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Marathon Details - Mercedes Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > AL > Birmingham > Mercedes Marathon

Mercedes Marathon

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes Marathon & Half-Marathon, Marathon Relay, 5K

Birmingham, AL USA

February 12, 2023

http://www.mercedesmarathon.com

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Check our website for details on the course.

Contact Information

Name:	Valerie McLean-Cuddy
Address:	Birmingham Marathon, Inc. 1911 27th Ave., S. Birmingham, AL 35209
Phone Number:	205-870-7771
Fax Number:	205-870-7729
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (267)

Course 4.1

Organization 4.6

Spectators 3.9

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Number of comments: 267 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 27 > ]

A. P. from New Orleans, Louisiana (3/7/2019) "Not the worst, but not great" (about: 2019) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I knew going in this was a double loop, which in my experience is never good for a marathoner. Support was extremely limited, generally a few people here and there that were really only looking for the person that they came out to support -- otherwise not interested in the race; also, I found it odd that not even the relay crowds were cheering as you passed the check points. Water stations were really the only place to hear cheering. The second loop always becomes even thinner with runners and support, but a huge thanks to the water station volunteers that stuck it out -- my last double loop marathon experience had me worried I'd be pouring my own water again. This year was a revised course due to interstate construction and consisted of lots and lots of turns, gravel, train tracks 4x's (over and back each loop) Kinda hilly, but it's Birmingham -- to be expected and a great way to challenge yourself. Overall a good race, but not great.
J. D. from Upstate NY (2/13/2018) "Glad AL is done - not likely to come back." (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Alabama crossed off my 50 state list. Good: Organization was fine. Small but reasonable expo. Plenty of hotels close to start with easy parking on race morning. I stayed at the Residence Inn which is actually a few miles from the start but it was a really easy drive through town with free parking on the street near the start. Plenty of porta-johns available near the start as well. Water/Powerade stations were plentiful and traffic control on the course was great. Free massage with no waiting after the race (but see below). Airport is just outside of town - 15 minute drive from my hotel. Neutral: Just for reference, weather was in the 60s and raining off and on. Course consists of two loops. The 1/2 marathon starts at the same time so you run the first loop with the 1/2ers until about mile 12. Half marathoners out numbered marathoners by about a 4:1 ratio. The course itself was okay. Most of it is flat with a few hills in the middle miles. These were a little more painful on lap #2. There are several places where the course loops back and you can see other runners that are ahead or behind - sometimes by miles. Could be good or bad depending on whether you are looking ahead or back. Race shirt was okay but they ran really small. Most people were exchanging them for a larger size. Medals are simple Mercedes emblem with ribbon being the only portion that shows the year. Could be improved: Miles 10-11 (and 23-24) are almost all one long straight stretch through a mostly desolate area (into a headwind this year) with few spectators. It makes for a tough stretch. As mentioned, you start with the 1/2ers which made the first few miles fairly congested. The start area is self-seeded so you inevitably have to pass people that started too near the front. The post-race party was in an auditorium that required you to walk down stairs to get to food and drink. Stairs are about the last thing I want to face after finishing a marathon. I noted the no wait massages - this is may have been partly due to having to climb stairs to the balcony level to get to the massages. (The website says an elevator is available but I did not see it while there.) Overall: It was a well-run marathon in an accessible city. If I lived in the area I would probably do it again but I will not go out of my way to return.
S. L. from New Hampshire (2/12/2018) "Hilly and Rain Soaked" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Race Expo and number pick up was adequate and was able to pick up gels. Easy to park on street close to the race start/finish. Great volunteers. Was surprised at several long hills to climb on the course which you end up doing twice. The temps warm 65-68 and humid and rain held off until the end of the race and then were down pours. This races is more popular with half marathoners. Good post race barbecue with lots of beer and a live band. I was pleasantly surprised with the city of Birmingham lots of great restaurants. Alabama is in the books, and Mercedes Marathon good choice for your 50 state quest.
charles west from pottstown, pa (4/23/2017) "Great race to cross Alabama off your list." (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 A friend recommended that we run Birmingham to cross Alabama off the list. I am not fan of double loops but 13.1 interesting miles repeated is far better than 13.1 miles with 13.1 garbage miles added to a half-marathon (i.e. Philadelphia, Charleston, etc.). The crowds were very supportive and you got to hit most of the high points of the city. The expo was a bit small but the race went off without a hitch. There is plenty of hotels downtown along with plenty of parking. I would definitely recommend this race.
