New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon - Race Reviews

I will preface my comments with the fact that I hit my goal time (thanks to a great pacer!) and that we had near perfect marathon weather -- around 60F with overcast skies. Pros: Overall, I would recommend this race. 1) New Orleans is a super fun town for a road trip and a great place to spoil yourself post-race! 2) I liked the course. As others have said, the first half is very interesting, but I also liked the 2nd half out and along Lake Pontchartrain. I could see that if it were full sun, it could be more difficult. 3) The start was very organized and the corrals were well run. There are also several hotels right by the start so you could stay in bed and inside almost up until the start time. 4) The shuttles to and from the finish were much easier to use than I had imagined. 5) The course support was spot on. 6) The medal is cool, if that is important to you. The t shirt is just okay, but I did appreciate that they had a separate shirt for the marathon. Cons: 1) The expo was really disappointing. For a town as cool as New Orleans, they could have had more merchandise than just the Rock and Roll stuff. 2) You really need to watch your step on the New Orleans roads. 3) The finish area was just okay. Maybe it was hopping when all of the half-marathoners finished, but by the time I finished the marathon, it was just a mostly empty field. 4) They could have done a much better job communicating about the start, finish, and shuttle pick up areas by providing maps of these areas ahead of time. 5) The marathon is pretty flat, but there is a rather large bridge at Mile 25. I was glad our pacer warned us in advance and had a good strategy to attack it. Otherwise, it could really put a wrinkle in your time planning.

This would be a badass half-marathon...unfortunately I was doing the full marathon. Personally I need some shade and crowds and music and the first half of this race gives you all of that... it really was a solid run for the first 13 and you cover some great sights of NOLA. The back half was abandoned. Full sun, no crowds, not enough music. I've run with a lot more music at non-RNR events...I didn't really see what made a Rock n Roll event special or different. Finish line was weak, food was lacking (cheese-its and banana) and the beer was Michelob Ultra (which isn't beer). All in all I would recommend this race for people wanting to do a half, not for those seeking out a full.

The Rock and Roll race series definitely knows how to put on an event and the New Orleans Marathon was no exception. The Expo was well done with plenty of interesting and knowledgeable vendors to spend time with and pick their brains. The corral setup was smooth and actually ran quickly and efficiently, much better than I have experienced in the past with Rock and Roll events. The course was staggeringly flat, almost to the point where the lack of topography was worse than having a few hills for variety. The first half of the race was quite interesting, through some historic neighborhoods and the French quarter. The half and full didn't split until after mile 12 so there was plenty of weaving in and out of crowds during the first half of the race. After the split, there was a massive decrease in the number of runners around me. It seemed that this race had an even larger proportion of half marathoners than any race I've done in the past. This wasn't a big deal to me, but someone who isn't comfortable running by themselves might find this disconcerting to come so far into the run. The biggest draw back to this race was the lack of spectators. While I don't need big crowds for motivation, it was oddly quiet for the vast majority of the run. I assume this was as a result of being New Orleans and early on a Sunday morning so shouldn't have been much of a surprise. The back half of the marathon was not as interesting, a couple of out and backs through a park and along a lake front. It was nice, but without much spectator support it wasn't much different than a typical weekend long run. But, with the flat course and great weather, it was definite PR type conditions and I was able to set a PR by about 10 minutes so no complaints for me.

Top 10 Reasons to Run the New Orleans RNR! 10 - No lack of outstanding restaurants to have a delicious carb-loading meal the night before the race 9 - No lack of outstanding restaurants to have a memorable post-race celebration 8- Running along tree-lined St. Charles Avenue  a very pleasant, mellow kind of experience 7- Running along Decatur Street in front of Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral and Café du Monde with music blaring  a quintessential New Orleans experience 6 - Viewing at the Expo all of the special (and sometimes outrageous) medals RNR offers for runners participating in 2 or more RNR races in a year 5 - Staggered start of all 33 corrals gives even us back-of-the-packers the feeling that we are the race leaders as we run down Poydras Avenue with no visible runners ahead of us at race start. 4- Attending mass at St. Louis Cathedral on Saturday evening where the priest informed us that since he gave up alcohol for Lent that we should have a few drinks for him! 3 - The sound system set-ups along Jackson Square and along Lake Pontchartrain where the DJs set up speakers which extended for nearly a mile along the race course. 2 - Part of the course is below sea level & so if altitudes above sea level deprive runners of oxygen, do we gain oxygen if we run below sea level??!!! 1 - Finishing medal with unique New Orleans flare

