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Memphis Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Memphis Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 4.7 
Spectators 4.2
Number of comments: 382 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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A. U. from California
(12/21/2015)
"Best Spectators Ever" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Earlier this month, I ran the St Jude's Marathon for the first time. December is a great time to run in Memphis because the weather's perfect! It was blue skies and sunny throughout the course. The beginning was tough because the low was under 30 degrees Fahrenheit. But by the time the race began, the weather was already in the 40s. All in all, this is a fun course with great spectators. Also, the signs out there were hilarious. There aren't too many hills throughout the course. There's a grinding incline around mile 23 or so, but nothing grueling if you train normally for hills. Favorite parts of the run include a beautiful sweeping decline along the Mississippi River early in the run. It provides for breathtaking photos of downtown Memphis. Early in the race, Beale St is kind of nice too with excellent crowd support. Then somewhere around mile 8 maybe, you actually run thru St. Jude's Hospital and you see where you donation for this grade marathon goes towards. Lastly at around mile 15, there's beautiful scenery around Rhodes College and then on into Hein Park. Throughout the race, the water stop support is excellent and the crowd. I've run 19 marathons and have not run into better spectators (not even the Brooklyn Crowd at the NYC Marathon). I enjoyed this marathon so much, I plan to run it again every other year. | |
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Charles West from Pottstown, PA
(12/13/2015)
"You will love running thru St. Jude's" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 As previous reviewers have noted, your heart will be touched by running thru St. Jude's Children's Hospital with the children and parents out there cheering you on. The expo is very nice for a race of this size. There were at least 3 GU spots and a water stop every mile. The post race food was very good but some items like the donuts and fruit was cleared out by the 5K and half marathoners but there was plenty of pizza and chocolate milk left. My only complaint is the last few garbage miles of the race. The race course should be adjusted so you can run back to Children's hospital for a 2nd time. That would give you a great boost to finish the race. | |
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M. C. from Buffalo, NY
(12/12/2015)
"A Terrific December Marathon" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I am really glad I ran this race. I was able to knock Tennessee off of my list and have fun while doing it. The expo was ok and organized but getting inside was a bit chaotic. Several Hundred cars were jammed up at the Convention Center on Friday night trying to figure out how to get their packet while also avoiding the $10 - $15 parking fees. This was not a good way to start the experience. How about jacking up the registration fees by this amount and renting the lot out so that parking can be free on Friday night? Once getting through the jam, I simply parked about 3 blocks away and made the walk. I would recommend this strategy to all. Packet pick up was well organized and friendly. Race day morning was chilly and a great day for running. It was nice to have a person gabbing to the crowd that you could actually hear and understand. U2's Beautiful Day and Bruce's Born To Run played often before the start which is always awesome. Course was nice although quite a few pot holes. I saw a few folks go down. You got to run near the zoo where I heard the apes howling. Rhodes College was full of great sights. The water stations were all well staffed and included many friendly faces. At mile 1 upon turning the corner, there was a large group of special needs folks cheering. This is just so heart warming. The course is very well marked and each and every mile marker was visible from afar, which is a pleasant change from some races of late. As a slower runner it was also nice to be on the course with many people who were much slower than me. I think the running for a good cause brings out many people who would not otherwise give a marathon a shot. The finish line was a bit of a let down. It was great entering the stadium. This reminded me of Cleveland and Huntington. But as you cross the line you are forced to walk up steep steps to get to where you are going. Then once you scale the steps, you have to circle the concourse to get food and drink. It was nice but a real hassle after just running 26.2. Water at the finish line is always a nice sight. There were thousands of Domino's Pizzas at the finish. Sadly, they all appeared to be cooked at the same time. MUCH earlier in the day. Each slice was handed out with a smile and an apology. It was ice cold. The race was a nice experience and I am glad I ran it. I would recommend to anyone trying to knock Tennessee off of their list to give this race a shot. Be sure to register early (certainly before Thanksgiving) as you may get shut out. When in town, you must see the Lorraine Hotel. It is always nice to mix in a marathon with history. Memphis is one awesome town. Good job everyone! | |
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R. R. from TX
(12/7/2015)
