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Jul 7, 2024

Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.5

Organization 4.1

Spectators 4.1

Number of comments: 417 [displaying comments 131 to 141]

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M. G. from Arizona (6/1/2008) "Big race; few issues" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Rock 'n' Roll Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Rate this for what it is: a big race with all the trimmings. Don't compare it to the more intimate, smaller, quieter races around the country. Elite puts on a race for the masses and to attract a lot of first-timers; mission accomplished. They had the bands as promised, started the race almost on time, there was plenty of water and Accerlade - and despite the objections, it seems either the flavor is better or they're mixing it properly (it went down well). Yes, there is still the jaunt down the 163 freeway - cambered and all, but you do know about it, so you deal with it and move on (it's from mile 7-10). Weather was overcast for the first three hours but it is humid, no matter. And yes, there are a lot of TNT runners; as a marathoning community it's time to quit bashing them. They volunteered to raise money, went through the training, and they accomplished their goal of not only signing up, but finishing all 26.2. They seemed to have more running etiquette this year and were in high spirits throughout. Because the race was so huge this year (21,000 at the start), the crowds never really thinned out. RnR must be doing something right, attracting such a large crowd for their 11th year - not to mention that they have spawned many other fulls and half marathons around the country. Expo was fine, packet pick-up was easy, and the pre-race village had all the amenities you needed. RnR's biggest challenge remains the post-race and finish line. In and out of the Marine Corps Depot is restricted, and though shuttles take you to a massive parking field, it is there that things break down. Nearby freeways and roads are jammed (and many in use for the race), which will try your patience. Maybe someday, they will relent and try a loop course and forgo the parking issues pre- and post-race. Another plus this year: San Diegans came out in force this year to cheer us on. Overall, a great race day in a big city.
c. p. from san diego california (5/6/2008) "had the time of my life" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It was very encouraging to run along with my fellow San Diegoans. I'm looking forward to this year's race. Wish me luck. My last chip time in '06 was 5:13:00.... My goal is 4:20:00.
W. C. from New Orleans (4/28/2008) "The race was first class with only minor glitches" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The Country Music Marathon was a first class race. The best thing about the race was the support that runners received along the course: the bands, the cheerleaders and the spectators were everywhere. While there were fewer spectators during parts of the second half of the race, they were still there in sufficient numbers to give you the encouragement (and entertainment) that you needed to get to the finish line. This was my tenth marathon, and by far the most difficult course that I have run. Even though I am from New Orleans, I have also run (among others) the Boston and Maine marathons, so I am no novice when it comes to hilly courses. Even though I read all the comments about the numerous hills throughout the course, I still was not prepared mentally for the sheer number of hills that I encountered in Nashville. The hills started in the first mile and did not stop until you were past the 25 mile mark. None of the hills were so steep that you were exhausted when you reached the top, but the continuous hills did have the effect of wearing you down long before you reached the finish line. Luckily, the bands, the cheerleaders, and the spectators were there to get you through the race. The natural beauty of the area also helped to divert your mind from the task at hand. While this course may not be for the faint of heart, I highly recommend it to anyone that's up for a challenge. The only downside that I experienced was that I did not see any mile marker until I got to the end of the the third mile. I initially thought that I had just missed the mile markers, but I talked to other runners who confirmed that they too did not see any mile markers at either the first or second mile. Unfortunately, you need the first two mile markers to set your pace for the race; my internal pace had already been set by the time I saw the first marker at the end of mile number three. Unfortunately, I was five minutes ahead of the pace that I had trained for and it took me several more miles before I could get my pace adjusted down to my training pace. While this fast start would not have been a problem if the course had been flat, I paid a high cost in the last six miles of this very hilly course. Fortunately, I was running this race as a training run for the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego, so my time was less important than the training benefits that I received from running the hilly course. So, from a training perspective, I definitely got my money's worth! To sum it all up, the County Music Marathon was a great experience. I highly recommend the race for everyone but the faint of heart.
