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Rocket City Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rocket City Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.0 
Organization 4.7 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 285 [displaying comments 151 to 161]
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K. P. from Daphne, AL
(12/12/2007)
"Excellent First Marathon" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and it definitely makes me want to run another one. Not only did I enjoy myself, but I qualified for Boston as well. The course is flat and fast, with only a few small hills. The spectators, though few in number, are very supportive. I was especially grateful for 2 children located in a neighborhood right before mile 25. These kids set up their own table and had a bucket full of ice cold water. As far as organization goes, the marathon was very well run and I will most certainly run it again. Although the weather was not ideal, the marathon was as good as I could have ever imagined. I would definitely recommend it to anybody looking to run a fun marathon. | |
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S. M. from Lexington, Kentucky
(12/11/2007)
"Good Marathon" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rocket City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first Rocket City. Nice course... pretty flat with a lot of turns. Great organization! The finisher's hat was a nice touch. The pasta dinner wasn't much, but I enjoyed listening to Jeff Galloway. The temperature was crazy this year! Who would have thought it would be 62 degrees at the start? Would definitely recommend this marathon. | |
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J. C. from Atlanta, GA
(12/11/2007)
"Genuine, grassroots marathon" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rocket City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The 2007 Rocket City Marathon was my 2nd marathon (my 1st being the 2007 Georgia ING) and although I only have 1 to compare it to, it was by far the best organized race I have ever run (10K and 1/2 marathons included). Dink and Suzanne organized an incredible event and one that I felt the entire Huntsville running community got behind. The local high school and cross-country support were awesome, and the general crowd support was awesome as well. Water and Gatorade stations were efficient, well stocked and the volunteers were extremely courteous. I know there is a draw for some to the big marathons, but if you want a great "grassroots" marathon experience, look no further - Huntsville has what you need. Post-race snack included: homemade soup, ice cream bars, moon pies, bananas, grapes, oranges, bagels with cream cheese, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!! An incredible value for admission. All finishers received a hat, long-sleeve, technical, Nike shirt, and a medal. I plan to run this one again!! | |
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S. D. from Indiana
(12/11/2007)
"Great time in Huntsville!" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rocket City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is my 4th marathon and I selected the Rocket City Marathon due to favorable comments on previous races. Although, who would have predicted that the starting temperatures would have been more than 40 degrees warmer than last year?! Dink and Suzanne Taylor did a great job with this race! The expo, although not large, was well organized and had some great prices on clothing and gear! The course was one of the nicest I've seen. Scenic neighborhoods and gentle rolling hills. The crowd support was relatively sparse, compared to some large races, but they were very enthusiastic. I didn't feel I missed anything by not having more spectators; in fact it was like having a nice long run without having to carry water or gels! At the end of the race, I couldn't believe the array of food available! Homemade soup, bagels prepared to order by volunteers, several fruit and drink selections, ice cream, etc. Too many to name, let alone eat! The awards ceremony was rather long (over an hour) and it was so crowded that I had to stand, which made it harder to "recover" and rest after the race; but the drawing for 2 runners present to win $500 was a great idea! The volunteers were fabulous! A few, overhearing that I had come from the snowy north, personally welcomed me and thanked me for choosing this marathon. I felt like a celebrity the entire time! I stayed at the Embassy Suites, and it was top-notch, with a great indoor pool and spa. Go for it if you're bringing the family! Although I didn't attend either the pasta supper or the post-race party (both were sold out by expo time), I went to Gibson's after the race for some real Southern home cooking, BBQ ribs, and chess pie. Once again, Southern hospitality was everywhere. Bottom line: There may be fancier marathons (I've run Boston), but for a nice course, wonderful hospitality, and great organization, you need to give this race a go! | |
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J. J. from Hoover, Alabama
(12/11/2007)
"My first time" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon. I had a great time. The course was good. There was one stretch where it would have been nice to have a full lane (or lane and a half) across. It also would have been nice to have more aid stations the last 6 miles. The police and volunteers did a great job of controlling traffic. The people of Huntsville were very nice as well. Because of the positive experience here, I will run another marathon. | |
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S. K. from Chicago, IL
(12/10/2007)
