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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 341 to 351]
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Jeff Wang from Houston, Texas
(5/2/2005)
"More Hills Than I Expected" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Just finished the 2005 Country Music Marathon Saturday. I am writing this mixed review of an overall good experience. My major complaint is that this is a very hilly marathon. In fact, it is much hillier than it was reputed to be. I went online to check on the elevation profile before the marathon, and the actual race was nothing like the near flat line shown on the elevation map. What is good of an elevation map is to include 0 ft to 1000 ft when the actual race run mostly 400-550. It would have been much more helpful for the cerebral runners like myself to know what the elevation is like before I run, so I know when I really need to slow down and when I can pick up speed. A hill going up from 400 to 500 can make a huge difference. I was not expecting that type of hill, nor was I trained for it. As a result, I had lost some time from that. That is from a guy who runs San Francisco yearly. My advice is for the organizers to get an elevation map of 350-600 next year. With that huge complaint over, most of the other comments are positive. The hotel is nearby the convention center, which is also near the finishing line, and that is very nice. The expo is small but well organized, with good merchandise. The post-race activities are plentiful, from live band to lots of water. I am still disappointed by the fact that there is still no hot breakfast, but that seems to be the norm everywhere else except Houston Marathon. The shuttle system ran well. The morning shuttle runs from the finish line at Coliseum to the Centennial Park ran very smoothly, starting at 4 AM. There is also shuttle at the finish to take people to various spots around town, even though they cost an enormous $10 one way. At least we didn't have to walk a mile and half after race to catch the bus. As for the run, it was hilly as I had said, but otherwise nice. The weather was nice, in 50's and misty and cloudy. Most of the run are on the regular street and hence lots of asphalt. It also runs primarly through various neighborhood and parks, long the river, and through parts of downtown. It is scenic, even though I am not sure if we hit the majority of the touristy spots of Nashville. The finish is nice, lined with a lot of people, and there is a separate finish for marathoners and half marathoners. The post-marathon area is also nicely laid out. As for the music portion, there are plenty of bands. They are actually very good, and the acoustics are better than that at San Diego that I ran a couple of years ago, so you can actually hear the music for a while. There are a lot of water stations and medical tents, so kudos to the organizers. One of the other highlights of the entire experience is the concert in the evening, where the winners are awarded in front of crowds. They also brought a couple of country music acts, this year with Bering Strait (from Russia - a Russian country music group???) and Phil Vassar, who is definitely very entertaining. The City of Nashville also put on its best face, and you can tell. Everyone from the shuttle and bus drivers to the restaurant servers to the people on the streets all are friendly and welcomed us. I had no problem walking around the city and find it very Southern - friendly and warm, just the way I like it. The honkey tonk along the street was absolutely great, as Nashville rightly deserve the name THE Music City. I just wish there were more malls and theaters in the downtown area. Great experience, lots of fun, good mid-size marathon. BAD ELEVATION MAP - if that can be changed, it would be better. | |
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S. W. from ATL, GA
(5/2/2005)
"better than last year" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Weather was overcast in 50s, a little breeze. Bands were good, needed to be evenly spaced along entire course a little more (only a few after 13 it seemed). Exit from River Park down steep hill @ 15 not good, cobblestone @ 20 around stadium. Hills @ 16, 18 not too bad. | |
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E. R. from St. Louis, MO
(5/2/2005)
"A fantastic race." (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a great run all around. The volunteer staff was outstanding and the fan turn-out was absolutely astounding. Water/calorie stops were well manned with ample supplies of water, gel, fruit, energy drink, etc. Medical, blister and lube stations were also in ample supply. The weather was great, though it can be hot in Nashville in late April. I will definitely return every year for this one. | |
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A. T. from Topck, AZ USA
(5/2/2005)
"It was a great experience!!" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My husband and our 13-year-old daughter ran. We ran the full and she ran the half. All of us had personal records and I qualified for Boston! It was slightly difficult with the gradual hills though. We do train on hills so we were somewhat prepared. It was tough to have them at the last part of the race... the descent by the river was the hardest felt on my knees. However... we were ecstatic to be in Nashville and would recommend this event to many more people. This is our final of the four musical marathons! We felt this was our favorite. Our daughter loved the race and ran the entire way. She liked all the spectators esp. the Energizer Bunnies. Lastly, we liked seeing our names in the Keepsake Newspaper on Sunday! | |
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R. T. from Kokomo, Indiana
(5/1/2005)
