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Jul 2, 2024

Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) Runner Comments

Back to Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) Information & Reviews

Course 3.9

Organization 3.5

Spectators 3.4

Number of comments: 286 [displaying comments 91 to 101]

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Tim Whitmire from Charlotte, N.C. (3/27/2011) "Still not getting it done" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 This was my 21st marathon and 19th state in my 50+DC quest. Thought I'd give this a try for my D.C. marathon to a) avoid the hordes at Marine Corps; and b) run a course more oriented toward the city and its sights. I was aware that there had been organizational concerns in this race's earlier years and was hopeful that those had been ironed out, but they clearly haven't been. Here were the problems: 1) Course was poorly marked and insufficiently timed. When they did exist, mile markers occurred only at odd-numbered miles and (at least according to my Garmin) were frequently inaccurate. There were at most 4 or 5 official time clocks on the course, adding to the sense of disorganization. Particularly annoying was the fact that, as a group of us passed in front of the Armory at about mile 13.5, security officers allowed a horde of half-marathoners and spectators to cross the course, causing myself and several other marathoners to have to come to a stop while we yelled at the officers and they tried to restore order and clear the course. 2) Getting to the start was a nightmare. Metro officials declined to open the subway an hour early (5 a.m. for a 7 a.m. race start) this year, citing insufficient ridership the last couple of years. But there were absolutely no cabs to be found on the street at 6 a.m. and I was unwilling to try driving after the nightmare of traffic and parking around the Armory (adjacent to the race start) for packet pickup on Friday. Instead, I was one of the thousands of runners who crammed onto the Metro, waited for a transfer at Metro Center and got stuck in human traffic jam as we all tried to exit the station up the one working escalator and then dashed for the start line as the gun went off in the distance. That's no way to start a 26.2-mile race. 3) Too little bang for the buck. This marathon costs almost $120 in registration fees by the time you get done adding the online fee. I'm generally not one to complain too much about these things, and the medal was fine, but the race shirt is made of a cheap, technical fabric and is poorly cut, and there was no other swag. I might feel differently if I felt like the extra money went to ensuring a well-organized race, but it didn't seem to. 4) Marathon or half-marathon? As is increasingly the case, half-marathoners by far outnumbered marathoners, and ran with us until well into their 13th mile, leading to that "Where'd everybody go?" feeling after they split off that is so deflating at the start of the third quarter of a marathon. As at Louisville (which I ran in '07), you end up feeling as though the race is really about the half-marathoners (and their registration fees), with the full an afterthought - particularly when the half-marathon finishers get as nice a shirt and medal as you do, as they did here. For me, this was further exacerbated by the incident in front of the Armory that I alluded to in Point 1. (One note, to the extent race organizers are reading these comments: At the Mississippi Blues Marathon in Jackson (which I ran in January), they split the half-marathoners off fairly early in the race and give them medals that are clearly distinguished from the marathon medals. As a marathoner, I appreciated both those touches.) Positives: I enjoyed the course and appreciated that it took us not only past sights like the Capitol, the Washington Monument and the White House, but also through some of the city's tougher neighborhoods. Some of the streets weren't in great condition but, hey, that's urban America for you. With the exception of what happened in front of the Armory, the course was well-policed and the water stations were clearly marked, well-staffed and fully stocked with PowerAde, water and GU.
M. K. from Washington, DC (3/27/2011) "1/2 marathon still needs improvements" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)s COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 The good: the course, the fan support, the expo, the finisher's medal's unique design. The bad: metro not opening up until 6 a.m. (for a 7 a.m. race start), lack of clearly marked miles, and no GU on the half-marathon course. Also, I think the course was long... my GPS measured 13.27 miles for the half marathon course and I cut all of the corners tight.