"Well organized, spectators, need improvements" (about: 2015)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Great cause, wonderful logistics and venues. Spectators throughout the race if not super in shear numbers. Course road surface chewed up/potholes as I spotted quite a number of falls. Could not understand why the finish line is not pushed further up into the stadium so spectators could actually see finishers without binoculars. A small loop nearing the finish could be eliminated by shoving the finish line further up. Might consider the convention center for the start so that participants could stay inside in cold or rain prior to the start. It was difficult to enter the corral from the side streets coming from the ballpark. I would explore advising people to enter alternate side streets back from the start line basis predicted pace. Slow people could not get back to their proper corral areas and were forced to start with faster runners.and made for a mess. Gatorade and water was mixed up together at the aid stations so it was a task figure who was offering what. Fantastic to have aid stations every mile and fully stocked and staffed-loved it. Music great for most of the marathon, but then it seemed to completely stop after mile 20 when the runners needed it most. Staying Downtown worked great. . | |
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M. G. from USA
(12/8/2014)
"Great event, incredible cause, recommended!" (about: 2014)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was only my second marathon so I don't have much to compare it to but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and highly recommend this event and the city of Memphis to everyone looking for a December marathon. One cannot ask for a more worthy cause than St Jude and you even get to run through the hospital campus early and late in the run. One cannot describe the feeling of seeing the little patients lined up to cheer on runners as they pass through the campus. What really stood out was the number of times I heard 'thank you' from volunteers all over the course. I bet I heard someone tell me thank you for participating no less than 100 times that morning. Everyone at the bag check, start line, water stations, and finish all said thank you to us for helping St Jude. The course was mostly flat with some small inclines over and under various roads and the roads are in good shape. It is mostly run on city streets but there is some good scenery of the Mississippi River and Overton Park. The start was very well organized and proficient in getting everyone off in a timely manner. I was in one of the rear corrals and I was able to begin within about 20 minutes from the start. There are aid stations and porta-potties at every mile and GU at several as well. There were several bands along the course for the first half but not too many on the second half. The run ends in Autozone Park which houses the AAA team for the Cardinals so there were tons of people present to cheer on the finishers. Food and drink were great at the end. There was so much pizza, donuts, fruit, snacks, and drinks (including a beer garden) that people were taking whole boxes of extras home with them. I highly recommend this run for anyone looking for a fun experience (Memphis is a great friendly town), easy course, or a great cause to support. | |
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a. c. from Memphis, Tennessee, USA
(12/5/2014)
"Autozone Park has elevators!" (about: 2014)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 Memphis Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 When you finish the race you DO NOT have to walk up the stairs in the baseball stadium. There are elevators near the FIRST AID area. Use the elevators and be kind to your legs:) | |
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J. J. from Southeast
(12/3/2014)
"Enjoyable event but pick up is a hassle" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Memphis Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I've run the half and whole multiple times, and there is no better cause to run for than this one. My biggest gripe (every year) is that it is a Saturday race, with no Saturday packet pick-up and the Friday night cut off is 9:00. Coming in from out-of-town is next to impossible if you work for a living. | |
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John Allison from Arkansas
(1/3/2013)
"I'll be back every year!" (about: 2012)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What an awesome race. The course was great, not too flat, not too hilly. Loved the wave start to keep down congestion in the early parts of the race. Organizers compensated for unseasonably high temps with water stops every mile. The best part, running through the St. Jude campus. Can't imagine a more meaningful race! I'll be back every year, some for the full and some for the half, but I'll be back every year! | |
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M. G. from Centerton, AR
(12/10/2012)
"Good race for a great cause" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Race was great. Spectators were a little less after half split (expected). Aid stations were well stocked. Volunteers were great. Post-race food was plentiful and diverse. Plenty of beer also. Finishing in stadium was cool. Wave start was very organized and efficient. I PR'd! | |
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Ellen Agronis from Tulsa, OK
(12/7/2012)
"Very inspiring, a bit harder than I expected" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really enjoyed this marathon. It's for a great case & the spectators are fantastic. Lots of music, water stops, & the volunteers were still full of energy & enthusiasm for even us slowbies. But who came up with making us finish by having to climb the stairs of the stadium after completing 26.2 miles!! |
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