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Mercedes Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Mercedes Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 267 [displaying comments 131 to 141]
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Troy Rambo from Columbus, OH
(2/13/2007)
"An average race....BUT could be great!" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Having been to quite a few marathons, I thought I'd give my $.02. Expo: Easy to navigate on Friday. Not so much on Saturday. With about 4,000 participants and families, it was just too small of a space. Also, not enough vendors. Everyone was friendly, though. Course: I'll differ with the half marathon comments because the back half of the race, while rolling, did have a monster hill at 22 or so (don't forget about the one at 5, too). Killed me! Otherwise, rolling would be pretty accurate. Organization: Needs some help. I had a car behind me for 1/4 of a mile right before 22. For whatever reason, the traffic wasn't stopped. It's a little unnerving for sure and a first for me during a marathon. Spectators: Very few outside of the volunteers. Unfortunate. Post race: There was a post-race BBQ which was included w/the entry was out of food with an hour before the event finished. All I received was an 'I'm sorry but we're out of food.' I think they gave them to friends of participants and for some people who ran, they got nothing. A definite negative. The city: downtown is absolutely dead. I flew home on Monday and couldn't find a restaurant open near my hotel (the Redmont) on Sunday. Overall, could be a great event. It seems like it wants to be but it just needs help. The course is good (despite the last hill) and the weather was perfect for a marathon. It just needs to go to other races to see the how to. | |
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S. F. from Birmingham, AL
(2/13/2007)
"Great for running 'just for fun'" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I was coming off an injury and I knew the terrain, so I took my time and enjoyed the scenery. The weather was PERFECT. I found the spectators to be great, and far more plentiful than I had expected, so I suspect there were more on the full marathon route than on the half. In addition to the many organized water/Power Ade stops, various spectators set up their own stops in their front yards--doughnuts, cookies, bananas, Snickers, orange slices, and small children waving pom-poms and throwing confetti. Toward the end, some of the excess volunteers would run along with us for several blocks to keep us going. Traffic control was glitch-free, and the men and women in blue were cheerful and encouraging. The policeman at the top of the mile 23 hill was calling us up (straight up) to the 'promised land.' Since I hadn't been pushing up to that point (so that I had legs left), the 'free-fall' after the nasty uphill was incredibly exciting. I only found two small negatives--I tripped on the seam of the timing mat at the first split and went face-down on the pavement, but it probably wasn't the mat's fault; and some of the results lists are not complete yet two days after the race. If you aren't hung-up about times, sign up and join the fun. | |
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J. V. from Dallas, Texas
(2/13/2007)
"Great race!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The race directors have little to do with the weather, but what great weather for me! Around freezing, sunny, no wind. It doesn't get much better than that! A great finisher's medal (but no date?), a high-tech finisher's shirt, a race shirt (very boring shirt), hot food, and tons to drink. I loved the course... a brutal hill in the second half of the race, tough declines for every incline (I don't like the downs as much as the ups). There was a clock at each and every mile mark! You don't get that very often! The spectators were sparse, but very friendly. A nice run through the area, and a chance to win a Mercedes. And I learned about the BIM (bones in motion) on your cell phone. It uses your phone's GPS to plot your speed and elevation chart... pretty slick! The inside eating and inside waiting for the race start were second to none! I stayed warm and did not have to overdress, and we had real bathrooms. The host hotel was very close to the start/finish. A well done event worth doing. Yes, there is a killer hill late in the race... I even passed the relay people on that hill. Who cares? It made for a great finish... and we lucked out and had a great day. | |
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D. F. from Hattiesburg, Mississippi
(2/13/2007)
"A Great Marathon in a Great City" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 My wife and I chose this marathon months ago for her first. We were impressed with the preparation and detail that the folks in Birmingham put into the race. The kids' marathon on Saturday was a nice touch and our son enjoyed participating in that! We had heard that the course was a nightmare, but that was all hype. There were two significant hills which posed no problem, and we had done all our training on flat surfaces. The crowds were excellent and the traffic control was the best. Aid stations were plentiful and well stocked. The finisher's medal and the finisher's shirt were great! | |
