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Charlottesville Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Charlottesville Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 3.0
Number of comments: 240 [displaying comments 101 to 111]
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Z. B. from Richmond, Virginia
(4/22/2007)
 "A hard, rewarding race" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 The race is in Charlottesville. Charlottesville is in the mountains. Obviously the race will not be a cakewalk. This was my first marathon and, as such, remarkable for me. There were quite a few trivial things that should have been done differently. There was a mile marker that was between a quarter- and a half-mile off. The shirt is awful. But, there were some remarkable parts of the course. I especially enjoyed the dirt-road legs. There were no singly insurmountable hills; I was expecting some steeper inclines after driving around Charlottesville for a bit! Overall I expect future marathons will be far better than this one. I will only return because it is such a challenging course. | |
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M. T. from Shelby NC
(4/22/2007)
 "Big Improvement!" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Charlottesville Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 The race organizers made some fine improvements this year: 1) Earlier start time. We beat the heat and much of the traffic. 2) Chip timing. Cuts down on the congestion at the starting line. And, speaking of which... 3) New start/finish line. Much easier - convenient to packet pickup, Port-a-johns, and parking, and also the new location helped to draw a bit of a crowd for the finish. 4) Plenty of volunteers to direct us at turns and to provide plenty of water/Gatorade. Also, there seemed to be more volunteers out on the course on bikes, and they cheered us on. 5) Better finish line logistics - easy to move right on through and find food and drink. 6) Great shirt. A synthetic fiber shirt you can run in. One note: As the runners enter Charlottesville in the final mile or so, several intersections were not staffed by police or volunteers. You really have to be careful of traffic. Yes, the course is very hilly, as their new elevation profile shows. If you want a challenge, this is it. I have run Grandfather Mountain and I think this course is as tough (or as fun, depending on you look at it). That's one reason that it's a great race. The organizers have this event back on track. It should never grow too big, but for a small-to-medium race, it is a beautiful course with some killer hills! | |
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M. L. from maryland
(4/22/2007)
"Rolling hills" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Beautiful marathon (scenery wise); well organized; plenty of volunteers; not much for fan participation; very hard and hilly; okay reception. I'D DO IT AGAIN. | |
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J. C. from Charlottesville, VA
(4/22/2007)
 "Gorgeous, but tough" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 While it is true that the course is beautiful, this race is *extremely* hilly from start to finish and if you're not prepared for it or don't leave enough gas in tank at the end, you may be too busy struggling to truly appreciate the scenery. That being said, all I know is that starting next week, I am totally going to rerun parts of the race because they were that gorgeous. The crowd support was as I expected it to be - not all that great, especially towards the middle, but totally understandable since we ran in some pretty remote areas and well. The scenery more than made up for it. In terms of organization, the initial water stops could have been better set up (I guess no one told them that they need to have the cups ready way more in advance), but the volunteer cyclists going up and down the road were very helpful; some were even passing around GU packets. There was some confusion, I felt, where the half and full marathons split up. I know I'm not the only one who loses 20 IQ points when I run long distance - I think they should have given more warning earlier. But all in all, I felt that the race organization was pretty well done, considering it is a smaller race. The finish line was pretty nifty... I guess there was some town celebration going on at the same time and it was awesome to run back to a finish line with a marching band and a host of baton twirlers. My final $.02: If you live close enough to drive to Charlottesville, love beautiful scenery, don't mind hills, aren't looking to PR and aren't a snob about having perfectly set up races, I would recommend this race. | |
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J. H. from Takoma Park, Maryland
(4/21/2007)
"Challenging yet beautiful course." (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran this race in 2007 and overall I would recommend it to other marathoners. Here are some comments and some things you should know. 1 - The course is very pretty, but challenging with ups and downs throughout. I've run a total of eight marathons including this one (Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Richmond, Marine Corps, and now Charlottesville) and Charlottesville was definitely the most challenging. There are what I considered to be two or three fairly significant hills (a big one was early on at ~ mile five or so), but there were many gradual winding inclines and numerous ups and downs (read the map and elevation profile on the webpage). Take advantage of the flat sections to gather your bearings. I did not set a PR, but I enjoyed the race because I went out relaxed and steady and kept it that way throughout (I ran ~3:28). You must plan your approach to this run before getting to the start line - you WILL suffer if you don't save something for the second half of the race and the last five miles. 