C. S. from Lake Arrowhead, CA (1/30/2008) "Not my favorite marathon by a long shot" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I don't think I would run this marathon again. There are many criticisms I have, particularly the horrible way runners must walk 2 miles after the race to return to their cars. The last thing I wanted to do was walk an additional two miles after just running 26.2 miles. The lack of toilets was also extremely irritating. Before the race, spectators clogged into the port-o-potties while runners had to hold their bladders and grin and bear it. They should have separate facilities for spectators and runners. This is an egregious sin in my opinion. The slant in much of the road will wreak havoc on your quads and ankles. There's no way to avoid it and this is a constant source of problem after mile 12 or 13. The section around mile 22 with the freeway definitely needs to be rerouted! The slant here was almost unbearable. I saw several runners hobbling by this point because of the slant in the road. On the positive side, the volunteers were great, the aid stations maintained water and the crowds downtown were awesome. There are few spectators after you leave that area, however. The course is extremely flat. I'm used to running the Big Sur Marathon every year, which is hilly. This is a dream course for a first-timer. But I urge the organizers to make some changes in order to make this a much more enjoyable race for the runners.
A. O. from Dallas, Texas (11/28/2007) "Run in much better" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The concept of a rock and roll marathon seemed like a neat idea (which is why I decided to enter this one, not to mention San Diego is a gorgeous city). Overall the race was fun; I finished about 10 minutes slower than anticipated at a 3:10 than I wanted due to some cramping. (I blame it on the pace groups, which were awful; they were running negative splits in the first half!! Who does that???) Stick to your own pacing. The course is pretty, but I thought the crowds were thin once you got out and about in the neighborhoods. Downtown was packed, but it definitely thins out. I think if you run a faster time, then the early start keeps people from coming out to cheer you on. The bands and DJs were cool as were the running Elvises. Applaud them for running in the humidity in those suits. One major change that needs to occur is placing more port-a-potties at the start. The lines were insane!! If nothing else, make specific lines for runners ONLY. I saw so many spectators clogging up the lines leading up to the start when runner's were panicking to get through them and to the start in time. For someone like myself in the first two corrals, we need to be at the start on time. Waiting 30 minutes to use the restroom is stress we shouldn't endure. On a more positive side, the water stop volunteers were great throughout the course. Also, for so many people running in the event, the course didn't feel crowded as far as having to weave too much. Granted I know I was at the beginning of the pack, but this was apparent when I went back to watch friends who ran slower at different points of the race. I'd go back just because I love the area and know what to expect!
P. J. from Parker, CO (10/25/2007) "Great first-timers race" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I was generally very impressed. Having a band at each mile was a real boost and kept me going long after I thought my body would fail me. A mostly flat course after mile 11 was also a plus. Logistically, they were well-organized except for the parking at the beginning. Traffic on I-5 backed up to before the interchange with I-8 and it took the better part of 45 minutes to cover a mile to get into the parking area. I arrived at the starting line with literally seconds to spare.
Q. S. from San Diego, CA (10/20/2007) "One of the best" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Running San Diego is just a blast. Temps are always mild. Ocean breezes. Some curvy hills, but manageable. By comparison, the Long Beach bridges are tougher. I'm lucky to have the marathon in my town and will likely run it yearly going forward.
Katrina F. from Melbourne, Florida (8/22/2007) "Fun, Fun, Fun" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Ditto the comments previous to mine. Only 2 of the hot topics to which I add my 2 cents: Road slants (and any other tricky areas like RR tracks) require constant attention. Maybe I'm odd but I welcome that distraction here and there. On the 163 I did try the upper shoulder and found it was "ridged," so it was a matter of "pick your poison." The lower shoulder was the most angled. But oh wasn't that downhill part fun! The port-o-lets between Gaslamp District and 163 had long lines. This may be where the pre-race snacks (and coffee?) kick in. I and others waited 20+ minutes (no t.p. by then for us 5-hour-ers).... Just a few more please! Now, to add items I haven't seen discussed much or at all yet: Expo: I had one of those head imaging scans done. It was amazing revealing things known and unknown. Drive there: Downtown, cars in straight-ahead middle lanes were turning left along with left-turn lanes. Need help with traffic. Any police looking for overtime? Salt: First time I'd tried this "snack" handed to us during the course. Excellent! Supporters: People with signs and bullhorns helped us feel like we were never alone. Reunion Area Concert: Awesome group. The Mar-Dels? Anyway, perfect. Enjoyed this even more than Nashville.
W. L. from SOCAL (8/13/2007) "A Little Tweaking Needed" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon. I loved most of the course, despite quad problems from the mile 11-12 segment. But two things I would change: 1) Reroute the Bataan Death March at mile 22-23. It just seemed incredibly difficult mentally to do that out-and-back thing. 2) Get the military to keep the crowds away from where the finishers exit. I had some fat woman pushing in to see someone, while a girl lay on the ground overcome from heat because these morons would not let the runners through.
G. C. from San Diego, CA (8/8/2007) "One great marathon!" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The Rock 'N Roll Marathon was my first marathon and it couldn't have been a better race. I live in San Diego and the course is great because you start running in a park then the city then the beach. At what other marathon can you run by skyscrapers, and then 7 miles later run by the beautiful beach? Pros: - Flat course, great for first-timers - Plenty of water stations and water at drinks at those stations - Rock bands playing great music as you go by - Great crowd support with many of the volunteers dressing up in costume - Well organized post-race Cons - Can't think of any; I HIGHLY recommend this race!

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