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Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon) Runner Comments
Back to Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon) Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 3.9 
Spectators 4.2
Number of comments: 338 [displaying comments 251 to 261]
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E. L. from San Diego,CA
(12/12/2005)
 "Great Till The Finish Line" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Never seen a race with an utter lack of finish-line food or drink. Upon completing the race all I could find was a bottle of water and Rock Star Energy drink. Runners 6 hours and beyond I spoke to had to ask the medical people for some water at the finish. Finally after walking to my car I found out that food was in the American Airlines Center at the floor level at least 30 steps down. Good luck walking up and down stairs after a marathon. This was my 8th marathon this year and the most low budget finish line refreshment I've ever seen. Race director, please see the Marine Corps Marathon model on how to take care of runners at the end of a marathon. | |
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D. S. from San Antonio, TX
(12/12/2005)
 "A near perfect event" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've run a few marathons, but this was my first experience in the White Rock. There are many things to praise about this race, and only a few minor issues. Highlights--the expo was very nice and conveniently located in the host hotel. The hotel (Hyatt) had a good rate and reasonably priced parking and was also located near the DART rail so access was really good. I highly recommend anyone running the race stay at the Hyatt as long as they host and offer a good rate. The staff and facilities were superior. Next to the volunteers and spectators. Obviously it takes a lot of people to make something like this happen, and I was very impressed with the enthusiasm of the volunteers both at the packet pick-up and at the aid stations. Those folks really are great ambassadors for Dallas. A decent number of people came out to cheer on their friends and all runners. I lost count of the number of bands that played along the route. The only part of the race where the crowds thinned was in towards the end as the course winds on some backstreets downtown. Having the AA Center available to runners before the race was extremely beneficial as it kept us out of the weather and allowed the use of real bathroom facilities. Having two starting lines was also a good idea. The course itself was very pretty, winding through upscale and middle-class neighborhoods, and of course around the beautiful White Lake. Elevation was not extremely dramatic, even on the infamous Dolly Parton Hills. I definitely walked thinking that Dallas was a beautiful city. Of all the marathons I've run, Dallas had the best aid stations by far. Having fluids available nearly every mile made a tremendous difference, both physically and psychologically. And Clif Bar was extremely generous with gels the last half of the race. Kudos to the folks who decided to do this many aid stations and also to those who volunteered to staff them. The only 'area for improvement' I'd list is one I've read from previous years--the organizers need to put signs up directing people to the post-race food and shuttle busses. I was a stranger in Dallas and after the race I had to ask a cop where the shuttle buses were, only to be misdirected. The only reason I knew the food was in the AA Center was that I read it on this site--even inside the AA building it was extremely confusing on the *authorized* way to get down to the food. The last thing anybody needs is to finish a marathon and have to stumble around in a strange city to find food and shuttle buses. A few well placed signs and none of this would be an issue. The organizers really do an outstanding job putting this on. I wish the local news stations recognized this, as I watched multiple newscasts for 2 days, and heard nothing--including no useful information on race weather. This isn't a complaint about the organization or the race, merely the Dallas media who didn't seem to appreciate that a world-class event like this was occuring in their city. | |
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A. S. from Baltimore, MD
(12/12/2005)
 "Having to pay for parking and arena entrance wait " (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I ran the 1/2 marathon. I would not do this as an in-towner again because car parking was $5.00 and the line to enter the arena was very long so that you could pass through the metal detectors. Pre-race was a mess. Start and course were okay. Lots of bands and music, and good water support. | |
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David Homan from Tampa, Florida
(6/2/2005)
 "I enjoyed this race and recommend it to my friends" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 DALLAS WHITE ROCK MARATHON ? Race Report by David Homan I made a quick trip to Texas last month to run the Dallas White Rock Marathon on December 12. The race course starts in downtown Dallas at the American Airlines Arena (where their basketball team, the Mavericks, play) and makes a big loop to the north and east around White Rock Lake. I lucked out with incredible weather - 50F at the start, light breeze, low humidity, sunny and clear blue sky, 60-65F by finish time. The organization and expo were nice, and the crowd support was pretty good, too. In addition to the individuals running the marathon, there is a half-marathon at the same time and several hundred 5-person relay teams that do the full course. This totaled up to almost 10,000 runners, which explains the good spectator turnout. The first 8 miles meander from downtown through various neighborhoods. There are rolling hills for this section that first pass trendy urban residential condos, then large mansion-like estates, and finally quaint suburban homes. The middle 10 miles are mostly flat and follow the shoreline of White Rock Lake. Very scenic and pleasant. I took off my