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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 161 to 171]
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C. M. from Fairfield Connecitcut
(1/16/2008)
"Elite Racing Knows How to Put on An Event" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have done 30+ marathons and thus far nothing comes close to the excellent organization of this race. From the pre-race communication to the packet pick up at the expo and on race-day, it truly rocked. Kudos to Elite Racing. Minor complaint: What was that noxious energy drink they served on the course and post-race? Even my husband would not drink it. | |
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J. V. from The Great State of Texas
(1/16/2008)
"Excellent race!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was a well organized and well run event from beginning to end. The weather this year was perfect, adding to the great overall experience. A great expo. A classic desert course. Tons of music - not just bands, but music as they were all playing as I ran by! Okay, a bunch of money for a marginal shirt, no finisher's shirt (like all big races). This is a terrible trend... rising prices, dropping swag. PF Chang did an excellent job sponsoring this event. I used the coupons and $10 card for a pre-race meal. The Tempe location even let us use multiple coupons (despite clearly stating one per table, not nine!!!) and gave us separate checks. An excellent experience! What a fun run in a great location. I had a great little vacation and ran a nice event. Oh, do get there on time; the lines for the buses do get long if you show up at the last minute. But there was never a shortage of buses, food, water, etc. Great job if you follow procedures! | |
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S. K. from Houston, Texas
(1/16/2008)
"Fast, Flat and Well Run, but..." (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 One thing you can say about the Rock'n'Roll Marathon is that it is well run. The route was wide, flat and about as scenic as one could expect given it runs through a large spread-out metropolitan area. All the aid stations were well manned and fully stocked. The expo was large and had a good assortment of vendors. There were plenty of fans if you were with one of the charity groups but not very many otherwise. All the bands were a nice touch, with a surprising variety and consistent quality. The glitches they had were minor and outside of their control. They had to reroute part of the race because of a pipe break, for example. There were a few locals who apparently didn't get the word that some of the roads were closed. But I don't think I'll do another marathon conducted by Elite again for two reasons. One is minor and probably unavoidable. The other is, for me at lest, a show-stopper. The race has an unmistakable commercial quality to it. The wait before the start illustrates the commercial effect. The race had the best sound system for making announcements and I can honestly say it is the first time I've ever clearly understood every word spoken before the starting gun. A lot of what they had to say were commercials for the sponsors. The show-stopper. Serving a sports drink that people won't drink is the same as not serving a sports drink at all. I had trained with Accelerade but the marathon served a flavor that I would describe as vile. I'm going to skip all races serving Accelerade, including this one. | |
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m. k. from north liberty, ia
(1/15/2008)
"First-class event" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 After running my winter marathon in Las Vegas the past two years anything would be an improvement, but the Rock and Roll Marathon definitely lived up to the hype. Top-notch organization with strong support from cities who definitely want a world-class event really pay off. The only minor complaint I can come up with is: please, no more Accelerade. I will definitely return, if for no other reason, just to enjoy the excellent running weather!!!! Not a hint of wind or clouds in the four days I was there. | |
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Bill (Wild Willy) Theis from Southgate, KY
(1/15/2008)
"Loved the bands and cheerleaders." (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The bands and cheerleaders made it a great race. This was my 45th marathon and 29th state. I rank this as one of the best. | |
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B. T. from California
(1/15/2008)
"A well-oiled monster" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The more I do other marathons, the more I appreciate Elite Racing and their management. They were able to handle 38,000+ runners better than most organizers could handle a thousand. From pre-race drinks and food, to post race, and everything in between, there is plenty of what you need. I am impressed for a race of this magnitude that nothing "runs out." Excuses are not given post-fact by some second-rate director - simply because they are not needed. Elite Racing is first-rate from the start to the finish. Granted, with 38,000+ people, you are never alone. What you trade off for the "warm and fuzzy feeling," you gain in organization. To the director(s), staff, volunteers, etc.: THANK YOU FOR DOING IT RIGHT! To everyone else, take note. Suggestions, Get there EARLY. We arrived at 5:30 and everything was smooth. Take a big bag to cut open for a blanket and kick back. There is coffee, bagels, drinks, bands, etc. -Realize this is a BIG event. At no point during the race was it "crowded," but you are NEVER alone! - Be prepared to walk a mile or so back to your car. -The medals are big/heavy enough to use as a weapon should an elephant attack! Very nice! | |
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R. M. from Arizona
(1/15/2008)
"First Marathon - Great Time!" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is my first marathon so I don't really have anything to compare it to. I didn't use the shuttles, but everything seemed well planned. The gear check was easy with no lines. The port-a-johns were plentiful at the start. There were plenty of water stops, and the Accelerade was not as bad as folks make it out to be. The medical teams were on the course offering support. The bands were ok, about what you'd expect from such a diverse group of bands. The cheer squads were great. They were very energetic, even by the time I'd gotten there. :) The medals were nice, I thought the post-race food could have been more substantial, but it was nice. For having ~30,000 racers and their families at the finish, it wasn't as crazy as you'd have thought. We parked where Elite said to use the parking and getting out of there was a breeze. I know everyone says this course is "flat." Compared to other courses, I guess it must be, but there is a bridge towards the end that rises what seems like 200 feet (but is actually about 30-40 feet). Since I didn't train for any hills that was a b with an itch. We just don't have many hills here. I had a FANTASTIC time running this race and will definitely do it again next year. | |
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C. H. from Wisconsin
(1/15/2008)
"Best 26.2 party I've been to" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Flat and fast course; although it runs through some industrial and residential areas, it's scenic, due to the mountains. A great many of volunteers. Great water/aid stations with lots of spectators. Only downside was mile 25, which had few spectators and was bleak. Weather: 42 at start and 56 at end - the best I've run in. Ran 7 minutes faster than my goal. | |
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Steve Rink from Cave Creek, AZ
(1/15/2008)
"This race is a "hit" with runners and spectators" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 If you need to be entertained while running, run this race. If you need to be entertained while spectating, cheer next to a band. This race has something for everyone; I will do this race year after year... until they pull me off the course. | |
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B. C. from Sacramento, CA
(1/15/2008)
"A great event five years running" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've run this race every year, and every year Elite Racing does a great job with it. The course is flat and fast, the expo and aid stations are well-staffed and well-organized, and the weather usually cooperates (this year was especially good). Fans are very energetic and supportive, and surprisingly high in numbers. It's no coincidence that I've run my two best marathons of the past seven years here. My only small gripes (which I include knowing Elite pays attention to the comments here): some of the porta-johns at the start seemed never to have been stocked, and at the post-race family reunion area, construction at Sun Angel Stadium limited us to one entrance and one exit (which meant big traffic jams at peak periods). This really is nit-picking, though, and in no way detracts from the well-deserved 5-star rating. I'll be back next year. |
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