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Georgia Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Georgia Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 3.1 
Spectators 4.0
Number of comments: 459 [displaying comments 191 to 201]
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N. B. from McDonough, Ga
(4/3/2008)
"Good run, got a PR, but could be better" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The two things that I didn't like about the marathon were: 1. The weird turn-around at mile 15 that took us around some cones. 2. The finish. I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but it was very narrow, and the turns threw me off. I like a nice open finish. Other than those two things, I absolutely loved the course. The hills in the last three miles were tough, but that just might be because I hit a wall. Very good race overall. | |
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H. L. from Atlanta, Georgia
(4/3/2008)
"Great Course..." (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and I thought it was a well run event. Adequate water stations, great spectators, and great weather all made this race good. I do believe they should start the half and full marathon at different times, or in different spots. Also, the finish was too narrow, especially when you had half-marathoners walking and marathoners trying to bypass them to go for a great time. Overall, good job! | |
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J. R. from Virginia
(4/3/2008)
"Beautiful and challenging course; well done" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Overall, this is a marathon worth doing - a very nice and challenging course and great spectator and volunteer support; it was carried off without significant glitches. The course was quite challenging with one hill after another. None of the hills were long or steep, but they just kept coming for 26 miles. (The posted elevation chart was out of date; there were no mile-long hills.) On the positive side, the course was easier on the legs, as quads and hamstrings alternatively got a rest as we went up and down the hills (something that doesn't happen on a predominantly flat course or those with long uphills and downhills). Overall, I kind of liked the course in a deranged sort of way. But then, I trained in a hilly area; folks I talked to who didn't had a tougher time. The course was, for the most part, very attractive. We ran through a lot of very nice neighborhoods. It kept our minds off the hills. The spectators were enthusiastic and plentiful. Of particular note were the women at Agnes Scott College who rivaled their peers at Wellesley (Boston Marathon) for enthusiasm and noise. This was a great pick-me-up. The town of Decatur also did a nice job with "Burma Shave -type" signs. The volunteers were also enthusiastic, friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. They were excellent ambassadors for the race. They did a wonderful job, before, during, and after the race. They get very high marks. There was plenty of water and Gatorade at the aid stations and the volunteers did a great job of alerting runners about where each was located in the aid station. Mile markers were prominent and notices of upcoming aid stations were very visible. Both were at eye-level and very hard to miss. The start caused some anxiety with over 10,000 marathoners and half marathoners trying to get to their corrals for a joint start. The corrals were fenced off ,so there were few access points. This was good, in one sense, because it limited people from getting into corrals to which they were not assigned (by expected finish time). However, the space alongside the corrals was very cramped so it was difficult to move to the proper corral. There were corral monitors to keep people from getting into the faster corrals. I don't know how effective they were, but I do note that I lined up in Corral 2 (my corral) with someone from (slower) Corral 7. I have heard that getting to the higher-number corrals was more difficult. (Advice: don't wait until 15 minutes before the race to move into your corral.) Several of us complained about the narrow, serpentine finish. However, I read in the Atlanta Constitution newspaper that this was to avoid storm-damaged buildings caused by a tornado a couple weeks before the race. As with another runner here, I also carped about the half-marathon walkers who joined the marathon route toward the end of the race. We had to weave a bit to avoid them; but, in retrospect, it was a welcome distraction from the pain of the last few miles and it always feels good to pass people. It certainly would have been lonelier without the half-marathoners present. In my opinion, this was not a big deal for runners who finished around 3:30. There were lots of port-a-potties both at the start and along the route. In fact, it seemed as if there were 2 or 3 around most, if not all, aid stations. Packet pick-up and gear drop-off worked well. The expo was a good size. Age groups were in 10-year intervals, rather than 5. This is odd for a race of this size. It had no practical effect on me, as I would have been out of the money in either case. However, I would have liked to brag that I finished 4th in my (5-year interval) age group rather than having to meekly say that I finished 10th in my 10-year age group. I stayed at a nearby hotel and walked to the start, so I cannot gauge how easy it was to drive to or use the subway to get to the race site. Atlantans not connected with the race were uniformly pleasant, friendly, and helpful. It's just too bad that the downtown area around the race start/finish is so sterile. The T-shirt design was blah (although it was a performance T) and the finisher's medal was cheesy (gold-colored plastic coating to simulate a Georgia peach color). However, these aspects were not important to me, but likely are to first-time marathoners and some others. | |
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D. B. from Atlanta
(4/3/2008)
"2nd ING Georgia Marathon is good" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Georgia Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran this race last year and this year is a good change - plenty of water and Gatorade (in color-coded cups for easy selection!!) and food at the end for those finishing later (bananas, mini-muffins, mini-bagels, and lots of water). There were a couple of course changes that didn't impact the race too much (one was the weird twisting/winding last tenth of a mile - changed to avoid the tornado damage days earlier so I heard - guess it'll be changed back for 2009). Enjoyed the run; the course was just right, having long hills both up and down, long flats, interesting and very pretty scenery for the most part, and really friendly volunteers and spectators. I hit my wall but kept going and did better than last year anyway. The grouping at the start based on corral number wasn't very successful (lots of people not running standing with the runners jabbering and taking photos and holding up the start pace), and having the half and the full run 7 miles together was frustrating (for me doing the full they got in the way and were noisy/distracting as I tried to concentrate - but they were having fun too I guess). Didn't ever see the pace teams and I was slow enough to be passed by a couple of them - where were they? I might do it next year for 3 in a row, maybe - keep on trying to out-run old age. This is just my second marathon, but, if you want (what I think is) a semi-challenging full marathon, I think this is a great one for beginners like me or regulars wanting an enjoyable time. Bring a friend. Try it out. | |
