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Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.8 
Organization 4.2 
Spectators 4.4
Number of comments: 481 [displaying comments 121 to 131]
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j. w. from Michigan
(4/28/2009)
"Hill City USA" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This course was very hilly. Combine hills with hot weather and it was brutal. Only 4,000 of 30,000 runners did the full. Second half was desolate, but did have adequate aid stations. This is a great race for half marathoners. Nashville provides a fun time afterwards too! | |
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D. S. from Marble Falls, TX
(4/28/2009)
"Hot and hilly race!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Who would have expected temperatures to be in the upper 80's in Nashville in April? But I really enjoyed this race. The bands were spectacular, and the musical talent was awesome throughout the course! The course was moderately hilly, and it was a well-organized race. The heat really added to my time though, which was probably the case for most people-- it's just one of those things that is unpredictable when you sign up for a race months in advance. If you do this race, be sure to get your hill training in. The expo was great! And I want to especially thank all of the volunteers who helped to keep us hydrated on the course. If you like big races with loads of participants, this is your thing. A PR would be tough, though. Thanks Nashville! | |
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J. J. from Jackson, MS
(4/27/2009)
"Well done on a hot day" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Overall a good experience, this was my first CMM. The good: 1. Volunteers were energetic, helpful and always smiling - thanks so much. 2. Water and aid stations were plentiful. 3. Good bands and fans. The bad: 1. The expo was too crowded for out-of-towners arriving late on Friday. Not much they can do about this, but it should have been open later than 7:00 to accommodate all of these people. 2. The course has three out-and-backs. So it's not the most interesting, but it's really not bad. 3. Way too many half-marathoners; they should start later (maybe by half an hour). 4. My wife went with me, but was not running this one. We all had to park at the end near the stadium and take a shuttle to the start (2-3 miles away). They did not want to let my wife go on the shuttle, as it was only for runners. So she was supposed to walk through shady neighborhoods at 5:00 in the morning. They let her ride, but there shouldn't have been a question about it. I don't want to complain too much. Overall, it was a great experience. It was a hot day (I think the hottest day they've run this marathon), but I still had a wonderful time. I likely won't run it again anytime soon, but mainly just because there are so many others out there to try. As long as you don't mind tons of people - and especially tons of half-marathoners - this is a good race. | |
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J. P. from Washington DC
(4/27/2009)
"Fun half-marathon in Nashville" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my second half-marathon, and I had a wonderful time. I was warned about the hills and tried to train for them, but they were tough. There were plenty of spectators during the first 9 miles, then barely any. It was nice to have fruit along the course. I would definately recommend having more water stations, or having water available prior to the Cytomax. I do have to complain about the organization after the race near the food/water tents. The space was too narrow, leaving barely any room for the runners to breathe and move away from the finish line. Spectators were crowding the area, not letting runners get out of the food area. That was my only disappointment; I felt like I was a sheep being herded. Great half-marathon; my group can't wait to plan our next. | |
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S. T. from Atlanta, GA
(4/27/2009)
"Hot and Hilly, but Fun!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The 2009 edition turned out to be hot, especially for those of us who take 5 hours to finish the full marathon. The temp was 87 degrees according to the bank sign. It seemed like the start took forever. Corral 20 left about 40 minutes after the elite racers, just enough time for the sun to really get up there. (Note to self: ALWAYS bring sun screen.) I was blistered by the time we finished. They made announcement at the start telling people not to try to go for a PR - that it wasn't the day for it. I actually had a PW (personal worst). It took me 25 minutes longer than usual. The organizers did everything they could to keep people safe, including handing out salt at the start and along the route, and setting up lots of misters and sprinklers and water stops. That didn't stop the sounds of ambulances all through the last 10 miles - one unfortunate death, and from what I read, 10 or more hospital admissions, and 20 or 30 in the ER. The route is good, especially the first third through the neighborhoods where you pass those ahead of you going in the opposite direction. The second third is nice and the last bit not so much. I thought that the cheer sections really hung in there for hours and I very much appreciated the fact that there were still tons of spectators when I finished. Of course, everyone took longer than usual, I think. The expo was good and easy to get to. The shuttle from the hotel to the start was as easy as could be. My family had a tough time finding a way to the stadium to pick me up though because the traffic was in a snarl. We stayed out near the airport, so I think I would take the shuttle if I did it again. The "athletic village" set up at the start was a nice idea too. There are lots of massage tables if you weren't too nervous to lie still. N'ville really caters to the runners as did the Radisson. The attractions (bars) got really crowded and I wasn't up for hanging around in line after a 26.2-mile day. Lots of people opted to go to the concert from what I hear and there was not a taxi or limo service to be had on the evening of the marathon. But we had our car. So would I recommend it? Absolutely. At least once. Great shirt (which my daughter immediately took over). Nice medal. Fabulous spectators in spots. Bands were plentiful and playing their hearts out. Good scenery in the neighborhoods. Oh, wait! Did I mention there are hills? I've heard it described as "rolling" hills over and over. Whatever. They were hills and a couple of them were pretty big. But what goes up eventually comes down again, so it wasn't too bad. The end. | |
