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Jul 5, 2024

Charlottesville Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.2

Organization 3.6

Spectators 3.0

Number of comments: 240 [displaying comments 141 to 151]

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S. Z. from Knoxville, TN (4/18/2006) "Could Be Better" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 While this course was indeed beautiful, there were a number of problems with it that prevented full appreciation of that beauty. First, the bunched start through narrow roads really made you concentrate on avoiding other runners for a lot of the time up until the half-marathon turnaround. Perhaps a staggered start would be in order. Second, since the race was run on a Saturday, there was a lot of traffic, including truck traffic, on the narrow two lanes that had no shoulder. It was difficult to enjoy the scenery when you have to look out to avoid getting injured. Perhaps a Sunday race could avoid a lot of that. Third, on a day that the temperature was to reach into the 80s, there was no water left at the water stop around the 16-mile mark when I reached it, and that was about two and a half hours into the race!!! Fortunately I had gatorade with me. Fourth, a bit more truth in advertising would make the experience more pleasant. As mentioned by many others, this course does not simply contain "rolling hills." The idea, also mentioned, of a course altitude graphic is an excellent one. If one is fully aware of what the course really is like, you can avoid unpleasant surprises that detract from the enjoyment of it. Mid-April in VA. has a good chance of being rather warm. While I know it would mean a less colorful landscape, perhaps a mid-to-late-March date would make the hills more palatable. Knoxville has a marathon almost as hilly as Charlottesville but it is run in March and the temperatures are much more pleasant. My time was over 25 minutes better in Knoxville, mostly due to the weather. The course volunteers were great, as were the police. The town is a beauty. Crowd support was just fine for a small race. The food and drink at the finish were not very good. Once is enough for me as far as this race is concerned.
R. D. from Conshohocken, PA (4/18/2006) "Great run, lot of fun" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Course was pretty hard and hilly but absolutely gorgeous. Definitely the prettiest marathon that I have run. It was very, very hot (around 80 degrees) and made the hilly course even more challenging. Also, be aware that there is a fair percentage of the course that is not on pavement. I loved it, but I imagine others would be suprised by this. Organization was ok. It felt like a race that the organizers poured their hearts into, but did not have a ton of community support. This was reflected in few corporate sponsorships, relatively minimally staffed water stops, no late check-out from the hotel, having to pay police overtime for helping with traffic control, and minimal spectators on the course (with the exception of the last mile through the downtown mall). I love C'ville; it is a great town and a ton of fun. If you are looking for a great course, a fun town, and challenging terrain, then this is a perfect marathon for you. If you are looking for a more traditional marathon experience, with a weekends full of activities (e.g. expo, pasta dinner, bands on course, big sponsors, big crowds, party afterwards), then there are other marathons that you may enjoy more. I would definitely run this race again.
d. b. from NEW YORK (4/17/2006) "beautiful, challenging, age groups should go 3 dee" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I came down to run this marathon instead of Boston because my daughter is a college student at JMU and found this one for me. The weather was very warm and I knew there were limited water stops along the way. I did pace myself and carry my own fuel belt for that purpose. The hills never stopped and they were quite challenging and long. What surprised me was that I did finish in under 4 hours and did qualify for Boston next year. The thing that upset me most was that I worked so hard (as had everyone else) and placed in my age group. They only gave out first place in age groups, but I placed second, and that really stinks. Why not three deep like every other race? We paid enough for the race.... I was very disturbed by that. Although I loved the scenery and nice people there, I wont do it again. I think people should be recognized for their accomplishments and dont scrimp on that. We appreciate all that goes into a race, but we also arrange our schedules and would like to be appreciated too. Go three deep like everyone else. We like the rewards we work so hard for....
Sean DeWell from Richmond, Virginia (4/17/2006) "Need more than scenery to get me back." (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Charlottesville Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 Yes, yes, yes, yes the scenery is great, I know, I know, but this race needs help. The weather was too hot, and this isn't the organizers fault, but it may have led to many people being unhappy with their race experience. I personally didn't even try for the food, as I was a bit woozy at the end of the race, but my buddy who ran the half said that the food was strictly rationed. I don't know, for 70 bucks or whatever I think you should be able to get as many green bananas as you want. The traffic was awful, and I don't particularly like the finish. After being in the country for all those miles, finishing around all the cars and all.... I don't know. My buddy got a nasty response when he tried to register at the packet pick-up on Sat. morning, so that kind of set a bad tone for the day. When I asked about gels on the course, they said that they understood that gels would be available. All I saw was one water stop with about a total of 10 GUs. Glad I had my own pinned to my shorts. But you know what? I'll run it again, because as mentioned before, this S.O.B. is a tough course. I was happy with a 3:55. Anybody who hasn't run this can't tell me a thing about hills....
G. B. from Chicago, IL (4/17/2006) "Beautiful brute" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I agree with much written below. The course has far greater than "rolling hills," and the way home felt entirely uphill (with the exception of mile 20). A runner from the prairie has a hard time imagining a tougher route. Other observations: * An elevation profile of the course would offer full disclosure to those from outside the area. * Didn't mind the lack of an expo, and given that just 1,800 started, I think an expo would have been an unexpected surprise. * On-course support was ok, and the gels, cups, water and Gatorade plentiful when I passed through. Volunteers were very enthusiastic * Conflicting directions where to run were a bit troubling, and I criss-crossed the rural roads more than once. * Had a surprisingly hard time finding water at the finish. * Lack of port-o-lets at the start should be addressed. * As this race grows, I think that chip timing will become a necessity. Everyone crowds to the front and the start is unnecessarily chaotic. * The course lived up to its reputation for scenery. It was beautiful from start to finish, and that alone is a reason to consider this race. * The home stretch on the mall, and the cheering spectators were satisfying. Not much crowd support elsewhere, though. In short, this is a course where expectations for PRs should be kept in check, and unless you are made of much tougher stuff than me, look elsewhere if you are intent on running to Qualify.
