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Atlanta Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Atlanta Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.0 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 3.2
Number of comments: 130 [displaying comments 101 to 111]
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RAE Runner from Atlanta, GA
(11/26/2004)
 "Pros and Cons" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Atlanta Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 Pros: 1. Spectators 2. Spectators 3. Spectators (Thank you for coming out on T-day! I agree with other comments - don't expect a ton of people - it IS Thanksgiving. But those that do come out, are fabulous! In general, it's a quiet marathon) 4. Loved the challenging course. Definitely don't want every race I do to be 'flat and fast'. A hilly couse pushes you as a runner! Cons: 1. No start line chip mat!! Where was the start line????? No indication of a start line whatsoever for the half marathoners! Nobody knew when to start their watches- very confusing!!! Your official time is the clock time - and it can take up to 5+ minutes to get there! Terrible! I started with the 9m/mile group and it took me roughly 2.5 mintues to cross- (although I am not totally sure, because I had no idea when to officially start my watch.) 2. No medal? Increase registration by a couple of bucks. 3. How do we find times on the website? There needs to be an easy to use the database to search for our running friends and family. It is insane to look through the list of literally hundreds of runners on the website!! I live in Atlanta and would like to do this again, but there definitely need to be improvements to make this a marathon which reflects that we're in the 21st century! This is actually pretty embarrassing that Atlanta has such a low-budget marathon. | |
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J. H. from Linz, Austria
(11/26/2004)
"Look for a new challenge? Just do it!" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 If you do your first marathon, don't start with the Atlanta Marathon! It is tough. Given the fact that it is Thanksgiving morning in an American 'Car-City' (no cheering crowd...) and that the course is very hilly (especially the last 6 miles!), you need a lot of additional motivation and energy finishing this race. European runs like the Vienna City Marathon with 100,000s of spectator are much better for the start of a marathon career. The Atlanta Marathon is perfect if an experienced marathoner needs a new type of challenge. Over all the organization was very good and I admire all the volunteers who sacrifice Thanksgiving morning for this event! | |
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Jeff Raymond from Decatur, GA
(11/26/2004)
"Tired Legs" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Atlanta Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is my third time running the marathon; the last few miles always makes me wonder... WHY???? Then I remember, I love running close to home and then eat all I want. Seriously, the course is low/medium level of difficulty up until around mile 19 or 20 and then it gets tough (either that or my legs always start to feel it in those uphills). There were lots of water/Powerade stations as well as rest rooms but no orange slices or any other fruit along the way. The temp was nice (started in the 40's) but the wind made the starting line COLD - after warming up, except for a few drafts, the weather was perfect. I will definitely run it again. | |
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B. M. from Chicago
(11/26/2004)
"Fun half marathon; good course" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Atlanta Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I ran the half and enjoyed it, although it was somewhat nasty weather. It was 41 at the start with 20 mph winds. From chatting with other runners at the finish, it seemed that the weather is usually better. I had expected the hills in the second half to be tougher than they were. Cardiac Hill is a challenge, but the others are OK. The elevation map makes it look like you're doing a constant uphill for 3 miles, but there are segments in there that are flat or even slightly downhill, so it's not too bad. While not pancake flat, one could run a good time here. Fans were few and far between, but that's not surprising for Thanksgiving and the weather. One downside is the 7 am start; it's still dark when you start. Also, the course is a straight line down Peachtree, which means that you're basically running through a mall area in Buckhead for a lot of it. I like the course because I think it's good practice for a marathon--try to run a steady pace for the first half and not go out too hard, then be ready to work in the second half. Lots of goodies at the finish. | |
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R. T. from Atlanta, Ga
(11/25/2004)
 "Typical Atlanta Track Club event. Not very good." (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 Organization: I ran the half this year and the only thing I came away with is the realization that the group who puts this event on does a poor job of catering to the runners... their customers. There was no medal for the half runners and a small baggie of candy and snacks was all the food available at the end. I get the feeling that the Atlanta Track Club puts on this event merely because there is no other 'Atlanta' Marathon. There is little attempt at making this a runner friendly event. One might get just as much out of an individual training run. Course: The course was fairly decent. A tad boring over the first 3 miles, but once in Buckhead, on into Midtown, the course became interesting. As a fan of urban environments, this did not disappoint. There were several hills, but nothing that should keep you from running this event. Summary: Not much to say about this race except that it was cold and very windy out there. I will not be running the whole marathon as long as the ATC is running this event. It is extremely no-frills, as that appears to be their specialty. This may appeal to some, but I feel the accomplishment of the marathon, and even the half-marathon is worth a little more than a T-shirt. Overall experience, 1 to 10: 3 | |