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R. F. from Atlanta
(4/27/2009)
"Half, Yes; Full, No" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It was unusually hot for the race (mid 80s when I finished), and in the Nashville area one should expect rolling hills. There was plenty of water and the organization was good. The first 13 miles with the half-marathoners was a little crowded, but it was scenic and well supported (enjoyable run). From miles 13-26, you take a tour of the projects and industrial/commercial areas on the north and east sides of town - with little if any fan support. Not great. Not my PR, but I'm pleased with the outcome. I would recommend the half but not the full. | |
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W. S. from Georgia
(4/27/2009)
"Don't let people fool you....there are hills" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've read mixed things on here about the hills on the course. I trained in Georgia with a fair number of hills, but I wasn't expecting so many hills. It seemed that very little of the course was flat; it was always going either up or down. There wasn't a single "killer hill;" it was the constant up-and-down hills that got me and most folks that I talked with afterwards. Race day saw unusually hot temperatures, but the race organizers were well-prepared with well-stocked aid stations, plenty of medical staff, misting hoses to cool off, etc. Hats off to the organizers and the volunteers. Like others have mentioned, there are plenty of spectators on the first 11 miles of the course. But as soon as the full splits from the half course, the number of spectators dwindles. This didn't bother me, since I was there to run and don't necessarily need a large cheering section. My suggestion to anyone who is thinking about running this marathon is to put in a good amount of hill work. As an amusing side note, when I passed by Mile #25, the band was playing "I Wanna Be Sedated" by the Ramones. It was a very fitting song for how I was feeling at that point in the race. | |
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T. H. from United States, Illinois
(4/27/2009)
"Great Race!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I had a great time running the race. The heat and hills were tough... but just tough enough for me to want to come back next year and conquer the challenge! There were a few too many walkers than I like in a race, but I am assuming that was because of the unusually high temperatures. I wish the walkers would have stayed in the center of road so that runners could run around them more easily. Also... please runners/walkers, do not group together more then two side-by-side. It makes it that much harder to get around 4 or 5 people! The race was run amazingly! They need to tweak the finish though. We were told to go right because everything (including the exit) was to the right. She was wrong; the exit to our hotel was on the left. It caused us to walk an extra couple of miles after an already grueling run. All of that said, I can't wait to come back next year. | |
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M. J. from Nashville, Tennessee
(4/27/2009)
"Changes to the course made it very tough" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 4-5 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my 4th Nashville Half and my 9th overall. The changes to the course made it pretty brutal for the first 5 miles. This is a typical Elite Racing event, which means that it is both jammed with people and overpriced. The expo was nice, as always, and the pre-race stuff was fun. My biggest complaint about all Elite events is always the finish line area, which is way too packed. I just wanted to get my medal and get out of the crowd, but we had to stand in a huge crowd for 20 minutes before getting out to freedom. | |
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K. B. from North Carolina
(4/26/2009)
"A great challenge" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 After reading all the comments over the years, I knew this would be a challenging course and I also knew warm weather was a possibility. I have wanted to do the CMM for several years, but kept putting it off fearing the hills and possible heat. Well, this year worked out for me to go, and while I managed to time it such that I came on the hottest year to date, I have nothing but good things to say. Nashville is a beautiful city and it was a pleasure to spend nearly 5 hours touring it on foot. Here are my observations: * Very well organized expo. Got in and out in 10 minutes. * Very well organized bag check. No lines for drop-off or pick-up. * The best start I have ever had in a marathon (I have run 7 now). The staggered start of the corrals was perfect. From the first minute I crossed the start line, I felt I could run the pace I wanted. * Great cheerleaders. * Well-stocked water stations with supportive, encouraging volunteers. * I LOVED the salt packets being handed out - OK, not actually ingesting them, but once I choked them down, I'm convinced they helped. I never had any cramping (a problem for me in all past marathons). * Spray stations were plentiful and absolutely necessary on such a hot day. * Of course, the bands were a real highlight. I never listened to my iPod! * I loved Elvis at the separation point for the half-marathoners and the full marathoners. * Crowd support was great during the first half. It was pretty good during second half. The last quarter-mile was great in terms of crowd support; I loved running down that final stretch. * Post-race organization was excellent. Runners were moved through at a good pace. No lines for drinks/food/medals/bag pick-up. It was all spread out very well and flowed perfectly. I loved the ice cold sponges at the finish. I might suggest borrowing an idea from the Disney Marathon, though, and handing the ice cold water sponges at mile 20. (Or was it earlier than that?? I don't recall exactly, but having the sponge for the final miles was nice. I hung onto mine in Disney and poured water on it at each water station from that point forward to keep me cooled off.) All in all, a great race - as long as you know what you're getting into. It's a tough course, but you are rewarded for your efforts with a well run, scenic and exciting race. Thanks, Nashville!! |
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