Pros: It's New Orleans! The course is completely flat except for a few small hills near the end. The medal is awesome. The expo is perfectly run. Organization is great. No issues with running out of water/gatorade and no portapotty issues. Cons: Soooooo many people run the 1/2 marathon and the beginning is completely packed. There are so many starting corrals. If you're in the back, you're not making it to the starting line until almost A FULL HOUR after the first people cross it.

INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:15:58. The Rock n Roll New Orleans Marathon was my thirty-second 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a great day for a marathon, temperature at the start was 50 degrees with a few clouds, 57 percent relative humidity and a northwest wind of 14 mph with gusts up to 21 mph. Eighteen corrals of approximately 600 marathon/half-marathon participants each started between two minutes apart of each other. The result was an unencumbered beginning of our pancake flat course on three lanes of Poydras Street heading lakeside. Our parade turned left onto South Rampart Street at mile 0.4, and at mile 0.7, we turned left again onto Howard Avenue before turning onto Saint Charles Avenue at mile 0.9 heading uptown. We stayed on Saint Charles Avenue for the next seven miles. The street, a main thoroughfare in the Garden District, was characterized by many trees which gave us shade from the sun, a wide grassy neutral ground which provided space for the green street car line, and potholes, potholes, and more potholes, fortunately marked with white spray paint by a thoughtful group of organizers. Past Louisiana Avenue, our two lanes narrowed down to one, but despite this, congestion was not a significant issue. We continued uptown until reaching Loyola University at mile 4.5, where we reversed course and returned downtown on the opposite side of the median. We entered the Central Business District at mile 7.9, embarking on a series of mostly one-way streets before entering the French Quarter just past mile 9. Our mile trek down Peters and Decatur Streets took us past Jackson Square and Cafe du Monde, where the queue at this vintage 1862 coffee stand was longer than your average race course portolet. As we passed the French Market and Old US Mint on the left, we turned on Esplanade Avenue at mile 10.2, heading lakeside on our way toward City Park. Passing through Marigny and the Seventh Ward, we stayed on Esplanade Avenue for the next two and a half miles. This tree-lined parkway once again provided us some cover from the sun until we passed by the Saint Louis Cemetery Number 3, where above-ground tombs marked the final resting place of some old Creole families. After crossing over Bayou Saint John, and before entering City Park, we separated from our half-marathon counterparts at the traffic circle at mile 12.8, marked by the statue of CSA General Pierre Gustave Toutant-Beauregard, to begin our mile and a half out-and-back on North Carrollton Avenue, where upon turning on City Park Avenue at mile 14.3, we ran along the southern and western extremes of City Park for the next 3.1 miles. With the half-marathoners no longer around to keep us company and without any trees to give us shade from the sun, we now had to concentrate to maintain our pace for the rest of the race. After turning right on eastbound Robert E. Lee Boulevard at mile 17.4 and left on Saint Bernard Avenue at mile 18.3, heading north, we encountered Lakeshore Drive at mile 18.7. Once again heading east, we had our first glimpse of Lake Pontchartrain on our left after crossing over the London Avenue Canal past mile 19. Passing by the University of New Orleans and arriving at Lake Oaks Park, we turned around at mile 20.4, retracing our steps until reaching Wisner Boulevard at mile 22.6, where we headed south along the eastern side of City Park. We entered City Park near mile 24.3, where once again tree cover shaded us from the sun for most of the remainder of the course, which ended on Roosevelt Mall inside the park. Temperature at the finish line was 60 degrees with a few clouds, 38 percent relative humidity and a northwest wind of 14 mph. ORGANIZATION: Very well executed expo with a good selection of race merchandise to choose from. Race execution from start to finish was flawless. My only disappointment was being too slow to finish on time to see the headline act, Trombone Shorty. FANS: Average for this size event. A plurality of jazz musicians was a pleasant surprise for those of us who have eclectic tastes in music. A zydeco band was also present on Saint Charles Avenue, not to mention a bagpipe and drum ensemble on Magazine Street in the Central Business District. For truth-in-advertising purposes, one would think this event should be named the Jazz Music Marathon. CONCLUSION: An easy course, great weather, and enjoyable music along the way made this a truly enjoyable run in one of Americas more unique cities. Well done, Competitor Group and NOLA.

