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Charlottesville Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Charlottesville Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 3.0
Number of comments: 240 [displaying comments 51 to 61]
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Mervyn Chin from Pickering Ont
(10/19/2009)
"Beware : Awful race" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I have now completed 51 marathons in many different cities/towns, plus I read a lot of marathon websites and runners' comments. I can give honest opinions on races. I love the university town of Charlottesville. I think that it is one of the prettiest towns in the US and it has a beautiful downtown. I hope to revisit someday. I did the Charlottesville Marathon because of Runner's World and some runners comments. This small race is very expensive (at $80) and you get a $7 short-sleeve tech shirt. There is no expo and you go into the shop to pick up your shirt and bib. That is it. Not even a bag to put the shirt in. I walked around for half an hour on race day to find the baggage check and there is no music and no pep talk/warm-up on race morning. After the half-marathoners turn, there is a long stretch of road that marathoners have to run on; it has has one narrow lane each way and no shoulder. I will never forget it, but one runner was passing me and said, "Did you see that car almost hit the lady in front?" I did, and it was not pretty. The traffic on this road is scary, especially when you're returning and traffic picks up. There are no cones on these roads, and they're open to traffic. Believe me; someone could be hurt badly. Even some speeding bicyclists caused me to be afraid. No spectators in this race. The hills did not bother me since I was aware of them before the start. A few runners said that this race is scenic. There are just a few parts that are ok, but with the traffic, you really cannot appreciate any scenery. If you want scenery, go to races like Adirondacks, Big Sur, Cape Cod, Bar Harbor, etc. At the finish line, you get a cheap micro medal (the cheapest I have seen) with no date, as well as a piece of cold, thin, cheese pizza and a chocolate bar and water. Believe me, I was very glad I finished this race without any injury. I will never do this race again - never. On my list of completed marathons, this ranks dead last. Apart from the volunteers, there is absolutely nothing good worth mentioning about this race. I do not believe there could be any marathon that is worse than this one. Do yourself a favor and skip this race. You can do better and will be glad you did. | |
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H. H. from Arlington, Virginia
(10/13/2009)
"Lived up to its reputation" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This marathon lived up to all of the nationwide press I've read about it in magazines. It truly was the most scenic course, especially in April when all of the trees and flowers are in full bloom. The course itself is challenging, but I've visited Charlottesville many times and any town located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, should expect to be hilly. I did like that there was a dirt road for about four miles over halfway through the course to run on that displayed many breathtaking views of farmland and mountains. I also enjoyed the fact that the route was a big loop rather than out and back for the marathon. The race was very well organized with packet pick-up in the same location as the start/finish for those runners getting in a day or two prior to the race. The volunteers were amazing and often a huge pick-me-up throughout the race at all of the conveniently located water stops. Even though the roads are not closed to public cars, there were MANY police officers throughout all the pivotal locations on the course to ensure our safety. The race ends on the downtown mall right in the heart of the city. There was a live band playing at the finish line and a local radio station interviewing runners and updating the town on the progress of the race. They had plenty of water, Gatorade, fruit, etc., to grab. It was easy for my friends and family who came to support me, to walk up to get lunch after the race at one of the several restaurants. The weather was absolutely perfect for running a long race. Low 50's at the start and it warmed up to the high 60's by about 11:00 that afternoon. There were a lot of spectators at the finish cheering everyone on so between them and the volunteers throughout the course it was easy to keep my focus. I am going to come back and run this marathon again this year to see if i can better my time. I'm looking forward to it! | |
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W. C. from St. Louis, MO
(9/27/2009)
"fun time" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This is just the type of marathon I was looking for: small-town marathon and a beautiful, challenging course. I thought the course was, in fact, "rolling," but most seem to think extremely hilly. Maybe the fact that I went relatively slowly, with no thoughts of a PR, allowed me to enjoy the course more. Also, I'm used to long runs on rural roads with no shoulders, so the traffic didn't bother me either. Finally, I thought the post-race festivities were fine. Again, I am easy to please. Downtown C'ville is a wonderful place to hang out and explore. I would highly recommend this race to someone looking for a more low-key marathon experience. | |
