Chattanooga Marathon Weekend - Race Reviews

On the course there were not food except gels. At the finish they did have bananas,coke and water. A marathon this size should have a feast at the finish line. I finished 3rd in my age group and the award said nothing about the year or date. I guess they are just trying to make as much money as possible. The finishers metal was very nice. I think you can find a better marathon in the state of Tennessee.

This was the first year for this marathon. Unfortunately due to a 'human error' the turnaround point just after the 5 mile point was mismarked by two blocks and the marathon course ended up 0.28 miles short. What I find disappointing is the race organizers found this out on Sunday, but now four days later still have not notified the marathoners on Facebook, on the event web page, or email, yet it came out in the local Chattanooga media. The course minus the missing section had limited nice sections. Most of it seemed to be through run down neighborhoods and industrial areas. The course was rolling to very hilly especially between 9 miles and 23 miles. There were few spectators. Most were family members that moved around the course. The rest were the numerous volunteers. The expo had limited vendors. It was practically deserted when I arrived to pick up my race packet one hour before it closed on Saturday. The race organization was good. There were plenty of volunteers. Buses were provided to get you from the finish to the start. The finish line was well organized. The medal and shirt designs were not much to speak of.

Very well organized for a first time event. The course was tough, but fair and provided an opportunity to see all sides of Chattanooga. I especially liked crossing the Tennessee River twice on two different bridges. I agree that the mile markers were off for most of the race by about .4 miles until the very end when you had a very long mile from 25 to 26. The marathoners have to share the course with the half-marathoners for the first 1.5 miles, which isn't too bad, except that the start was pretty narrow and for some inexplicable reason there were plastic cones set up between two lanes even though you were able to run in either lane. I loved the enthusiasm of the race organizers and it should be a great future event for Chattanooga.

This is not a PR course. The organization was good, except that they need to get the distance markers correct. From mile 4 to the 10K sign, the course was probably 3/10 to 4/10's of a mile short. It was made up in mile 26, which took me abut four minutes longer than it should have. Unusual that they do not give awards to overall winners, but instead have age group winners only.

I'm pursuing a marathon in all 50 states. This was my 42nd marathon and 39th state. For an inaugural marathon, this race was very impressive. The organization was excellent. The course is a wonderful overview of the city of Chattanooga but it is probably the hilliest marathon I have ever completed. The hills are really steep and there are a lot of them. The start is over a mile from the finish. Parking was provided at the finish and they shuttled you to the start. I stayed walking distance from the start and got a ride from another participant back to the start. Although I was the last finisher, the volunteers at the aid stations were still very enthusiastic for me, and there was even food left at the finish. I especially loved the college students who cheered for me on the UTC campus. Additional pros: Course was very well-marked with excellent traffic control Nice expo with anything you might need (but think carefully about when you go as I went around the same time as the 5K and kids fun run and it was crowded). Each mile was marked and there was runner tracking along the course. Areas for improvement: If you do the race for the shirt or the medal, they were both lacking in style. One aid station was missing between miles 2 and 6, but I'm sure they will make sure it's there next year. The mile markers were off by 4/10 mile almost the entire race. Overall, I had very few complaints. I found a lot of southern hospitality in Chattanooga. Keep in mind that the majority of runners do the half marathon, so depending on your pace you could be alone a lot during the marathon. I do think they are trying to increase numbers though. If you don't like hills this is not the marathon for you. I had a knee injury and I think if I had driven the course before race morning I might have chickened out. The scenery is great and the race is well-organized, though. I'm happy to check TN off the list with this one.

After running this marathon, it's hard to believe that this is an inaugural event! The course was well monitored and directed with plenty of friendly volunteers. Plenty of well stocked aid stations well manned with plenty of friendly volunteers! Packet pick up was very easy and the finish line was really nice! I loved having everything at the stadium! Fun and easy! Very nice medal! Runner tracking made it easy for my husband to follow me. Chattanooga is a beautiful city and this course is challenging, but fun! Great job, guys and I look forward to running this again in the future!

Great organization and execution of an inaugural event. Very nice runners view of a terrific city. 1 or 2 'not so great' sections as there are in most races, but overall excellent race. Will be back for sure.