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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 311 to 321]
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S. N. from Atlanta Area, GA
(3/28/2007)
"C+ Marathon" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 The PowerAde subject has been well covered, so I will skip that major oversight. The water station tables were too short, causing unnecessary backups. I was disappointed to see signs for "water stations ahead" and finding no water station. Take down the signs!!! Mile markers and time clock placements were poorly done. Finally, I felt that the portion of Monroe Avenue (Midtown) that is being re-paved was unappealing. The race course should have been completed before the race. | |
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N. B. from Atlanta
(3/28/2007)
"Great Potential!" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This race has a lot of potential, and did a pretty good job for the inuagural race! It was a great course through a scenic area, and attrached a sold out 15,000 field of runners. Can't do much better than that! The day was record high hot, which made for a tough race. Room for improvement are: 1. No powerade on the course. I didn't have any until mile 16, and that was the only stop I saw. Due to the necessity of drinking sports drinks for endurance runs and due to the hot, hot day, this was a huge oops! 2. Some of the water stops were missing. At one point I ran about 5 or 6 miles withought seeing any water. 3. Needs better organization at the start. Nobody knew where to go, and could have better corals like the Peachtree Road Race. 4. Clif shots were very far away from water. Since I need water to take them, they were useless. 5. No clocks on the course. Also, I heard there were no mile markers for the half marathon course. If the race can implement the above things (which I am sure they will next year!) this would be a really awesome race! It really does have a lot of potential. I will definetly run either the full or half next year! | |
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M. G. from Metro Atlanta, GA
(3/27/2007)
"No really, where was the PowerAde?" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 As a resident of the Metro Atlanta area, I was extremely excited about this marathon coming. With this being the inaugural year, I would expect some minor issues, however, NO POWERADE on the course should NEVER have been one of them. What happened to the Plan B to ensure there was PowerAde on the course? What made this even worse was the volunteers saying the PowerAde was at the next waterstop knowing that was not the case. There were also missing waterstops along the course. And the biggest disappointed of all was seeing the race director interviewed on the local news and being asked were there any major problems and not taking ownership of the missing PowerAde nor apologizing for it. There is not even an explanation or a statement of apology on the website. Where's the love? If it were not for some of the neighborhoods providing oranges, apples, water, candy and some Gatorade things might have been a lot worse out there. Record high temperatures were predicted all week for Sunday. Why was there not more ice on the course or even PowerAde at the finish line? This is Atlanta and we need to raise the level of excellence for this marathon. I loved the course. A little more hilly than I expected, but beautiful. It would have been nice to have had signs posted for the historical sites and areas along the course. I had a chance to see parts of Atlanta I did not know were there. The Expo was really good. Kudos to the medical professionals working the medical tents. They were responsive, organized and knowledgeable. I would love to run this marathon again, however, I would like some assurance that nothing like this will happen again. | |
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D. C. from Georgia
(3/27/2007)
"Spectacular course but inaugural growing pains" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 On Sunday, March 27, 2007, I ran the ING Georgia Marathon. In most ways, it met my expectations: 26.2 miles in length, urban/suburban setting, thousands of participants. I expected many aspects that have been perceived by some as negatives as well; however, these known negatives are hard to criticize. I knew (or should have known) the following: 1. This was an event marathon, not a race marathon. Many participants saw this as a once-in-a-lifetime event, a charity fundraiser, or some other worthy but not primarily athletic goal. That's fine, I expected that and this type of race is part of the marathon landscape. 2. Walkers were everywhere. Again, this was to be expected in an event marathon. And yes, I even expected them to be up front, in the center, lined up in rows, etc. It's a pet peeve of mine, but that's my problem - this is a known. Thank you, however, to the walkers who moved to the side, and walked no more than two abreast. 3. The hills. For people who know Atlanta, you know that Atlanta is hilly. It's at a 1,000 feet elevation, not on the coastal plain. You can even see the real mountains to the north as you fly in to that gigantic (but efficient) airport. For those who do not know Atlanta, the course profile showed it like it is. 4. The weather. The southeast U.S. can get pretty warm in the spring. Of course, we had record warmth, but that too was predicted almost a week in advance. 5. MARTA (subway) problems. This would not have been known to everyone, but certainly should have been to many who had been to Atlanta before. Atlanta desperately needs a reliable, efficient, pleasant mass transit system. MARTA is not it. The real problems were with those things that differed from reasonable expectations. 1. Packet pickup: Runners should not expect to wait an hour or more to pick up their packets, as reportedly happened early on Friday. Unfortunately, lines that extended out the doors were the first impressions many people had of the ING Georgia. 