D. C. from Charlottesville, VA (3/27/2011) "would not run the full marathon again" (about: 2011) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 My first "issue" was that the mile markers were not well marked at all... there were multiple miles that I didn't see any markers at all. Also the course went throw several tunnels in which my Garmin lost signal, which then made my Garmin off with the milage markers that I did see. I didn't use the metro because I assumed that it would be really tight with timing; and from what I gathered, this is in fact true. The metro was my first choice of transportation to the start when I assumed that it opened at the same time that it did last year (5 a.m.). Part of the second half of the marathon went through uninteresting, industrial neighborhoods; however, I was pleasantly surprised that there was still a pretty good amount of crowd support in that area, which was nice.
M. T. from Washington, DC (4/20/2010) "Might as well just be a half...." (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The weaving in the first four miles bordered on absurd. Like most other posters, I lined up about where I expected to run (ran 8:45/mile tape to tape) but was overrun by most who disregarded the corrals. Only got relief by SKIPPING THE FIRST TWO WATER STATIONS and running down the middle. Nothing like waiting until mile 6 of a marathon for two ounces of water. That said, this is is actually a cool race for the first half, with good scenery and good crowds on the sidelines. Then you hit mile 14 and it's rough for the next 10 miles. The neighborhoods get a bit scarce and you inexplicably do an out-and-back to the coast guard station (which is deserted on weekends). The Anacostia bit is even worse because it's very humid and the support amounted to one guy on a bike making sure no one collapsed. The finish to RFK was ok, but the finishing festival was really weak for the price. To add on other posts, it was half-closed by the time I finished (3:45.) Getting there was annoying, getting out was worse and it had at least double the number of people it could realistically support. The organizers should really just focus on running a good half marathon and strictly enforce the seeding corrals.
K. M. from Maryland, USA (3/31/2010) "Enjoyed running the half marathon" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first half marathon and I thought it went fairly well. The actual race was a pleasure, and the course was just fantastic. There are some other comments about the water stops being disorganized, but I didn't find that; there were tables on both sides of the road, with water first and PowerAde second. They were set up every two miles starting at mile 1. The only complaints I had were: 1. Parking was a disaster (next time I'll take Metro); I don't know what happened, but the traffic to get in wasn't moving at all (next time maybe have more then one lot open); 2. it would have been nice to have a detailed map of the start/finish area in the pre-race package.
F. P. from Queens NY (3/31/2010) "Good overall experience with potential to be great" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my 3rd marathon and my first National Marathon. There was a lot to like, but there are things to improve as well. But this is still a young race and the race directors are open to feedback. The Good: The first half of the course was amazing. It is one of the things that convinced me to sign up for this race. The course passed the capitol twice, and if you were paying attention on Constitution Avenue, we also passed the White House. The volunteers were very helpful and supportive. This was appreciated. You can never underestimate the value of this. Thank you, volunteers! I must commend the young volunteer at mile 23. He handed me a cup of PowerAde, which I dropped, splashing his white t-shirt with red. He ran after me with another cup. Much appreciated. Having an indoor bag check at the armory and having the armory available for early arrivals was a good idea. You never know what the weather will be like on race day, so having a place for early arrivals to wait was great. Great fan support in the first half of the race, The area around Howard University had the best support on the course. A "thank you" to the law enforcement officers along the course. I was never worried at any part of the course and they also provided good fan support. My favorite was the officer at Mile 24 who said to me, "Hey buddy, you have 2 miles left and you're looking good." I was glad the course showed a good cross-section of the District of Columbia, showing both the touristy areas as well as urban areas. The expo was good, although a little on the small side. Bib and t-shirt pick up were easy, and everyone was very pleasant and helpful. I liked having my name on my bib; having fans cheer you by name gives you a nice boost. I liked the medal and the t-shirt, I would have preferred a long sleeve tech t-shirt, but that's just personal preference. The Bad: The start of the race was a bit chaotic. The corrals were not clearly marked, and we had such a hard time finding our corral that we went to the last one. The area at was a bit tight, making getting to your corrals difficult. This would not have been a problem, but the races started and ended in RFK Stadium's parking lot, which is a huge complex. This space could have been used better. Parts of the course were picturesque, but there were also two hairpin turns, one on Constitution Avenue and one in Anacostia Park. I would have