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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 4.3 
Organization 3.9 
Spectators 4.2
Number of comments: 338 [displaying comments 211 to 221]
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B. M. from Houston
(12/16/2006)
"This is a keeper..." (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Finding a parking spot was easy - one block from starting line and only $5. American Airlines Center is a nice place to wait before the race (even if the Mavericks do play there... ugh). Community Coffee stand was a great pre-race stop. Jumbo screens; F16 fly-over; guys dressed like Dolly Parton; free beer and/or cocktails at many spots along the course (I tried the beer); Swiss Avenue at Christmas time... WHAT A GREAT EVENT! Suggestions for improvement: NONE! LEAVE IT ALONE! IT'S FINE THE WAY IT IS! | |
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Robert Hensley from Tahlequah, Ok
(12/16/2006)
"Great atmosphere and organization." (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my third marathon and it was well organized and the course was as advertised. The aid stations were the best. My only problem was: too much concrete. | |
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R. S. from Fort Worth
(12/15/2006)
"Run at your own risk" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This is meant as constructive criticism and hopefully if taken to heart will make this a safer and better marathon. Volunteers were poorly trained or informed on handling medical emergencies and contacting medical personnel. The finish line medical tent was remarkably distant from the finish. Medical personnel were not readily identifiable. At the finish, water was not available until one progressed through the Mylar blanket area, medal section, chip removal area, finisher T-shirt tables, and post-race photography area. Water should be readily available at the finish for runners who need it. The finish area needs to be extended for at least another block so runners can keep walking. The short finishing area was so congested by spectators and runners that one could barely move through the crowd. If the WRM wants to be considered a big-time marathon, it needs to emulate the big-time marathons and recognize its obligation to provide a safe environment for the runner. | |
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P. D. from Seattle, WA
(12/15/2006)
"Well organized and enjoyable marathon" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The 2006 event was very well organized. The water stations were supported by great volunteers and well stocked with water and Gatorade, the port-a-johns were well placed and plentiful, and the overall course and organization were excellent. This was my 10th and most enjoyable marathon. | |
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F. S. from San Antonio, TX
(12/14/2006)
"Very good race" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran White Rock in 2005 and 2006. My comments refer to both years since the race was essentially the same. Pre-Race: The expo is relatively large and packet pick up is a breeze. Having the expo in the Convention Center is nice, with plenty of room. I didn't partake of the pre-race pasta dinner but heard it was decent. Access to the AAC is great because you can stay warm and use real restrooms. The lines were long but that's to be expected. Just wish some of the spectators would give preference to runners. Not a big deal though. The race: The course winds through the Turtle Creek/Highland Park area and is gentle rolling hills for the first few miles. You then hit White Rock Lake and it's smooth, flat sailing for about 10 miles or so. The Dollys at mile 19-20 are not that difficult. The last 6 miles are relatively downhill and running through downtown is nice. The aid stations were well stocked and volunteers were enthusiastic. Police officers donate their time for the cause (Scottish Rite Hospital) and are to be commended for that. The only thing that is troublesome about the course if the half merge. It does get congested but it wouldn't be a big deal if those halfers would just stay to the right. Again, not a huge deal. I'm a mid-packer (3:45 range) and a few minutes here and there isn't going to kill me. Post-Race: The party is in the AAC. There's plenty of free beer, pasta, fruit, and other goodies to go around. Plenty of places to sit, relax, and chat with friends/family/other runners about the race. The Good: Decent course, nice support, two shirts, relatively inexpensive entry fee, good cause, decent crowd support, enthusiastic volunteers. The Bad: Not much except the half merge. They will more than likely fix this for next year. Bottom line: Probably the best race in TX and I'll be back. | |
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C. W. from Houston, TX
(12/13/2006)