"Great, Well Run, Small Marathon" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rocket City Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my 1st small marathon after Chicago in 2006 and 2007. The folks in Huntsville put on a great race. There were 1,500 runners, and no half or 5K, so it's all about the marathon. If you need a million people cheering you on, this isn't for you. If you'd like a well run, affordable race, this is it. Positives: + Great volunteers! I didn't meet anyone the entire weekend who wasn't positive and helpful. + Personal volunteer at the finish. This was actually one of the best ideas I've seen at any race. + PB&J sandwich afterwards tasted so good. + Outstanding organization. + Long-sleeve tech shirt from Nike. Nice touch. + Finisher's tech hat. This also is a very nice idea. + I liked the run through downtown Huntsville and the neighborhoods. + The spectators who came out were great, as was everyone at an aid station. + Aid station volunteers: outstanding! + Speaker: Jeff Galloway. Negatives: - I could do without the long stretch on the right lane of the 4-lane road. This was a rather long, mind-numbing part of the race. - They enforced the iPod ban. | |
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John Eng from New York, NY
(12/10/2007)
"A Small-Town Race that Makes You Feel Big!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rocket City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 After reading all the positive comments on the 2006 RCM posted here, I decided to run and see for myself in 2007. All the positive comments you've heard before are true, and I assume it contributed to the race having been sold out this year. The weather was a bit warmer than I would have liked (high of about 70 with 90% humidity), so the only thing I would have liked to have seen different was perhaps 1 or 2 more aid stations. I can't even complain about that because everything the race promised, it delivered! Looking at the half marathon splits compared to the finish time splits, it seems like a large number of finishers really had a tough time dealing with the humidity. I know a lot of people were complaining about the cold 18-degree start in 2006, but I would have much preferred that to the warm temps, as I normally wilt in the heat. It's a very quirky course going through parking lots, a tunnel, a grass field, a 5-mile flat stretch of highway and a total of 67 turns. This quirkiness in fact lends to the charm of the race! The high school kids cheering for us in front of the school were great, as were the rest of the residents. It's nice to have people encourage you by name, as each runner's name is printed on your bib. The volunteers are second to none and make this race what it is. The course is a bit rolling in the beginning but still it attracts a fast field and you can run a fast time here. It's also nice that the marathon has a cap, as the race surely could draw more people; but unlike major marketing machines, the race is put on by runners for runners and the race experience is a big priority. It's also nice to know that the marathon is the only race going on with no other accompanying races. This tends to lead to camaraderie among all the runners. I truly appreciated having my name and home town called at the finish line - and then having a personal volunteer assist me in ensuring that I was o.k. and that I received my medal and finisher's cap, and got my chip clipped. For my $50 entry fee, I received a long-sleeve technical shirt, a finisher's cap, a results book, a free finisher's photo, excellent post-race food (ice cream sandwiches, fresh peanut butter sandwiches, Red Bull, hot soup, etc.), post-race massages, first-class organization and the endless enthusiasm and southern hospitality of the volunteers and locals. I met so many wonderful people from the airplane, the pasta party, and the pre- and post-race areas, not to mention just having so much camaraderie amongst the runners themselves. My compliments to the city, the volunteers and organizers. I had such a "blast" at Rocket City! | |
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Steve White from New Orleans, La
(12/10/2007)
"Warm and lots of turns" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rocket City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The race was very organized - well marked for having 65 turns - and there are a couple of hills to tackle. I really liked this course due to the turns; it made you think ahead on where you had to run. The pre- and post-race events were well done, along with the long-sleeve shirt and finisher's hat. My "hat's" off to the volunteers, Boy Scouts and policemen who kept us going in the right direction, and kept us hydrated and protected from the traffic. They did an excellent job. Two negatives I have are: after 30 years of putting on the marathon, the race director tells you at the start that you will be disqualified if you wear your MP3 player, but none of this is stated in the book they send you. I've run 25 marathons (3 and Boston and in 6 different states over the last year) and no one has ever forbidden me from running with them. I also wear a Garmin GPS watch and mapped the route on MapMyRun, and both stated that the race was 26.5 miles long. I know they state their a USATF sanctioned race, but I just wanted to let people know. I had fun, and would run it again; it's a great town to visit (Space Center). - halfNM - working on 50 states | |
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Paul Racine from New York, NY
(12/10/2007)
"It's Not Rocket Science" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rocket City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 But it's close. Those NASA rocket scientists have engineered this marathon down to the minutest detail, from the entrants' handbook to the feast at the finish, featuring soup. Don't go expecting streets lined with crowds, but do expect to be well taken care of on a course with many turns (and hardly a hill to be found). | |
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J. S. from Edinboro, PA
(12/10/2007)
"First marathon; cannot wait for the next one" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I selected this marathon, after beginning a training program, from comments made at this website. It was perfect. The course was interesting and flat. The volunteers were both friendly and helpful. After training in the snow and cold, the humidity and warm temperatures were a pleasant change. I missed a the biggest week of training due to a foot injury caused by a bad shoe, but finished within 15 ninutes of my goal and can't wait to do it again |
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