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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 181 to 191]
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A. P. from Scottsdale, AZ
(11/27/2007)
"Flat and fast. Exactly as it should be." (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I'm surprised at the griping about the lack of scenery on the course. So what? I could care less about looking at architecture and mountains during a race. I train hard for months for a race like this and the last thing on my mind is taking in the sights. If you're into that, check it out prior to the race, or on your way out of town. Honestly, it's a marathon. Let it be fast. If you want scenery, run the Sedona Marathon held a month later. Will I ever run that race? Probably not; maybe when I'm a really old man and not worrying about splits anymore. If you are serious about running a Boston qualifier, run this race. It is just very, very fast. If the promoters could get their acts together and bring in some elite runners, they could easily smoke the world record; its just THAT fast. Haile G. broke the half-marathon world record there and there's no reason why 2:06 is not possible on that course. The weather is also pitch perfect and the race is well organized will plenty of water stops and a great finishing area. I will run in 2008 for sure! | |
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J. M. from Chicago
(9/24/2007)
"Glad I did it. Won't do it again." (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 It was just okay. I love the mountains, so that was awesome. The weather was fantastic running weather for 2007, but I just didn't get that warm and fuzzy feeling with this one. I think the Elite Racing Team does a fantastic job with their events; it's just that something was missing here. I hope for anyone that runs this in the future that they stop with the Accelerade. That stuff was awful. Good luck to all who run this one in 2008. | |
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Paul Kosakowski from Broad Brook, Ct
(9/15/2007)
"Flat, Fast Course" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 A very flat and fast course if you are trying to run a PR. A lot of the course is on city main roads but the traffic was well maintained. I thought spectator support was good. A lot of runners complain about lack of spectaters at some races. My take is that it's not the job of the spectators to see us through a race. That's our job. Specifically it's the goal of our training. Spectators are a plus. The people who are there are great people and we need to focus on appreciating them rather than complain that there were not enough of them. There were plenty of those great people in Phoenix. The only complaint I'd have with the course is there were not enough porta-potties set up for the first several miles (actually there were none). | |
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S. S. from Chicago, IL
(7/20/2007)
"Better entertain yourself!" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I'll admit it, my first marathon was the Chicago Marathon... so it would be difficult for Phoenix to live up to the amount of spectators and energy I experienced the first time around. However, although the organization did try to liven up the course with a band every mile or so, it just didn't work. The course itself was flat, yes, but pretty boring. Also, please don't serve Accelerade again. It was awful! | |
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c. k. from Phoenix, Arizona
(5/21/2007)
"Great route, great organization, great fans!!" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Okay, I'm a "homer" - this race is in my hometown, so naturally, I'm biased. But I've run in a few other races, and so far, this is the best race. The expo is fantastic!! Lots of merchandise to sample and purchase (loved the beer samples!!). The race is very well organized (much improved from its first year). The fans are outstanding - the streets were lined with fans for most of the route. The bands/cheer squads are excellent and really help (especially in those last few miles). The finish was well organized (although the UPS trucks were far from the finish - but a good idea since you should walk a bit after the race). The finish had plenty of food for the finishers (even back-of-the-pack racers). My only complaint is that I never found the free beer after the race (supposedly in the family section). I guess I was too slow! Even though the start was extremely cold (29 degrees), this race is worth the trip if you're from out of town! | |
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richard hincha from Dayton, Ohio
(3/5/2007)
"Flat, fast and fun!" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The Elite Racing team put together another winner! The course may not be scenic, but it's flat, fast and wide, providing comfortable running and a great opportunity for a personal best time. Water stops and portable toilets are plentiful. Crowd support is excellent all along the route and the enthusiasm of the bands is most welcome. I'm mystified by the complaints about getting bused to the starting line. I've twice parked at the football practice field across from Sun Devil Stadium, arriving at 6:15, and had no trouble getting to the start line in a half-hour. My only suggestion for improvement would be arranging for easier egress from the finish area. As it now stands, race-day traffic restrictions on Rural Road make it difficult and slow to exit the area. The expo is spacious with a great variety of useful vendors. Finishers' medals are excellent, as is the wide selection of merchandise - especially shirts. When it comes to commemorative items, no one can touch Elite Racing. All in all, I would highly recommend this race. | |
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R. C. from Austin, TX
(2/22/2007)
"Very well organized, but a little dull!" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 What great organization!! The starting corrals really worked. There was a band and hot beverages before the marathon started which were much appreciated at 29 F. Lots of porta-potties, and super long water and PowerAde stops! Unfortunately the course was dull and boring with no scenery except Camelback Mountain, which we ran past for about 5 miles. | |
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M. C. from West Sacramento, CA
(2/17/2007)
"From a half marathoner" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran the half marathon. I love AZ and I love the Southwest. I was disappointed in the course. Seems it ran though some real "seedy" areas. There was nothing picturesque until the last few miles. Lots of spectators at major intersections. Major complaint: Exo unbearably crowded. It is a big area; why can't they expand it out so it is not so compressed. It was shoulder-to-shoulder mayhem and they don't make it easy to escape. Only one way out and virtually impossible to get to. Minor complaint: The medals were being handed out from a box still shrunk-wrapped in plastic. I saw the pictures taken at the marathon finish by my friend who ran it; the medals were out and hung nicely over the presenters' arms. I love the Elite Racing events. They need to fix the expos. Keep the same number of vendors, but stretch it out more so people can breathe and move. It was very scary not being able to escape from that mob. | |
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Comerace Chicago from Chicago
(2/8/2007)
"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 To sum up this race in one word, it would be "boring." It is, however, very flat and fast. The start was great, as the wide street allowed runners to quickly settle into their race pace. The problem is that the scenery never changes. Just miles of small businesses, strip clubs, hotels, etc. Going into it I was wondering if the Phoenix area could be a possible retirement location. Heck, even my nephew moved there years ago and stayed for 12 before moving, so he must have thought it was a good place to live. However, I am definitely crossing it off my list. So I learned that much from my trip. The expo is very exciting, well organized and well stocked, with interesting speakers. The race volunteers were fantastic! The Accelerade on the course was nasty but plentiful, with lots of water to dilute it. The finish line area needs some work. Only one long line for post-race food. I stood in it for ten minutes and it barely moved - and of course I didn't want to be on my feet any longer at that point, so I bailed on eating. The UPS gear check is a nice offer, but again, the lines were long and slow moving. The shuttle bus service area was the worst part of the entire event. Very disorganized. Looked like a race in its first year. No one knew what was going on and the buses certainly could not get through the area easily. Overall, SKIP this race. As someone else mentioned, Apache Junction is supposed to be a better alternative; give it a try instead. I've done 21 marathons now. I liked 19 of them (that's good odds) but other than Las Vegas, this is the only other race I wouldn't recommend. Thanks again volunteers! It's not a reflection on you at all. | |
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J. G. from Davis, CA
(2/5/2007)
"OK if you want a fast course but otherwise so-so" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This race is most accurately described as a major half-marathon (20,000+ runners) that happens to have a marathon (fewer than 7,000 runners) attached to it. The upside of this is that the marathon runners get the high-end organization and support (start line shuttle screw-ups not withstanding) of a major marathon, with the relative ease and comfort of a small field, particularly since the two races take place on different courses. The downside, if you like the encouragement of lots of spectators, is that the crowd support sucks. I can only assume this is because of the small field, though this year the cold weather probably played a role in that. The bands didn't really cut it. I'd be curious to hear from those that ran the half about how the crowd support was on that course. OK race. Definitely worth doing it once if you want a fast time, but I'm not sure I'd do it again. |
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