I love running RnR New Orleans and have run it four times since RnR took it over in 2010. That being said, I feel like ever year the Competitor machine has figured out a way to squeeze more efficiency out of the operation. This has had a bit of a detrimental effect on the overall feel of the race. The expo is great. The course is super fast. When the weather cooperates, this is a definite PR race. However, every year I have run this race, they have made the course more and more boring. They've cut out some scenic areas at the expense of some still scenic but otherwise really boring out-and-backs. The out-and-back on Carrolton was ridiculous and demoralizing. TO sum it up, you basically run 13 miles of scenic New Orelans and 13 miles of sun-baked, shadeless, spectatorless suburbs and park by the Lakefront. Of course, for the all important half'ers, that isn't a problem. But hey, at least us marathon runners got a Brooks finisher's jacket in addition to the local 5k-looking 1 color race tee. I'm not big on all the trinkets but you could feel the cheap being squeezed out of this race. Also, whoever coordinates volunteers was not on the ball this year. I ran through quite a few aid stations where the poor aid station workers were frantically pouring and handing out drinks. To summarize, beautiful city, fast course, but quit being cheap with our entry fees, RnR!

This was my 11th marathon/11th state. Most of my impressions about this race are positive, although I do see some areas that could be improved. Pros: Great medal (I even sat next to the designer on the bus) Nice finisher's jacket (included in the not so cheap race fee) Chocolate milk at the finish (tremendous help) Cons: Aid stations could use some improvement. Volunteers were great, but for a race fee like that, I would suggest making some food available on the course like banana slices, orange slices, etc. Water and Gatorade and an occasional gel just doesn't cut it for $130. Given the fact that the time cut off is 7 hours, some of the music stations and stages were broken down by the time I got to them, and I was 45 minutes ahead of the cut off. Music on the doesn't matter to me, but it might for some. There was miscommunication about when the last bus left post race (since the end is nowhere near the start). We were told the last bus left at 2:30, which is 7 hours after the start, but it takes 30+ minutes to get to the start if you're towards the back. The last bus was actually suppose to leave at 3:30, but even then if someone finished in 7 hours they would have to hurry to get to a bus because the finish is a good ride from downtown. All in all, I had a good time. The out/backs were a bit annoying but it's not a deal breaker. Volunteers were great all around. The finish line was starting to get sparse by the time I got there, but there was still chocolate milk left and the announcer was still full of energy. I personally prefer races that are a bit smaller, but if you like medium to large races, you'll probably like this one. Several hotels within walking distance to the start.

I was impressed with just about every aspect of the race - the organization, the people, the course and the city. So many great things to say, check out the blog post for a more complete discussion: https://rundavidrunblog.wordpress.com/2015/01/29/sometimes-failure-can-be-fun-the-new-orleans-marathon-part-2-of-3/

New Orleans is a great American city. Competitor is a professional operation, but it is clear this event does not capture the hearts of New Orleans. Spectator support is remarkably mild. A big part of that is the coursethe second half is deliberately routed through low congestion parks, where no one would venture randomly. That said, it is a good operation, with decent perks.

I've run 5 marathons and am typically in the 4 1/2 hour rangeso that's what i'm basing this review on. The Rock 'N Roll group is a pretty well-oiled machine and to that extent things ran smoothly. Pre-race info was adequate. The expo was average. The short-sleeve shirt they gave you for the marathon was boring. Philly's marathon shirt was much betteras were the shirts they had for sale. Very windy and chilly to start the race. Unlike other marathons, there was no security and I could have arrived at 7:00am for a 7:30 start. You run with the 1/2 marathoners for the 1st 12 miles, and I didn't think it was too crowded. The course is relatively flat and it takes you through pretty cool parts of New Orleans, including the French Quarter, Garden District, and by Lake Pontchartrain (sp?). There were long portions of the race without much musicsurprising for New Orleans. Also, long portions without much in the way of spectators. Those who were there were supportiveeven for a random stranger. I don't mind running alone; but that might bother some people. Since I just ran Philly in November, I can't help but compare the 2 races; and Philly had many more spectators who had much more inventive and entertaining signs. The medal here was only ok. You also received a marathon finishers jacket which was pretty nice. Not much in the way of post-race food. One plus were the volunteers. There were a lot and they were all very friendly and helpful. I love New Orleans; but I'd say the marathon is average.

