Atlanta Marathon - Race Reviews

This was absolutely my best race yet. Though the course was mildly hilly throughout I had a great time on this course. The fans and spectators many dressed in Halloween costumes, were the best. At mile 13 I saw I could get my 1st BQ and in fact did just that. I placed 6th overall and having got my BQ requested more photos from my camera which the race photographers did. The post race party was chill and fun. I highly recommend this course if you don't mind some hills.

I am a near lifelong resident of Atlanta and this course brought back many memories of my life. It is very hilly, but its up and down and the downhills are great. On a difficult course I ran my best time in almost a year. I love this course and the race is a great smaller race.

This was my first marathon and I loved it. I grew up in Atlanta but live away now and don't get back enough, so it was a meaningful race for me. I was at a wedding the night before so I wasn't sure how I'd do but it was fine. After listening to everyone and reading reviews, I expected terrifying hills, but it actually wasn't too bad. I trained in Nashville which is pretty hilly anyway. I don't know what's crazier...running a marathon or getting up at 7 am to watch strangers run a marathon, but I certainly appreciated the fan support. Sometimes they were confused about where they were though...someone at mile 11 told me, 'halfway! halfway!' The gear check up the stairs after was pretty brutal, but what are you gonna do. Free Mellow Mushroom was nice too.

Very good Race. Rolling hills. Nice cheer areas the race is a loop around Atlanta Not crowded 1000 runners in the marathon well organized. I would run it again.

First of all, I loved this race, as I love them all. This was my third marathon and by far my worst pace. I was pacing under four hours for the first half and ended up walking a portion after twenty miles because the hills had just destroyed me. Highlights include: The World of Coca-Cola, Georgia Aquarium, Phillips Arena, Georgia Dome, CNN Tower, Centennial Olympic Park, State Capitol building, running under the Olympic Rings as the sun was rising (mile 7), The different Olympic torch statues throughout the city, Turner Field, Oakland Cemetery, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and historic site, and Piedmont Park (designed by the guy that designed Central Park). But keep in mind that all but one of these attractions are in the first half of the race. One of the great parts of this race was the 'Adopt a Mile' program for organizations in the community to offer support, keep the course clean, and offer aid stations. Some of the Adopters that stood out were the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association who all wore giant Bee outfits and sported pun-arific signs. The Blind Center of Atlanta was manning one of the aid stations so I grabbed a water from a blind person. The Puppet Center of Atlanta was out on the street as well cheering with their puppets. Mile 21 was Zombie Zone were a local high school chased some of the runners as if they were zombies. This was a crazy hard course for me with all of the hills, but I finished! I was disappointed in the organization of the race in that I didn't get my bib number until the packet pick up, day before race day, and there was no tracking available for my friends and family. The course map provided on their website had no street names or accurate description of the course elevation gain and loss. The spectators also were a bit of a disappointment in that this is a major city and there was a fairly small turnout, other than the aforementioned adopt-a-mile crews (which were great). The packet pick-up was rather pathetic to put it simply. There was almost zero post race festivities, with no beer tent, and no organized way to just hang and chill with the other runners.

Loved the small size. Loved Atlantic station - flush toilets and burgers at the end! And publix. Small sizeeasy start and expo and finish. The police on the course were great! I never had to wait for cars. Plenty of water and cups for my 12:15 pace.yes, it was hilly, but my soreness is spread out over all muscles. Actually better than flatter course soreness. Flying in and out of Atlanta very easy. Wish they had shower option at finish.

Very well organized, very well run. Crowds cheering were awesome. But, seriously, who designed this race? Some sick evil hill loving freak?

Atlanta morning news said 16,000 started the race. The race announcer at the start said 14,000 strong was starting the race. Race results show 1029 finished the 5K, 8472 finished the half and 1833 finished the full marathon. That's 11,604 finishers& WOW & somewhere out there on one of those hills is between 2300 and 4300 people trying to climb it & I've proven two things here (Atlanta), I can do arithmetic and I won't run this one again. Too many hills for this 'ole lady. When one quarter don't finish your race, that's a bad sign.

