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Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.5 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 417 [displaying comments 151 to 161]
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John Sleppy from Juneau, Alaska
(6/7/2007)
"Awesome" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and based on what I saw, I would run this course every time. Well organized race, friendly volunteers, easy course, a lot of support from the local people, and above all, I had a great time. My thanks to everyone involved. Everyone in the San diego area should feel proud of what they have done. | |
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Susan James from Bakersfield, California
(6/6/2007)
"Fantastic marathon" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Rock 'n' Roll Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon was my third San Diego Marathon. They have great spectators all the way, plenty of great aid stations, and around the halfway mark they even have margaritas at the Margaritaville aid station. They had plenty of Accelerade, water, vaseline, and salt. The medals and the goodies after were great. Everyone got Spenco sandles. The expo is one of the best I have been too. The finish line is a little tough for the spectators to get to and from, and the only other thing they need is more porta-potties at the start. But the music during the run and finish was great. The weather was perfect - a little overcast, and in the 60's. Thank you again, San Diego. - Susan James (Bakersfield, CA.) | |
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C. P. from Baton Rouge,LA
(6/6/2007)
"Enjoyed every minute." (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The support is great for this marathon and it is very well organized. The bands were a lot of fun and they played a lot of motivating music. The only downside of this whole marathon is running on the highways - good luck finding an even place to run (not the best for those with ankle or hip problems). | |
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Guy Beels from San Diego, CA
(6/5/2007)
"A great big-city run" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was an incredibly well-run race, with great facilities and entertainment (thanks, volunteers, bands, and spectators!) and a very interesting course. Comments: The course: Folks from out of town need to remember that this is 26 miles in a big city - it's not all a resort. Though the course has some very pretty stretches, it also has its industrial zone, and it's best to do your sightseeing in a week's vacation after the race. (No extra charge, C of C!) As for the freeway/camber running - frankly, it wasn't much. And please look up once in awhile - that freeway is one of the prettiest roads you'll ever see. And if you've already got joint issues, hey, DON'T RUN A MARATHON. Hills? Not really, but if you're a flatlander, do some training tempo runs into the wind, or crank up the incline on a treadmill twice a week. You'll have no problem. That overpass at mile 20? Just a bit of character. Like the ladies of Hillcrest, the course wouldn't be the same without them. Weather was predictably perfect - as always in early June, about 60 degrees and overcast in early morning, burning off by 10:00. If your finish time is north of 3:30, you will have some sun to deal with. South of that, and you get overcast practically all the way, and the race traffic is not a problem. Finally, and not least, many thanks to the marines for hosting the finish yet again, and for all you do for us under much less pleasant circumstances. | |
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S. W. from Arizona
(6/5/2007)
"Reasonable weather, good fans, bad course" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon. I have run several half marathons. Like other postings, I thought the race terrain was a bit exaggerated at first. I was wrong. The start was very narrow and took 2+ miles to get into the groove of a pace. The downtown turns, uneven pavement, rail tracks, etc. kept you watching your steps very carefully. The 3-mile hill from 7 to 10 would be challenging as a regular hill. Instead, it was on a hard slant the entire way and on hard concrete. After that slanted hill and decline, my legs and feet had pain I never experienced in training. I was very frustrated and had to stop, not because of being tired, but from being sore from the rough terrain. The pavement from miles 21 to 25 was very uneven. At mile 25, I was not watching my step carefully enough and stepped into a pothole, nearly spraining my left foot. Spectator note: my family was planning on seeing me at the finish. Being on an active military base was quite limiting and time consuming. The local authorities were turning people away from the main spectator parking lot earlier than the race materials said they would. My family had to park over 1/2 a mile away from the main parking lot, and then had to walk 3/4 mile to the start as the military checkpoint to board the finish shuttles was extremely long. They got there right in time to see me, and then we immediately left the finish area. It took over 40 minutes to get from the finish line area to the shuttles and then back to the main airport parking lot. Course fans were really nice and enthusiastic. The small neighborhood groups were the best. They gave out fresh fruit and had their water hoses out spraying us down. Water stations were well spaced and plentiful. Salt packets were handed out as well, which I thought was a nice addition to the support. All in all, I am glad I did the race, but given the stress on my family and the negative impact of the road terrain on my limbs, I think I will seek out a "smoother" race course with better end-of-race logistics. | |
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Caroline M. from Los Angeles, CA
(6/5/2007)
"Great spectators, organization & surprise... hills" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 PROS: - Race was extremely well organized. For having over 20,000 runners/walkers in the race, I only waited ten minutes or so to get into the parking lot and to get out of it. The shuttle got us to the start line quick; there were several parked waiting to take runners to the start. Everything was well marked and easy to find. There were lots of porta-potties and facilities to accommodate the large crowds. - Spectators were awesome! There were people everywhere and the locals that were just hanging out in their front yards handing out fruit and cheering you on were the best. Really inspiring at the right moments - especially the little ones, too cute. - Lots of medical aid stations through the race. They had vaseline and salt packets that were great to have in those later miles. - Great stuff at the finish. Ice cold, wet towels to cool off, free sandals for your hurting feet, lots of water, soy bars, fruit - fantastic. - The expo was set up well with lots of great vendors giving away freebies. Getting your bib packet, chip and shirt was quick and easy. Like I said, Elite was prepared to handle the large crowds. - I know I've read a lot of reviews stating otherwise, but I loved the finish. You come in to really loud cheering and high energy