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☰
Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.8 
Organization 4.0 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 401 [displaying comments 131 to 141]
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S. H. from Mesa, Arizona
(1/19/2009)
"Thrilling - 1st time running a marathon" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I thought this was an amazing experience, running with people from all sorts of athletic backgrounds. I was happy to have participated, and I am motivated to work hard this year and come back for the full marathon next year! | |
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Gale Watkins from Phoenix, Arizona
(1/19/2009)
"A great experience" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon. I appreciated the great organization and the incredible volunteers all along the way. The only problem I had was communicating with my wife by phone in the family reunion area. The "W" location was so close to the loud music that it was impossible. Is there any way to alternate between music and no music? Other than that, everything was well done, and I hope to participate again. | |
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J. S. from Boulder, CO
(1/19/2009)
"Great weather; fast course" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 If you're looking for a fast course to shoot for a PR, this is a good candidate. Cool temps, dry air and little wind combined with a pancake-flat course makes for a potentially fast run. Despite having around 6,500 marathon finishers, the wide streets meant congestion was never an issue. I gave 4 stars for the organization just because I thought the parking situation was somewhat of a mess near the finish area, with people trying to get to their cars while crossing the course in runners' paths. I gave 3 stars for the spectators simply because I'm indifferent to spectators - there were lots of them and they were enthusiastic. Other pros include well-stocked aid stations (despite offering Cytomax - yuck), a large race expo (if you like that stuff), and a very nice race medal. The "D" tag timing system is top-notch, too. Overall, a well-run race. | |
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W. B. from U.S.
(1/19/2009)
"Warmer than usual, less support" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The day was warm and got warmer - 50F at the start and close to 70F when I finished. That's way above the normals for the day. It happens. There is absolutely no shade in the last 10K, so if you're heating up (as I was), it's a brutal run in. But that's life in marathoning - some days are like that. I ran this race 3 years ago and the support was much louder. Scottsdale (19-20M) was deserted, and I suppose much of this had to do with folks being home to watch the Cardinals beat the Eagles for the NFC championship. I thought the bands were very good, much better than three years ago, and I was especially impressed with the number and quality of the medical personnel. They were every few feet at the finish watching for anyone in trouble - just excellent. The chips were the disposable ones, and 24 hours later the timers still have most (if not all) of the sub-four-hour marathoners with identical chip and gun times. Not a big deal unless you miss out on Boston. :-( Oops. But hey, what can be so hard about getting this right? I also was impressed that you had to walk a bit to get out of the runner's only area; that's always a good thing for recovery. The medal is first-class. The T-shirt, while high-quality, is still of the cotton variety. Why can't a race with a top cost of $125 give folks a technical T? | |
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B. L. from N. Cal
(1/19/2009)
"Never again!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 I am aghast that Elite could fumble so badly. There was NO Cytomax, NO GU, NO finisher's medal, and very little post-race food (oranges, chips, raisins). Upon finishing, we were given a paper saying we will get a medal in the mail in 4-6 weeks. I didn't train my butt off, travel half-way across the country, and run myself into the ground only to go home with a note. Too bad. I thought they were better than this. Quite frankly, this is inexcusable. | |
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D. O. from San Dimas, CA
(1/19/2009)
"Not one of the good Rock N Roll marthons" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I like the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon concept and have run several of them. Of all the RnR marathons I've run, AZ is the most disappointing. Even though it has a huge field of runners, it lacks excitement. The course is not at all special. A few of the stages did not have bands or weren't playing music. Poor transportation of runners for a point-to-point course. | |
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M. G. from Scottsdale, AZ
(1/18/2009)
"A big, well run, urban marathon" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great winter destination event. The temps were in the 50s at the start, and the 70s at the end. The expo is big and has it all. This race is very big, with 23,000+ in the half, and 9,000+ in the full (though the courses are separate). Corral management works well and the race starts on time. They had big (and numerous) water stops, and the streets were wide. There were good spectators, but they were sparse. There was also an army of friendly volunteers at the parking venue, expo, water stops, and finish area. They give you a heavyweight finisher's medal and plenty of food at end. The reunion area was crowded, but with 34,000+, it's to be expected. Good bands along the way, and bag-drop is easy. Visible mile markers and splits at all 26 miles. All in all, another big event that was very well delivered without hiccups - thanks to Elite and all of the great volunteers. | |
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Marina White from Irvine, CA
(1/18/2009)
"Racing with some rocking and rolling too" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I found all aspects of the race to be structured and orderly. The expo was easy to navigate, as was the pre-race gear check and water/fuel booths. The course itself was bland overall, but downhill, so it was easy to traverse. Also, the spectators and bands are cool to see on the sides. It was sort of hot, so I wish there had been a few more water stations. Those on the course were fully stocked, though - sometimes with Cytomax, GU, or oranges too. Post-race was great - lots of fruit and drinks, and then we got to relax on the grass and listen to music with some beer and goodies. | |
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s. l. from new york
(11/15/2008)
"Very organized; Elite Racing knows marathons" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I really enjoyed this. Beautiful course. Perfect weather. Would like to run it every year, except the registration fee is kind of expensive; you have to fork over 100 bucks just to run the marathon. The road closures are inconvenient if driving by car, and I've got a home north of Phoenix. Parking is somewhat confusing. The police, medical workers, and volunteers work hard at maintaining the clearance of the road; it felt safe with the strong barricades and no cars/bikes near the course. Few port-a-potties made for long lines; I had to pee in a backyard. But you were never alone out there; spectators were awesome. Good job, Arizonans! | |
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T. R. from Tempe, Arizona
(8/28/2008)
"Ran it twice - better in 2007 than 2008" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Very well organized. Cheering the entire course with fluid every mile. Highly recommended for first-time runners! |
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