Whew! I live in Atlanta, run in Atlanta, have done several marathons in Atlanta and it just doesn't get any easier! The ATC managed to find a way to fit a hill into every mile of the race. But, having said that, Success! It will definitely test your reserves but you will be very happy when you finish. Almost all of the course is scenic with the least attractive part being in the dark at the start (Northside Drive). Fabulous course support, more than enough water stops and the cheer zones along the way made the time (and hills) pass far more quickly than many other races I've done. Not quite Disney but not too far away from it. Loved the Pyrenees Rescue, Garden Club and many more. They were great. To the person who commented on the food, the Atlanta Track Club is made up of avid runners and works very hard to accommodate runners needs. I'm sure they will take your comments into consideration. I didn't have any issues with what was available. And I loved the medal. They were also giving out mugs but I didn't hang around for one. I would do it again. Thanks for a great day ATC!

Great organization! Easy parking. Easy packet pick-up. Wonderful fan support!!! Great finish line this yearliked the new finish area! Aid stations were plentifulevery 2 miles at the most. Extremely hilly, but very interesting course. Enjoyed it immensely. By far the best of the marathons that I have run!!!

Overall pretty good race, but not necessarily worth seeking out. Good: -Start/finish location was great - Atlantic Station, very easy to get to, minimal traffic, ample parking (not free though), shops, and restaurants, really just a perfect place for this race to start and end -Size - About 1000 marathoners and many more relay participants. There is no half. I think the size was perfect. I hate those 20k races. Getting there, using the restrooms, bag-check, all the pre-race stuff that can add to stress was very easy and near perfect -Volunteers - All very nice and helpful, there were plenty of volunteers around -Aid stations - plenty available, only 2 gel stations, but plenty of water/power-aid -Medal - simple, but classy Average: -Course - A little hilly (fine with me), and not the most scenic, but certainly a fine course, safe, well-marked -Spectators - A great idea to have an adopt-a-mile program where different organizations signed up to cheer each mile, they were enthusiastic (I especially liked the Great Pyrenees Rescue foundation with all their dogs), but more people overall would have been better Bad: -Post race food - Of my 6 marathons and several other halves and races, this had by far the worst post-race food. Absolutely no warm food at all. Also, nothing was salty, it was all sweet (cookies, sugary popcorn, chocolate granola bars). It really was awful. Luckily there was a California Pizza Kitchen near the finish, but this race seriously needs to reconsider their post-race food offerings. Will I run it again: I would if I lived in or around Atlanta. I live about 6 hours away, so I don't plan to return just given distance. Without having done any other Georgia Marathons, I do think this could be a good one to do if you are working on the states.

I read comments from previous years and was expecting hills. I wasn't expecting nearly non-stop tear-inducing heartbreaking calf-wrenching quad-busting hills. My boyfriend and I did a back-to-back weekend with the Spinx Marathon in Greenville and did not expect to feel good. But we felt far worse than we imagined. My apologies to the volunteer who offered me a bag of popcorn at the finish line and made me cry. I was hungry. Sorry I wasn't more appreciative. The police support was great. They all seemed happy to be helping - or maybe they were just laughing at me. Loved the Great Pyrenees rescue club! Those puppies are beautiful! I didn't receive a tech shirt, but the one I received was just fine. Thanks for the nice glass.

Like everyone else, I found this course challenging because of the hills. The weather (cloudy, spitting rain, breezy and cool) was great. I really liked the course that went through or past many interesting places and pretty parks. Water every 1.5 miles or so was very nice. Biggest asset for the race was the incredible fan support. People cheering and yelling the whole way. Best fan support I have seen in quite a while at races. I travelled from Oregon for this race and really enjoyed the southern hospitality and warmth of the people. It was one of my favorite marathons this year.

Great Race! Thank You Atlanta Track Club! The volunteers were great! Very well organized.

This is a great course and very challenging. The course is very hilly and offers a great challenge for anyone looking for a hilly marathon. The organization was great. The expo wasn't anything big so maybe they can grow on that in the future. Best part was receiving a pint glass at the finish line. Great job Atlanta Track Club!

