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Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.4 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.7
Number of comments: 13 [displaying comments 1 to 11]
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J. B. from West Chester, PA
(5/2/2016)
"Very Well-Organized" (about: 2016)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This race far exceeded my expectations. While it did have a slightly corporate feel that is characteristic of Rock 'n' Roll races, I was impressed by the organization and overall experience. The corral system was organized such that there was no congestion, and you could reach your pace right from the start. The first half of the course was a nice tour of downtown, with rolling hills throughout. The second half was less scenic than the first, as is often the case. There were several tough hills from miles 12 to 18, followed by a nice flat section around a beautiful lake, then another tough hill at mile 20. I did not find the hill at 25 to be as difficult as advertised. My only complaint is the lack of spectators along the course; there were virtually no crowds except for the finish line. Overall, very well done. | |
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K. N. from Washington, D.C.
(2/10/2016)
"Nice tour of Raleigh" (about: 2015)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Rock 'n Roll wave starts are phenomenal - I hit my stride moments after crossing the start line, and I rarely had to weave. The course had hills that provided a challenge, but that's what I came for. I particularly enjoyed weaving through several of Raleigh's colleges and being cheered on by the band at Shaw and the students at the women's college. I could not help but think just how pleasant miles 17 to 19 through the park were, as it was very similar to my training. All in all, I enjoyed the tour of Raleigh and the concert in the amphitheater afterwards. | |
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G. S. from Chapel Hill, NC
(5/3/2015)
"A 'smoother' operation this year" (about: 2015)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Advertised as a less hilly course than the inaugural year (which I also ran), my GPS, Fitbit and mapping programs all came up with more elevation gain compared to the previous year. Just fewer steep hills compared to last year. The elevation changes were spread out over a longer distance. So, yes, it was a smoother course, though I noticed the downhill pounding more on this race. Again, it's central NC. There are hills everywhere in this part of the state unless you want to run along the river. I had not signed up for this year's marathon or half as I had run two marathons on back-to-back weekends in February. However, the race sponsors gave some good last minute discounts and I made a late decision to run it again with the new course. The weather was just about perfect compared to last year's warmer temperatures. This made the running in the sun-exposed areas much more tolerable. Last year the race fell on Palm Sunday so you had the complicating factors of higher than normal church traffic downtown combined with a not so efficient parking plan made getting to the start very difficult. Not as many observable problems this year with parking. I got in very early to avoid the sort of traffic last year. I sped right through into where I was going to park. The execution of the race logistics seemed excellent. They had plenty of volunteers and liquids at each station. My impression was there were more people out cheering during the early sections of the race compared to last year. But there clearly fewer runners than last year. So places that seemed crowded on the course were less so this year. I know that this is RnR race is one of their smaller ones and I'd be surprised if it survives beyond the current contract with the sponsors and the city which I understand is a 5-year contract. I am signed up for 2016 because the discount during the expo was too much to pass up. It will be about one month after what I have set as my goal marathon race, so it will likely be a more social, easy run compared to a PR attempt. | |
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B. G. from Charlotte
(4/16/2015)
"Well run but difficult course" (about: 2015)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Packet pickup on Saturday was a breeze. No lines and moved quickly. Expo was a good size and the race merchandise was nice (Brooks gear). Pre race, we were told traffic was a mess last year so we asked our local friends for some back ways in which helped out tremendously. Got dropped off a few blocks from the start with minimal traffic and closures. Once at start site, there were plenty of porta potties for a welcome change. Never waited more than 5 minutes to go. I felt the signs to where everything was were non-existent. I had to ask two volunteers where bag drop was (at the very far end of the area). Getting into the corrals was quite slow as there were oddly placed 'roadblocks' that funneled thousands of people around narrow fencing. Race started on time. I was in corral 2 so it only took a minute to get rolling. Lots of good support downtown through the first 5-6 miles. Neighbors, cheer groups and bands were out in plenty. Relatively hilly but nothing crazy. One issue I had in the beginning, which more or less just 'scared me' was that aid stations were 1.5 - 2m apart in the beginning and porta potties on course even further apart. I was worried that would be a problem later on in the day (it wasn't). After the split from the half folks, the course got lonely, but aid stations picked up (sometimes less than a mile apart). The hills kept coming. The run around Meridth college was painful...it was just a tour of their parking lots with a grand total of 12 people out cheering. This part was mostly an out and back so got to see the leaders and the back of pack. Then headed back toward the half folks again before we split again near NC State. Then through the NC State Centennial campus which felt like a run around a corporate office park. We then head toward the lake to be greeted by mile long hills before we descended to the lake. Finally some flatish ground around the lake but I could already tell by that point my legs were toast from the constant up and down the hills. Very few people/bands out. As a nice cruel joke after exiting the lake area, there is another mile long hill between 21-22 followed by a mile downhill. At this point, the downhills hurt as much as the uphills. You then wind along a golf course and hit the unshaded part of the course. From the golf course