Her voice helped me get through this humid weather. NOLA knows about music, that is one thing for sure, they also know how to organize a good fun loving race. Jello shots? Really? I passed but that still made me smile.

A great run! My 26th, my daughter's 1st marathon. Great organization, Expo, and support through the run. BUT, we should've had a band playing (or at least a rousing recording of 'When the Saints Go Marching In' as the starting horn was sounded, and many more bands and music throughout the course. The music was good, but sparse. How ironic for a NOLA event!

This was my first marathon, and it certainly was a memorable one for a lot of reasons. Course is an out and back that begins downtown, heads west and then back on St. Charles, through downtown again and then the French Quarter, north toward Lake Pontchartrain, and finally back south to the finish in City Park. Came in to the race hoping to BQ, and I think this is a good place to do that (even though I came up short for a few reasons). As previous runners have noted, the road through the first half of the race is less than ideal. Lots of cracks, bumps, and holes that force you to be calculated with each step. In the past, I guess people have run on the dirt trolley path in the median of the road, but that didn't seem like a great option to me. There were spectators and security on the median, so you'd be hopping on and off. I saw some runners using it when I was running back downtown, but no one in the first few corrals seemed to give it a go. The course is pretty flat, but not as flat as the elevation chart on the official website would lead you to believe. There are a couple of climbs in the first half, but they're so shallow that you won't notice. However, between miles 16-22 there are around 8 or 9 quick climbs during the out and back near Lake Pontchartrain, each bringing 8-12 ft of elevation change. Certainly nothing killer, but could derail your time a bit if you're not aware of them and come out too fast. This particular year was notable because of the intense humidity (above 90%) and fog present throughout the race. We figured if the sun managed to break through (it didn't) everyone would be in a lot of trouble as the humidity would have been unbearable. My strategy was to put in some fast miles in the beginning just in case conditions were too oppressive later on. Not a terrible idea, but I took it to an unmanageable extreme. Should have realized that easily setting personal bests at 5K, 10K, and half marathon distances during a marathon was reckless, but I thought I was strong enough to keep up a decent effort in the second half. Wrong. Right around mile 14-15, I could tell the pain was coming. Around 16-17, I knew it was there to stay, and that the rest of my race would be simply about finishing, not chasing a BQ. I ended up finishing in 3:27, not too shabby for my first time, especially one in which I hit the wall in less than ideal weather. Overall, it was a great learning experience and I can't wait for my next attempt in Los Angeles. Overall, this is a good marathon to try for a PR, and New Orleans in February (usually)has good weather for a winter destination race. RnR makes it overpriced and a little lacking in local culture, but course support was solid enough, and the medals were pretty nice.

67 and humid at the start, rain at mile 13.... But New Orleans is such a. Beautiful city and the course was flat...definitely a race people should try...

I completed my second running of the RnR Marti Gras Marathon. I have seen some negative reports on RnR events and since this is the only RnG race I have ran, I will limit my comments to this race only. In my opinion this is a great race. They have changed the course, since I competed 3 years ago, for the better. It runs through downtown and out to Tulane University and back to the French Quarter and then out to the Lakefront with a finish in City Park. The course is flat, but in the last 8 miles there are some short steep uphills over bridges. They had several timing clocks, plenty of water and Gatorade, and port-o-johns. In places fans support was great and the volunteers were outstanding. This race is highly recommended.

I don't enjoy the RnR races, but I love New Orleans. More half marathoners than full. Weather was nice...got a little warm.