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j. y. from Atlanta, GA
(4/3/2008)
"Disorganized" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Georgia Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Overall, thanks to the cool weather, the race is a much better experience for most of us. But for elite full-marathoners and runners trying to finish with a decent time, it was bad. It was a terrible idea to finish both full and half marathons on the same narrow path. I watched as the man and woman marathon winners trying to STRUGGLE their ways to get past the sea of half marathoners (not their fault) in the last miles, including running on unsteady sidewalks and grass fields. No one knew where the overall winner was on the course until he suddenly appeared at the finish line! No motorcade leading the way, and no finishing tape to break. You would have never known he was the WINNER of the race. I was thoroughly embarrassed for our city, our running community and for ING. I think a major overhaul in race directing is needed NOW. Let's get help from people with experience so dumb mistakes won't be repeated year after year. | |
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G. H. from Athens, GA
(4/3/2008)
"MUCH Improved from last year" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Georgia Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Congrats to the organizers! I enjoyed the course changes (even if it seemed hillier). Much better organized. Enjoyed the expo. Gatorade/water was NOT an issue this year. Volunteers and spectators were great, especially considering the weather. I thought the corral system worked well, but I was in corral 2. I've heard it did not work as well further back. I think the finish/course changes were due to conditions downtown following the tornado(s) two week previous to the race. Nice improvement from last year. | |
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m. r. from usa
(4/2/2008)
"thorough city course with a strange ending" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The weather was perfect, which may impair my judgment of the race. That said, it was a well-organized affair. The start was energetic and the spectators maintained that energy till the end. My only gripe is the bewildering finish, a serpentine path to the clock as if to trip us up on our final minute. | |
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k. s. from atlanta,ga
(4/2/2008)
"Maybe next year - the third time - will be a charm" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Second time around, improvements were definitely seen. First the good stuff: Very good expo, with a large number of vendors, sponsors, and activities; great (hilly, but it IS Atlanta) course, which highlights some unique areas of Atlanta; lots of enthusiastic spectators; abundant fluid stations; plenty of post-race goodies. Now the "needs improvement" areas: WHERE were the mile markers? I only saw a few spray-painted on the asphalt and heard a few volunteers yell out the mileage at the water stations. Where were the signs at the start and finish to direct runners to their corrals, to the chip-return area, food, etc.? Why not have large signs for the half and full marathoners to SEE where the course divides? One of the lead marathoners apparently didn't hear the announcer directing the runners and she turned toward the half and ended up finishing 3rd in the half when she was a contender for the full. A large sign could've helped prevent this. WHY not divide the 2 courses (half and full) into 2 lanes - with cones maybe - and SIGNS, over the last couple of miles so that the half-marathoners do not have to move over to accommodate the fast full marathoners, and the full marathoners don't have to dodge the half-ers? I understand that the tornado damage caused many last-minute changes and problems, but did the course really have to end up by sending the runners through a zig-zag maze for the last 1/8 of a mile? Not being able to see the "finish line" sign was discouraging! Meanwhile, as I was running, my grandson was being transported to Egleston Hospital and my daughter riding with him noticed that the ambulance was re-routed to avoid the marathoners. I love my sport, but... | |
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K. F. from Georgia
(4/2/2008)
"Much improved!" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Congratulations to Victoria Seahorn and the staff of the 2008 ING Georgia Marathon! This year's event showed vast improvement over last year's inaugural. Last year's event was my first marathon, but this year I stuck to the half marathon. The corral start was a huge improvement over last year and there were plenty of water stations on the course this year. The course is beautiful, though challenging. (Despite the hills, many in my running group set personal records.) They still need a little improvement at the start/finish area. Could use some signs and/or volunteers directing people to the gear check and corrals at the start of the race. The finish line was good, but the food line could not accommodate all of the runners. Movement to the gear check was hindered by the photo area. The post-race photo setup blocked the entire road and the race staff wouldn't let you through unless you would were going to have your picture taken. Eventually a runner shoved a crowd control barrier out of the way on the side of the road so runners could bypass the photo area. Finally, the baggage check area was chaotic. Need to find a new location or method to handle gear retrieval after the race. I only mention the start/finish area problems to allow the ING staff to work on making improvements for next year. Don't let those minor inconveniences deter you from trying this race next year. (Note that I gave them a 4 for organization.) This is a great race and I will definitely be back! (Hope they stick with Centennial Olympic Park as the start/finish.) | |
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J. M. from Alpharetta, GA
(4/2/2008)
"ING was fun, but could be better" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 1. Please start half before the full by 30 to 60 minutes. 2. Please have the half finish near the full, but don't use same finish line. 3. Outstanding water/aid stations; best I've had over 20 marathons. 4. Weather was perfect. 5. Course is difficult. So train for hills accordingly. 6. Great expo, but need better variety of logo gear and more free stuff. Speakers were great. 7. Consider reversing the route because the second half was much harder than the first. |
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