.2 when the race split. 20,000 did half, 3,500 did full. The second half of the course was bare- w/ few runners, little support, and horrible water stations. I hit the wall at mile 24 and walked the last two. If I passed out on the side of the road, no one would have been the wiser. Expo was good, but they charge for every little thing. Skip this.. RUN DISNEY (if you are a one and done marathoner)

Wow, so much negativity...but whatever. This was an urban marathon, where parking was already going to be scarce and costly (although free parking for packet pickup at RFK was really cool). The expo was what I expected, a lot of variety and had to get some gear to prepare for rain (hat, arm sleeves, better socks). Thankfully, it didn't rain in the event, but those items did their job well. Also bought GU from their stand. Drove back to the hotel in Rockville, MD. The Subway opened up at 5AM race day, which is a nice touch for someone who is a bit further than most others. Got on around 545 and made it to DC around 630. Followed a group to the start and saw little lines at the porta potties at the corrals and took advantage even though I didn't need to go. It was neat seeing the Capitol and Washington Monument dark like that. I was in the 4th corral for about a 3:30 time, and we started 3 minutes into the event, they did a great job to control each corral and the road closures on the main roads. Not too familiar with DC, but the course did a great job to cater me what was to be seen. Best part was a 3-mile trek on the Rock Creek Parkway; very peaceful, relaxing, and mostly flat. The hill on mile 6 was a nice change and went into a rustic neighborhood. Only scary part were miles 10 & 11, but it was on a main road and loads of police helping out. Going though the 9th St. Tunnel and seeing Nationals Park were nice touches in the 2nd half. Weather turned out great for the event and can not complain! Free beer and nice medal at the finish...okay spread too. My only issue of the whole event was the baggage pick up afterwards. They did a good job using the buses and splitting the alphabet evenly, but there seemed to be logistical issues as it took me a half hour to get my bag. But that can improve. I guess the lack of people at some water stations too, but I can't complain since most cups were already filled so I don't need someone to give me a cup...as long as there's water or Gatorade, it's all good!!

PROS: Parts of the course were very scenic, running down Constitution ave. past the Washington monument and the Ellipse, the bridge to Arlington with the national cemetery in the distance, going by the Supreme court and Capitol building. Past mile 13 the course was virtually deserted and eerily quiet, you would think that no one in the city knew there was a marathon going on, just a few startled tourists saying 'let's go runners' on the mall. For runners who like lots of crowd support this would be a con, but I found the Potomac and Anacostia river path sections pleasantly peaceful, with no car traffic around. The band playing 'Eye of the Tiger' at mile 9 was awesome. I swear the band at mile 20 was singing a song with lyrics about dying, but then again I could have been imagining it... Amazingly the finish line area still had lots of food and supplies when I finished the full marathon at 11:15 am, despite the 25,000 1/2 marathon finishers who got there before me. The split full/half chute at the finish definitely helped. CONS: There was an unusual amount of waiting in lines associated with this race. Long lines for security check and packet pickup at expo, gear check, metro, etc. Hard to decide what was worse - miles 23-25 of the marathon, or the standing for nearly an hour in the gear check line and at the metro entrance after finishing. I'm just glad it wasn't raining... Not enough volunteers & race personnel (probably not surprising - I find the idea of having volunteers working at a for-profit race unsettling). The aid stations were seriously understaffed for a race of this size. They changed the layout of the finish area from the map in the race packet, and there were virtually no race personnel around to give directions. My family got lost and took forever to find me. Inconvenient expo and finish line location (DC Armory). Although right next to a metro stop, it was very far from downtown and not in a safe area of D.C. Huge crowds at the start, I missed my corral wave start while waiting in the gear check line, as did several thousand other runners. It took me until mile 7 to actually start running my target pace, after trying to make way through elbow-to-elbow 1/2 marathoners. The elevation chart didn't prepare me at all for the rolling hills from miles 23-25 or the steep gradient at mile 6. An expanded vertical axis and a color coded gradient chart would have been helpful. The numerous tunnels did a number on my GPS watch distance readings. Better to invest in a foot pod sensor if you want to run this race using GPS pacing. I don't quite understand why they didn't have gatorade at every aid station, were they trying to save money? Fortunately I was using a gels+water strategy and it wasn't a hot day.

The Expo closed at 7:00 on both Thursday and Friday leaving most locals to scramble to get to the armory in time, after work. I waited in line at bag check for about 20 to 30 minutes in the cold after the race. The water stops and crowd support were TERRIBLE! There were about 5 to 10 workers at each water stop as thousands of runners easily overwhelmed them. The post-race layout was poorly configured. The reunion area was directly across from a large music stage causing cell phone conversation in the reunion area to be extremely difficult. I live in DC and I will not waste my money on this race in the future.