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R. R. from Atlanta
(7/9/2004)
"It's Tough!" (General Comments)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Atlanta Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Although I train on hills in Atlanta, this course is still a tough one for me. The first third is low rolling hills, the middle third is flat, and the final third is no fun. It's a no frills marathon although there are plenty of aid stations. Unless you really want to run an Olympic course, I would not recommend a special out-of-state trip for it. A lot more could be done to promote the race and spice it up a bit. | |
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t. r. from wilmington, nc
(4/4/2004)
 "Great people, tough hills" (about: 2003)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Atlanta Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a relatively small race, but there are enough people in it to still make for a pretty sociable run without too much of a crowd. The weather was perfect with clouds and temps in the 50's. Each water station was well populated with enthusiastic volunteers, although the Powerade was not as good as the Gatorade I trained with. The organization, the nice engraved medal with 'Under 4 Hours,' on the back, and the nice T-shirt make for a nice first marathon experience. However, I found the hills particularly challenging since I trained in a flat environment at home. The last 10K in particular felt as though it was entirely uphill, and I finished a solid 10 to 15 minutes slower than I thought I would. I will probably run this again someday, but my next race will be a flatter, faster course so I can see just how fast I can finish. Despite the hills I would recommend the race. | |
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A. O. from Stockbridge, Georgia
(3/23/2004)
"great for first timers" (about: 2003)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my first half-marathon and it was a great experience! PROs: good orgainization, set up except the finish line; very enthusiastic fans, and plenty considering it was a chilly Thanksgiving morning; the volunteers were awesome and encouraging; tough, hilly course, but rounding the corner and seeing the Olympic Rings at the finish was fantastic! CONs: finish line was a mass of confused runners looking for pathetic goody bags (terrible - no fruit); the Powerade along the route was watered down; not enough porta-potties along the route (guess they put them all at the start); and ugly, cheap race shirts. Overall, a good race. I'd like to run this one again. | |
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G. G. from Atlanta, GA
(12/30/2003)
"Good but not great" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 My 16th marathon and first time running Atlanta. Given that it was not a well promoted marathon and also on Thanksgiving Day, I was quite happy with the overall logistics and crowd support. The course was fairly flat with the last 6 miles or so as the biggest challenge, which definitely makes for a feeling of triumph when you cross the finish line. The finisher's medals were on the cheap side and I was very disappointed that the 'offical' times posted are for clock time rather than NET start/finish time. I was 2 minutes late to the starting line due to the crowd in front and that pushed me from 3:58 watch time to 4:00+ hours on my 'official' time. The finish line reception and post-race amenities were nearly non-existent, but given that it started to rain I can't consider that a problem for me in this particular case. For a city the size of Atlanta that is also an airline hub I would expect something a bit higher in caliber. Having said that, the price for the entry was very low compared to other races I've been in. My suggestion: add $20 to the race entry, spruce it up a bit and promote it nationally. I think you'll find the marathoning public will embrace it quickly. | |
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Judy Graham-Garcia from Augusta, Georgia
(12/26/2003)
 "Great way to start the holiday!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I really enjoyed the 1/2 marathon. This was my 2nd 1/2 marathon, and I was a bit concerned about the 'hilly' reputation! Fortunately, I train on hilly courses and tolerated the hills without problems. It was fun seeing some of the runners dressed for the holidays, one like a turkey! There weren't as many spectators as I expected, but given that we were running on Thanksgiving morning, this is to be expected I guess. However, the spectators that were out were supportive and fun! The volunteers were the best; out so early on Thanksgiving morning and cheering us on past each intersection or aid station! The Atlanta policemen were also fabulous and supportive! I was a bit disappointed in the food at the end--a baggie of goodies--but I guess the idea is that everyone is headed home for turkey, at least that's what I did! I knew ahead of time that I would not receive a medal, and that was OK for those that are satisfied with the internal gratification of completing the race. However, I know several runners would be willing to even pay a few dollars more to receive a completion medal. Most 1/2 marathons present them; I think that Atlanta should consider this for future races. |
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