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Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) Information & Reviews
Course 3.9 
Organization 3.5 
Spectators 3.4
Number of comments: 286 [displaying comments 131 to 141]
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B. Z. from York, PA
(4/13/2009)
"Ok but not great" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 This is my 7th marathon. It was dark at the start and very cold (I know that the organizers can't do anything about the weather). The course was hillier than expected. The hills over the last 3 miles were brutal due to the fatigue. The food at the end was very limited; they had whole oranges (not cut) and soft pretzels. The port-a-pots at the end of the marathon did not have any toilet paper. The half-marathoners must have used it all. Bag-check was not staffed properly, and people were just throwing bags into a huge pile. My other marathon experiences were much better. | |
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D. S. from Clarksville, Md.
(4/9/2009)
"Pleasant, sparse second half" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran earlier in the week with a group, and some of my friends were talking about doing the Suntrust Half this weekend. I wasn't planning anything, so I went home and looked online, and the race site said there were still slots available for the full marathon. I had off work the Friday before and, living locally, I took the Metro down in the morning and, sure enough, they were happy to take my late registration fee of $110. Not an impressive expo, but I don't need any more junk anyway. I was glad the Metro was open at 5 a.m. race day (Saturday), so I didn't have to deal with driving into DC. The thermometer in the car said it was somewhere in the upper 20's, brrrr! Got to the race area via Metro about 5:40 a.m. and looked for some of my friends. I never did find them in the pre-dawn darkness (it turns out they went into the DC Armory across the street to keep warm). I kept piddling around until the last minute to see if I could find them. I also didn't want to take off my warm coat and hat yet. It was still pretty dark at gun time of 7 a.m. I saw one of the local Marathon Maniacs runners who I also see at other ultras/marathons. She was running the full today and Shamrock Full tomorrow! She said she had done 19 marathons so far this year. Wow. Do the math. (She's training for some 100-miler now). The sun didn't come over the office buildings in this later winter DC weather until an hour or more into the race. It sure felt good to get the temps above the mid 30's. I made one pit stop at mile 9 to water a fence. The front half of the race was a bit crowded for me, but there's nothing like running some of those same streets on Cherry Blossom, Army or Marine Corps. At the half split off, I was reminded of a similar strategy at Philadelphia Marathon, where the full runners go off a different direction. A good idea. We were immediately cut down to what initially looked like hundreds of runners, rather than thousands. I really liked the fewer runners, but then I'm not big on needing crowd support. Tons of police at every intersection. In one area near the Annacostia waterfront, there were about 30 police officers near a shady housing project. I totally felt safe the entire race, even if that part of the course could be deemed the crack-house tours . The back half of the course was very flat and fast. I ran on and off with a friend I recognized, but his quads were tightening around mile 24, so I went ahead. I felt great, ran the entire race and never had to walk. I just wished I could have beat 4 hours, but it wasn't in the cards today. This would be a good event for anyone trying to PR. I may do it again, especially if my friends do the full distance rather than the half. | |
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David Trevino from Arlington, VA
(4/8/2009)
"One of my favorities" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Since its inception, I have run the National Marathon three times and the half once. This event will always be on my schedule to run, and I believe it is only getting better and better. For the size of the field, the expo and spectators are more than appropriate. Running in DC is also such a pleasure because of all of the sights one can see running through the District (i.e., Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, The U.S. Capitol, just to name a few). Plus, this is our nation's capital. For any runner who has not had the pleasure and/or privilege, to run the National Marathon, I strongly recommend that you put this on your race calendar for 2010 and beyond. You will not be disappointed. | |
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J. I. from Bel Air, Maryland
(4/6/2009)
"Great race on a great day." (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran this for my 10th marathon and it couldn't have gone better. I thought the expo was decent (my 6-year-old had an awesome time getting swag from all the different booths), but I don't really care so much about expos and that sort of stuff. The course was great as far as having a good mix of neighborhoods, as well as flat ground and *relatively* easy hills (if you train with hills, these should seem fairly minimal - just enough to enjoy the change when they come around). The best part is mostly luck, but the weather was outstanding: Cool temps, sunny, no wind! There is plenty of parking, and the metro availability is great. The race is a good size, as you never really feel crowded, but you're never alone either. The 3:20 pace group was right on (unlike some other pace groups I've run with in the past) and a good group of people too, and I was able to kick the last 1.5 - 2 miles for a sub-3:20 PR. I realize I have a bias due to the PR, but I highly recommend this marathon. I ran well, had a lot of fun, and had an overall excellent experience. | |