Being a marathoner, a big fan of live music, and a DC native, I was elated to learn that RNR had taken over the National Marathon and would be bringing their unique approach to a race just miles from my front door. I'd heard mixed reviews about how RNR events tend to cater to the 'casual crowd,' but I'm not an elite runner, so I figured this would make for a fun event nonetheless. Regrettably, that's where the enthusiasm for this race ended. PROS: Great expo. Tons of vendors (because vendors = $$$) 'Rock' music (promised) at key spots along the course. Iconic scenery (from a distance, at least) CONS: - A point-to-point race meant no parking at the finish line unless you were willing to register in advance for the extremely limited VIP parking ($20). And even then, you still had to catch Metro to the starting line. The other option was (paid) parking at the start, and catching a Metro back from the finish line after the race. With 30,000 runners  this is a major concern. - EXTREMELY limited parking, due to the race being scheduled for the same weekend as DC's annual ShamrockFest (with the Marathon finish located in the exact same parking lot as the drunken carnival). - Inadequate number of restrooms before the race. I arrived early (5:45 for a 7:30 start) and hopped in line for port-a-john row at 6:30. FORTY SIX MINUTES later (7:16) and I reached the front of the line.* (full disclosure: I'm a guy, and only had to pee. But the race is in the heart of DC, so sneaking behind a bush isn't exactly the classiest - or most legal - of moves). *Here's another slick upcharge: race organizers set up a series of 'VIP' port-a-potties before the start of the race complete with A/C and running water for runners who wanted to 'potty like a rock star' (their words, not mine) - provided you'd spent $100 or more at the Expo the day prior. A hundred bucks to pee? No thanks. - Due to the point-to-point nature of the race, baggage check meant loading gear into school busses. Busses were parked in one long row, so lines were VERY long, to the point where several thousand runners were still checking bags and sprinting for the starting line 20 minutes AFTER the first corrals had begun the race. - Water stations were infrequent: roughly one every 2 to 2.5 miles. Gatorade was even less frequent - offered only at every other station (approx. every 4 miles). - Water stations were a disaster. At some stations, runners were actually grabbing our own empty cups from plastic sleeves (!!!) and lining up while volunteers filled drinks to the top. At other stations, volunteers were scooping water out of oversized jugs and filling the cups WITH THEIR BARE HANDS. While I appreciate the volunteers' efforts, gulping down hydration that tastes like watered-down cigarette smoke is just disgusting. - The course features lots of dogleg loops with no timing pads at the far end of each circle. As the race wore on, course organizers actually closed off portions of these loops and directed runners along the shortened course instead. I'm a solid middle-of-the-pack runner and managed to complete the full 26.2, but a number of runners behind me were not afforded the same opportunity. I can only speak for myself, but if I paid for a full marathon race and I was on pace to complete a full marathon in the required time, it's got to feel incredibly demoralizing to be redirected onto a modified course that is not even a full 26.2. - Bands along the course were obviously booked on a 'first come, first served' basis with no real thought given to genre or talent. High schoolers with a keyboard? A Capella choirs? A woodwind ensemble playing the Canadian National Anthem? Look - I'm not expecting Van Halen. But I was promised 'Rock and Roll' - so a smattering of good old fashioned bar bands don't seem like too much to ask. BOTTOM LINE: This is not a 'runner's race' for people interested in casual marathoning or general fitness. It's a 'corporate race' commandeered by a national promotion that is solely interested in maximizing profit. What a shame, because I absolutely wanted to love this event. Unfortunately, all I got was a poorly organized money-grab and a study in wasted potential. This will be my last 'Rock n' Roll' event.

This race is run by a for-profit company, so they're not really motivated by service, just maximizing profit. Examples: -Charging for runner tracking (WTF?) -Huge parking fees -The worst would be not disclosing actual cutoff times. They diverted runners around the mile 22 marker onto the mile 23 mark. So many racers who were on-pace to hit the overall cutoff time (5:30) were not aware there was a cutoff at that mile marker. DISCLOSE ALL CUTOFF POINTS. This is crazy.

30,000 runners this year... 26,500 of which were half marathoners and everything about this race seemed geared to that distance. The 1st half of the course is scenic and high energy. Great bands, nice surroundings, energetic crowd but after the half marathons split off to finish the marathoners are left in desolation. The course leads to neighborhoods and areas that are impossible for spectators to get to. The water stations become under staffed and the bands seemed like they were in a practice studio rather than a outdoor performance. Not to mention that there were two barely audible acapella groups. If I were rating the half marathon it would have been much higher. Unfortunately, the race became very unorganized after it was over. Many people, myself included, had to wait in lines for over an hour in gear pick-up. The race has potential but needs to make some major improvements, I can't say i recommend it.

I really enjoyed this race. It is a very well run event, (almost) comparable to some of the better know big-city races. The course is very good, as runners pass by most of the DC landmarks (although there are stretches in the second half of the course that are in largely industrial zones, and a little spartan). Overall, I would highly recommend this race. The course is forgiving, the organization is very good, and what's not to like about spending a weekend in DC?

Pros: -fan support was decent -nice tour of DC -medal was nice/shirt was niche Con: -Course had a totally unneccessary hill at mile 6. -getting my bag took over an hour and a half at the finish -too many people at the post race party (couldn't move or get the one beer they promised)