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Jet Claffey from Salisbury North Carolina
(9/24/2009)
"My first" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The course is the star. It has some of the most gorgeous scenery around. It was my first marathon, and I knew that the hills would be tough. I was thinking 3 goals: 4:30, 4:15 and unrealistically, 4:00. First advice: don't do the half; you turn around before the best part of the course. We hit a dirt road and, wow, what a great place to run. I hit the 13-mile-mark and looked at my watch for the first time. I was a shade over two hours in. Wow. I wondered if it might be possible to break four hours on my first time out. No, by mile 17 the relentless hills caught up to me and I started walking through the water stations. The rest of the race I silently cussed the endless hills till Mile 25 when I knew it was a done deal, as I would have run on bloody stumps to finish. I was aware of the traffic but felt like the police were stopping it for me. I finished in 4:10 - not bad for a 49-year-old. I promptly fell down and was helped by medical staff immediately. They were great. There was nothing wrong with me; I just didn't have anything left at that moment. A few cons: with this course, it could be a great race, but most of the community didn't seem to care. There were very few fans. The t-shirt was ugly, in my opinion, but who cares. I liked the medal because it was small enough that I put it on my key chain. Overall I don't have a lot to compare it to, but I liked the small-town feel of it. Going to Monticello afterward (while wearing my medal) was a cool trip. I would recommend this race, but remember your hill training. | |
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J. N. from Happy Valley, PA
(8/3/2009)
"What was I thinking?" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Okay, so I entered this as a first-time marathoner, and did my first as a freshman in college. I have no idea what in the world we picked this one for. You read the description as "rolling hills," and you assume that they will be ROLLING HILLS. No, I had not prepared for the COMPLETE extremes that the madman who organizes this race pits you against on the course. Thanks for the warning.... I won't be back, although I intend to run OTHER marathons. Don't expect much help after the race either. | |
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K. H. from Ohio
(5/29/2009)
"Loved the Race - Went on Tour on Sunday" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Charlottesville Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I was in Charlottesville for the first marathon seven years ago, and wow, was that a tough course (plus it was raining). This year, I had a blast. I love this course - with the downtown and rural parts. I realized that we ran past great, historic sites when we toured on Sunday. I will be back in the future to have more fun and stay under 5 hours for a Saturday run. It's green (spring) and the views were great. Cars on the road were distracting. The water stops were in the best spots, and the volunteers were great, friendly and motivating. The ladies at the halfway point were wild, and very pink on this green day. I run marathons for the trip and chance to hang with others runners, and this is a blast. | |
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B. W. from NC
(5/26/2009)
"Flowers, Vistas and History!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Yes, this race seems to have a lot going for it. The course was full of beautiful scenery, great views to the west of the mountains, and we even ran past Thomas Jefferson Rotunda. Overall, my friends and I had a great time in Charlottesville. The race organizers do a great job putting on such a beautiful race. I would think this has to be considered a "must do" event. | |
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B. M. from Memphis TN
(5/19/2009)
"Tough but beautiful course" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Charlottesville was my 43rd marathon (38th state). I have seen few courses as scenic, and the weather was great. The race was well organized and everyone was friendly. The volunteers were exceptional. My problem was inadequate training, particularly with respect to the hills. Prepare for the hills and you will love this marathon. As for race directors, they don't get much better than Francesca Conte. | |
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W. N. from State College, PA
(4/22/2009)