L. L. from NC (4/17/2006) "This Race Has Potential" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Charlottesville Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Smaller marathons are run by volunteers! So we shouldn't expect perfection. As a "back-of-the-pack" marathoner, here are my comments: Negatives: 1. When you have a weather forecast that predicts mid-80s 5 days in advance, there is no reason to run out of Gatorade or cups. You can do better than this. 2. At the finish line I had to ask for fluids and wait for them. Not good! 3. Could we get nice quality shirt with the race date on it? Also, while I love the pottery finisher's "medal," could it have the date on it? Positives: 1. The race management have proven they care. One criticism last year was poor mile markers and this your they totally fixed the issue. 2. Finish line was much better. I really like being able to see the finish line coming! 3. This course, while VERY hard, is without a doubt one of the most beautiful runs I've ever been on!! If you are a "back-of-the-packer" like me, bring your camera and take picures along the way! 4. Volunteers were much better this year! Not really complaining about last year, but every station was helpful and enthusiastic. You guys ROCK!! Thank you for spending your day to make mine better!!! 5. Police... I understand you all were paid. I'm fine with that... and you all were VERY supportive of me! You all ROCK too! Thank you... you could have looked at is as just a job! Bottom line: I'll be back if I can. Things weren't perfect, but the day was a challenging one for everyone! I learned some things about preparing myself better, and I'll bet you did the same. This is a wonderful race that needs to continue and build! Thank you for all your efforts and I'm sure next year will be even better!
A. Runner from North Carolina (4/17/2006) "A Beautiful Course, Needs Some Help" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Charlottesville Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This race is neither as good as the best reviews, nor is it as bad as the worst. The course, while VERY challenging, is quite scenic, though there are a number of stretches where the road is narrow with large trucks that don't like to give runners much room. Don't forget about the insidious hill from mile 21-23... it's gradual, but a tremendous test after everything that came before. This race demands that you come prepared or you will suffer (I was ready, and I still hurt like never before)! Spectators (the few that were there) were cheerful and the volunteers were great (as they almost always are). Key additions to this year's race include course certification (for those neurotic enough who want to know they ran the "true" distance) and a much improved food tent (not wonderful, by any means, but better than the previous year). At $60 pre-registered, it's not a bargain, but if you are in for a true challenge, this race is one to consider. If cheering crowds, bands every mile and lots of post-race goodies are what you seek, look elsewhere.
A. G. from Bridgeport Ohio (4/17/2006) "very tough course" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I hate to be negative because I love running marathons so much. Charlottesville was billed as the most beautiful course, and I agree that it was. If you're looking for beautiful scenery and a challenging, hilly course, this would be a great race for you. It was one that really tested your endurance because there was virtually no crowd support urging you on. The hills are constant. We had trained on hills. My husband was able to run them all, but I had to walk several inclines during the last ten miles. I noticed several times, though, that there were more people walking the hills than running them. A few times no one around me was running the hills! I also was not prepared for running four miles or so on a gravel road. I understand that this is a local runners' favorite area, but never running on gravel and not knowing to expect it, we spent a lot of that time looking at our feet to avoid big pieces of gravel and mud puddles. I missed not having an expo and seeing all of the runners together. That is part of the atmosphere and experience for me. On the positive side, we did enjoy ourselves. We loved the finish at the mall and were proud that even though we didn't have our best times, we finished healthy and were able to play 18 holes of golf at Meadowcreek the next day! I highly recommend it, along with O'Neills for a post-race cocktail.
J. S. from Los Angeles, California (4/17/2006) "Hot weather but great race" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I came all the way from California for this one, and I am glad I did. It is a small race, but beautifully organized. 1) Water stops were great. I had to drink a lot at all of them. I opted for Gatorade at the beginning, and switched to water at the end. I also took several gels, and I am very glad they had them because I needed them. 2) The volunteers were very nice. They seemed very busy because of the hot weather, but they never missed a beat. I tried to thank all the volunteers at the turns as well, and all the policemen. 3) The finish line was beautiful and very well organized. They had great food (including Miso soup, which was quite a treat) and much to do. I stuck around to talk to some of the vendors, then headed to watch more runners finish. Overall, I had a blast. I cannot say the course was easy, but the medical support made it very doable.
G. K. from Austin, TX (4/17/2006) "Best race I've ever run and I've run a bunch..." (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 WOW! What a great race. I've run over 100 marathons, I know, but it's what I do... better than Prozac... Charlottesville just went to the top of the list. A race starts with the course, and they have a gem; second, friendly/helpful volunteers and experienced runners as organizers. Charlottesville met all these qualifications plus some. This event actually reminded me of the way races used to be run, with all the attention going to laying out a great course and having fun.... Too many races are now like visiting Disney Land - sorry you Disney Marathon lovers, but that's not for me.... Great job Charlottesville - I don't revisit many races, but I'll be BACK! GK

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