with almost a mile still to go. Just remember: don't start your kick 'til you see the finish line. You'll have a good 400M to give all you've got left for the finish. CONS: - The course layout was funky. Parts of it were gorgeous and splendid to run through. I loved running by Balboa Park and getting the ocean views. Running through the city and next to Petco Park was great too. However, the sloped terrain on the freeways was tough on the knees and hips. Run on the shoulder for a more even surface. - Surprise! More hills than are on the elevation chart, especially the one around mile 25, ahh! They weren't bad, but be prepared; it's not all downhill like it seems. I counted about five sizable hills. The longest one is in the first half of the race. - There weren't many spectators or much scenery after mile 20. Parts of that stretch were on a trail off the main road and other parts were through an industrial zone. Those miles were lonely and dull and that's where most of us need the additional support of scenery and cheering fans. It's all fun and games 'til you hit mile 20. - The Accelerade tasted like chalk. If the race promoters read this, please use Gatorade or PowerAde next year. The Accelerade was thick and not refreshing at all. I watered mine down about 80% at every station because the pure stuff was too much. Stick to water. - We need more than one gel! I was really surprised there was only one gel station. And even more surprised that it was all the way at mile 17. If you're going to have one station, have it sooner, like at mile 10 or 12, so that runners can pick up two gels and have them for the rest of the course. For most of us, one isn't enough. Overall, I'd recommend this race for any and all runners. If you only want to do one marathon or are planning for your first, do a large race with lots of runners in a big city with a lot of spectators. SD Rock 'N Roll is a great example. You can feed off the energy of all the fans cheering, be inspired by your fellow runners alongside you and get all the freebies and amenities a large race offers. Well worth the four months of training it took to get here. If for nothing else, you can say you belong to the strong and mighty who have conquered the 26.2. | |
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J. S. from Oak Forest, IL
(6/5/2007)
"GOOD EVENT, HOWEVER OVERPRICED!" (about: 2007)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Overall B+ I did read about the course and the slants, and they were tough; however, I just tried to move to where it was flat. The Balboa Park start and running downtown were cool. The portion in Mission Bay should be moved to the bike path. MCRD is an excellent venue for the finish. Major issues: No staff/volunteers at the finish knew were they massage tables (if any) were located. An event with this cost MUST have massage tables and tech shirts - I don't want to pay $100 for a cotton t-shirt. On the positive side, the medal was suburb, and there were plenty of H20 stations and good course directions. Would do this event again, if in the area. | |
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K. L. from Manteca, CA
(6/5/2007)
"Observations from a first timer!" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I had an absolute great time! YES! I hit the wall, or should I say the wall hit me? Despite the pain and agony of those last few miles, despite the cantered streets, it all didn't matter. This was a well organized event from the expo to the concert to the posting of the results on the website. I would highly recommend this race for rookies and more experienced marathoners. The hills on the course were challenging but not overwhelming. A good course despite the highway; you have to remember this is a MARATHON. The challenge is not only in the distance but also the course on which it is traversed. Crowd support was excellent; if you had your name somewhere on your shirt/body you would have people cheer for you! If the crowds weren't enough, there where other fellow runners who could feel your pain first-hand to encourage you. The only complaint I would have would be that I think the course was a little longer by a quarter mile. I say this because I run with a Garmin GPS device, I started the device at the starting line and stopped it at the finish and it stated I traveled 26.46 miles. I asked 5 other runners with similar devices and they all stated their devices were about 1/4 mile longer. Now since I finished in the high 1400's, who really cares, but a 1/4 mile could make a difference for anyone attempting to qualify for Boston or anything else. Medical support was great, the kids along the course were great, and the shouts of "GO TEAM!" from the Purple Nation of Team in Training were additional touches that will have me return to this event year after year! | |
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R. L. from Auburn, CA
(6/5/2007)
"Thanks, San Diego!!" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 4th marathon. San Diegans ranked high on my list for course support!! High-fiving the kids and the marines along the course kept me motivated - very cool. I liked the ice cold towels at the finish line as well. I do agree the freeway section of the course is not the most desirable, but if you find the somewhat level shoulder areas, it isn't so bad. My left ankle suffered a little from it, but nothing extreme. The few hills were manageable; just get some hill training in before running this course. A word of caution to runners who are NOT participating with a TNT group: plan ahead on how to get to the start line as a cab cannot get you there. I paid a cabbie $7 to drive in circles until I finally said, "Forget it; let me out here." I walked over 2 miles to the start line. Then after the race, I walked almost a mile to the trolley station. Then I was directed to board a trolley that didn't get very close to my hotel so I had another 1.5 miles to walk after that. Oh well, the walking was good for me I guess, but just be warned to have a good plan in place if you are not a TNT runner. Overall a fun marathon and I just can't say enough about the people of San Diego who volunteered on the course AND the residents that turned out to support the runners. Fun day in San Diego! | |
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B. T. from Salt Lake City, Utah
(6/5/2007)
"Overall a great experience!" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The event was very well organized and tons of fun! The expo was wonderful. The entire event was put together very well. I could have definitely done without the slanted freeways, but other than that, the course was great, the weather was great and it was a lot of fun... and most importantly, I finished my 2nd marathon!! I loved having the bands along the course - they provided me with some extra oomph to keep going! They weren't just random garage bands; they were all VERY talented and worth listening to. I would have liked to have seen more "finisher" type t-shirts at the finish line. There was only 1 print that I saw there; a variety would be nice. It also would have been nice to have been able to purchase a mix CD with music from all of the bands that played!! :-) |
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