"Not for a first-time marathoner." (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was my very first marathon. The course is hilly. Scenic, but hilly. I knew that going into the race but thought, "The hills aren't THAT big and I live in a hilly area, so why not?" However, my legs stopped recovering after the hills. The hill from mile 10-12 killed me. Also, the really steep hill leading up to mile 25 was brutal after enduring so many ups and downs. Miles were clearly marked (mile 8 was mismarked by a quarter-mile). I was grateful for all of the aid stations and the kind volunteers working at them. Otherwise, I think there were 5 spectators cheering us on through the course. I wish they would have stopped traffic. There were a few corners with police, but as a whole I had to run on the shoulder. Thankfully the roads weren't super busy. I was disappointed with the race finish. After the race you were given a bag with some bananas and you could pick up some pizza. Otherwise, people were just milling around. It seemed a bit anticlimactic. Oh, and at the beginning of the race they made a bunch of announcements, but no one but the first few rows of people could hear anything. I guess there was a place for a bag drop but it was never announced in the program or nor were we informed when we picked up our packets. The finisher's medals were nice. The T-shirt is cool but I can't wear mine. For some reason an M fits more like an XL. As a whole, this was a nice, small race, but not good for a first-time marathoner. Pick something flatter and better organized - where the community is less apathetic. I want to run another marathon just because I know it's got to be more fun than Charlottesville. | |
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Rob Klein from Aurora, Colorado
(4/22/2009)
"Beautiful but Hilly" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlottesville Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This marathon would definitely get you ready for spring, if you were not thinking along those lines already (I missed a foot of late Colorado snow while I was away for this race). The pictures of the landscape on the website are only a small part of what you get to see on the course, though those pictures are what made me decide that I wanted to run in this marathon - and see more of the area. Starting out, we were in the old part of downtown, and made an exit to the west, into the country. At about mile 3, we started down a long 2-mile descent, through a woodsy area with homes along the way. (We got to see it again on the way back - going uphill from mile 21 to 23.) Coming out of the woodsy area, we ran along a more heavily traveled road, though car traffic was not an issue until on the return, later in the morning. The rolling hillsides were abundantly green, the trees were starting to leaf out, and the country homes and estates were often set against trees with rolling hills to the side and in front. Along the way (in town and in the country) there were purple flowering trees, lilacs, dogwoods, and a variety of bulb plants - tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths, to name a few. It was just spectacular. About mile 10, we turned down a dirt road that must have lasted 3 miles. More huge yards and country estates while we seemed to go into and out of the woods. Eventually, we ended up on another well-traveled road. There was not an abundance of cars, but the ones coming seemed to be going fast (faster than necessary anyway). The roads did not have cones set up to help clue the drivers in. In any case, I did not ever feel that my safety was threatened. In short order we were on another dirt road for a mile or so, out and back - back to the fast road. Eventually, we were on the long hill - going uphill this time. From about mile marker 21 until the end, I thought it was pretty difficulty - even though it was not all uphill. Anyway, somewhere around mile marker 23 we entered the University of Virginia campus, and looped around the stadium, where a game was commencing. That was cool. The last couple of miles routed us toward the finish line but on a different road. A husband/wife team directed this race, and nothing was left to chance. Everything was well organized from packet pickup at their retail running store, to bag drop/pick-up (for warm up clothes), to fluids and gels on the course, to finish line organization. This race did not have a lot of fans, but the water/aid station volunteers were always cheering us on - especially the girls decked out in pink at the halfway point. What enthusiasm! As spring marathons go, weather can be highly variable - from snow to rain to sunny and warm. The weather for this race was probably about as good as it could have been. It was a cool start - probably in the low 50's, and warmed to the low 70's by around noon. Some of the course was shaded, some was sunny and warm - but it never got excessively hot, which is a good thing. And the green landscape, the spring growth, and blossoms were a real treat throughout the course. Later, I saw huge patches of daffodils growing in the median along Interstate 64! By the way, the medal I received for this marathon was the smallest ever (of 38 marathons). And the T-shirt, while of the moisture-wicking type, was a rather plain design with the marathon name and a tree. Those could be improved on for next year. In spite of the hills, and a few fast cars, I would definitely recommend this race. It was pleasant and sensational. |
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