Just after the start in the darkness we faced hills, followd by more hills. The sunrise revealed more hills until we reached the half-way mark with more hills ahead. There were hills and hills until the final nice surprise: fast run downhill towards the finish line. I expected a much bigger event for the Olympic City. Expo was rather modest and the welcome back-pack was almost empty. The volunteers and supporters, especially school kids were fantastic, supportive, noisy and surprisingly innovative. Overall I highly recommend this race to all who are not afraid od hills.

Even knowing that the Atlanta Track Club has a penchant for hilly courses in most of their races, I was surprised by how hilly this course was. The second half was brutal. Despite this and how it affected my time, it was a nice experience. The spectators and volunteers were awesome. I especially liked the kids at Inman Park and the wonderful fluffy dogs after Piedmont Park. If you're looking for a marathon with glamour or a ton of people, this isn't it, nor will you see all of Atlanta, but this is a great race.

The Atlanta Marathon is a worthwhile, well-run race but it's not a once-in-a-lifetime experience like some other big city races. The good: Hassle-free: no traffic getting there, parking just footsteps away. Favorable weather: October in ATL is almost always great for running. Efficiently run: well-managed staging area. Water stops evenly spaced with well trained volunteers. Pretty residential neighborhoods: mainly in the second half of the race. But there are a few negatives: Dead spots: It's the nature of Atlanta: to get from point A to point B you often have to go through boring if not desolate areas. Finish line: It's between a parking garage and an empty field. Why not end it at a more interesting public location such as the Atlantic Station arch (just two blocks away)? Misplaced clocks: A few of them seemed out of place, esp. the 6 mile clock. It may have been at the 10K point. As everyone else notes, it's a very hilly course but that's not necessarily a con, some marathoners actually like a little adversity.

Lots of hills!! I ran the Publix Georgia Marathon in March, and expected the Atlanta Marathon course to be similar. It was not. The Georgia Marathon course goes through many small neighborhoods and has many rolling up hills and downhills. The Atlanta Marathon goes on the main roads and it felt like there were no downhills to recover from the uphills. The uphill at mile 25 is brutal!! With all that said, the ATC did a good job putting on a low-key marathon. Plenty of water, port-o-potties and volunteers. The cheering sections were nice. The prize money for this race was an easy grab for anyone who can clock a decent marathon time. I would run it again.

Being local to Atlanta, this was my first marathon. It's a challenging course, but I'm not in it for easy. ATC did a great job organizing. Spectators, though sometimes sparse, were enthusiastic, many in costume. Cool weather that warmed up nicely towards the end. Liked the downhill finish. Good way to see much of the different locals of Atlanta.

We ran this race as a double with Greenville Spinx Marathon. I was very negative about the high late entry fee and also the fact there was no bib pick up on race day so had to drive 300 miles extra on Friday just to get our bibs. I was still very negative on race morning saying to my wife this double was a huge mistake. It all changed during our run. Perfect weather, great aid stations, friendly volunteers and even the police were so positive. What a wonderful route and tour of the City. We both hate hills but had a great run. Nice long clock for us slow people too. Great job RD and all your volunteers. We don't usually write up reviews of marathons but this one caused us to have a 180 degree turn in our views and are we glad we added it to our race weekend. We have run almost 500 marathons/ultras between us and this is a well organized event. Loved the medal and pint glass. Thanks for a nice nice run.

This was my first marathon - I finally did it. I enjoyed everything...mostly the finish. I wish that I had joined a pace group, maybe that would help me with my overall time goal of 4 hours. The weather was super. The police and volunteers were very plentiful and controlled traffic very well. The crowds were thin but lively. The hills were the usual brutal Atlanta area hills....not my favorite part of the event. The expo was pretty dismal even compared to other 1/2 marathons. More signs would be helpful at the race packet pickup so to know where to go at Atlantic Station. I loved the medal, shirt and glass. I wanted to hug the nice volunteer that presented me the medal. Overall, I thought it was a great event. I recommend and already planning next year too.