This was my first RnR marathon, and from an organization standpoint, I was very pleasantly surprised. The start was well situated from lots of hotels (mine was in the French Quarter), for an easy arrival. PLENTY of toilets (you all know how important that one is), refreshments at the start, easy bag check. The corrals and staggered start worked great for me  I was in corral 5 out of 18 or so. I actually enjoyed being mixed in with the half-marathons, as it kept enthusiasm high and the pace quick. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I was in the right pace group  no walkers or slow people. Other comments here are right on the money, so no comments on the expo or swag bag (both fine). I like the shirt, though it would have been nice to have a different one for the marathon than the half. Heed the notes on the rough roads  it is no joke, especially miles 10-12 on Esplanade. It was hard to enjoy the scenery, as your footing required constant vigilance. After the marathon split from the half, the road was in excellent shape. The bands were decent! What a surprise. And the styles were quite different. Some rock, some jazz, a marching band, a blues quartet  really fun variety. Dislikes: THE MEDAL. It's hideous. You have to be inches away from it to tell which marathon it is. It's a lump of medal, and that's about it. I almost didn't even take one. And it could have been so nice  a giant fleur-de-lis, perhaps. This is not a souvenir I'll keep very long. And also missing was local color, apart from the bands. How about hurricanes or local Abita beer at the end? Or Mardi Gras beads? or beignets? Still, after a bleak New York winter, the 60-degree sunny day was a pleasure. I met some nice athletes along the route and enjoyed the city in general. Overall, RnR got the big stuff right: Clear instructions, organized start and finish, solid logistics.

This was my 30th marathon and I PR'd so you would think I'd be ecstatic about this race. Well I am about my effort but the race was very average. The Good: Well laid out expo, organization of the start corrals, interesting course good for PR'ing, Well run aid stations, and decent entertainment along the course. The Not so Good: Price, extra cost for everything like runner tracking, medal is boring, roads rough in some spots, too congested until the half/full split, post race food average and not anything to do with NOLA, crowd support for a big city marathon was mediocre for the most part. Did enjoy the city as it was our first visit there. I would recommend the marathon more for the city than the actual race. The race was good enough but I expected more for the money.

Thank you NO! I have finished 20 marathons, and really I don't have complaints regarding the race directors, I thank you all for your great efforts!!! I complain about weather, or the crowd (or lack of crowd). I don't like to be lonely, and for the most part, this was an active marathon. I like a big crowd to run with, I loved the out and back so I could watch the elite athletes firing into the finish! We were late getting into NO, and were unable to get to the expo :( and in 20 marathons, this had never happened to me. I tried to call the Convention Center (machine), and called the numbers on the website for RnR (it was a weekend, so answering machine), but thanks to a local contact who went into the expo to help me!, I knew to go to the 'solutions tent' in the am. What a relief!! Great job, and I received my t-shirt and bag after the race!!. I loved running 12 miles with the 1/2 marathoners. What a fun crowd. My only complaint: please put more toilet paper in the portable toilets. Seems so simple. Thanks for a great weekend.

Have run one prior marathon in Dallas 5 years ago and many half marathons including two R & R 1/2 marathons. New Orleans as a city was a great place to be. Multiple hotels in or around the French Quarter that were within a short walk to the start. The Expo was fair with few samples and was less than expected as compared to other Expos I have attended including others by R & R. A nice tech shirt with the swag bag but only samples were two tiny sunscreen packets and a small sample of a topical pain reliever. Was able to leave my hotel at 6:30 and was in my corral by 6:40 for 7:00 start. For my liking the weather was very nice during the race 50's to 60's. Plenty of water stations and 2 gel stations so I carried nothing with me except 2 additional gels. First 13 miles ran with 1/2 marathoners making it a little congested especially at some of the water stations. Very uneven road miles 10-12 where I had to focus more on where I was running. Course itself ran through scenic parts of the city and was flat with plenty of shade during the first half of the race. The second half the race was much more open and on better roads. Peaceful out and back along the lake and hills over the bridges not too bad but more to them than what I expected. Pretty last 3 miles in and around the park. Scattered cheer squads were enthusiastic and many bands along the course. Otherwise fans were fewer and less supportive as compared to other races I had participated in. Despite cramping the last 3 miles I had my PR under 3:45. Medal had a nice New Orleans flare to it otherwise looked like my other medals from R & R races. Great shuttle service back to the start. Not sure I want to do another R & R race. They are well organized but expensive, have a cookie cutter feel to them that takes away from the uniqueness from each individual race, and amenities have diminished over time. I would definitely go back to New Orleans for other races.