B. N. from Washington, DC Metro (3/15/2017) "Big Al's comments on MB" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was my 55 marathon and my 35th Sate in my quest to complete all 50 States. Overall, the race was a very well-organized race. There was plenty of drinks and nutrition on the course and plenty of volunteers to hand them out. The course has a few hills that you have to run twice, since it's a 2-loop course, but nothing too bad. The finishers' medal is just a lame Mercedes emblem with the name of the race in the back. More plug for MB than the actual race!! The expo was nothing to write home about and the free T-shirt was one of those dry-release ones, kinda lame. I recommend this race only if there are no better ones in Alabama!
C. G. from Overland Park, KS (2/13/2017) "Good choice for 50-staters" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I entered this race because I'm working on 50 states, there aren't many options in AL and even less between December and April. Previous reviews were good but my expectations were exceeded. Things to like: - the course isn't real scenic but for me scenery is overrated as is crowd support. Hills were more or less as advertised on the web site elevation profile, and mile markers seemed accurate - my Garmin measured only 26.16. Enough turns and hills to break up the monotony and avoid long stretches running into the wind (which wasn't a huge factor). I'm not a fan of 2-loop courses but as a stranger to the area it was nice to know after the halfway point what was in store the rest of the race. - Size of the field: small enough that logistics were a snap - my hotel was within 600m of the start/finish line so no worries about transportation and parking, and could shuffle back and get cleaned up before the noon checkout, For about $100. The field was large enough to provide company for most of the race (having a relay helped with that) but not so crowded that negotiating the first few miles was difficult, even though the half started at the same time as the full. - good swag: decent shirt and gloves - post-race food (BBQ sandwich) and beer, accompanied by an outstanding live band Things not to like: weather - warm and humid. Not the RD's fault but it would've been an awesome race w/ normal weather. Not a lot of sights to see in Birmingham but the art museum was great, so overall it was a good experience, I'd put the race in the top 1/3 of the 47 I've done. Would definitely recommend it to 50-state wannabes.
J. M. from Plano, Texas (2/12/2017) "MIssed the Anthem" (about: 2017) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Just curious why there was no National Anthem? I ran the half marathon and have run many races during my running but this is the first to not have the Anthem.
V. B. from St. Louis, MO (2/15/2016) "Wonderful, well run, downtown event" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The best city marathon I have run. The expo had vendors but not so many as to be overwhelming. The shirt was in the bag with your number so you didn't stand in multiple lines. The roads were in good condition, with excellent traffic control by the local police (some of whom were awesome at motivating the runners). Excellent swag! Gloves, shirt, car seat covers, and a lovely MB medal. I'm glad I picked this event for my Alabama marathon. As a slow marathoner I really appreciated that there was still water, powerade, and fruit left at the finish when I got there.
D. W. from Cleveland, Ohio (4/26/2015) "Very good race" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Made a quick weekend jaunt down to do the race...excellent times! The good... -Parking very easy -Being able to see the Civil Rights Institute on Sat. before the race, powerful! -Southern hospitality!!!...I went to out a late dinner at the Highlands Bar and Grill the night before the race...great restaurant!!!..also sat next to 3 ladies who immediately chatted it up and were very friendly, the bartender was also great...he mentioned he was a runner but not running in the race because of injury; he asked if I had a slicker if it rained, I said I didn't bring one, and he said 'wait here', and he ran in the back and gave me his his and gave me his number and said 'just call me when the race is done and I'll come pick it up' -Extremely cool Mercedes Benz medal -Amazing food with band playing in the arena post-race very well done -Volunteers at aid stops great and enthusiastic The bad- -Course not terribly memorable, although pretty flat- (one exception to not being memorable, running by the 16th street Baptist Church and the Institute-again, powerful) The ugly- Walking back to my car and on the way walking by what appeared to be 2 homeless dudes arguing and almost getting in a fight, not the best thing to see as the parting visual leaving a city Enjoyable weekend, no doubt
S. F. from Andover, MA (3/9/2015) "A religious service but no National Anthem!" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I agree with most comments listed by others except for the ones related to hills. They did not seem difficult to me. The medal IS beautiful. What bothered me was the missing anthem. This is what gets me started on the right foot so because it was missing, I started on the wrong one and did not have a great race.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 27 > ]



