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New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon Runner Comments
Back to New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 4.2 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 315 [displaying comments 101 to 111]
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Adam Stone from Jackson, Mississippi
(6/10/2009)
 "Great Experience" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was looking for a flat course on which to run my first marathon and this is it. The first half is great. It is in the garden district, and the support from the spectators was amazing. The only bad thing is that the back half is not in a scenic area and the spectators fall off at the exact point where you need them the most. However, the race is great and I am going back to run the half-marathon this year. | |
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Carolyn B. from Atlanta, GA
(4/1/2009)
"Good job New Orleans!!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The only complaint I have for this race is that my knee was hurting from mile 4 on, but that has nothing to do with the race organization! I loved running through both parks. The volunteers were very festive in keeping with the spirit of Mardi Gras. Post-race consumables included red beans and rice, and beer. The expo was the perfect size! Keep up the good work New Orleans! | |
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R. R. from Collierville, Tennessee
(3/21/2009)
 "Good Course for Fast Times!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The weather was perfect. My pacing group was fantastic and the first half of the course was historic and fun. I loved running in the French District and the parks were green and cheerful even on this early February day. The second half of the race was a bit sparse, but maybe that is unfair after comparing it to the incredible first half. The course is nearly totally flat and I set a PR with plenty of time to spare. A great way to shake off the winter blues of latitudes farther north. Not surprisingly, fan support was a little light on this Super Bowl Sunday, but it did pick up a little in the later parts of the race. | |
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D. D. from Texas
(3/1/2009)
"Will definitely be back again!" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a well organized race and a flat course, with the perfect number of runners - not too crowded, but enough to keep it interesting. There was literally one hill and it was minor. The temp was in the 50s for most of the race. The only tricky part is running down Bourbon Street with the half marathoners. Too many runners in such a tight space. I saw a few runners trip and fall as early as mile 2. Otherwise, a fun course. The crowds were thin on the last half, so be sure you bring your family to cheer you on. Or better yet, run with the pace group (like I did), which was an awesome experience. Hit each mile split like clockwork! I will definitely do this race again! Thanks to NOLA for a great race! | |
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R. O. from Washington, DC
(2/25/2009)
"Kind of disappointed" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I was somewhat disappointed by the MGM as I guess I have come to expect more at some of the other marathons I have run. The course was really good. I appreciated the fact that we got to run down Bourbon and St. Charles Streets as well as run through two beautiful parks. Couldn't find a flatter course. Need to petition the city to help get the vehicles off of Bourbon Street though. That was an accident waiting to happen as they just "washed" the street prior to the start. It did get a little warm towards the end with little shade after leaving City Park. Guess I should have run faster. Speaking of slow, by the time I finished, all of the food was gone, and the tables were being disassembled and packed up; but thank goodness the beer was still there. That was the highlight of the finish line in my opinion. Organization was mediocre at best. Where were the occasional newsletters leading up to the race to make us excited and focused on the great time we were going to have? Maybe I forgot to ask for them but would have loved to receive a few. It didn't seem like the web page was updated very often either. The expo was... well, quaint. Suggestion to future participants: get there early or the process will get very confusing as the packet pick-up area was very cramped. I feel they could have used some of the space where the few vendors were to expand the packet pick-up point so it flows more smoothly. I picked up my packet on Friday, as soon as they opened. Hopefully more vendors arrived later, as pickings were slim. Good part of the expo: I saw a buddy I hadn't seen in over 10 years, and my daughter got an Army National Guard T-shirt, which she has coveted ever since. The spectators on the course were really supportive for most of the race. I enjoyed the comedy routines and wisecracks some of the water points were making. The beer stands definitely helped me out... or slowed me down to enjoy the heat later (not sure). Some of the time callers were hard to find. I really want to tip my hat to the young lady at mile marker 21. She was screaming, cheering and being as active as she could be (while in a leg brace) to keep us motivated. Thank you. The only other issue I had was the last water point. Not sure what was going on (keep in mind I was pushing 5:20 hours at that point) but it was scary. Thought maybe a block party had gotten out of control with the music and standing away from the tables talking amongst themselves while two people tried to keep the water flowing. Overall, I am glad I did the MGM, but I will not be a repeat performer. Love the city but the race was disappointing. | |
