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☰
Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.8 
Organization 4.0 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 401 [displaying comments 141 to 151]
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rich hincha from orange, virginia
(6/13/2008)
"Well-packaged and fun!" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my third Phoenix RnR, and I enjoyed it every bit as much as my first. Phoenix is a great city to explore, before and after the race, and the course is flat, fast and lots of fun. Most of the streets and roadways are wide enough so runners don't feel crushed together. The volunteers and spectators are plentiful and very friendly, and the bands provide that "something extra" all along the route. You can easily spend all day at the expo, which is packed with vendors, goods, knowledgeable guest speakers and all sorts of services. Finally, nobody outdoes Elite Racing when it comes to cool finishers' medals and tee-shirts. :) I plan to be there again next year! | |
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S. A. from SB Indiana, US
(4/23/2008)
"Great but expensive" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 It was my first one; I loved the city and the weather, and the course was flat and easy. The spectators were very nice and friendly, and it would help if you understand Spanish - LOL. The parking for the expo was $10 on top of $100+ for the marathon itself. What was that all about? And the T-shirt was the cheapest I have ever seen. Not ever close to decent. | |
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C. G. from Peoria, AZ
(4/13/2008)
"Had to walk over a mile to get to a bus; however.." (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 The bus had a toilet on it so that was a relief (pun intended)!! I was very pleased... especially when we got to the start line and saw the lines backed up for 20 minutes. Yikes! This was my first 1/2 marathon and I have to say the parking situation almost made it my last.... Next year, I do plan to do the whole marathon and have my husband drive me to the start line and pick me up at the finish. Other than the parking, I really have no complaints... I didn't even hate the Accelerade. I would love to see more of those gel packet squeeze things in the marathon portion.... I can't imagine that one will be enough, as I have read others say. I am glad to be from AZ where we can enjoy great running weather so many months of the year. The bands were very helpful and I was encouraged by them.... also the cheerleaders helped so much. I think some of the cheerleaders cheered equivalent to running a marathon... they just didn't stop! | |
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M. A. from Chandler, AZ.
(2/2/2008)
"1/2 Marathon Experience" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 First the expo - efficient and well organized. Had my packet, number, and shirt in a matter of minutes. A bit of a madhouse but to be expected at such a large event. Can't beat AZ for winter weather in January. Parking was plentiful and efficient. Nice perk with the UPS dropoff/pickup. 'Wave' start is a nice touch. Crowd support, live bands, and cheer squads throughout the entire course were plentiful and very enthusiastic. Course is flat although at mile 4ish, what was the deal with the detour into the neighborhood? Water and aid stations were abundant though I cannot find anyone who likes the Accelerade. Runner's corral area could use a little more attention and more stations for such a large event. Food at the end is standard fare although I'd like to see more fruits/bars, and less in the way of "Flaming Cheetos." All and all a great experience. Volunteers are the real heroes here - along with excellent crowd support. | |
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S. W. from Clovis, California
(2/2/2008)
"If you can only run one marathon..." (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 ...do NOT miss this race! P.F. Chang's RnR AZ is nothing but fun from the expo to the finish line. The bands and cheerleaders are awesome, the Arizonans, as well as friends and families of the runners, are so enthusiastic, and the course is flat and FAST!!! I was set to BQ this year, but due to my own stupidity, I had to slow it down the last couple of miles... eh, my feet were swelling and instead of changing into my larger running shoes, I decided it must be my imagination. By mile 18 my toe was bleeding and by 22 I had to take a walk break. No biggie, I took my shoes off and ran barefoot the last 5K! Mostly asphalt and a little gravel (yeah, that was tough, but I survived), the course is fantastic, and I still finished in 3:47. I ran this two years ago and felt so fortunate to be able to return this year. I called home and told hubby, "If I only get to run one marathon a year from now on (HEAVEN FORBID!), this is the one I want to do!" All of the Elite Racing RnR Marathons are fantastic, and I highly recommend them to everyone!! | |
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K. N. from Pennsylvania
(2/2/2008)
"Alright but wouldn't do again" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 It was alright, but overrated. The negatives: I felt that it was rather expensive for an average marathon. The expo was a mess because of other events nearby, so parking was ridiculous and expensive. The course was very boring, not scenic. They serve Accelerade, which is gross anyway, but peach-flavored Accelerade was especially awful. I noticed that everyone complained about that last year but they did not change it this year. For an expensive entry fee, it'd be nice to get something a little nicer than a short-sleeve cotton t-shirt. The post-race food was so-so. The overall flavor I got from it was rather commercial and cold. Most of this hardly matters but people always want to know the negatives. The positives: The medal is decent. The course truly is flat and is a good one for a PR. Water/Accelerade stations were well-stocked, although sometimes the water was first and sometimes the Accelerade. The weather was nice: 40 at the beginning and in the 60s by the end of the race. It's not that I'd never do this one again, but I think there are nicer marathons out there. | |
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S. E. from Urbana, IL
(1/28/2008)
"Most fun marathon! Amazingly organized!" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 With ~20,000 half-marathoners and ~7,000 marathoners (I did the marathon), I was surprised to experience an uncrowded, roomy start. The marathon expo was the most generous I've ever attended, and there was a band every mile, and motivational spectators the whole way! The course is fairly scenic (more so towards the end) and is very flat. A great race for a PR!!! It is my favorite so far. | |
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k. c. from lisbon, portugal
(1/24/2008)
"kpc" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 Good course, though I almost missed the race (along with many others) due to the poor planning of blocking the streets. | |
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B. T. from Chicago, IL
(1/23/2008)
"A great flat course for a first marathon" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon and I couldnt have asked for a better experience. The weather was perfect, the course was interesting and scenic, and the bands and cheerleaders were suprisingly good. The course is very flat. There was only one small hill crossing a bridge at mile 24, but it really wasn't a big deal. A few things to consider: The crowds are pretty thin and not really cheering in many areas. Some more food (bagels/bread) at the finish would have been appreciated. Also, Accelerade is just a bad sports drink. The flavor they used on the course was better than every other flavor I've tried, but still not good. I would definitely recommend this marathon though. | |
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J. B. from Langdon, North Dakota
(1/23/2008)
"I really enjoyed it!" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran the half. My wife and I live in the Arctic Tundra, commonly referred to as "North Dakota." This was a nice weekend getaway for us. Normally, I run less crowded events because of my own idiosyncrasies and mild, officially undiagnosed social phobia. But this was great. There were plenty of refreshments. The crowd support was nice. The flatness of the course was ideal for a guy like me, whose aversion to frostbite has forced me to strictly use the treadmill for the past two months. I highly recommend it! We will definitely be back next year! |
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