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Vanessa Taylor from Washington, DC
(4/2/2009)
"Overall thrilled - good race for a first marathon" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon, and I would definitely recommend it to other first-timers. Pros: -Well organized, received many of e-mails with updates about race day and the expo -Volunteers were spectacular and helpful -Course was beautiful -Lots of fans outside for the most part (except between miles 22-24, when we probably needed them the most) -Great finish festival Cons -Very early start (7 a.m.) -The out-and-back route at mile 22 was difficult in the sense that it was not at a place where your family could really be, and that was when I needed support) My goal was to break 4 hours. I finished at 3:52, and was incredibly happy. I did not expect to finish in that time - I was shocked. It was an absolutely wonderful day, and one of the best days of my life, actually. I met a lot of great people along the way, and the community (both the runners and spectators) was fantastic. While this is a relatively young marathon, it is going to grow into something great in the years to come. | |
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M. W. from Massachusetts
(4/1/2009)
"Shirt could be improved" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Please ditch the 26.2-mile finisher logo on the back. It sounds like it's a struggle to finish and the person wearing the shirt barely made it. Also, you give the shirts out in advance of the race; I guess you're assuming everybody who got a shirt finished. It's just a little hokey!! Otherwise, it's an OK race. | |
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J. W. from Nebraska
(3/30/2009)
"Fun, rolling course" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The Good: I ran the marathon. Running in D.C. was great! The course is well planned, especially for the halfers with most of the monuments and landmarks in the first half. Running outside the city was great and gave the race more of a personal feel. Most of the spectators in the second half just stepped out of their front door to watch the event. The volunteers were great and the aid stations were well stocked. I ran a 3:29 and I hear that some of the stations ran out of supplies toward the end. The expo was well designed and flowed well. Bart Yasso was on hand for a book signing and to pass on some of his wisdom. The armory was open before the race - a great way to keep warm - and we started with the sunrise. The Metro opened opened early and was right next to the start, so it made morning logistics a breeze. The Bad: I trained for six months for this event with a 3:30 goal. I was very upset to see that there was every other pace group except a 3:30. There was a 20-minute gap in pace groups. Also, there were no toilets until about mile 7. Overall, a very nice event. If you're trying to run 50 states, I would recommend this one. | |
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Mike Patenaude from Montreal, Quebec, Canada
(3/29/2009)
"Great scenery" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was a nice track. There are two little back-and-forths that are annoying, but besides that, it's great. The view is awesome, and the volunteers are great. At mile 25, a police officer told me, "Come on, man, you can finish." It kept me going.... Thanks. There is water at almost every mile, which is key. The only disappointment was the lack of fans; however, the fans that were present were awesome. There are a few hills near the end, so beware. This was my first marathon and I would recommend it to everyone. For a young event, it is very mature! I will be there next year and attempt to beat my 3:33:15 time. | |
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k. n. from NYC
(3/27/2009)
"Overall, a great race" (about: 2009)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my third marathon, and overall, I would rate it a great race. The course is quite nice, taking you by the capitol, White House and museums. Then you run through neighborhoods and the waterfront. Hills were no problem; they are not big or steep, so you can handle them. Police and volunteers were great, and start/finish location next to the metro is wonderful. I also liked the last mile, running back to the stadium - which made me feel like I was in the Olympics (fat chance). Because you could see the stadium, you knew that you could push to the end. My only complaint is about the lack of cups for water. There were not many spectators, but that did not bother me at all. The weather was a perfect 38 at the start, and high 40's at the end. | |
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M. S. from Rochester, NY
(3/27/2009)
"Great marathon for everyone!" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon was everything I was hoping it would be. The weather was beautiful, the course was great (with lots of hills but nothing huge), and it was very well organized. This was my first real "destination" marathon and I am very glad that I came. |
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