This was my first time running the Atlanta Marathon, and I got my Marathon PR by running the second half more than a minute faster than the first half. It was a new course that was full of rolling hills. The organization with the police was great. The crowds that were out on this 40 degree morning were amazing, with kids giving you high-fives. The music that was played was really great as well, especially Michael Jackson's 'Beat It.' I would advise against saying the phrase 'this is the last hill'!

A well organized marathon on a great circular course. I would recommend it to anyone. I particularly liked the posters put up by children. Yes a few hills and Posibly one flat bit does every race have to be a pb or do you want a challenge

This was my 9th marathon, and the toughest one. I was a bit disappointed with the Expo, especially coming from my last marathon in Houston. Only a few tents in a fenced in area outside. The hills were brutal, so if you plan to do this one, you better train with hills, many of them or you won't be ready.

Very well organized with an excellent website, hundreds of smiling volunteers, spectators & Atlanta Police over a challenging and scenic course highlighting urban and residential areas, perfect weather. Can't wait to do it again!

I can't say enough about how well Atlanta Track Club ran this marathon; the aid station and spectator support was outstanding. Even the police officers directing traffic were in on the fun. Spectators were sparse in areas, but well-spaced enough to be there when I needed a lift. Lots of cheering and high-fives from the spectators. It's a tough course and not to be taken lightly. The last half is tougher than the first. Look for significant hills at Miles 18, 21, and 23. If your goals are reasonable for a tough course, I think you'll be very pleased.

A very hilly, but very nicely done race. The packet pickup was at a tent in a parking lot which serves as the race start/finish area. In and out in ten minutes. Race parking extremely convenient (150 yards from start line.) About 1200 finishers, and also 300 relay teams. So this is what I consider a civilized-sized race. I like the relay teams; it is nice to have fresh runners on the course, if only to have someone new to chase down. The aid stations were plentiful and full of enthusiastic volunteers. All the sports drinks tasted watered down (in varying degrees) to me, except one where I think they were serving concentrate (burned my mouth). A few mile markers were off. I noticed mile Marker 6 was about .7 miles from Marker 7. Several mile markers were not set up where I saw spray painted mile markers. Mile marker 25 was set up where '26' was spray painted on the road. The sign was right, the painter was mistaken. I did not notice a Mile 26 marker. There were plenty of clocks on the course. I gave the course 4 stars because much of it was open to traffic, although the cops did a great job protecting the runners. I gave the spectators 3 stars because they were pretty sparse during much of the race. The cheer teams were tops, though. A lot of costumes at the aid stations and random spectators (my favorite, a woman in an elaborate mid-19th Century Southern Belle dress, hat, etc, with a sign 'Frankly my dear, I do give a damn.')The weather conditions were great, and the fall colors were spectacular. Just a beatiful day to be running.

The Atlanta Marathon has changed it's date and course to October 30. Here are my pros and cons. PROS 1. Great organization-The Atlanta Track Club knows how to put on a race. It was easy to navigate to the starting corrals and the finish was located very close to all the food and family area. 2. Security-Lots of police and traffic control. I never felt unsafe on the course. 3. Water Stops-The water/Powerade starts were setup all the same so that you knew when you came up to one it was water first then Powerade. 4. Medal-Nice heavy medal and also nice Nike finisher shirt. CONS 1. Course-This course had lots of rolling hills. Around mile 23 we had to climb up HeartAttack Hill from the Peachtree Road Race. That was a tough one. 2. Spectators-Few and far between but the ones out there were great. I don't especially need them but some folks do. Overview I hope this marathon makes it. The weather was perfect and if word gets out there could be bigger crowds next year.

Decent race overall. There was no Expo whatsoever to speak about. Course was hilly, very hilly. Not steep, just long. Gradual inclines and declines, one after another. When there were fans/spectators, they were great. PLENTY OF WATER STATIONS!!! The course circled center city which was cool & the course took us by many of the highlits of the city, including the dome, Centennial Park, Turner Field, Olymoic Park, etc. Weather was cool, about 35, but warmed up by the end to about 55. Great medal and a beer pint glass. Start & finish where well organized. My only complaint would be for the organizers to provide turn-by-turn directions. This would help family/friends be able to see the runners.