I have a love/hate relationship with Competitor Group who put on these Rock and Roll series races. I love the destinations, but hate the over-priced race entry fees. Don't ever forget they are all about the profit, and will nickel/dime you to death. Want to track a runner? OK, but you have to pay for it. You get a blah race shirt with your entry fee, but the really cool ones cost extra. Want to park within a mile of the finish? Sure for $20. Expo: Easy in/Easy out. They always have a ton of vendors and it's easy to burn an hour or more browsing. Start: The start was well within walking distance of the French QTR and CBD. With 15,000 people participating, the corral system worked well. Most people seemed to respect their corral placement and the number of walkers out of the gate was kept to a minimum. Course: Fast, flat and scenic. You hit a lot of the 'must see' places in NOLA. Watch out for Esplanade Avenue though. Poor road conditions and a steep camber make for interesting miles 10-13. Spectators are plentiful along St. Charles Blvd, but pretty sparse along the lake, miles 16-22. Water stops: Spaced evenly, but sporadic on street location placement. Sometimes they are on both sides, sometimes only on the left side. For example, the first at the 1.8 mile mark they only had water/Gatorade on the left side of the street causing a lot of congestion. Finish: Meh. Again, for the price I expected more I guess. Water, choc milk, green bananas, and protein bars. Nothing salty. This is NOLA, how 'bout some Abita and Red Beans/Rice at the finish? Nah, instead you get unripe bananas and Michelob Ultra (beer by name only). Post race music. 'A Bag Of Donuts' who came on after the headliner, rocked the house. They were just awesome. Bottom Line: I would recommend this race for those that don't mind paying the Competitor Group premium. It's a good destination race that is ripe for a PR.

We have all heard the bashing of Competitor and the R&R series. This was my 19th marathon, but my first R&R race. Yes, it was pricey, and they charged top dollar for all the add-ons at the expo. But as for the race itself, the corrals were clearly marked, the start and traffic flow was pretty smooth - I was in corral 5 of about 18, and finished about 10 minutes slower than my estimated finish time, but was never in too much traffic. Post-race logistics were clear and logically laid out - but the walk to the shuttle buses could have been a bit shorter. The last 10 miles of the course through a soggy park got a bit tedious. Overall I did not encounter anything that would prevent me from entering another R&R event - despite the fact that the medals and t-shirts for the full and half were the same (except for a microscopic 1/2 in front of the word Marathon on the medal), which somewhat cheapens the full marathon accomplishment, but they were pretty nice shirts and medals.

I picked this race to PR and I did. TIP #1: run on the streetcar path while on St.Charles. Relieves the congestion from the mix of half and full runners, and is easier on you than the city street. TIP#2: the streets really aren't as bad as some report, but do watch the pavement from mi 10-11 on Explanade Ave. TIP#3: stayed at Sheraton (helpful staff, nice room, pick the river view) within easy walking distance of the start. There's a restaurant just across from hotel with great pasta for prerace dinner, Red Gravy. Make reservations.

This is my hometown, and I'm glad everyone enjoyed NO. But, in NO we do races differently. We have unlimited free beer, red beans & rice and/or jambalaya at the post party. RnR bought out the Mardi Gras Marathon a few years back. I ran the first RnR and was sadly disappointed. I hoped RnR had learned that NO runners expect more than a banana or protien bar after huffing it 26.2 miles. This year proved that they had not. I will never run this marathon again.

This was my first experience with the Rock n Roll group. I was not to impressed with the expo. I did get some nice free samples but most of the things on sale I just was not impressed with. The men's gear looked better than women's to me. I only bought the stick because I could not pack my foam roller. I thought race day was well organized. I was surprised the corrals moved as quickly as they did. Some of the water/gatorade stops were not staffed fully to meet the needs. I was happy for the salt packet around mile 6-7 or so. I really enjoyed the course and the crowds were decent. The only real big negative was the bumpy roads. I'm from NYC so I am used to potholes but really this was something. I was afraid I would twist or roll something. I would run the half again and might even consider the full in the future.

Very well run event! Lots of hotels (not to pricy either) within walking distance of start line....easy to take a bus from finish back to starting area.....the corral/wave system worked great - lots of runners but they were spread out well on pretty wide streets...weather was great...flat course...well policed - lots of volunteers passing out water and gatorade....not a ton of spectators but who cares...great job NOLA and Rock N Roll....very professional - no complaints!

