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☰
Mercedes Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Mercedes Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 267 [displaying comments 31 to 41]
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Bob Kroeger from Cincinnati
(3/5/2012)
"Fix the potholes" (about: 2012)
50+ previous marathons
| 2 Mercedes Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The Mercedes marathon has many great features, most of which have already been mentioned. The medal, a beautifully polished car emblem, is striking. My second favorite, next to the Flying Pig's. But organizers must take a day or two, right before the marathon, to spray paint the many potholes on the route. I fell last year and luckily did little damage. But I saw a fellow runner fall this year and watched him hit hard. I don't know if he was able to finish. I realize that spray painting all the holes would take time but the effort might prevent such accidents. It would also be wise to split off the half-marathoners early. I just ran the Albany marathon; where the halfers split off in the first 100 yards. Nice. And I did not see a single pothole at Albany. Thanks to the Track Shak for providing gloves. Very thoughtful. | |
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R. G. from Alabama
(2/21/2012)
"Average" (about: 2012)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Pros: -Flat for the Birmingham area -Plenty of food after the race -Plenty of hotels/parking very close to the race. My car was in a deck less than fifty from the start line. -Free massages afterwards -Lots of free powerade drinks, Gu and fruit -Sweet, friendly folks manning the aid stations Cons: -(Personal peeve): They only gave tech shirts; I like to have a choice between tech and cotton -Double loop meant crowding of half marathoners in the first loop. I hated hearing 'uugh.. we still have 3 miles to go!' when I had 16 miles to go -The expo was moderate size but there wasn't the bounty of free stuff that you expect at a marathon -There was no designated parking area for marathoners. Most races I have been to in big cities validate parking for a nearby parking garage. I paid $8 both Friday for packet pickup and Sunday for race day. Not. Cool. -There were 3-4 Gu stations on the course but only one had them laying out on the table. The others they had volunteers throwing them to us/at us. -CRAZY disorganization before the race in the auditorium. It was cold so I understand people staying inside but there were no lanes moving to bag check/to the bathroom... just people standing around. It would have been nice to have had someone encourage them to go out. I do not plan to do it again because there was not anything spectacular about it. If it fits into your training schedule then it is an easy race, but I wouldn't recommend it. | |
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K. P. from Atlanta
(2/16/2012)
"Far exceeded my expectations" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I've been wanting to do this race for the past 4 years but I've had other commitments in the past on marathon weekend. This was the year for me to do it finally. The weather turned cold- try 22 degrees with wind chill in the low teens at the start. The gloves they give you (free) at the expo helped keep my hands from completely freezing during those first 3-4 miles. I ended up running just under 3 hrs, which was about 15min faster than I was expecting going into this race. I give credit for that to (what I consider) great temps (ok- maybe slightly cold..) and a very fair/fast course. While there are some hills on the course (that you do twice), they seemed to be gradual and you got plenty of nice downhills and flat sections to motor on as well. Pros- I liked the double loop course- allowed for familiarity Low, low price of entry. (1/2 the price of the many races that can't even touch this race as far as bang for buck) Superb communication leading up to the race Small, but nice expo. Race organization is excellent. Visible mile markers with time clocks at EVERY mile. Plenty of gatorade, water, and gu (22 fluid stops) We drove into the parking deck right next to the start at 6:30 (30min before the start) with ease. Awesome post race entertainment in the auditorium plus Beer and BBQ!!!! Awesome medal and great schwag (gloves, hat, shirt, koozie, a nutrition bar) Cons- Can't think of a single one. I didn't mind that there weren't many spectators. IT WAS FREEZING that morning- not the best conditions to be sitting out watching runners. This race blows away/destroys all of the overpriced Rock and Roll races I've done (san diego, country music, and Savannah) from an overall satisfaction. Mercedes knows how to treat runners. I highly recommend this race. | |
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S. S. from Chicago, IL
(2/16/2012)
"Great job, Birmingham!" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I thoroughly enjoyed this race. Although there weren't a lot of spectators, the support by the volunteers was fantastic. There were plenty of well-stocked water and Powerade stations, and I have never seen so much Gu! Although the course wasn't especially scenic, I found it to be interesting due to the rolling (but not too difficult) hills. The double loop course worked very well for my psychologically. Best of all was the convenience. I walked the 2 blocks from the host hotel to the start line just before the race began and didn't even need to check a bag. There was no need for a car rental with the expo, start, finish, and host hotel all in close proximity. Great medal, hat, and long-sleeved tech tee. I didn't stay for the post-race party, but I heard it was a blast! | |
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M. M. from Lafayette, LA
(2/16/2012)