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Daniel Weaver from Longview Texas
(2/19/2009)
 "Certainly worth the trip." (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Well, this one was marathon number five, in my fifth state. Next up New Mexico probably. This was my first trip to New Orleans and I enjoyed the food and people. I stayed at the New Orleans Guest House and highly recommend it as it is a funky place owned by interesting people close to everything in the French Quarter. The race was nothing spectacular. Interesting that it was out and back to the Superdome for the first half, and I arrived at 13.1 at the exact time the top finisher was finishing 26.2. It gave good views of the city. I liked the green areas, the semi-recovered areas, and, of course, the trot down Bourbon Street was surreal. I definitely think it is a fun marathon. And I felt good about spending my time and money in Big Easy as she comes back. | |
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T. W. from Orlando
(2/10/2009)
"Great, flat race" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was a great, flat, fast race course, but you have to be careful running on the narrow, wet, sloped streets in the French Quarter, dodging random parked cars and horse droppings. Still, the staggered wave start prevented some of the bottle-necking that couldh ave happened. Some of the road surfaces were uneven, and we ran on some grated road construction during miles 15-16, which was a little tough on the ankles, so you had to be careful if you're a little clumsy. Support stations were good. The fans who did come out were enthusiastic and supportive, though they became a little more sparse during the second half of the marathon. The food offering was a little random at the end (all I wanted was a banana and a bagel or granola bar and couldn't find any regular post-race refreshments). They served red beans and rice, king cake, baked cheese puff sticks and Subway sandwiches. Not much selection if you are vegetarian. A map of the starting area would have been helpful since the bathroom lines were quite lengthy; there were a ton of porto-lets a little farther north but nobody knew that. Overall, a great race and worth the run. | |
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Lu Charboneau from North Potomac, MD
(2/10/2009)
 "All-around fun marathon" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I am truly trying to avoid repeating my marathons but I keep coming back to New Orleans for the MGM. The city is incredible, the weather is almost always perfect (at least for the past 3 years), the people are warm and welcoming, and the race is truly flat and fast, as advertised. I recommend this marathon to all of my friends. | |
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J. Z. from Michigan
(2/10/2009)
"Well organized marathon" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Orleans Mardi Gras Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 It was my first trip to New Orleans. Positives: -Expo was easy to navigate; packet pick-up was quick -Start was well organized; it was easy to line up in the appropriate pacing area -Fun running down Bourbon Street -Course was very flat; only one minor hill -Decent medal and lots of food at the finish line -Everyone was very friendly and enthusiastic Negatives: -Get the cars off of Bourbon Street; people had to run up on the sidewalks -The section of road that was milled down was tough on the feet -Shirt was a white, long-sleeve tech shirt, but it is kinda boring -When you are from Michigan, it is tough to train for the humidity! But overall, a very enjoyable experience. | |
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Elissa Pena from Pensacola, FL
(2/9/2009)
"What a great race!" (about: 2009)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and the best run for me! I love the flat roads, the scenery, the crowds, the culture, the food, the medals, and everything I can think of. Even the streets were clean!! Thank you - I love the flat roads. There's only one hill in NO, so I ran over that, but it was not bad at all. The crowds were probably the best overall because they were on every street and corner you can imagine. It's the Big Easy; come on, everyone loves anyone who will run in the city! I am from NO and love the city but this was a heartfelt run because I got to experience the city while running and I can't wait to do it again next year! The food was all good! Subway and red beans and rice! Yum! The people there for you after the race to support you and were so great! Thank you, Mr. Bunny Ears! I think the medals were great! Very good design for NO. The culture of NO was up to par and the drunks on the side of Bourbon at 7 a.m. were hilarious. I think, all in all, that I had the best experience, and I am telling everyone to go for this race in 2010. If the roads are cleaned and the crowds are great again in 2010, it will be a BIG HIT!!! |
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