preferred avoiding those, especially if it were possible to have the course go through Georgetown. Having the course go through K and H Streets - where the roads were full of potholes due to the construction - was not the best idea. I'm sure this will not be the case next year when the work is completed, but keeping one eye on the race and one eye out for potholes was a bit stressful. It would have been nice to have a few more porta-potties on the course. While the volunteers were very pleasant and helpful, some were not properly prepped. The tables for the water stops early in the race should have been covered with filled water cups before the runners got there. Several times at the beginning of the race we had to wait while the volunteer filled the water cups and then handed them to us. Also, next year please use paper cups instead of plastic; they are green, but also are easier to bend in order to create a funnel out of which to drink water on the run. Overall: The race was a great experience. This is still a young race and I'm sure these issues will be addressed.
J. L. from Suburbs of MD (3/29/2010) "Nice first half" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The 2010 edition was the first full National Marathon that I've run. Last year I ran the half and thoroughly enjoyed the course. That being said, the second half of the marathon could use some improvement. Upon leaving the National Mall, the course meanders through some pretty boring scenery - including some nondescript industrial areas near the Anacostia Riverfront. If I were RD, I would add more miles along the National Mall and into Rock Creek Park and Georgetown. If you're looking for a lot of crowd support, it is only in certain places and mostly during the first half of the race. The race is growing every year, and they definitely listened to comments from last year about the location of the start (not directly next to the porta-potties this year!). All in all, a good race, and the weather usually cooperates.
P. K. from Jersey City, NJ (3/29/2010) "Start the marathon earlier than the half" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I felt that the marathon runners were second-class citizens in this race. Most of the best scenery was in the first half, and it didn't help to have all of the volunteers at mile 12 keep shouting that they only had a mile to go while handing them gels. The pluses were that you get to run through the capitol on a Saturday morning. Also being able to wait inside at the DC Armory was a plus. It was nice and peaceful once the half finished. Word of warning to those expecting a flat course: It is not! I would say it is up there with NYC in terms of hills and elevation, and mile 24 is quite challenging on tired legs. I would recommend the race, but be prepared for the first half.
R. M. from New Jersey (3/29/2010) "Great Experience, Great Race, Great City." (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was the earliest marathon I've ever run and it was probably the warmest. I have no complaints about the race, organization, or crowd. The crowd was sparse, but considering it's a small marathon and has a 7 a.m. start, I wasn't surprised. The start was very disorganized. Believe it or not, I didn't know which direction the start was in. I never made it to a corral and I'm not sure anyone did. It was dark and that was interesting, but we all took it in stride. Why get stressed out about something silly like that? I can't believe some earlier posts saying that they didn't get any water or gels. There were plenty of both. We can only blame ourselves for dehydrating or not being prepared. I passed some by because there were so many. The finish was perfect, considering the size of the race, and the volunteers were fantastic. One complaint: I called the race hotline twice during the weeks before the race, and both times I was told that Lot 7 would be open during the race for family to come and meet you at the finish. At the expo I was told the same. My family got to the lot and it was closed. they drove around for an hour looking for a place to park before double parking near the finish and waiting for me. This was a little upsetting, but we took this in stride as well. The best thing about the race, however, was the course. It was a brilliant day and it was very exciting passing by the many historic sights. In the last mile, while going over the bridge to the stadium, a bald eagle flew over us. Amazing. Lots of fun.
S. S. from Washington, DC (3/25/2010) "improving" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)s COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I've run this race the last 3 years, and the organization improves each year. Still, there is room for improvement. For example, since they require qualifying times, they should corral people by their qualifying times, and they should enforce the corrals. I had to dodge people walking the first couple of miles. Also, the post-race spread is still bare-bones. And the medal was a step backward from last year's. But the shirt is a step up, so I guess it evens out.

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