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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 211 to 221]
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K. T. from Orangeville, PA
(1/17/2007)
"Lots of pavement, but nice mountain views" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Wow, what can I say about this year-- the coldest weather in Phoenix in 16 years or so, but it turned out to not be sooo bad, as there was no wind and ample sunshine. My toes were literally numb for the first four miles, but after that it was fine. I would have to agree with another poster that the sports drink was awful. I tried training with it and got sick to my stomach. The mountain views and blue sky with tons of sunshine was great. My only complaint about the course was the finish-- it was strange to have so many turns and you couldn't even see the end until you were almost upon it. I would have kicked more at the end had I known exactly where it was. The cold probably affected the spectators, the bands were decent, but there are never enough porta potties at the beginning of races. The shuttles ran fine for me (I got there at 6 a.m.) but the driver, whose English wasn't the best, didn't know where to go. Some of the runners told him to follow the other buses that pulled up next to us when he was about to deliver us more than a mile from the start! Goodie bags were a disappointment as was the cheap t-shirt. Everything else seemed well organized-- I liked having my stuff shuttled via UPS from start to finish and the signage was good in both places. Missed the concert-- too cold to take my kids to an outdoor concert that night and sit on the ground. | |
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J. T. from Detroit, Michigan
(1/17/2007)
"Well Organized & Entertaining" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran the full marathon, and really enjoyed it. No problems with the shuttle bus; when we got there at about 6 there were dozens of empty buses lined up, and they were filling them and sending them to the start. I loved the mountain views along the course. My only wish would have been for some more substantial food afterwards, perhaps a sandwich, or some pizza. But what they had served the purpose. If you're running in 2008, and want some real food afterwards, tuck a ten dollar bill into your shorts or your shoe. | |
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Z. S. from Washington, D.C.
(1/17/2007)
"Good first marathon" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first full marathon, and I found it to be a great experience. It was unseasonably cold, so many of us who traveled were not well-prepared for sub-zero temperatures. Ironically, the east coast, where I am from, was in the 60s. Unlike many others, I had no problems with the shuttles to the start line. Maybe that is because I followed the advice given in all of the race information materials and at the expo and arrived early. I breezed in and out of the parking lot at the finish line and caught a bus to the start line with no problems whatsoever. At the start line, I was pleasantly surprised to find hot coffee and tea. It was much-needed in the bitter cold. My one complaint is that I felt the race organizers could have responded to the sub-zero temps and maybe provided blankets or put up heat lamps. The UPS service that shuttled gear to the finish line was fantastic, and there were plenty of port-a-potties at the start, finish, and throughout the race. I gave the course 4 stars instead of 5 because it did go through some really crappy parts of town -- lots of XXX video stores, liquor stores, pawn shops, and seedy bars. However, there were also a lot of beautiful views of the mountains and a few nice neighborhoods. The run through downtown Scottsdale was nothing short of gorgeous. Plenty of water stops and accelerade and medical tents. There was one ClifShot stop, but they had a large variety of flavors. Overall, this was a fantastic race, especially if it's your first. | |
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R. W. from Seattle, WA
(1/17/2007)
"STRIP MALL CAPITAL OF THE WORLD?" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I could not be more disappointed in a race course. How many miles of strip malls can one area have? I don't know what scenery people are talking about in their reviews. I only saw Target, The Cheese Cake Factory, and countless fast food joints. I can't believe the streets were open to traffic. Phoenix did a horrible job showing off their city. Flat isn't great if all you see is cars and poor architecture. Serious thought should go into having the course changed. The only reason I gave the course one star is due to negative stars not being an option. I am sorry to give the spectators such low marks but the support was not that great. Most people didn't cheer or seem to know a race was going on while running through Phoenix. I give Scottsdale the most props because they cheered and it broke up the monotonous long stretches of concrete buildings. On a positive note the race was well organized. I think the volunteers did a fantastic job. Thank you for your support. The aid stations were well stocked and there were a ton of them. On a final note please include goodies in my goodie bag next time. Thank God Listerine came through or I would have had bad breath and no goodies. Sorry Phoenix I will not recommend your race to anyone. | |
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M. M. from Grand Rapids, MI
(1/17/2007)
"This is a PR course" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Course was dead flat and fast. No rolling or anything. I was able to PR by 6 minutes and get a BQ. Only 'hill' was an overpass at Mile 24, which made it seem a lot bigger than it was. Course did seem to always be on an incline, but this was probably an optical illusion. The course scenery itself was sketchy (run-down, bombed out look) for the first 6-7 miles and then got much better. Aid stations were large enough and well-manned. I was impressed by the sheer number of volunteers and the fact that there were a ton of volunteers at each station. My only complaint is that the cups were way too full, but this is probably more my preference than anything else. Crowd support was decent, but a lot thinner than I expected for a race of this size. This was probably a result of the weather. Evidently, 30 degrees is the equivalent to the ice age in Phoenix, as the news covered nothing but how cold it was. I also noticed that there did not seem to be nearly as many bands/cheer squads as advertised, but there were still quite a few (again probably weather). Overall, I would rate this marathon well. The course is fast, I thought the finish was pretty well-organized given the convergence of two finish lines and the sheer number of people. I did not have to deal with the shuttles, so I can not comment on whether they worked or not. I also liked the free sandals given at the end. My knocks would be that you do not get much for the price. Why all race directors don't give out technical t-shirts or at least a long-sleeve t-shirt is beyond me. I also found it a slap in the face that I would have to pay for a finisher shirt if I wanted one (also cotton) after I paid over $100 to run the race. The medal was okay. Goody bag was very weak. I overall thought the race was a little commercialized, but I guess that is to be expected with a series. It was still better than average. Advice to future runners: Sunglasses are a must! You run dead into the sun most of the race. Don't stay in downtown Phoenix. There was nothing to do, no one around and was not inviting to walk around and explore like Chicago or other cities. Tempe and Scottsdale were a lot nicer. The only advantage of downtown was the proximity to the expo and start line. | |