"Great course and crowd. Organization? Not so much." (about: 2006)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This is my third marathon. I really enjoyed the course and the crowd. The hills are greatly overrated. The declines on the course more than make up for it. It was probably the best crowd I had ever seen for the first 9 miles before entering the lake area. The neighborhoods are nice and give you a lot to look at to take your mind off of the miles. It did get really quiet for the 10 miles around the lake. The expo was small and uncrowded, but very few give-aways and vendors. The shuttle to the expo was nice. The organization around the race was somewhat of a mess. We caught the first bus to the starting line and the driver seemed to be getting conflicting information about where to go. It took us a long time to get a few blocks. The bag drop and pre-race bathrooms were great. The post-race was a mess. The crowd of runners almost backed up to the finish line because of the temporary fences and the fact that they let the non-runners (family) come right up next to the finishing area and basically caused a huge logjam. There was no signage so I walked right past the medals and shirts and had to make my way back through the crowd to get them. I finished in under 4 hours and yet by the time we got into the AA arena, all the hot food was gone and the vendor was packing up. There was also no signage for the shuttle buses back to the hotel, which caused a lot of confusion. It turns out the buses were on the next block, but we stumbled into them by dumb luck. As for the spectators, it was difficult to get around. Again, this is because they had no detailed maps printed (like Nashville and Marine Corp had). Bottom line: I really enjoyed this marathon and I think the problems could be fixed if they just paid a little more attention to the details, such as signage and maps of the course. | |
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Kim Chalmers from Calgary, Alberta
(12/13/2006)
"loved all the aid stations" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 My 13th marathon (some have been big, others small). Positives: Lots of bright orange porta-potties, nice course, fantastic spectators, lots of aid stations with great volunteers, two race shirts, free beer at the finish. Negatives: Toilet paper not replenished in nice bright orange porta-potties, only large or extra large unisex tech shirts at finish, limited food after race, lack of spectator control. All in all, a very good race. My biggest complaint is the after-race organization. No control over who is going where at the finish line and this spills over to the refreshment area. The average race time is around 4 hours and the runners who come in around, or after this time are the ones who most need a bagel or something substantial. We found a popcorn stand with a huge lineup mostly formed of non runners, a smattering of fruit, and some kind of cold fruit smoothie thing (the last thing you want when you are half frozen to start with). Lineups were huge due to non-runners lining up for free handouts. If Dallas really wants to become a great marathon, they need better crowd control at the finish line and a post-race meal/snack area that caters to the runners and their post-race needs first. | |
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C. J. from Louisiana
(12/13/2006)
"Too much up and down with those streets for me!!!" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Well organized, and the people were very friendly. Plenty of water stops. Great people that lived in the neighborhoods with snacks on tables in front of there homes. I just didn't like the streets that went up and down constantly. I just don't have that where I live, so it really made may legs tired fast. Finish line was nice, though you had to go through the crowd up and in the back of the building for some refreshments. I thought that was a bit much. City was great but didn't care for the route so much!! Going to the area that JFK was killed was interesting. Overall, I guess the trip was ok. | |
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M. S. from Fort Worth, TX
(12/12/2006)
"First one, lots of fun" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, so I don't have any basis for comparison on any of these comments. With that said, I had a great time on the course. They had volunteers reading out the times at each mile marker, plus visible clocks in 4-5 different places - I kind of expected more clocks, but it didn't bother me one way or the other. The number of spectators was just what I would look for (I'm not much of a crowd person though) - clumps of people here and there around the lake, crowds at each turn along the course, and lots of people partying in their front yards. I did run into traffic at the merge with the half, but I was tired enough that I really didn't care. I expected a little better quality on the post-race food, but it wasn't worse than any of the shorter races I've done. Next year I'll probably just go out to eat afterwards and avoid the crowd in the AAC. | |
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M. J. from Grapevine, Texas
(12/12/2006)
"First Marathon" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon but definitely not my last! I had a great time - spectators were great, volunteers were great, aid stations were awesome and the weather was perfect! I will be back. |
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