The Atlanta Track Club did a fantastic job with the organization of this race..lots of volunteers, police presence (to control traffic) and a water station every mile and a half. Run is mostly shaded which is great and beautiful scenery. It is a REALLY hilly course, so if you are looking for a challenge this is definately the race for you.

I was disappointed in the move from Thanksgiving, but I have to admit this is a much better event. The organization was fantastic. The course, while extremely hilly, showcases Atlanta. There are tons of spectators cheering hard all along the course. The medal, shirt, and free glass were all fantastic. While I wouldn't go here for a PR, I definitely will be running this one again and again. Kudos. It is the best larger marathon in Georgia.

This was my first marathon and I subsequently ran it a second time and volunteered at it once. I will run it again in 2010. The Atlanta Track Club is a top-notch organization that understands runners' needs and how to set up a race. 'Nuff said. Make no mistake: this is a difficult course, but not unreasonably so. It's hilly from the beginning - long hills, steep hills, even an occasional downhill. Life has hills. No complaints from me. There are not many fans out for this smallish race on Thanksgiving Day, but the volunteers and the fans who are out are wonderful. Besides, I'm not running for the people lining the streets. Easily a 4/5 and recommended.

The organizers of this race really, really want to get their volunteers home for the holiday. At the half, the water stop was shut down before 2:25. I had to run the rest of the race on the sidewalks, and I was handed a map at about 20. I really do appreciate that volunteer for sticking around a little longer. Even the mile markers were gone. You just came up to piles of empty water cups where the water stops had been. I even got dusted by the street cleaner. The course has mild hills throughout it; I was struggling with a chest cold but I had come too far to quit. A lot of the course is in the downtown area and is not very interesting. Thank goodness the medals were still there at the end. And thank you to all of the volunteers.

First marathon for me, chosen because I live in Atlanta. Great volunteer support. Weather was ideal. Miles 10 through 17 were a little boring. Rolling course with some challenging hills, particularly the last 10K.

This is a fun little Thanksgiving Day race with a lot going for it. I signed up for it at the last minute and am glad that I did. Here are the pros and cons as I saw them. Pros: 1). Late sign-up: I was able to sign up at the expo two days before the race. 2). Easy access/parking at the start. The marathon begins and ends at Turner Field. I was able to park right next to the starting line and drive right out when I finished. 3). Great volunteers: There were plenty of police and volunteers along the course watching out for the runners. They seemed to understand that they were the only fans and offered plenty of encouragement. 4). The half marathon start: The half marathon starts 30 minutes earlier at the opposite end of what is mostly an out-and-back course. That eliminated congestion issues with the marathon, an issue I've at had other races. 5). Overall organization: This race has been run by the ATC for a long time, and it shows. All of the details were covered. Cons: 1). The course is open to traffic. Only one lane of the road is coned off for runners, so I got a lungful of car exhaust a couple of times. 2). The finish area: Since the event is primarily a half marathon, the finish area was winding down when the marathon runners were coming in. Don't look for any post-race festivities. 3). The food: The post-race food was a bit weak - some peanut butter crackers, candy and bananas.

I ran the half marathon event (12 days after finishing another marathon). I just love this race! This was my 6th year running the half, and I can vouch that the shirt has been ugly every year. Upgraded in 2008 from a heavy, turkey-brown, cotton long-sleeve to a technical shirt that I can actually wear to run... nice improvement! Still ugly, but I wear it with pride. Runners all over town recognize the shirt; it's a great conversation starter! Beware the 5-hour time limit for the full marathon. This year, I was curious and decided to scope out the marathon course. After finishing my event and eating breakfast, I walked down Peachtree Road (about mile 18) and found myself waiting at a stoplight with one of the marathon runners. The cones had already been taken up, and I thought the runner was just about on pace to finish in 5 hours. No support for this runner, who was within minutes of the cutoff time. Having improved my marathon time on a lesser course, I hope to be ready to run the Atlanta Marathon next year.