2 - Support (pre-/post-race areas, food, race shirt, finishers' medal, water stops, etc.) was good. My most significant comment is that there were few portable bathrooms out on the course. 3 - The race started early, at 6:30 a.m. This was a good proactive action to prevent runners from running in the mid-day heat (it eventually reached the low 70s, with little humidity, but I understand it had gotten really hot and humid on race-day in the past). 4 - Several miles of the race are on unpaved country roads through the Virginia countryside. This did not bother me, but it might bother some. 5 - Crowds were sparse; this should not be a surprise, as much of the race is through the countryside. Those few that were out on the course were very supportive. You need to be focused and self-motivated, or you need to find a partner to run with during the race. Sadly, there was very little cheering at the finish line for runners. Overall, I would recommend this race for those interested in running a beautiful, challenging course. I am glad I ran it. I am happy with how I did. I might run it again; I'll have to wait and see. | |
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S. D. from Richmond, Virginia
(4/21/2007)
"Take the good with the bad...." (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Charlottesville Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This was my third year running Charlottesville. After three years I'm beginning to sour on this race. First, the difficulty of this race needs to be made more clear. I passed many first-timers who were struggling BADLY - and this wasn't at the end, it was more like the 10-12-mile mark. The race website might stress the difficulty a bit more. What happened to the ceramic finisher awards? Those were really cool. The medal for this year was not very remarkable (but still WAY, WAY better than the refrigerator magnet Baltimore gave out in October). Yes, yes I'm aware we don't run marathons to get a cool medal, but this is a gripe because for 75 dollars, really you expect a bit more. I liked the start/finish in the park much more than the new location (outside the organizers' store). Oh and if I hear one more time that the New York Times has designated Charlottesville as a Top 5 Destination race, and that "many consider the course the most scenic on the East Coast".... Overkill. That being said, the difficulty will keep me coming back; finishing this one is quite an accomplishment, and I've run Grandfather Mountain. I don't know.... I've run better, and I've run worse.... You take the good with the bad. | |
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S. P. from Virginia
(4/21/2007)
"Great Course: Challenge + Variety" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was my first half-marathon. What I liked most about this race was the course because it was challenging, and there was a lot of variety to it. It goes through parts of the city and university, through the woods, and through the countryside. Although it is hilly, there is a good balance between inclines and declines. The race had an early start, 6:30 a.m., which turned out to be good, since the temperature was nice and cool. I thought the water stops were well placed, but the first few couldn't pour fast enough, given the number of runners (this is my only real negative on the race). The police did a good job of managing traffic in the city. I had a good time and will probably run this one again, but next year I may try the full marathon. | |
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T. S. from Leesburg, Virginia
(4/9/2007)
 "My favorite half marathon" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Charlottesville Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I've run this race twice and only missed last year due to illness. It's a challenging and beautiful course especially in mid-April when the weather is ideal. I like the fact that it's a small event, and in my opinion very well organized. Large races, regardless of the level of organization, tend to be chaotic. You won't find a better distance race in the area nor a more beautiful course. | |
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Neal Goodloe from Charlottesville, VA
(4/8/2007)
 "Definitely Not from the Race Organizer" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Charlottesville Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I live in Charlottesville and here is my unbridled opinion of the race. Very hilly, with three BIG hills coming out of river valleys, remarkably beautiful scenery, decent organzation, good weather, lots of room to run, and a cool finish downtown. It reminds me of what a picturesque area I live in. You run out where the rich folk live, past huge houses, horse farms, vineyards, and really spectacular scenery. If you are not after a PR and are just interested in seeing a beautiful part of the country at a beautiful time of year, this race will not disappoint. And Charlottesville has a vibrant music/bar scene, so the night after the race I am sure you could find a concert or bar show to your liking. | |
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L. V. from Charlottesville, VA
(2/16/2007)
"Looking forward to train for this race!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Charlottesville Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run this race for the past 3 years now. I live here in town, so I am used to the rolling terrain, but I must say the race does a terrific job showing some of the best areas around. Personally, I enjoy the scenery more than many other srictly urban courses I have run, which, after a while, get a little boring. I am training for the race again this year, and I really enjoy looking at the mountains. The weather has been chilly, so I am hoping the weather will be nice in April. Can't wait for the spring! Training is much easier and it will be nice to see flowers and green grass again. |
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