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Jul 4, 2024

Little Rock Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.2

Organization 4.6

Spectators 4.2

Number of comments: 409 [displaying comments 311 to 321]

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B. W. from Louisville, KY (3/6/2006) "A Real Southern Treat!" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I gave this marathon a try as my second of this year because of the comments from last year's runners on MarathonGuide.Com. It did not disappoint. The weather was just about perfect, mostly overcast with some wind. The course was for the most part interesting, giving a good view of the city, hitting the major spots such as the Clinton Library and historic Central High School. A couple of neighborhoods were very picturesque, full of older well maintained homes. Hills, both long gradual grades, steeper climbs between miles 13.5 to 16 and a couple near the end were more than the race directors advertised, but in line with runners' comments from previous years. Fan support in most areas was friendly and encouraging. At several churches along the route, parishioners stood and yelled encouragement. The personalized name tags gave fans a chance to cheer you on and they did so in spades. Water stops were well organized and traffic control was good, except for a tendency at a couple of intersections for officers to let cars through a little too closely to when a runner entered the intersection. The finish line was well organized, but the choice of snacks was a little odd. After running 26.2, give us a whole banana, not pieces. The finisher's medal truly is enormous, plus you get a finisher's shirt. The governor of Arkansas, who ran the race, has promoted this run and it shows. It could use some polish, but the people of Little Rock and the race organizers should be proud of what they have put together in a few short years.
D. G. from Columbus, Ohio, USA (3/6/2006) "Out & back on bike path at miles 19-23! Why?!!!!" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The first 14 miles of this course were great! Crossing the river into North Little Rock, returning to tour the streets of downtown past the Clinton Presidential Center, Central High School, Governor's Mansion, "Sugarbaker House" from TV's Designing Women (actually Villa Marre). Lots of variety and interest. At mile 19 you entered a bike path for an out-and-back stretch.... What were they thinking?!!!! No man's land... no music, no fans, boring! And you get to watch the runners who have already made it to the turn-around and are leaving! Not great for morale when you are trying to avoid hitting "the wall." It is as though the organizers gave up on making the course interesting once the half marathon was done. The 19-23-mile stretch seemed like "filler" to me. Crowd support along the rest of the course was good. I loved the fact that our names were on our bibs. Since I was running alone, it was great fun having people cheer me on by name! The volunteers did an outstanding job at registration, all the stops and at the finish. The food at the finish area was probably the best I have had at any race finish, with a good variety of fruit, sweets and salty snacks. (Loved the Goldfish!!!!) The maps they provided in our race packets were pretty much worthless, unless you knew Little Rock. No other streets were shown, so it was difficult for family and friends to plot a course where they could drive to see you. The map of streets where "no parking" was allowed... didn't even have names of streets on it! The finisher's medal is unbelievable! I give it a 5-star rating! "Big & bodacious" is an understatement!!!!!
A. s. from Chicago, IL (3/6/2006) "Great race; put it on your calendar" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was a great run. The volunteers were very friendly as you passed by. The course was challenging, with hills from miles 14-16 and then the last hill at 26, but that made it all the more interesting. I ran with the 4-hour pace leader and she was amazing, I hope she reads this - thanks for all your help. If you get a chance you should think about doing this run. Also, the bonus is you get to see the Clinton Library. You get 2 shirts and the medal speaks for itself. Finally, upon crossing the finish line you get Little Debbie snack cakes. Can you think of anything better?
Ryan Miller from Warren, Michigan (3/6/2006) "Excellent Race" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 7th marathon and 7th state! It ranks in my top 2 marathons and I would highly suggest this race as a MUST-DO event! Spectators were wonderful and cheered us on with enthusiasm, although there were some areas where there were not any spectators! Race expo was a little cramped, but it was a good set-up! The only issue I had was with the Clarion Hotel - The latest LATE checkout was 2 p.m. I barely had enough time to wobble back there from the finish line, shower and pack! What about those people who finished 5 or 6 hours after the start... what were they to do? Pay for another night??? I think that was the only bad experience I had! The race was EXCELLENT! The course was beautiful (what hills?)! The people were friendly and supportive! There was a HUGE MEDAL and a second shirt for finishing! Oh yeah... I beat the governor! LOVE the city of LITTLE ROCK and the HOSPITALITY of the people!
R. T. from Virginia (3/6/2006) "Some positives, some serious negatives" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 The Little Rock Marathon is a sometimes delightful, sometimes troubling mix of highs and lows - and some of that means literally. The volunteers and police deserve only the highest praise and the water stations are more than adequate in both quantity and assortment (water, Gatorade with frequent bananas, oranges and gels). Spectators are about what you'd expect for a medium-size city, only with a touch of southern charm and friendliness that makes them seem more numerous. Now for the flip side. The weak course map, which measure elevation only at the mile markers, disguises the plentiful hills. Yes, they roll for a while, but there's a two-mile uphill challenge just past the midpoint of the race, a steep incline at 18, and an unexpected and painful hump at mile 25. The course, which is actually just a bunch of twists and turns in the midst of some big loops, puts you in sight of the finish line many times before you get there, including an ending sequence that points you toward the capitol until it cruelly sends you in the opposite direction. But Little Rock's biggest black eye is the so-called "pasta party." For $15, you got a few slivers of lettuce, two slices of bread the thickness of a time and a few macaroni shells that would be insufficient to feed a two-year old, let alone a marathoner. Don't ask for seconds because they wouldn't allow them (despite pleading three race officials) and wound up running out of food less than halfway through what was supposed to be a three-hour event. The advertised dessert was non-existent, and the only response to this was a "sorry" when I asked the race director. If you like hilly courses, don't be afraid to go to Little Rock. Just save your money and stress by avoiding the pasta dinner and be aware that objects on the elevation map may underestimate what actually appears. In all, the race medal might be big and bodacious, but the race's shortcomings put it squarely on the border of bad and atrocious.