"Must do Alabama race" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race was great from start to finish. Good pre-race communication and organized expo. The weather was perfectly chilly. Watch out for ice on the roads at water stops. Lots of staff support. Hydration and GU stops were abundant. The rolling hills were not as bad as I feared and may have helped me to beat my PR by eight minutes! Double loop was not even an issue. Always like to see more cheering spectators, but understand that watching runners in freezing temps is not as fun as being one. Best post race party I have experienced. This is a well done race and worth traveling for. The medal and finishers hat are awesome. | |
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E. M. from Mobile,AL
(2/14/2012)
"GREAT race with awesome medal" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race was top notch in every way. The organization was amazing. The double loop course was scenic and enjoyable. The markings for the half and whole were very clear. The water stops were furnished very well. There was plenty of water,powerade and gels. Spectators were great and offered pickle juice,gummis and fruit. The course showcased alot of Birmingham downtown and UAB campus. The medal was awesome and we also received a tech long sleeve shirt,gloves and a hat. I would definitely do this race again. The course was slightly hilly but very fast. Kudos to race directors in ALL areas! | |
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B. B. from Florida
(2/14/2012)
"Great Course for Hilly Birmingham but lacks suppor" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Pros: -easy course for the usual hilly Alabama foothills -great after party food and drinks with plenty of massages and medical staff that worked really well with the cold -water stations were plentiful and great support teams -awesome finisher medals Cons: -there was a very confusing race start with no real use of the corrals -there were plenty of water stations but no real amounts of spectators esp for marathoners -the after party raffle awards went by longer then the actual awards which kind of made them look like they did not care about the real champions over all good race with a great staff that did a very excellent job making a easy course out of a hilly situation | |
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Ed Robins from Philadelphia, Pa
(2/13/2012)
"Very Good Race" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the 2012 race and had a very positive experience. I stayed in the host hotel which was 5 minutes walking from the expo and the start and finish lines. They also gave me late check out. The expo was a decent size, about what you'd expect from a mid-sized race like this. Packet pick-up was quick and I saw a shirt exchange area for folks unhappy with how their shirt fit. I didn't need to use it (my shirt fit fine) but usually asking to exchange a shirt can get ugly. That seems to me to be a nice touch. The course is not super scenic but there are some nice areas. You run through downtown Birmingham and pass the Civil Rights Institute(which I visited on Saturday and highly recommend). We see some of the UAB campus and also see some nice neighborhoods. There are also some boring industrial areas that most urban marathons also include. The course is a two loop course and I know many folks don't like that but I do for a marathon. I think it helps mentally for the last 13 miles. There is a section that you hit from about 8-10 that is in a lovely neighborhood but the road is too narrow the first loop when the half marathoners are also on the course so be careful. They advertise the course as fast and it is but don't expect a pancake flat course. There are lots of easy, rolling hills. None are tough by themselves but they do take a gradual toll. If you're from a flat part of the country you may feel it. This year the weather was quite cold (low 20's at the start). So cold in fact that you had to worry about ice at the aid stations. Kudos to the race officials because they had salt to throw to keep things safe. Before the race you can keep warm inside the nearby Boutwell auditorium which was really helpful this year. My only complaint was that each aid station was set up differently. Some times water was first, sometimes the sports drink. Some stations only had a few table others went on longer. Also all the cups said poweraid even if they had water. I really think every station should be idential so you can plan your approach each time. When fatigue sets in late in a marathon I really think these small things matter. Not a whole lot of fans but it was awfully cold. I wonder how many come out on warmer years. The ones that were there were appreciated. Thanks! There were plenty of volunteers and man were they all nice, braving the cold and all. They seemed well trained too because every question I had was answered correctly. Nice swag with a nice long sleeve tech shirt, an impressive medal and a nice finishers cap. I had to hurry to catch a flight but the post-race party set up in the Boutwell Auditorium looked like fun. I am glad I traveled to Birmingham to run their race! | |
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D. B. from Tupelo, MS
(2/13/2012)
"Great Race" (about: 2012)
50+ previous marathons
| 3 Mercedes Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a well organized, medium sized marathon. Plenty of water stops - several with gels. I could dig up a couple small complaints, but I get tired of reading the whining in most comments. | |
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C. B. from Chicago, IL
(2/13/2012)
"Amazing organization and hospitality" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run races around the world and this was one of my favorites. Course was varied, organization was top-notch, expo/post-race party was fun, and the hills really are not bad at all. There's a steep downhill around mile 10/23 that really propelled me to the end. Weather was really cold in 2012, but the auditorium next to the starting line allowed us to stay warm until the last minute. I can't say enough good things about this race. |
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