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Jul 3, 2024

Charlottesville Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.2

Organization 3.6

Spectators 3.0

Number of comments: 240 [displaying comments 151 to 161]

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D. R. from North Carolina (4/17/2006) "What a BEAUTIFUL RACE!!!" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I had such a blast this weekend! I knew Charlottesville was beautiful, but this race really surpassed my expectations. The dogwoods were blooming and I just had the best time. The volunteers were great, and the water stops were top-notch. Each water stop had a medical person (I know because I stopped to chat at almost all of them!) and the organization was great. They had many volunteers along the course, and everyone was very, very nice. Finishing on the downtown mall was the best, because the runners' lane was lined with spectators. I will for sure be back!
J. M. from Orlando, FL (4/17/2006) "RUN IT, YOU'LL LOVE IT...." (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My friends and I from FL just loved this terrific race. Thanks to all the hard work of the race organizers and volunteers we had a great time in Charlottesville. The course was spectacular, the volunteers were so very nice and we loved meeting Gill and his wife Francesca, two incredible long distance runners who really know what we needed. The ceramic medals and poster will be framed soon and I plan to be back again and again. Thanks, Jill
M. M. from Arlington, VA (4/17/2006) "Lack of Organization" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 While I didn't run the full (ran the 1/2), it shouldn't matter that the comments are for the half. 1. I'm one of the lucky ones who got off course and had the added joy of stopping at a traffic light. It is the responsibility of the race director to keep runners on track - not having them run through the city relying on people out for a Sunday stroll to get them back on track. At least those people off the course were supportive. No volunteers were to be seen near turnoff that was supposedly marked by cones/chalk. And yes the police were directing people to the wrong side of the road. 2. Timing chip? My time was 32 seconds off my watch time (which was started at the gun). If I was running for a BQ and I missed a BQ because someone added 32 seconds to my time, I'd be pretty upset. I finished 20 seconds in front of the nearest person, so there was no reason to record the right time. A race with 1,700 people without a timing chip? C'mon. 3. I could go on and on but I'm not running this race again.
M. M. from Boulder, CO (4/17/2006) "YOU MUST RUN CHARLOTTESVILLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Charlottesville Marathon reputation is growing every and now I understand why: this is just a great running event in an terrific part of the country. The organizers did a great job; we loved all the details. There was a great logo on the shirt and we all received a large race poster. And every finisher got a clay medallion - very cool. I would suggest that you enter early, as this race will continue to grow every year....
B. D. from Atlanta, GA (4/17/2006) "Challenging, pretty. Still working out the details" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 Organization needs work. It was certainly as scenic as it was billed. The temp this year was a bit punishing, but you can't blame the organizers for that. Here are a few things they do need to get together: Water stop volunteers: Pre-fill and stack the cups before the runners get there. Lots and lots of them. Lots. Also provide them with what you said you would (Cliff Shots were entirely missing). Porta-johns: I think there were 8, maybe 10 near the start, for a race with combined 1300 people? I saw a lot of angry faces in long lines 10 minutes before the start. Open course (with a good bit of traffic between miles 17 - 22), so...: Run on the left like in the pre-race instructions? On the right like the cops said? Or on the left like other cops said? Or on the right like the race volunteers said? Or... Also, if they could somehow get the town a little more excited. Most people in the downtown ending area seemed more baffled or annoyed that there were people jogging between cones while they were trying to look at crafts and drink lattes. Everyone actually involved with the race was extremely nice; these are clearly people that are very into running and runners. I think you need to be very into scenery to make this a top pick for a marathon, considering all the choices out there.
D. L. from Charlotte, NC (4/17/2006) "What a Perfectly Run Event!" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 3 Charlottesville Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Hi, We had a terrific time at the fourth annual Charlottesville Marathon. The course was very, very, very beautiful, the organizers were extremely friendly and made us feel at home, and the volunteers did a great job along the course. We really love the ceramic medallions given to all the finishers in both the marathon and half marathon. I would much rather have this than the cheaper medals from many races. The finish along the historic part of Charlottesville was very exciting; folks cheered us along in the last miles and made this a race to remember. Thanks Charlottesville!
H. P. from Sterling, Virginia (4/17/2006) "Scenic but hilly course, and lousy organization." (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I ran the half-marathon. I'm sharing my experiences so people do not waste their money and time on this race. 1) The description of "gently rolling hills" is not accurate. This course is really hilly. And it is not hills at certain miles, it's hilly throughout. Great if you are looking for a tough race, but not good for PRs and first-timers. 2) There were no clear directions at turns/intersections. At the 10th mile, I ended up running back to find a volunteer to point me to the right road. 3) The last mile passed through the downtown area but there was ZERO crowd support - very disappointing. 4) At the finish, there was very little food and water, and no organization. 5) During the race, especially at the end, volunteers ran out of water. They were cheerful and supportive but they just had no glasses and water. In 80-degree weather, this was not fun. I have seen better organized 5K's. All in all, really not worth the bother.