Really enjoyed this city. Great food, charming people, wonderful architecture. Rock and Roll did a great job. Organization was top notch. I did miss the turn for the full marathoners and I ran in with the half marathoners. Someone was about to put a medal on me when I asked where the marathoners went and I was sent back out, bummer, that was hard. I turned around and I ran an extra 1.8 miles, I guess I was not paying close enough attention. I really enjoyed everything else.

I enjoyed this run, especially the beginning along St Charles Ave and even set a marathon PR of 3:32:12. The spectators are sporadic for several miles along lakeshore drive when you take turns looking at the water AND the field of runners on the opposite side of the street.

Flat fast course. Decent medals, and a competitive field. Expo was fast efficient and staging accessible from race hotels. Post race shuttle well organized to move 15-20,000 people...the Key here of course is New Orleans and the visit to the 'big easy': fun town, iconic music scene...plan on spending a few days and eating and dancing your way cross this fantastic city...

This was an awesome race! I'm even pretty skeptical of competitor, but they did a great job with this race. Here is my breakdown: Expo: Large and with lots of vendors, as you would expect from a rock n' roll event. Packet pick up was easy, and the expo location was convenient to downtown and the quarter. Pre-race: The location was very easy to get to, we just walked from our hotel. There was water and snacks available. Bag check was quick and easy. There was also plenty of room to warm up. The RUN: I absolutely loved the course! From the chill little stint down the scenic St. Charles St, which was really nice because we could run on the softer surface where the streetcar normally runs. Then you get some of the scenery of French quarter, off through a more calm stretch through a park, off to the lake, and back. Though the last portion was mostly out and back, I still really enjoyed it. There were also tons of goodies to partake in along the course...beignets at mile 7, beer near the half finish, then beer and martinis?!? at mile 15/23. Although I was moving along quite nicely at mile 23 that a martini or beer would've killed me, it was still amusing and a fun touch. Swag: The medal is cute, with a little N'awlins flair. The t-shirt was nice. I also appreciated that it is fitted for women, and regular for men. Post race: it was easy to move through the finishers area, and they had the normal treats you would expect. The park that the race finishes in is huge, cute, and pretty perfect for post race activities. There was plenty of room to stretch, gear check was quick, there were two free beers to help ice the pain, and the band was really fun. The bus line to get back to the start area was quite long, but it moves quicker than you would think (they had soooo many buses!). Maybe grab a beer or snack to make your wait more amusing, and chat up a fellow runner on your accomplishment. This was a great race in a fun destination, and I would happily run it again!!

This was my second time doing the Full marathon here and I loved it both years! Great weather and I loved the second half running by the lake! It was a beautiful neighboorhood and park! The only part I did not like is for the first half when we ran with the half marathoners because only one side of the road was open. Last year they had both sides open for the first 13 miles. It was terribly crowded and I could not wait until the break from the half marathoners for that reason. Last year the full had the other side and we didnt have to fight for space. NOLA is a really fun place to be before and after the race!

This was my second time doing the Full marathon here and I loved it! Loved the start better than last year! Great weather (but I hope next year it is a little earlier in the year cause it is usually HOT that late) I loved the second half running by the lake unlike some people! It was a beautiful neighboorhood and park! The only part I did not like is they only had one side of the road open and last year they had both for the first 13 miles I had to fight the half marathon people! Last year the full had the other side and we didnt have to fight for space. Great cheerleaders everywhere very friendly locals! Fun city to play in before a race! Very organized! Rock n Roll knows how to host a race! Will do again!

New Orleans...I get it. I understand why it draws so many people. The city is fantastic and the neighborhoods are superb. Fitting that the race, one of the RNR series, was the one that made it even more memorable. The course was flat, the crowd thinned in the middle but were very supportive, and the views of the various neighborhoods certainly highlighted the architecture of south. I had forgotten my headphones so this is the first time I really noticed there were great bands all along the course. The expo was held in the Morial convention center not too far from Bourbon St and the Waterfront Market which made traffic and parking ridiculous. But that was the worst of the event. All else was very well organized. I had just run hilly Austin 2 weeks prior and was expecting NOLA's flat course to give me the opportunity of getting a PR. But the body broke and the mind faltered and I ended up only 2 seconds faster than TX. Great race, infuriating performance.

