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Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon) Runner Comments

Back to Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon) Information & Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.3 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 3.9 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 4.2 
 
 
Number of comments: 338 [displaying comments 131 to 141]
More Comments: [ < 1 .. 12 13 14 15 16 .. 34 > ]

 

H. N. from Dallas (12/17/2008)
"Terrible weather but great organization" (about: 2008)

First Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I am not sure why this marathon is not organized when weather is better in Dallas. Organization was excellent. Spectators were very supportive. Volunteers were terrific. I plan to run it again next year.

Just three complaints: Traffic cones were in the middle of the street and you cannot see them with so many runners around. I almost felt twice. Too dangerous.

Some of the streets have bad asphalt. Too many holes. This is not a problem of the organizers, but the city should do something.

Cars were parked along the running course. The city should do something as well.

Also, the relay should be eliminated.

 

L. K. from Dallas, TX (12/17/2008)
"Guts dealing with Gusts" (about: 2008)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 4


Positives:
Excellent course through some beautiful neighborhoods, good spectators/crowd support. Enjoyed the Hooters aid station. The men in drag at the Dolly Partons gave me a good laugh.

Frank Shorter did the TV commentary, and Bill Rodgers ran the half (although I couldn't find his official result). I used my DVR to tape the race and really enjoyed watching it once I got home.

There was minimal crowding/weaving at the front coming out of corral A.

Free, CoolMax finisher's shirt.

Hats were given to the top 100 finishers (I didn't get one, but it's a great touch and motivates me for next year).

Negatives:
Somehow it took 30 minutes of waiting in line to get a t-shirt at the expo after only taking about 3 minutes to get my bib number. Anyhow I'd love to give participants the option to skip the expo and pick up bib/packet at a local running store. Expos are rarely a positive experience.

Some of the side streets downtown weren't blocked off and cars entered the course.

Difficult to find water/food at finish line. I was exhausted and took a place on the curb when I couldn't find aid immediately. My family was stuck in traffic trying to get downtown. When I stood up I couldn't imagine standing around looking so I just got in my car and left.

Comments on 2008:
It was a difficult race due to the wind 30 mile/hour gusts out of the south, which affected runners right at the start of the second half. Even the elite times were off by 7 minutes from previous years.

I was glad the half and full had different finishes.

I didn't find the relay disturbing at all.

I believe I could have run about 10-15 minutes faster if the conditions had been better; it's always a gamble and this year we were just unfortunate.

 

s. p. from Lufkin, Texas (12/17/2008)
"A very good marathon!!" (about: 2008)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


Very nice expo, as most would expect from a race this size. As all know already, the weather was suboptimal to say the least. The course was for the most part very nice and scenic. Beautiful neighborhoods and lake area. The only reason I didn't give the course 5 stars was that there were a significant number of streets with very uneven running surfaces including the old trolley tracks in downtown Dallas. I actually twisted my foot/ankle stepping on one of them (nobody's fault but my own!). However, it seemed like we followed the trolley tracks for quite a while. Would it be possible to go through Dallas on a slightly different route with fewer tracks?? This is a minor point, however, and overall the course was very nice, I must admit!!

Fans were good and always appreciated. The course support I thought was excellent - some of the best I experienced. There were an abundance of water stations and the volunteers at them did superb!!! Thank you!!! The finish line organization was good, except I thought you had to walk a little far to get to the food/water tent (minor point). I think placing the food and water closer to the finish line (right after getting you medal) would be better. Despite the weather, overall a very nice experience and a highly recommendable marathon!!!

 

B. Y. from Holly Springs, NC (12/17/2008)
"Tough Conditions, Good Race" (about: 2008)

3 previous marathons | 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 3  FANS: 5


I really didn't like the start because I wasn't allowed to start the pace group that I wanted to run with. I was placed in the "B" group, and the 4:30 group was about 200 yards ahead of me. This was my first big-city race, and the fans were great.