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D. K. from St. Louis Park, Minnesota
(1/17/2007)
"A great run on an unusually cold day" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've now run this race three times, and this year was the best so far. For someone who's lived in Minnesota for the last two years, I thought the weather was ideal (30s, sunny, no wind). Others obviously may differ in opinion, but I think the only thing bad about the weather was that it kept many local spectators at home bundled up in blankets and wondering why they moved to Arizona. The course is great -- flat and fast. It's truly a PR course -- I could see records being set here someday if they ever attract a strong enough elite field. It's also very scenic (the half-marathon: not so much, as others have commented . . . race organizers really hamstring themselves by starting in downtown Phx and ending in Tempe -- not too many desirable routes there. Perhaps they could start the half in Scottsdale and run down into Tempe??) At any rate, I ran the full, and it's a great scenic course (with the exception of the first few miles on 7th Ave). Fans are great and supportive. All in all, these R'n'R marathons (I've run San Diego, Nashville, and this one three times) are VERY well-organized and professionally-run. Highly recommended, especially this one. | |
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D. D. from La Crescenta, California
(1/16/2007)
"You ROCK, Arizona!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Running through the streets of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe was awesome. To have that kind of a memorable run when the weather was in the 30s speaks for how well it was organized. I have never seen such a well organized and strategically placed water stations. The spacing of the water tables was just perfect. Thanks to the crowd who came out to cheer in such a chilly morning. The medal was cool too! I can't explain why I grabbed a popsicle but I liked it. Oranges are still on top of my list, but man that popsicle helped. My only minor complaint was the long line at the UPS gear pick-up, especially for UPS truck #6. It was too long and felt like my 27th mile. I know they advertised 26.2 miles - not 27 miles - but that line was another mile. Thank you, Arizonians! I'll be back!! | |
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L. M. from Sammamish, WA
(1/16/2007)
"Overall nice race" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Pros - Great pre-race communication / organization - Starting line was excellent with bagels, fruit, water, etc. - Starting corrals and course worked out perfectly for the full marathon - I never felt crowded and NO hills. - Aid stations were very well stocked and very generous with liquids. And I actually liked the Accelerade. - For the most part the spectators were GREAT. A BIG thank you to them for braving the very cold weather to cheer us on! - Good bands playing some good music along the way - Nice medal !!! - $10 PF Chang's gift card upon finishing Cons - The expo had very limited souvenir items. By the time we got there around 1:00 on Saturday they only had XS and XXL stuff left - The participant shirt is 100% cotton. Totally unacceptable in my opinion for a $95 entry fee - I didn't see very many port-a-potties along the course but then again I didn't need one so maybe I just missed them - The whole Finish Line experience was completely AWFUL but maybe just because I finished at a 'popular' finishing time (4:23:36). I waited 10 min in line for food and the line didn't budge an inch. I decided I was too cold to wait and skipped out on the food and the goodie bags. Had a hard time reconnecting with my family. The parking situation was awful as well. We had a good hike back to our car. | |
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S. O. from Kansas
(1/16/2007)
"Great if you want a Boston qualifier" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 My husband and I LOVED this marathon and we have done several. It is large enough to have lots of hoopla, but small enough that you can get into a pace right away and stay there. This is a course to run smooth and steady with no hills to disrupt your rhythm. We had no trouble getting to the start line on the buses and found organization to be great. Didn't seem like a band every mile and not huge spectator support. I have been trying to find the perfect course for a Boston qualifier - flat with long straight areas. This is a perfect course for a fast time. Other courses may be more scenic like Twin Cities. But having no hills for 26.2 is a dream! | |
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v. k. from USA
(1/16/2007)
"Shuttle service and post race waiting line" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 First time Phoenix runner (From San Diego) but not first time marathon runner had disgusting experiences before the race and just after the race at the finish line. Let me start with shuttle service first. After I parked my car at red parking (no problem there), I headed to catch the shuttle. It was about 6.30 AM and there was a long queue of runners. After about 10 minutes a bus came and went. I thought it was pretty long bus interval to wait for the bus in the morning (had no such experiences in the past). After about 10 minutes another double-decker bus came and went. I am still standing in the line and I knew I am getting late. Time is now 7 AM. After about 7 minutes another bus came and then I heard a loud voice that marathon runners get in the bus first. I was lucky enough to make it to this bus and bus reached there by 7.35 PM. I could sense the runners' frustration in the bus. Had barely 5 minutes to warm up, go to bathroom and gear check and then get to the corral. You should know how important is to do some warm-up before the long race. Finally I made it there by 7.50 AM but all in rush and was not very relaxed. At the finish line there was a long queue for food as there were only two food locations. I am not sure how they expect runners after more than 3 hours of running to stand on their feet for some post race food. They should have at least 4-5 food locations as I have seen in other marathons. Of course no complaints from course and wonderful spectators who were present in the nearly freezing temperature. |
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