2. Hydration/replenishment: Attentive runners studying the map would have noted the locations of PowerAde and rightly expected to find some when they got to those stations. My personal experience was finding NONE at any station along the entire marathon course, at least when I came to each one. Frankly, it would have been OK if I were told there would be none; I can come prepared. I planned for PowerAde, though, and really did suffer from the lack of calories and electrolytes late in the race. Missing water stations between approximately miles 3 and 8 were inexplicable. 3. Starting line organization: With 15,000 participants, adequate provision for corralling by pace and event becomes important. It can make a race much more comfortable for everyone, and alleviates much of the runner vs. walker friction. Corralling mostly failed. More generally, the ING Georgia Marathon was a good, challenging, and fun race. Some observations: 1. The marathon course is beautiful. I dont think many of us realized just how pretty Atlanta is: the neighborhoods of stately homes, the funky streets with mixes of shops and houses, the rolling terrain, and the spectacular blooms of dogwoods, azaleas, flowers. Wow. 2. The fans. Personally, I dont care at all if people are cheeringrunning is a personal and highly individual sport for me. The people in those crowds, however, came through when and how it counted, providing their own Gatorade, fruit slices, hoses, and just about anything else to help each of us along the course. Wonderful, hospitable people. Atlanta should be proud. 3. The volunteers. Although not organized overall as well as they could have been, the individual volunteers were dedicated and truly caring. They saved what otherwise would have been a difficult inaugural event. My final word: the ING Georgia Marathon has the potential to be a very good event (versus race ) marathon, and given the people supporting it, I believe it will fulfill its potential. Personally, I will skip next year so they can finish working through their growing pains, but hope to be back for the third running. | |
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T. G. from Fairview, Oregon
(3/27/2007)
"What a beautiful course" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Wow, what a super scenic course! So pretty and shady for most of the way. One of the other runners mentioned the word "roller coaster." That's an accurate description. The organizers do have some things to work on for next year and I'm sure they will get fixed. Remember how wretched the first San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon was? Well, it was awful. The pluses: there are many great hotels near the start and you can ride MARTA from the airport so you do not need to rent a car; the EXPO was great; the gear drop (and bag) were great; it started on time; and it had a beautiful course around Atlanta and its suburbs, a way cool shirt, and a nifty finisher's medal. So, carry a water bottle full of Gatorade and give this one a try; I'm sure it will only get better! | |
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B. W. from Louisville, Kentucky
(3/27/2007)
"Southern charmer with potential" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The start was well organized for the most part with the early time a relief for us non-hot weather runners. The course is the most neighborhood oriented of any marathon I have done. All of the areas were charming with a fair number of spectators for a first marathon offering encouragement. Every marathon should have first names printed on the bibs as Atlanta and others do. The course has a few hills, but nothing very steep or very long. Dogwoods and redbuds were in bloom and Ponce de Leon Blvd. featured some beautiful parkland. You visit several Atlanta landmarks, including the Ebenezer Baptist Church, complete with a gospel choir at the first water stop, the Carter Center and Emory University. I only found one water stop,at mile 6 to be missing. The Powerade situation was irritating to some, but every stop I made had plenty of water and lots of friendly volunteers. Police support was excellent, especially in light of the infamous Atlanta traffic which created some of the worst backups at intersections that I have ever seen. One tip is take the Marta train to and from the start and finish lines; the organizers announced that they were holding the race start for a few minutes due to the traffic getting to the start. I'm betting Atlanta will go to school on the race this year and future years will be even better. This one could be a sleeper. | |
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Tamara Smith from Cincinnati, OH
(3/27/2007)
"Lovely course - marathon with great potential" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I apologize, in advance, for the lengthy comments! I usually prefer the smaller races, as they are easier to negotiate, with fewer hassles. Big city, big marathons come with expensive hotels and parking, long waits at local restaurants, a mob scene at the start, difficulty meeting up with friends, etc. But there are trade offs, of course. Larger marathons have more glitz and hoopla, larger crowds and usually more spectators, big expos etc. Here are some of the problems I hope the race organizers will address. There seemed to be lots of bathrooms at the start, but from the direction of our approach, the lines were very long and slow moving. We discovered later (near race start time) that if we moved much further down the row of port-a-johns, that there were no lines at all. Perhaps volunteers could be available to direct people, and spread them out. When you are in the middle of tons of people, it's impossible to take in the big picture. Although others have described the problem at the water stations, I'd like to add my comments. At other larger marathons, (Chicago, Flying Pig to name just two), the water stops have numerous tables, on BOTH sides of the road, with water first, followed by the sport drink. Runners are given instructions, and are often encouraged not to stop at the first table, as there are