As with most marathons, this race had both good and bad points. The good: it's hard not to have a good time in NOLA. After running in the morning, spending the evening on Bourbon St. is fine with me. Also, very laid back city which also translates to the crowds (what there was of them...). Not so good: Sorry, but the medal was boring. I think that's typical of RNR races. Not a big fan. Also, I twisted my ankle 3 different times from the horrible roads. Not cool. The food afterwards was not great, but again, I've come to expect that from RNR. Finally, I was REALLY disappointed with the lack of crowd support. Come on NOLA, you can do better than that! Those that did come out were great and boisterous. All in all, it was ok. But it's probably a one and done for me.

Loved New Orleans, loved PR'ing, and loved crossing LA off my list of states. It was a great experience, but RnR did nothing to enhance the experience. And it's pretty hard to screw up the NOLA experience, but RnR nearly did. My biggest beef is that the race is not runner friendly...here's why: -Poor management of the website and Facebook page. The website left a lot to be desired. Additionally, it had some flat out mis-information. Advertised Cytomax, race day we were drinking Gatorade. The pace groups that were offered on the website were nowhere to be found on race day (I purposely start slow and turn it on the last 13; as part of that strategy I texted ahead to my mom who was waiting at mile 13 to have her time how far I was behind my pace group...only problem, there was no pace group!). Due to the poor website lots of racers were turning to Facebook for answers; problem- RnR wasn't responding on Facebook. So you had runners answering other runners questions, which only led to more confusion. Managing a website and Facebook page are SO easy to do; the inability to do so conveys the feeling that you don't care. -Surprisingly horrible swag. Shirt was crap. Swag bag could only be called that because they gave you a bag (with no swag in it). The annoying part about it is that there were some great shirts, jackets, hats for sale; so you know they could design some good stuff, but they only care to give you the good stuff if you're willing to pay. When you're paying upwards of $100 for registration, you expect more! -Other gripes: like everyone else has said, last half of the course was BORING. Good atmosphere at the post-race party but you have to pay for food and beer...seriously? You got free bagels and fruit and two small beers but if you wanted the jumbalaya and 12oz beers you had to pay. $85 for the digital download for pictures?!? -Positives: great medals, wave/corral start was well-organized, course was clearly marked with adequate timing clocks, tons of cameramen. It just seems as though RnR lost sight of the fact that the runners are their #1 priority. There are so many races out there that will treat you like the elite athlete that you are; unfortunately RnR won't. My advice- find some other runner-friendly events. My suggestions: Snickers Albany (GA), Mississippi Blues, Mercedes Benz Birmingham.

Loved New Orleans, loved the experience, loved crossing LA off my list of states, and loved PR'ing! But this will be my first and last RnR because I didn't feel like this race was runner-friendly at all. Here's why: -poor management of website and social media. The website lacked information and was just flat out wrong in some regards (one example- website advertised cytomax; race day we were drinking Gatorade). Another example: website listed more GU stations than there actually were on the course. Their Facebook was poorly managed- many racers were using the FB page due to the poor website; only problem, RnR wasn't responding. So you had racers answering other racers which only led to further confusion. Maintaining a website/FB page requires so little effort; to not do so shows complete disregard for your runners. -Shockingly horrible swag. Bad shirt, worse bag. When paying $120, you expect a little more. Positive note- medal was awesome. -More gripes: ridiculous pricing for photos (something like $85 for the digital download). Pace groups advertised pre-race, pace groups invisible on race day (I purposely start slow. Texted ahead to my mom at mile 13 to have her time how far I was behind pace group, only to find out there was no pace group). On a positive note: well-organized (smooth packet pick up, loved the corral/wave start), great atmosphere at post-race party, tons of cameramen. Again, the experience was amazing. With it being New Orleans it would take a lot to screw that up. RnR did just enough to not screw it up but this race could have been so much better. RnR needs to prove that they're more runner-friendly before I'll ever register for another of their races...there are just too many races out there that will treat you like the elite athlete that you are; RnR won't, unfortunately.