l. r. from Texas (3/6/2006) "Perfect day" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Little Rock Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Another fine LR Marathon! This race keeps gettng better. The biggest change I noticed this year was the addition of more shorter races. There were fewer spectators, maybe because there were more runners. It is all about participation. The expo had more exhibitors, and more running-related exhibitors this year. It is big enough; it needs more space. Several were public health-related, and all wanted to talk. Saw the governor there. Easy packet pick-up. The race still starts in the shadow of the state capitol. There is a festival feeling before race time, with beach balls and loud music. Lined up near the governor, who was very upbeat. This is a great race for scenery. It is truly a tour of LR/NLR: a shy young African-American boy waving at runners from his front porch, dresed in his Sunday best, half a dozen men from an SRO out to wave, the mayor of NLR, Central High, church-goers and preachers, gospel music, the Governor's Mansion, the hipsters of Hillcrest, the river. Yeah, there are hills, but if the course were flattened, we'd miss all that. The whole experience still has a hometown feel to it. Got passed by the governor by the river. That's an only-in-Arkansas experience. There really is a lipstick station at the top of the last hill. Hundreds of disposable lipsticks and little mirrors. Post-race there is a wide array of snack foods, even nachos. Bring your kids! Of course, they are nearby anyway, waiting for the kids' marathon. Weather was perfect this year, cool and overcast. My only suggestion would be for the RD to remind walkers to line up correctly. There are many first-timers, and they don't always know. By the way, walkers have a one-hour head start, and the roads DO close then.
K. L. from Omaha, Nebraska (12/30/2005) "Nice Race, Nice People, Nice Town" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 19th marathon. I found the people in Little Rock to be very, very nice. We were greeted by friendly people in the airport to show us where to go. The employees at the Comfort Inn were also awesome. I echo these sentiments for the people at the expo and at the Clinton Library (and I am a staunch Republican). I had to catch a plane right after the race, and the trolly service ran like clockwork. You don't have to wait long at all. Even if you wanted to walk to the Comfort Inn, you can do it in about 10 minutes. It is also about a 10-minute walk from the Clinton Library. Little Rock is a clean community. The course has some minor hills, and there is a big one at mile 15 (Kavanaugh Hill). Be ready for this one! You get 2 t-shirts and a medal that may cause back problems if you wear it too long. Overall: Two thumbs way up.
R. S. from New Boston,Texas (12/24/2005) "Gold Star for Little Rock" (about: 2005) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race was well organized. The course was excellent and interesting. The people of Little Rock along the course were enthusiastic and friendly. The food at the rest stops was wholesome and plentiful. Bravo to the police officers.
Bill Neal from Little Rock, Arkansas (11/22/2005) "Great Course" (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon but certainly one that I look forward to running again. It was well organized and the course provides a lot of variety. The spectators along the course were great and very encouraging. Little Rock should be proud to have a quality event such as this.
W. R. from Shreveport, LA (7/7/2005) "great race; mostly good experience " (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Little Rock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Some runner friends told me this would be too tough a course for my first marathon, and the race was as demanding as they said. The overall experience was very good, with the disappointments coming mostly after the run was over. I thought the course through 18 miles was very good and interesting; got to run through downtown neighborhoods, past the capitol, up the bluffs overlooking the river. Had a very nice turnout in the neighborhoods - everyone was very encouraging. My complaint about the course was that the run along the river was far too long; boring and not very well attended by spectators. I would have preferred to run through the downtown and surrounding areas more, even if it did get very hilly in places. The only downside of the weekend was after the race. It seems like organization - which had been excellent to that point - broke down in the post-race area. I was directed, along with several other finishers, to the wrong entrance at the finisher's tent and missed out on collecting the race poster and most other stuff that was being given out. At least we were given our finisher's T-shirts! Then the post-race evening party ran out of food about 1 hour into a 2 1/2 hour event, and nobody had the courtesy to let people still in line know that there was no more food. People ended up standing in line for 1/2 hour waiting in vain for anything to be brought out. Seems like someone could have made some sort of announcement. I also had trouble getting the race organizers to respond to emails afterwards. I contacted them a few days after the race about getting a race poster and was promised an electronic copy; then I had to keep emailing every week for 5-6 weeks before they finally sent one to me. Overall - high marks to the spectators, good course design, and 'needs improvement' for the race organizers. If you do run this race, be sure to sign up for the perks tent - it's worth the extra $15!

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