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G. M. from Northeast, USA
(2/12/2007)
"Top-Notch Race" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This marathon was one of the best run races I have run and I have run many. For a smaller marathon field - under 800 26.2-mile runners - it was great. The volunteers were cheerful and enthusiastic. The expo was easy to get in and out of, and the race premiums were great! The keepsake goody bag made my day (along with the gloves). This course is tough and hilly, but beautiful after the first 9 or 10 miles. Keep in mind, the roads are not in great shape in places, so it is tough on the feet and legs. The decline at 23 is enough to break you down, so don't fight gravity; just go for it. This one is a keeper - run it soon before word gets out and it becomes huge! The Sheraton must have taken some negative comments from years before and was very helpful with allowing late check-out. The post-race food... well, let's just say I am now a fan of Southern BBQ! Congrats to Birmingham for a great experience! | |
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D. M. from Lubbock, TX
(2/12/2007)
"Fabulous mid-sized event" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I almost put four stars for the course, because of the hill at mile 21; but, the course is beautiful - one simply can't take away from that. It's also a loop course, so complaining about the hill would inevitably require that one acknowledge all the declines the course offers. This race is impeccably organized. The volunteers were great, the finish line and post-race events were as good as I've seen anywhere, and the medal is even more beautiful than advertised. I would put this event in the same category as Oklahoma City and Columbus: a mid-sized city, and a well-organized, mid-sized marathon, with a course that shows off what the area has to offer. | |
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A. S. from Chicago, IL
(2/12/2007)
"Hard but worth the challenge" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a good race. I did not give the course a 2 for being difficult, but rather for running us through the most bland areas ever. We were running though what seemed like the industrial area forever. With that being said, that was the only bad part. The hills were killer but you know what you are getting into. The water stops are plentiful and are manned by some of the nicest and best volunteers. I still have not met a volunteer I did not like. Running along the path was nice. Otherwise, it is a good race, though nothing to write home about. No pasta dinner, but the post-race celebration was fun. | |
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J. C. from Murray, KY
(2/12/2007)
"Hard course - great race" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 My 13 year-old son and I just finished the 1/2 marathon (his first 1/2, and my 3rd). I have done Nashville and Memphis and this was more difficult by far. The course is challenging but doable. The crowds were sparse but enthusiastic. Weather could not have been better. My only complaint was the hotel we stayed in had so much traffic noise we got very little sleep the night before. Organizers did a great job; registration and the after-party were smooth. | |
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B. S. from Arlington, Tennessee
(2/12/2007)
"Lacking in Everything" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mercedes Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 A group of us from Memphis ran the Mercedes Marathon 2007. I got hurt early on in the race and my husband slowed down with me. We were near the end of the race, but we finished in the allotted time, and even though they advertise that if you pre-register you get your finisher shirt size that you requested, they were out of my husband's size. They were also out of the post-race food. Overall we were let down. The POLICE support was WONDERFUL! The crowd support was TERRIBLE! The hills are hard, but hey... just train. Would NOT do it again. There are some decently priced hotels within walking distance of the start/finish. The car is nice; would have loved to win it! | |
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John Tackett from Atlanta, GA
(2/12/2007)
"Good course, great organization, OK support" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was my first time running the full marathon. I did the half marathon last year. The hills at mile 18-19 and at 22 will take a lot out of you. I ran the course in just under 4 hours, and by the time I finished, my legs were paying the price. Thanks to John, our pace leader, for all his support - it kept me going. Well organized, and the support at the beginning and the end are great. The only issue I had was with the relay team swap-out areas. It can get tight because of all the folks waiting there. Also did not see many port-o-lets along the route. However, the weather was much warmer than last year. Will be back next year. |
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