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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 121 to 131]
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L. E. from Minneapolis, MN
(3/20/2010)
 "Great run through DC!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I travel throughout the US to run both half and full marathons (ran the half today), and this was one of my favorites! Beautiful course - I loved running along Constitution Ave., through Howard U., and just taking in the quaint, historic neighborhoods. There are several rolling hills, but they aren't bad - I actually enjoyed the variety (and the long gradual downhills!). But the uphill so close to the finish was not ideal. :) Perfect size for a race (about 9,000 between the full and half) - I always had plenty of people around me, but they were not overwhelmingly huge, like at some of the major events. The people running the race and the spectators were genuinely nice and full of enthusiasm. Weather was perfect - in the 40s at the start - though it did warm up quite a bit by the end. Metro transportation opens early on race day - super easy, cheap, and convenient. I recommend it! My only real complaint would be the organization of the water stops. They only had 2-3 tables of water at each stop, right at the beginning of the line, which led to a LOT of congestion. At a few, I had to actually come to a complete stop just to make my way to the table and/or wait for them to pour more water! I'd recommend spreading water out, or having additional tables after the PowerAde so that some traffic could keep moving. I also heard some other runners complaining that they had run out of GU at mile 5; I expect this sometimes at the 20-mile mark of the marathon, but at mile 5, the pack is still generally pretty close together, so runners going at a slower pace aren't so far behind that they should shouldn't get one at this point. Expo was okay. Fans for the first few miles were sparse, but we are all still waking up at that point anyway. :) After about mile 4-5, fan support was pretty constant and very encouraging. Overall, a great event! For those in the DC area (or elsewhere) looking for a good-sized spring race, I definitely encourage you to consider National! | |
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S. Z. from Washington, DC
(3/20/2010)
 "Becoming Too Big, Too Soon" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)s
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I've run the half two years in a row. I had a terrific experience last year and recall thinking at the time that the organization was very good, particularly for such a new race. My impression this year was that the size of the field has grown significantly from last year and that the organization has failed to keep pace. Having said that, the event had lots of positives, and I hope the organization straightens out as time goes by because the race has a lot of potential. First, the positives. I love having a DC marathon that - unlike Marine Corps - is run entirely within the District. And it's particularly nice to have a course that, rather than sticking to the Mall and areas downtown, goes through a diverse set of neighborhoods all across town. My only complaint about the course is that the condition of H Street NE is very poor, although that will change within the next year or two as it gets repaved. Likewise, the condition of the road in RFK where the race finishes is very poor - potholes and very uneven pavement that's not really acceptable for the finish. Also great was the crowd support. It's grown from last year and, while sparse in some places, was terrific overall - particularly for such a recent race. (I can only speak for the first 13.1, though.) Now the downsides. The start was far too crowded and, overall, was a mess. The corrals were in a different location from last year and much narrower, and the signs indicating paces were relatively inconspicuous and largely ignored. Thus, for the first 3 miles or so, runners like me who were running at an 8:23 pace and started in the proper corral for that pace were running around and between huge crowds of much slower runners who decided to start in the 8:00 and 7:30 corrals. I've run enough large races to know this always happens to a certain extent, but it was much worse here than any other marathon or half I've run in recent years (including races with a much larger field). Also related to the start: pace groups were extremely difficult to find, for those who wanted to run with them. The finish was likewise way too crowded. As soon as you exited the chute you were stopped by a long line into a tent with water and food. The tent was narrow and crowded and the line was really long; it took forever to get water. The RFK complex is huge, and there has to be a way they can take advantage of all that space and set up a more open finish area so runners don't back up into long lines just to get water. Finally, water stops were WAY understaffed. The volunteers who were there were hardworking and friendly, but there were far too few of them. With at most two exceptions, I had to wait for water to be poured for me at each water stop - or to grab my own cup from the table. That's just not acceptable. There should be enough water poured in advance and enough volunteers to hand it to you. Bottom line: the race is a mixed bag with a lot of potential, if only the organization can keep pace with the growth of the field. | |
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M. W. from Michigan, USA
(10/22/2009)
"For me this was a great experience" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I loved this race. The route was my favorite of the four races I've now run. You have to really appreciate the logistics of shutting down the streets of one of the world's preeminent cities. The course took us through all parts of the city and wasn't shy about putting the good with the ugly (parts of the city that is). And for this participant, that honesty was appreciated. I loved the half/full split-up and found the support to be gracious and endearing. Running a marathon and looking over your shoulder and seeing the White House, Capitol Building and Washington Monument makes for priceless moments. D.C. was not only a great place to visit, but also a great place to run. | |
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M. C. from United States