singlet around the lake to get some sun, (hey, whad?ya expect, I?m a triathlete from Florida), but during the miles while I was wearing it, I heard several shouts of ?Go Mad Dog!? It was nice to hear. The last 8 miles go through another historic neighborhood back to downtown. A lot of the residents that live along the course were out in their yards having holiday parties, drinking eggnog and watching us run. The official race photographers, Sport Photo, did a great job of catching the moment on film - lots of great pictures. Also, the last few miles of the course are mainly downhill and at a very gradual decline that doesn?t kill your quads. This was great for picking up the pace at the end. In fact, this was my fist marathon with a negative split (1:37/1:32). The post-race shindig in the AA Arena was also nicely done, with cold beer, a live band, lots of food, beer and plenty of tables and seating. So if you?re looking for a nice long run in the Lone Star State next December, consider the Dallas White Rock Marathon. | |
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J. T. from Plano, Texas
(5/23/2005)
"My hometown race" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Well, it's been a few months, and the sting from my pathetic performance has worn off a little bit, so my comments can be taken more seriously now! I had an awful race, and had I rated it anytime soon after running it, I probably would've given it 1 star for everything! This is my hometown marathon and I frequently race in Dallas along all the parts of the marathon, especially White Rock Lake. For out-of-towners, White Rock Lake is a great urban lake to run around, and a very scenic part of the race. Crowd support is sparse around the lake, but that can't really be remedied, as there isn't a whole lot of room except for at various points. The course is deceptively challenging, but not overly difficult. I think you could run a PR on this course, although it isn't a PR course, if you catch my drift. The first 8-9 miles have some small rolling hills that can take more out of you than you'd expect. The part around the lake is flat, and there are some significant, although short, hills after leaving the lake. The last 5 are flat and/or a little downhill, so it can make a strong finish provided you have anything left. In Dallas, you can never predict the weather, and this year it was about 60 degrees. Last year it was about 40. You can't predict the winter weather in Texas, but I think they could start the race an hour earlier to beat the heat that probably occurs every other year. Organization was good; the only snafu I witnessed was that the chip-reading machine was down for about 20 minutes as I was getting my packet. The expo was much better than the last one I had attended (Marine Corps). Crowds are okay - don't count on them to pull you along as a lot of the crowds are not very boisterous. Since I live 20 minutes from the starting line, I'll do it again. If I had to travel... well, maybe. It's certainly a nice event, but with the uncertainty of the weather, I think I'll probably opt for the half-marathon next year. | |
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L. V. from Dallas, Texas
(4/11/2005)
"A nice well run marathon" (General Comments)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run this race 4 times and it is always nicely organized and supported. This is a nice dependable race, always well done. The course takes you on a nice tour of Dallas and is well supported. | |
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r. r. from grimsby england
(1/27/2005)
 "great family atmosphere" (about: 2005)
50+ previous marathons
| 2 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Great weather: cool, but sunny. Great drink stations, fantastic medal and t-shirt. Great expo and fantastic ex-top-class runners that can answer everything you need to know about the distance. Pre-race and post-race parties were a big plus, and all for a fantastic charity. | |
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E. W. from Virginia
(1/18/2005)
"Well run race" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a fun race over a pleasant urban course. The run around the lake was nice. This isn't a terribly flat course, but it's not a killer. The organization was terriffic. Absolutely no complaints. | |
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J. M. from Saffron Walden, England
(1/5/2005)
"Superb Event" (about: 2004)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is a wonderful event. I travelled from the U.K. to run the marathon (my 117th) and it was such a rewarding trip. The organisation was impeccable. Great touches like the cowboy on horseback firing the rifle to start added to the enjoyment.The course has a nice mix of terrain - pleasant suburbs, several miles around a pretty lake with, latterly, the Dallas skyline showing on the horizon. The weather co-operated with a nice dry heat(not oppressive). Highly recommended. | |
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J. J. from Arlington,Tx
(12/28/2004)
"2ND TIME'S THE CHARM" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A great day... and a PR (3:58). This being only my second marathon I don't really have anything to compare it to (Cowtown being my first). What a world of difference... the split start is a nice plan but I think it would be better off merging with the half and full runners a mile or two later in the race. The F-18 flyover gave me chills. The fireworks and shotgun start from the 'cowboy' was a nice Texas touch. The spectators were wonderful along the way. I never felt alone. Water and Powerade at every aid station; I almost didn't know what to do... The course was flawless in my humble opinion. A fair blend of the lake and city. The Dolly Parton hills were more gentle than I was led to think. A special thanks to the Cliff Bar pace team (4:00) and the relay runner I talked with a mile to the finish. Oh and one more thing: AAC bathrooms were great, and the stairs to the AAC floor were not as bad as I expected. |
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