plenty more, and less crowded as you go down the row. Assuming this would be the case here, we kept running as we saw the first tables, jammed many people deep, with runners trying to get water. However, I was stunned to realize that at this huge marathon, on a very warm day, the first water stop had only a few tables! But we went on, assuming (wrongly) that things would improve. The second stop was the same, only a few tables, crowded with runners, and again we made the mistake of skipping it. We were running the marathon, and knowing that the half marathoners would split off at four miles, I then assumed it would improve drastically. By this point I really wanted a drink. We saw the signs indicating water and PowerAde but it never appeared. This aid station was missing in action! This actually happened TWO times signs indicating the presence of a water / PowerAde stop, but none appeared. Finally at about six miles, I got a drink of water from a spectator standing by the road with his garden hose!! I took a long drink and was grateful. The first actual water stop, where we were able to get fluids was at about 8 miles. They were out of CUPS! A volunteer handed me a gallon jug with a couple of inches of water, saying just take the jug, were out of cups! I was amazed, as this has never been an issue before in other marathons. Water and sports drink are usually plentiful, with frequently spaced stops. Later stops did have water, and friendly volunteers, but no sports drink. Around mile 16, I was able to get a bottle of water from a family on the course I carried it the rest of the way, refilling as I went. It was about this same point in the race that I got my first cup of PowerAde. There were two places giving gel, which I took for the calories, since there seemed to be no sports drink. However, at the first gel stop, there was no water, so I carried it until the next aid station. I cant get the gel down without water this was another oversight. Obviously the water / sports drink problem was an issue for nearly everyone. I read the online article in the Atlanta paper the next morning, and they mentioned it. Thus, Im sure it will be remedied. Its just amazing that it happened in the first place. On a more positive note. Nearly everything else was done well. The course was lovely, I liked receiving a technical t-shirt, the medal is attractive with a spinner, the volunteers were friendly and as helpful as they could be, and thank goodness for those kind spectators who offered water, or orange slices, or pretzels, or their garden hose!! When the race organizers work out the glitches, this will be another great marathon! | |
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S. H. from Ohio
(3/27/2007)
"Good first time effort" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 For a first year event with 15,000 people, Atlanta did a great job! Yes, there could have been more water and sports drink, but I also read that there was a relatively low number of runners in the medical tent and no major problems. The course was hilly and tough but was a great tour of Atlanta. The weather was hot, but the course was really shaded. It was pretty crowded and it would have been nice to have the entire road closed for the race. The expo was well organized with plenty of volunteers. The shirt and the medal were good. There were plenty of friendly spectators providing ice, sponges, and extra water. The start was well organized but there could have been more information before the race to let runners know what to expect. The map of the start/finish was too small to read. I followed the volunteers directions and found the gear trucks easily and got to my starting pace group. Many runners did not follow the directions and were walking against the flow of the runners at the start. Larger pace signs at the start may have helped the runners line up. I think this marathon will continue to grow and improve. I would recommend this marathon, but don't forget the hill training! | |
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Chris Lewis from Lilburn, GA
(3/27/2007)
"Great Experience @ the ING Georgia Half Marathon" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 What a great experience for a first-timer! The course was beautiful, and the spectators were great and encouraging. I have already talked with several people enlisting them for next year's event, including my wife! Because this was my first half, I had nothing to compare it to other than published information. I looked for PowerAde at the stations, but none was available and there were no mile markers for the half marathon. I think the organizers will make sure next year's event addresses these and other issues. Thank you, ING, for a fantastic experience. I hope to be back next year! | |
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W. B. from Atlanta, GA
(3/27/2007)
"Unorganized, Hills, Heat and NO SPORTS DRINK" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 Atlanta is a beautiful city, especially in the Spring. The course showcased some of Atlanta's most beautiful neighborhoods and colleges. With that said, I found this to be the worst marathon I have run so far. :( I knew the course was hilly so I trained on hills. I knew the weather was going to be freakishly hot so I was well hydrated. What I didn't know was the race was going to be disorganized from start to finish not enough water stations - NO POWERADE as advertised - not enough water when you found a water stations, sometimes water but no cups, sometimes a sign but no water very few mile markers - after mile 20 it became a death march due to the soaring heat, unrelenting hills, LACK of fluids - at the Finish line the fun continued just warm water soda, bagels, pretzels AGAIN NO SPORTS DRINK -Thanks to folks at Emory for the mini ice bags at mile 25 - you saved me :) Thanks to the beautiful people of ATL who gave us ice, hard candy, water and words of encouragement specifically in Dekalb County. Thanks Publix for trying and hanging in there. |
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