"Nothing Wrong With This Marathon!" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I read the negative comments from other years and was concerned this race would not be a positive experience. None of my concerns had any merit. The course support was as good as any marathon I have run. The crowd support was excellent. Organization was good enough for us to get in and out of the expo easily. The course has rolling hills. Yes, there are some hills, but we are marathoners! The course had a few challenges, but there were no masochistic hills that took the wind out of my sails. The porta-potty stops were all over the course, which was great. Now let's talk about the wave start. Why doesn't everyone do this?? It was easy to get to the start and be running comfortably without dodging people. Phil Vassar - hey, who knew he was such an entertainer?!? This was no cheap little concert for a bunch of runners. It was a top-notch show that ranks as the best concert I have been to in the last decade. Nashville should be proud of this marathon. Will I return?? You betcha!! | |
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Helen Fussell from Fayetteville, TN
(5/1/2005)
"well organized, easy to stay motivated" (about: 2005)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I 'only' did the 1/2 marathon, but feel qualified to comment! First, let me say I highly recommend this race for any other first-timers like me. Everyone is so friendly, the crowds are great, live bands are interspersed throughout the course to keep you motivated, and, the best part is when you cross the finish line, you are immediately congratulated by a young person who then envelops you in a Mylar blanket made especially for this event! The wave start was such a good idea. | |
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D. K. from Orlando, FL
(5/1/2005)
"Perfect day for a marathon" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Just ran this one yesterday . . . used it as a Boston qualifier, which was not an easy task due to the early hills. But besides the rolling terrain (and an absurdly steep downhill around mile 15 where I'm sure someone during the course of the day got hurt), this was my favorite of three marathons I've run. The weather was perfect (overcast to slight drizzle plus temps in 50s), the crowd was enthusiastic and friendly, and the staff did a great job. | |
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T. J. from Jackson, TN
(5/1/2005)
"Great race, not enough support for slow runners" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I ran the half-marathon on April 30, 2005. There were lots of great spectators and good course support for most of the way. However, as a slower runner, I discovered that 3 of the aid stations around miles 7-10 were out of cups, water, and/or Powerade. Other than that, the course was great, it had a few hills, but much less than I expected. Nashville is a great city and the turn-out was wonderful despite somewhat questionable weather. Will plan on doing again in 2006. | |
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Jerry Pruitt from San Antonio, Texas
(5/1/2005)
"Wonderful Experience! Everyone Was Great!" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 All volunteers, cheerleaders, and bands were absolutely wonderful for this one. Even Mother Nature lended a helping hand and made the conditions just about perfect for marathoning. I beat my last marathon by 32 minutes! Here are some areas I thought were very good: - A great course, not too hilly and laid out well. Scenic and tranquil in parts, such as running along a ridge beside the Cumberland River, and running around a lake in Shelby Park. Also ran with great views of the capitol building and the Titans Stadium. - Organization, such as traffic control and the 'wave start,' was very good. And thanks for free downtown parking at start and finish lines! The organization at the expo was also very good. On Thursday (two days before the race), I didn't have to stand in line at all. - Entertainment was worth the trip. The bands along the course were a good variety of country, rock, blues, pop. And the free post-race concert (Phil Vassar and Bering Strait) at the Gaylord Entertainment Center was awesome!! - Crowd support was very good! As I turned the last corner and saw the finish line about 200-300 yards away... with bleachers packed with people on both sides, I felt a surge of energy like no other. Tears came to my eyes and I sprinted the last bit with what felt like 'thousands' of cheers in my ears. All along the course, crowd support seemed to be at just the right places, leaving the tranquil areas along the river and in the park for reflection and concentration. If there's anything that Nashville could improve upon for next year's marathon... - Where's my free microfiber finisher's shirt??? No free finisher's shirts. They were on-sale for $18 at the souvenir tent. But the finisher's medal was nice, big, and heavy... :) It was obvious that Nashville is really going out of it's way to make this a premier national event for marathoning. The media and news coverage was very, very good and thorough. Keep up the good work, Music City! | |
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A. C. from Virginia
(9/13/2004)
"Overall, a good experience" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Country Music Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 The weather in 2004 was nasty at the start, and made worse by the confusion over the start delay. I was disappointed by the bands...nearly half had retreated for shelter, and were blaring radio stations from their speakers instead...hardly spirit lifting. The finish area was well organized, with food and water easily accessible. Great spectator support, despite faults would do it again. |
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