Back to Mississippi Blues Marathon Information & Reviews
Andy Thomson from Chicago, IL
(1/4/2009)
"A Very Good Marathon" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The 2009 event was a very good marathon that is only a couple of small tweaks away from being a great marathon. The tweaks are that more porta-potties are needed, both at the start and along the course, the website needs to be redesigned to be more informative (are there age-group awards, is there late packet pickup, etc.?), and the early mile markers need to be set out where they can be seen instead of hidden in the water stops. Those are the only changes that I would recommend to the organizers. The "good stuff" far outweighed the "bad stuff." On the good side, the race, expo, and packet pick-up were very well organized. The course was physically and mentally challenging, but doable. Water and Gatorade along the course were plentiful, and there were a lot of very nice, supportive people out along the course. The traffic control was simply outstanding. Excellent job by the local police departments and a lot of volunteers. The course markings were excellent. This race was well worth a trip from Chicago. Good job!!! | |
T'knesha Bell from Jackson, MS
(1/4/2009)
"Great Local 1/2 Marathon!!!!!!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Mississippi Blues Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is my second year to run this half-marathon. I can honestly say that this will be on my "to-do" list for years to come. The shuttles to and from the Cabot Lodge were great additions. The course was great, with some challenging hills. This race was very well organized. I think the medal for the half marathon could have been a little better. But overall, I enjoyed this race and plan to do the whole next year! | |
James Snead from Anderson, SC
(1/4/2009)
"Best marathon of the year (so far)" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 No porta-johns at the start/finish! Could not believe it. Had to duck around the corner with an empty bottle. There must have been about five johns spaced over the entire course. Extremely hilly course. Please add hill repeats into your training for this race. I did treadmill inclines and it wasn't enough. Even though it's called the Blues Marathon, don't expect a lot of music like at the Rock 'n' Roll series. The volunteers are so extremely upbeat that they must all be on medication. They really helped me during the final miles when I was doing my survival shuffle. Traffic control was excellent - thank you volunteers and police. If I run again, it will be the half. The full was rather lonely, except for the volunteers. I would have preferred a tech shirt to a vest. The medal was nicely shaped, like a guitar. Post-race food is adequate - with live music! To sum up: no porta-johns, very hilly, great hospitality. | |
J. W. from Brandon, MS
(1/3/2009)
"Awesome" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved everything about the race (half-marathon). Yes, the course was very challenging with a lot of steep, long hills. Miles 11.25-12 was toughest part of the course for me. Jackson made us proud. There are many volunteers compared to the number of runners, which was very nice. | |
Janet Cherobon from Rome, Georgia
(11/21/2008)
"Women's champ rates this race as a real winner!" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I came to the Mississippi Blues Marathon not knowing what to expect. It was a first-year race (well, sort of) in a state not known for its distance events. From the moment I arrived at the expo, I was super impressed with the event. Things were well-organized - although I did see a few disappointed people who were being turned away because the race was full. They missed out on a great race. On race day, the organization was great - a very good start area. The course itself was quite challenging, but it was also easy to follow. My biggest complaint was the road surface itself - a lot of rough patches. The hills weren't a problem for me, but I can certainly see how some people might have found them harder than expected - especially in the last 2 miles. That worked out great for me as I used the last couple of hills to drop the competition. The awards ceremony was nice, but the crowd had thinned out a little too much by then - getting an actual electric guitar for the 1st place trophy was incredible! I did hear some complaints about the lack of toilets at the start/finish area, but that's about it. All told, it was a super event, and I'm definitely planning to go back. | |
L. Y. from USA
(9/16/2008)
"Jackson made us proud!" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've been meaning to write my comments on this marathon for MONTHS! Sadly, I'm just now getting to it.... I only ran the half as the event fell in the middle of my training for the Shamrock Marathon. I live in North Mississippi, and my husband is a Jackson native, so I went down to show Jackson my support. All I have to say is, "WOW!" I was SO proud of Jackson! The run was beautiful. The crowds were small but fabulous! The food was the best that I've ever had! Yes, the course was hilly, but I had my best half-marathon time ever. That's how excited I was! This is a MUST-RUN race. The people of Jackson will take good care of you! | |
K. S. from Tallahassee, FL
(3/29/2008)
"Great inagural race... has quite a future" (about: 2008)
First Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I only ran the half but I ran a different marathon today and it made me realize how great the Mississippi Blues was, especially as a first-timer. The course was very hilly (I couldn't imagine what the marathoners went through), but the crowd was the friendliest crowd there is. There were a few parts that were lacking supporters, but the people who were there were amazing. This race is a great example of Southern hospitality and I highly recommend it! Pros: Expo had great cheap clothes! Cute race packet, cool shirts, great crowd, good organization. Cons: Very hilly... that's all I remember being negative. | |
S. S. from Birmingham, AL
(3/4/2008)
"Hilly, but parts are flat. Wonderful volunteers." (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 1. Southern Hospitality was great. I would like thank all of the volunteers, Jackson PD, spectators, schools, cheering squads, and sponsor who make the MB Marathon great. 2. Hilly, especially mile 25 (race director, shame on you). 3.Good CD and shirt. 4. Medal needs a little work (maybe some color or bigger). Still, I love the one I earned. 5. Fresh food for back-of-the-pack marathon runners. 6. Overall, the MB Marathon gets a B. Great job to all. | |
Tresafaye Libra from Boston
(2/9/2008)
"Gosh Darn Good Marathon & The People Were so NICE" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Okay, I didn't run the full marathon, only the half marathon; but as an official support person for a marathon runner, I loved this race. Traffic control was good but not so rigid than I couldn't get from spot to spot to cheer my running buddy on. Being from New England I thought the hills would be easy but they were more challenging than expected. But the best thing was the people. Several Mississippi runners and all the volunteers kept thanking us for coming, something I have never experienced before. The finisher medals were a blast. Marathoners got a guitar-shaped medal; the half marathons got a medal shaped like half of a guitar! When I told the race director I needed to eat a meal in Alabama, he suggested a rib place and it was great! The night after the race we went to the race-sponsored blues show downtown and enjoyed our two drinks, compliments of the race. Overall we really had a good time. | |
B. A. from Destrehan, Louisiana
(1/24/2008)
"Very challenging course" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Organization was great for a first-time marathon. Needed more porta-johns at the start and along the course. Limited amount of music on course but the ones who performed along the course were great. The final hills took everything I had and then some. This is not a marathon for the weak-hearted, or for flat-landers. Great experience but will do the half next time. |
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