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Memphis Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Memphis Marathon Information & Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.2 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 4.7 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 4.2 
 
 
Number of comments: 382 [displaying comments 141 to 151]
More Comments: [ < 1 .. 13 14 15 16 17 .. 39 > ]

 

C. G. from St. Louis, MO (4/22/2008)
"Krispy Kreme Donuts and Sugar Cookies" (about: 2007)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This was my sixth marathon. I typically run them between 4:15 and 4:30 - but I do it to have fun. With that in mind, here are my observations:

Good weather: Sunny, 50s and 60s, no wind to speak of. But hey, that's luck.

Nice, scenic course with good aid stations and spectator support. One of my favorites was a little girl dressed like a Christmas elf standing in the street in front of her house greeting runners. Adorable! Also, lots of bands, including a young boy band (aged 12?) who were really good. A lot people in passing traffic yelled support too.

Rolling hills. And lots of them throughout the course. But since I trained in St. Louis, which has similar terrain, I was OK. The funniest moment came when I turned a corner roughly at about mile 24.5 and came face to face with a huge sloping overpass. Two guys behind me started cursing loudly. I laughed. Then sighed. Also, somewhere between 25 and 26, I passed by the front doors of the downtown hotel where I was staying. Talk about tempting!

Finish line: Really cool coming into AutoZone Park and hearing my name announced. (By the way: Race-day was my 42nd birthday. What a great way to celebrate entering a new year of life!) My finish line photos are hilarious. I look constipated because I was pushing to take a few seconds off my time. (So take note: Don't look like you're pushing, even if you are. Or just don't push at all.)

By far, the best moment was when I approached the food tables and saw box after box after box of my two favorite foods: donuts and iced sugar cookies. Thought I'd died and gone to heaven.

This was definitely a fun marathon. And celebrating that night on Beale Street was fun too!
 

K. D. from Kansas (4/21/2008)
"Fabulous, Fun Marathon!!!" (about: 2007)

1 previous marathon | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This was my first full marathon. I thought it was a great race. It was very well organized and I enjoyed the course. I have noticed other runners' comments regarding the hills. I personally did not think it was a hilly course. I have run on larger and more challenging hills in the flat state of Kansas. :).

The finish in Auto Zone Park was very cool. I thought it was awesome that my boyfriend could sit in the stadium and watch me enter the field and cross the finish line. I also enjoyed around mile three when we ran down Beale Street. It was awesome to see all of the people lined up cheering.

The food was great too. Who doesn't love pizza, donuts, and cookies?!

The majority of the participants do run the half marathon. All of the spectators were very much appreciated during the second half.

I highly recommend running this race. I will be running it again in 2008.

Thanks for a great time, Memphis!
 

S. K. from MEMPHIS,TN (3/9/2008)
"Good one to run" (about: 2007)

2 previous marathons | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 4


This was my first half marathon. I really liked the way it was organized. The people are friendly and was well organized. Wish it had more riverside running, which is a treat to run.

The only observation was that they ran out of gel and PowerAde by the time we came near the 10-mile mark, and instead of providing water in cups, they asked us to drink by hand (better to have your own supply).

Other than that, it is a fun and wonderful race to run. The ending is awesome when you enter Autozone Park - you will really feel like a WINNER.
 

R. B. from Mufreesboro Tn (2/8/2008)
"Fun,but Challenging" (about: 2007)

11-50 previous marathons | 2 Memphis Marathons
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 3


After a four year hiatus, I decided to give Memphis another shot to qualify for Boston. Little did I know that the course had been changed since 2003. A lot tougher this time around with the rolling hills after mile 13; the entertainment helped though! Long story short, I did qualify with a PR over my last 4 marathons. (I ran 3:18.) Awesome!! Also a friend got his PR on the 1/2 marathon course. The support over the last 5K was the best. Thanks. Everyone should run this a least once.
 

J. M. from Yukon, Oklahoma (2/2/2008)
"A Fun and Challenging Marathon" (about: 2007)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I've run 10 marathons to date and I would give this one a big thumbs up. Easily one of my favorites. The course was scenic and could be a bit of a challenge if you don't do some hill training. I always do so I enjoyed the hills. The people are super. Lots of smiles and everyone was very helpful. I especially enjoyed the finish line in the baseball stadium. The half marathon finishers finished down the first base line and the full marathoners finished down the third base line. The King himself (Elvis) was there for your finish line photo. "Thank You, Thank you very much!" The marathon food was superb. Hanging out on Beale Street later that evening was a blast. Beer, barbecue and blues. That was pretty cool. I recommend this one to everyone. I'll be back.
 

T. P. from Indiana (1/19/2008)
"Awesome experience. Thank you, Memphis!" (about: 2008)

3 previous marathons | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This was only my 3rd marathon but it was by far the best. The expo was a little tricky to find but easy to get through. The race itself was great. Fan support was comparable to the other races I've done. There was a kid around mile 12 or so giving out little candy canes that really gave me a much needed boost. The finish was spectacular. I couldn't believe all the food. I was like a kid in a candy store after running 26.2 miles. I had a 9-hour drive to look forward to, so being able to shower in the stadium was a huge bonus. One thing I can say I was a little disappointed in was the post-race massage. I waited a good 45 minutes for not even 5 minutes of massage time. The goody bag had these little notepads with the marathon logo on them, which is totally cool. I would highly recommend this race to anyone!
 

K. S. from Crystal Lake IL (1/6/2008)
"Amazing run" (about: 2007)

1 previous marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 5


I did the half, but am still getting over an injury from Chicago Marathon. I've run over 10 half marathons in as many states, and this was GREAT! If you want a zoo, a garbage course, with very little help from race people, go do Indy 500! The packet pick up was flawless; parking was great; St. Jude's tour - WOW; wave start was interesting; course, smokin'; finish, way fun. The only complaint I have is the food: never got to it because I got frustrated and left. Went to my car, grabbed the money and stopped at a local restaurant.
 

B. L. from Jefferson City, MO, USA (1/6/2008)
"awesome race, but hilly" (about: 2007)

3 previous marathons | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


This was the best organized marathon I have ever run. (It was my third.) I love the staggered starts. There were plenty of people running it, but it wasn't overcrowded at all. There were well stocked drink stations at every mile. But, don't be fooled; it is one hill after another. The course goes up and down and up and down. It is hilly.
 

R. B. from Walnut Creek, California (12/27/2007)
"Fantastic experience!" (about: 2007)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


Memphis was the best organized event I've run yet; that it was for such a worthy cause is a bonus. The course was challenging (the self-description of rolling hills fits well), but it's still possible to run a PR. The first half is brilliant, with views of the river and a section through Overton Park, but the second half is just streets without much scenery. Support along the course was terrific - more fans than anywhere else I've been, and they were vocal and encouraging to all of us. Finish in the stadium was fun, but walking upstairs to the food was hard! Memphis also has great sites: Civil Rights Museum is a highlight for me, but Graceland and Stax are very worthwhile too. And hit Central BBQ for ribs - best ever!
 

E. C. from Austin, TX (12/18/2007)
"GREAT! A MUST!" (about: 2007)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


Very enjoyable. Elvis is alive and well in Memphis! I've done 26 marathons, and this is one of my favorites. What's not to like? After attempting to run in Chicago (absolute nightmare!) and being forced on a bus at mile 18, this was pure delight!! Perfect weather, plenty of fluids, nice shirts, and the food at the end - just amazing!! We had warm soup, cold beer, cookies, pizza, everything you could want.
 

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