to the finish, there was little in the way of shade anywhere. Finished up downtown, already 20 minutes past my expected time, and by far slowest of my 9 marathons. Post race food was pretty lame but saved by Jimmy Johns handing out sandwiches. Gathered my stuff and went to the post race concert. Not sure why they had a specific 'beer tent' area outside of the concert venue, but that was totally dumb. Had to be 21 to enter and couldn't leave with your beer...that is really great for families with kids :-( After I realized my daughter couldn't come in and I couldn't leave with my beer, took a few sips and tossed it and then headed into the concert venue. Smashmouth put on a good show. Lots of good food and drink options downtown post race, once it got to noon time. Overall, organization was pretty good, course was boring and too hilly for my liking. Volunteers were great, but spectators on the second half were very sparse. I wouldn't run it again, and with numbers down 5000+ from the inaugural year, others agree. If I were doing just the half, my thoughts would be different. It certainly appears the organizers cater to the half runners. If the full numbers keep dropping (less than 1000 this year), there won't be a full too much longer. | |
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D. S. from Raleigh, NC
(4/14/2015)
"Hometown marathon just 'so-so'" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was my first time running the Rock-n-Roll marathon. I expected so much more so I was disappointed. I have run numerous Rock-n-Roll events so I'm not sure if it's the restrictions of the city, but it did not live up to my previous experiences. The City of Oaks marathon was much, much better as far as participant amenities including close parking, food (Papa John's pizza!!) and a more scenic course. Pros: Wave start Good spectators in some areas Organized and wonderful volunteers Cons: Ridiculous time to get to start No shuttles Food was minimal Boring course $7.00 parking fee??? | |
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T. R. from Raleigh, NC
(4/13/2015)
"Great organization, beautiful scenery yet hilly" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my 15th marathon overall and 2nd in Raleigh (other one was City of Oaks in 2009). Although I live in Raleigh, I rarely run full marathons here due to the hills. I prefer less hilly courses. Overall, the course had wonderful sights to see, the bands were fun, the finisher's medal and Brooks shirt were great! The post race food and party were also fantastic! The hills were just too much. Especially after mile 20, there just seeemed to be hill after hill after hill. I prefer less challenging courses such as Marine Corps, Richmond, VA Beach. | |
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J. B. from Toronto, Canada
(5/11/2014)
"Hilly challenge, but fun race" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Not knowing what to expect, the course was much more hilly than anticipated. In particular the hills at 25km (the turn-around). I remember descending a nice long hill thinking well this is a nice break, but quickly realized that I had to turn around at the bottom and climb back up it. I have run many hilly marathons and this one was one of the toughest. The out-and-back course was nice as I could help cheer on fellow runners. The city was very welcoming and there were many great restaurants for post-race celebrating. I would run it again but go into it without the expectation of a PB. | |
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J. M. from Springfield, Missouri
(4/21/2014)
"An All-Around Great Race" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It was a great, inaugural Rock n Roll Raleigh Marathon. Here are a few observations: Pros: Organization was top-notch. There were a couple areas that could be tweaked going forward, but for a first-year event, they did a great job. The medal was nice, there seemed to be good crowd support on many parts of the course, and the aid stations were extremely well done. The day was quite warm, and the volunteers were proactive in offering ice, as well as putting ice in the drinks. Also, Raleigh is a great city to visit, and the people are extremely friendly. Cons: A couple of tweaks could be made. Traffic in and out of downtown on race day became pretty backed up, though I am not sure how that could be remedied. Arrive early. I got there about 5:15 and it was already backed up quite a bit. Also, the last several miles included long stretches without shade and were largely into the sun. This will be an issue on hot days. While the course as a whole is quite hilly (my Garmin showed over 1,000 feet of elevation gain), the last few miles are largely downhill. Personally, I liked the course...lots of variety, and running through NC State was cool. Overall, RnR Raleigh is worth the trip. | |
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J. B. from Chicago, IL
(4/21/2014)
"Way Too May Hills!" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 21st marathon. I have certainly run hilly marathons before but this one was insane. It was hands down the most difficult course I have run both mentally and physically. I would not qualify this course as a motivating challenge, it was border line torture. I have to believe they could have made some changes to cut down on some of the hills. After mile 17 I wasn't sure I would make it. I don't see a lot of people electing to run this race multiple times with this course. The race was well organized, the crowds were decent, especially for the first half of the race. Our hotel was next to the finish line and a couple of blocks from the start. This was awesome. I enjoyed my stay the the mild southern town, the people were nice and the accommodations were great. I just think they have to change the course before every I would ever recommend this race to anyone! Also, I must extend my condolences to the two men who passed away during the race. This is a tragedy. I hope something is done to remember these men. Deeply saddened. | |
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Ron Hess from California
(4/18/2014)
"Fun Race, Challenging Course" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Ran The marathon, bit tougher than I thought but still easy compared to most trail races. Lots of great views of the city. Big crowds to cheer you in at the end. Traffic was terrible to get to race, other than that organization was superb. Goal was sub 2:50 but the marathon gods said not today, still happy with 2:54 which proves this course is still fast if you train for it. |
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