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A. P. from New Orleans, Louisiana (3/7/2019) "Not the worst, but not great" (about: 2019) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I knew going in this was a double loop, which in my experience is never good for a marathoner. Support was extremely limited, generally a few people here and there that were really only looking for the person that they came out to support -- otherwise not interested in the race; also, I found it odd that not even the relay crowds were cheering as you passed the check points. Water stations were really the only place to hear cheering. The second loop always becomes even thinner with runners and support, but a huge thanks to the water station volunteers that stuck it out -- my last double loop marathon experience had me worried I'd be pouring my own water again. This year was a revised course due to interstate construction and consisted of lots and lots of turns, gravel, train tracks 4x's (over and back each loop) Kinda hilly, but it's Birmingham -- to be expected and a great way to challenge yourself. Overall a good race, but not great.
J. D. from Upstate NY (2/13/2018) "Glad AL is done - not likely to come back." (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Alabama crossed off my 50 state list. Good: Organization was fine. Small but reasonable expo. Plenty of hotels close to start with easy parking on race morning. I stayed at the Residence Inn which is actually a few miles from the start but it was a really easy drive through town with free parking on the street near the start. Plenty of porta-johns available near the start as well. Water/Powerade stations were plentiful and traffic control on the course was great. Free massage with no waiting after the race (but see below). Airport is just outside of town - 15 minute drive from my hotel. Neutral: Just for reference, weather was in the 60s and raining off and on. Course consists of two loops. The 1/2 marathon starts at the same time so you run the first loop with the 1/2ers until about mile 12. Half marathoners out numbered marathoners by about a 4:1 ratio. The course itself was okay. Most of it is flat with a few hills in the middle miles. These were a little more painful on lap #2. There are several places where the course loops back and you can see other runners that are ahead or behind - sometimes by miles. Could be good or bad depending on whether you are looking ahead or back. Race shirt was okay but they ran really small. Most people were exchanging them for a larger size. Medals are simple Mercedes emblem with ribbon being the only portion that shows the year. Could be improved: Miles 10-11 (and 23-24) are almost all one long straight stretch through a mostly desolate area (into a headwind this year) with few spectators. It makes for a tough stretch. As mentioned, you start with the 1/2ers which made the first few miles fairly congested. The start area is self-seeded so you inevitably have to pass people that started too near the front. The post-race party was in an auditorium that required you to walk down stairs to get to food and drink. Stairs are about the last thing I want to face after finishing a marathon. I noted the no wait massages - this is may have been partly due to having to climb stairs to the balcony level to get to the massages. (The website says an elevator is available but I did not see it while there.) Overall: It was a well-run marathon in an accessible city. If I lived in the area I would probably do it again but I will not go out of my way to return.
S. L. from New Hampshire (2/12/2018) "Hilly and Rain Soaked" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Race Expo and number pick up was adequate and was able to pick up gels. Easy to park on street close to the race start/finish. Great volunteers. Was surprised at several long hills to climb on the course which you end up doing twice. The temps warm 65-68 and humid and rain held off until the end of the race and then were down pours. This races is more popular with half marathoners. Good post race barbecue with lots of beer and a live band. I was pleasantly surprised with the city of Birmingham lots of great restaurants. Alabama is in the books, and Mercedes Marathon good choice for your 50 state quest.
charles west from pottstown, pa (4/23/2017) "Great race to cross Alabama off your list." (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 A friend recommended that we run Birmingham to cross Alabama off the list. I am not fan of double loops but 13.1 interesting miles repeated is far better than 13.1 miles with 13.1 garbage miles added to a half-marathon (i.e. Philadelphia, Charleston, etc.). The crowds were very supportive and you got to hit most of the high points of the city. The expo was a bit small but the race went off without a hitch. There is plenty of hotels downtown along with plenty of parking. I would definitely recommend this race.
