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Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2 Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.6 
Organization 3.3 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 203 [displaying comments 141 to 151]
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S. S. from San Antonio, TX
(11/20/2008)
"Pretty good for the inaugural race" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2 Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was a crowded race and I saw the shuttle and 281 problems. Roads which weren't supposed to be closed until 0630 were closed early, which made planning parking difficult. It also made it difficult for spectators to get to parts along the route, especially near the missions. Otherwise, it was well organized, with plenty of water, etc. at the aid stations. The crowds, which we haven't had in the past, were enthusiastic and encouraging. The cons: They nickel and dime you ($50 for finisher shirt, $15 for a shuttle to return to parking that you paid for, $60 if you wanted to park at the Dome, $10 to park for the expo, etc.); and they allowed folks to select their starting corral (I passed people walking at mile 2 because they had selected one of the early corrals to start, even with a 15:00+ minute pace). Overall, well organized and a lot of fun! | |
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c. w. from Houston, Tx
(11/20/2008)
"Better than expected" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I am usually a little skeptical of inaugural events, as glitches sometimes make for a bad day. Staying downtown is a must, so if you want to run the RNRSA, reserve a room EARLY. I did see some of the traffic issues reported by previous participants, but they did not affect the shuttle route I was on. The wave start takes tons of volunteers to run it like they did, and it worked great. I started in Corral 14 and did not feel pinched during the early part of the run. The aid stations were stocked well, with mostly excited volunteers. I loved the bands and pulled in lots of energy from most - except for the acoustical country song around mile 17. The course is almost flat, with rolling hills in sections of the run. The best hill was coming out of the railroad underpass up to the finish! I know I gained a hundred places due to that little hill. I too thought that the expo was a little too crowded and basically came in for the packet and left. I hated to be in such a hurry, as I wanted to maximize the cost effectiveness of the $10 parking fee. The pasta feed was ok. I am thinking that these events are going to be dropped from events as participation seemed low. The spectators were great where they were located. Obviously they will not be everywhere on this course, as it goes through areas where access is limited. If I were to change things it would be. - Work on the shuttle program - OK this year, but not so good if it continues. - Correct the finish line - Again, OK for a 4,000-person race but the deck was way too crowded. It may take the finish line away from the Alamodome. - Add a couple of aid stations on the back half of the race because that would really help if the day ends up a little hotter. - Provide better maps - It was tough to figure out shuttle stops and how to get around the dome. Likewise, spectators were lost and confused as they waited for their runners. All in all, it's a great event and I may be back if my schedule allows. | |
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A. C. from Orange County, CA
(11/20/2008)
"San Antonio Rocked!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2 Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run many marathons/half marathons, but this was my first ever Rock and Roll event. I was very pleased. The ability to manage this number of people through the expo, course, and transportation was amazing. Sure, there were hiccups - lines for buses, etc. - but I did not have any real trouble. I arrived at the start about an hour and a half early, which I have learned over the years to do. The only bad thing was having to be cold, but they had heat lamps, which were awesome. I got in my corral right at 7 a.m. and had no trouble starting... except for warming up (my toes were numb for a few miles). However, the bands were great, the course was great, and I ran the race of my life. I don't run races for the flavor of the GU or the design of the shirt. And hills? There were no "real" hills. It was a fast course. Thank you, Elite Racing and San Antonio! I will be back!!! | |
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S. H. from Texas
(11/19/2008)
"Poor planning for shuttle buses" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2 Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I was among the many runners who missed the starting gun. The shuttle area was absolutely overwhelmed by all the runners. Getting back to my car was just as bad. A very frustrating experience. The course itself is OK. Nice entertainment throughout, but I wasn't impressed by the beauty of the course. It's nice to say that I ran in the inaugural RnR Marathon, but I won't be back. Overcrowded race. Bad logistics. | |
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K. G. from Houston, Texas
(11/19/2008)
"Where were the bands??" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2 Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 For a 'Rock 'n' Roll' Marathon that advertised 70 bands along the course, I only counted about 20... most of which were tuning when I ran by (in the middle of the pack). The spectators were extremely sparse from mile 14-20. I'd do this run again because it was relatively flat, making it possible for me to achieve a personal best. Maybe in 2-4 years it will truly be a rock 'n' roller. | |
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I. R. from Mexico City
(11/19/2008)
"Good buy, but not great" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Getting to the race was difficult; we had to walk at least 20 minutes on a cold morning (it was 4 degrees C). The shirt was awful - cotton! No goodies. Excellent start organization. The race itself during the first half was nice, with a good crowd. Second half: NO crowd, and lots of unexpected hills until the last two miles. Weather was nice. Excellent after-race hydration and organization. | |
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a. j. from birmingham, al
(11/19/2008)
"No more musical marathons" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2 Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Lots of spectators and very friendly volunteers. Course was very flat, but once outside of the downtown area, it was pretty boring. I have come to realize that the Musical Marathons put on by Elite Racing are meant to make money. Nothing wrong with that, but we couldn't even park to pick up our packets without having to pay $10. And only ONE beer?!? I will stick to the smaller marathons from now on. They are less expensive, they are mostly for charity, and you get lots of goodies for half the price of the musical marathons. And BEER! | |
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Jules Myers from San Antonio, Texas
(11/19/2008)
"Encouraging inaugural" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2 Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This race was well planned, as one would expect from a Rock and Roll race. The course was well laid out, the support was excellent, and the spectators abundant. I arrived at the parking lot an hour prior to the race and did not have any difficulty getting to the start via shuttle in time for the race. However, the return was horrendous, as family members and racers were all waiting in line for shuttles to return to the parking lot. I don't believe I've ever seen a line THAT long. Easily half a mile of humanity waiting to board shuttles, and not visibly moving forward at any speed. I elected to walk back across eastern San Antonio, and was fortunate to come across a taxi to spare me the unplanned post-race cool down walk/marathon to the car. The distribution of the drop bags back to their owners was fairly disorganized and time consuming (I'm comparing with Dallas White Rock, which was very efficient by comparison). There is no finisher's shirt for marathoners, which has become almost universal in races within the last three years or so. I can take this or leave it - but some might find it odd that this nice extra is missing from an $85 marathon. This is an excellent first running of this event under new management. I trust that Rock and Roll will iron out these glitches by next year, as in all other respects, it was a well run race. | |
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G. A. from Texas
(11/19/2008)
"Will do it again next year" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2 Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Good -Lots of volunteers at many water/Cytomax stations. -Weather (not their doing, but it was PERFECT!) -Spectators - love you guys! Bad -Bands leaving early - seems like all of the live music should have lasted beyond the 3-hour mark. -Parking/buses/traffic - already mentioned. | |
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E. R. from St. Louis, MO
(11/19/2008)
"Great marathon; poor job by the city." (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and 1/2 Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The marathon itself was fun. There could have been more spectators, but it was the first running, so it's understandable. The city did a poor job of traffic control/logistics. Hundreds and hundreds of people had to ditch their cars on 281 and run to the start, as there was utter gridlock one and a half hours prior to the start. Support was great, bands were great, etc. |
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