I really didn't like the fact that my results were placed into a complete different group because I was in the Clydesdale division. Because of that, my results weren't in the same batch as the general racers. That being said, the RunPix results page is great.

I agree that the relay should have been eliminated or at least started with a different wave.

I ended up getting three different shirts out of the deal, which was a great surprise.

It's a shame what happened to the runner who passed away. My thoughts and prayers are with her friends and family.

 

r. H. from dallas tx (12/16/2008)
"tough weather conditions; organizers ready for it" (about: 2008)

11-50 previous marathons | 6+ Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This was one of several times I have Run the Rock over a 20-year period. This year the weather was a tough opponent, with 25 mph plus winds and a high of 72 degrees. This in not the normal weather for this great marathon. The course is good, and for the most part flat, with lots of friendly folks along the way and a 10-mile loop around the lake. This year the organizers got it right, with water and aid stations at what seemed like half-mile intervals. I only wish that marathon organizers will one day realize that you make it hard for people who train for months for the marathon when you start them with all of the half-marathoners and fun run walkers. I know you need the money, but I don't need the first 3 miles at a 12-minute pace when I trained for a 7:30. Just a thought.

 

D. W. from Longview Texas (12/16/2008)
"Nasty Conditions with Great Support" (about: 2008)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


Being a native Texan I was eager to get in a Texas marathon and I consider the Dallas White Rock to be the Mother Marathon for Texas. The conditions on December 14 were gusty winds over 30 mph and temp above 80. The winds really took a toll around the lake. The volunteers were great throughout the race. I have worked at aid stations in previous years and it was fun to finally actually be a runner. The marathon was very well organized with friendly people helping out. I enjoyed the marathon and would highly recommend it to other runners.

 

S. H. from Austin, TX (12/16/2008)
"Almost Perfect" (about: 2008)

50+ previous marathons | 6+ Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 1  FANS: 5


Corrals didn't work. Too many people ingnored their placement. This marathon is too big for a relay. Run a 5 or 10K instead. Excellent idea to finish the half on a different course. Aid stations and spectators are absolutely terrific. Course is well marked and times are called out at every mile. The post-race party in the AA Center was much nicer this year. They didn't run out of food for once. Get rid of the relay and this would be the best marathon in Texas.

 

B. P. from Dallas (12/16/2008)
"Great job!" (about: 2008)

2 previous marathons | 2 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 5


Dallas puts on a great race. This was my second time to run and the course and crowd support was great, as expected. I appreciated that this year they had tent for post-race food that only runners could get into. Great improvement. Last year it was open on the floor of AAC and it was almost gone when I finished. They did a great job adding water/Gatorade stations due to the heat. I would suggest they do a rolling start. It is so crowded for first several miles. The SA Marathon did a rolling start, and it was much easier to keep pace from the beginning. SA also did a better job of enforcing the start corals. Why do people walking feel the need to be at the front?

 

P. W. from Ft Worth, TX (12/16/2008)
"Very Pleased" (about: 2008)

2 previous marathons | 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This was my first marathon. I ran one ultra marathon in the past year, but that in no way prepared me for a point-to-point race like this. The weather is my only complaint, but how can you tell the Big Guy to shut off the wind during the race? The support was great. The crowds were very supportive. I loved the fact that many people set their furniture outside so they could cheer us on as we passed by. The bands were great, the finish was awesome, the medal was cool. The one very, very sad note was that we lost a fellow runner during the event. Miss Erin Lahr passed away during the run. Fellow runners and spectators came to her aid, as well as first responders. We'll keep her in our memories, and her family in our prayers.

 

C. E. from dallas (12/16/2008)
"Great Race, terrible weather" (about: 2008)

6-10 previous marathons | 4-5 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 5


The weather was so horrible this year, and I had a terrible race time, but as far as organization goes, this race is top notch. There were so many spectators and bands this year that there was never a dull moment. The course is challenging, but not unbearable. The one organizational complaint I have is that I had to wait an hour in a line at the expo to get my T-shirt. Don't know what that was about.....

 

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