B. N. from Washington, DC Metro (3/15/2017) "Big Al's comments on MB" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was my 55 marathon and my 35th Sate in my quest to complete all 50 States. Overall, the race was a very well-organized race. There was plenty of drinks and nutrition on the course and plenty of volunteers to hand them out. The course has a few hills that you have to run twice, since it's a 2-loop course, but nothing too bad. The finishers' medal is just a lame Mercedes emblem with the name of the race in the back. More plug for MB than the actual race!! The expo was nothing to write home about and the free T-shirt was one of those dry-release ones, kinda lame. I recommend this race only if there are no better ones in Alabama!
C. G. from Overland Park, KS (2/13/2017) "Good choice for 50-staters" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I entered this race because I'm working on 50 states, there aren't many options in AL and even less between December and April. Previous reviews were good but my expectations were exceeded. Things to like: - the course isn't real scenic but for me scenery is overrated as is crowd support. Hills were more or less as advertised on the web site elevation profile, and mile markers seemed accurate - my Garmin measured only 26.16. Enough turns and hills to break up the monotony and avoid long stretches running into the wind (which wasn't a huge factor). I'm not a fan of 2-loop courses but as a stranger to the area it was nice to know after the halfway point what was in store the rest of the race. - Size of the field: small enough that logistics were a snap - my hotel was within 600m of the start/finish line so no worries about transportation and parking, and could shuffle back and get cleaned up before the noon checkout, For about $100. The field was large enough to provide company for most of the race (having a relay helped with that) but not so crowded that negotiating the first few miles was difficult, even though the half started at the same time as the full. - good swag: decent shirt and gloves - post-race food (BBQ sandwich) and beer, accompanied by an outstanding live band Things not to like: weather - warm and humid. Not the RD's fault but it would've been an awesome race w/ normal weather. Not a lot of sights to see in Birmingham but the art museum was great, so overall it was a good experience, I'd put the race in the top 1/3 of the 47 I've done. Would definitely recommend it to 50-state wannabes.
J. M. from Plano, Texas (2/12/2017) "MIssed the Anthem" (about: 2017) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Just curious why there was no National Anthem? I ran the half marathon and have run many races during my running but this is the first to not have the Anthem.
V. B. from St. Louis, MO (2/15/2016) "Wonderful, well run, downtown event" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The best city marathon I have run. The expo had vendors but not so many as to be overwhelming. The shirt was in the bag with your number so you didn't stand in multiple lines. The roads were in good condition, with excellent traffic control by the local police (some of whom were awesome at motivating the runners). Excellent swag! Gloves, shirt, car seat covers, and a lovely MB medal. I'm glad I picked this event for my Alabama marathon. As a slow marathoner I really appreciated that there was still water, powerade, and fruit left at the finish when I got there.
D. W. from Cleveland, Ohio (4/26/2015) "Very good race" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Made a quick weekend jaunt down to do the race...excellent times! The good... -Parking very easy -Being able to see the Civil Rights Institute on Sat. before the race, powerful! -Southern hospitality!!!...I went to out a late dinner at the Highlands Bar and Grill the night before the race...great restaurant!!!..also sat next to 3 ladies who immediately chatted it up and were very friendly, the bartender was also great...he mentioned he was a runner but not running in the race because of injury; he asked if I had a slicker if it rained, I said I didn't bring one, and he said 'wait here', and he ran in the back and gave me his his and gave me his number and said 'just call me when the race is done and I'll come pick it up' -Extremely cool Mercedes Benz medal -Amazing food with band playing in the arena post-race very well done -Volunteers at aid stops great and enthusiastic The bad- -Course not terribly memorable, although pretty flat- (one exception to not being memorable, running by the 16th street Baptist Church and the Institute-again, powerful) The ugly- Walking back to my car and on the way walking by what appeared to be 2 homeless dudes arguing and almost getting in a fight, not the best thing to see as the parting visual leaving a city Enjoyable weekend, no doubt
S. F. from Andover, MA (3/9/2015) "A religious service but no National Anthem!" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mercedes Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I agree with most comments listed by others except for the ones related to hills. They did not seem difficult to me. The medal IS beautiful. What bothered me was the missing anthem. This is what gets me started on the right foot so because it was missing, I started on the wrong one and did not have a great race.

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Marathon Details - Mercedes Marathon