(10/5/2009)
 "Not the best race around..." (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I have run several half-marathons and this was my least favorite - not only because it was dark and cold at the start, but because of the lack of organization. I decided not to carry my fuel belt because I figured that the Suntrust race was so large and they would have plenty of fluids along the route. I ran by several empty tables... there was not even a volunteer around to tell you anything. Then other tables only had gallon jugs to share?!?! I had to actually break down and share bottles with hundreds of other people so that I could stay somewhat hydrated. Gel table? Empty. It almost felt like the race was over and I was in a ghost town, yet there were several hundred people still behind me. | |
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Bill Scargill from Mt Laurel NJ
(9/3/2009)
"Great course, lots to see in DC" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I had a great time, in spite of my slow finish of 4:50. But running slow has its advantages, as there is plenty to see. You get a real feel for DC that you do not get in the Marine Corps Marathon. Photos were great, especially the one they take of you with the US capitol in the background. Taking the metro to the start is the way to go, as I stayed in Bethesda. | |
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p. f. from Ellicott City, MD
(7/6/2009)
"mainly flat, with nice scenery" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I set a PR of 3:28, which was 20 minutes better than my previous best. I liked the course, although the rolling hills at miles 23-24 were a bit tough. It was my 5th marathon, and I would rate it as my favorite. | |
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A. S. from MD, USA
(7/2/2009)
 "Convenient and fun for local runners" (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)s
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have done the Suntrust National for the past 2 years (2008 full; 2009 half).The 2008 edition was my first marathon, and I had a great time. There was plenty of parking when I picked up my packet at the start/finish the night before, but the Metro stops so close to the start/finish that I took it instead the morning of the race. Since the race is around the first day of spring and at 7 a.m., the start is very cold. However, I think this is just fine for distance running. I enjoyed the 1st half - monuments, spectators, fellow runners. The 2nd half lacked most of these things, although I enjoyed seeing the new Nationals' stadium. One big disappointment in 2009: No band near Howard University. I was really looking forward to it! | |
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D. W. from Mesa, Arizona
(6/29/2009)
"So proud to be an American at this run" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a destination run for me, and it takes place near my birthday. I loved it!! I loved the practice runs my husband and I did the days before (I ran by all the monuments). The weather was so nice and cool. The course was ok, as I would not know how to improve it. But watch out for potholes and uneven streets. We stayed at the hostel (close by and with reasonable rates). The organization was great. Lots of email contacts about the event. Highly recommend this one. | |
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T. S. from Silver Spring, MD
(5/31/2009)
"Better for faster runners" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Let me preface this by saying that I love the fact that Washington, D.C. now has a full marathon run entirely within city limits. This is a relatively new marathon, and it's still a work in progress. Overall, I really liked the course because it takes you through the "real D.C.," including Adams Morgan, and waterfront along Southeast that I've never seen before, in addition to the capitol and monument areas that you see in most D.C. downtown races. The weather this year was fabulous - somewhat cold starting out, but I prefer cold weather for distance running. This much said, I would not recommend this marathon as a first marathon for slower runners (like myself). After the half-marathoners peeled off, I was running largely by myself. I suspected that would be the case, since I hadn't seen a lot of full marathon racing bibs around me in the first half. The second half was single-file for people like me, who were running 11:30 or more/mile (I finished in 5:33 - about my goal for a first marathon, but it was lonely in the back). At one point, I was going through a tunnel and hadn't seen anyone in the race for at least a mile when a plaintive female voice called out from behind, "I hope you know where you're going because I've been following you for the past hour." That picked me up for a few miles - at least I then knew I was still in the race! The police support and presence were awesome. I'm a small female, and never felt threatened in the least at any point on the race course, which goes through some marginal neighborhoods. The race organizers have some kinks to work through, the most serious being a shortage of cups for slower runners, especially on the first half. I was pretty amazed to hear volunteers yelling, "Jug water only" at the aid stations. I was very grateful that I had brought my own fuel belt. Otherwise, I'm not sure that I would have finished. So in sum, I'd consider doing this marathon again, but only if my times improve. For runners closer to the 4:00 mark, I think this could be a great race. For back-of-the-packers, like me, you can't count of any adrenaline boost from the runners around you (or the sparse crowds). If you're OK running alone, go for it. Otherwise, stick with the half. | |
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J. A. from baltimore, md
(5/18/2009)
 "you could skip it" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I ran this race slowly to help a friend finish her first marathon. The course could go through MUCH better parts of DC, and it doesn't (it goes through some pretty bad parts, actually). At three water stations in a row they had no cups. Spectators are sparse for a metropolitan area. You can't get a hotel close to the start/finish because it's in a bad area. The hills made it challenging, although they're killer at the end. Would definitely not run this again. |
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