C. G. from Lynchburg, VA (4/17/2006) "Seems over-hyped to me..." (about: 2006) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I only ran the half this weekend in C'ville, and I'm glad I didn't dump more money into what I thought was a poorly run race by running the full. The positives are well documented: The course is great - challenging with copious hills, but really nice. The fans were very cool, especially in the downtown mall area. I felt like a rock star at times (more about that later). The negatives... well, let's begin with the start. No coralling. It was a huge mess. People were not only stacked up on the road directly behind the start line, but also entering from a side-street right at the start, making for one horrendous crush of humanity. I was close to the front, but still was weaving in and out of slower runners for a full mile. It was not only annoying but very unsafe in my opinion. I found myself taking lots of chances and jumping in and out to get around people. I don't know if the full marathon had this problem, but in the half LOTS of people were WAY off of the course for a bit over a mile. There was a poorly marked turn with not a soul in sight to direct runners. Everyone I saw in front and behind me missed the turn. I knew it was coming and made it according to the map I had memorized. During that 1 1/4 mile I was completely alone and the crowd (a couple of dozen people) cheered like I was a rock star because they thought I was in the top ten or something (I was more like top 50) - they hadn't seen a runner in like 10 minutes, so they were really enthusiastic. Again, I don't know if this was an issue for the full, but I think it speaks to the very poor organization of the race in general. Those that were off course, by the way, made their way back on course via a different route. I talked to some people after the race and they said some of the lost were locals and they led them to meet up with the course in another spot. I don't know if this turned out shorter or longer, but the point is that the organizers dropped the ball in the course marking/marshalling department. I thought on-course offerings were disappointing for the $45+ entry fee. Only one gel station was apparent in the half. That's OK, but for the $, kind of skimpy. It was hard to distinguish where to get Gatorade vs. water at the stations - whole lot of shouting going on to figure it out. That's OK, but for the $, one expected better. Also, for the money, I found it odd not to have chip timing. Food afterwards was OK, but I've had same or better at $12 local 10K's that are for charity. I hate to be so negative, but it was what it was - very disorganized. I guess for the money and the hype I expected a lot more. The only thing worth the hype was the course, and one can go run on that free anytime! I was close to making this my first marathon, but it's just as well that I didn't.
Seford Olsen from Leesburg, FL (4/17/2006) "Beautiful countryside, more than a challenging run" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is ONE VERY DEMANDING course. Charlottesville, VA is a beautiful city, located in a lovely part of the the Blue Ridge of Virginia. The race is well organized, water stops every two miles, GU frequent along with Cliff Bars (shots would have been better). Lots of medical support and county motorcycle officers constantly cruising the course. The finish through the town center mall was a good touch, but the final incline was asking a bit. This run is not for the faint of heart or those not in good running condition. It is a demanding course with lots of hills throughout. Shade at the beginning and along the dirt road but the middle is mostly open, as are the last three miles through UV campus and the town. Beware the spring sun and use a good sunscreen. The day started out warm and by noon was into the high 70's. Times, even for finishers, were slow, and that is an indication of the demands of the course, as well as the effects of the weather. I would consider running this again, but not as an attempt to qualify for Boston. Good luck to all future BTB runners and a big salute to the organizers.
A. M. from East Coast (4/17/2006) "A good local race, but not a destination race" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charlottesville Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This is a good local race that wants to be bigger than its infrastructure can handle. The volunteers were spectacular. The course is satisfying, with three steep hills and about 4 miles on a trail. An elevation chart would have been helpful instead of the vague language on the website that this is a "challenging course." The aid stations ran out of water and Gatorade, which is inexcusable based on the forecast of an unusually warm day. Massages were advertised, but unfortunately only one massage person arrived, who was quickly overwhelmed. There is no pre-race expo, as packet pick-up is at a running store and the post-race related activities are non-existent. The roads are not closed, and there are no shoulders. It appears that the town has not embraced the race at all, as several intersections were not controlled, including the last major intersection, where runners had to dodge traffic as the one police officer was not in control. The city charges about $10 to park. One wonders why the race is so expensive compared to marathons with similiar amenities throughout the country that charge half what this race charges. I felt as if the directors were trying to cut corners in the name of profit. The lack of service is indicative of a lack of support from the community and the city leaders, perhaps because of the "for-profit" status.

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