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Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon) Information & Reviews
Course 3.9 
Organization 3.5 
Spectators 3.4
Number of comments: 286 [displaying comments 201 to 211]
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C. G. from Northern VA
(3/30/2008)
"Great Test" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I'll preface this by saying that the only other marathon I've run is the Marine Corp in 2007. Compared to MCM, this is definitely a much smaller event that is a well-kept secret so far. Packet pick-up was the day before from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. at the D.C. Armory, which is right next to RFK Stadium where the race started. Race organizers recommended parking in Lot 3 for the expo. Unfortunately the signs around the armory and stadium are in poor shape - faced and difficult to read. To make matters more frustrating, the road leading to the lot was blocked off by DC Police and they were of absolutely no help in directing traffic. The ones that we saw were leaning up against the fence as traffic built up with runners who were looping around the stadium several times to find the recommended parking lot. Once inside the armory we had to go through a security check. We got there around 11:30, and at that time they were not allowing people to bring water or any kind of drink into the expo. While we were standing in line, they changed the rule and said that drinks were okay. The expo - if you want to call it that - was nothing to rave about. Maybe 2-3 vendors selling gear, and a few more random booths that I didn't think were worth visiting. Getting to the stadium the morning of the race was fairly easy. We live near Dulles Airport and left the house at 5:00 a.m. and were in the parking lot by around 5:35 a.m. Tons of parking at the stadium, which was about a 5-minute walk to the starting area. Of course, the lines for the port-o-johns were long. It was about 39 degrees at the start, so we waited until after using the port-o-johns to check our bags in. The bag check line for the marathon was pretty much non-existent so I was able to walk right up and drop off my bag. But the bag check line for the half-marathon was ridiculously long. I had heard the day before that 70% of the participants for this race ran the half-marathon. The course itself was really nice. Some of the sights were similar to the Marine Corp Marathon like the Smithsonian buildings and Washington Monument. But the course took you through some areas that are not on the typical touristy parts of town that gave you a better appreciation of what the city is really like. The part of the course along Anacostia Drive reminded me of Haines Point in the Marine Corp Marathon. It's toward the latter part of the race (in this case, miles 21-23), it's along the water, breezy/windy, and there are very few people along that stretch - a definite test of your mental strength. The course was hillier than I expected, especially the last few miles through Anacostia. It seemed like every time we got over one hill, there was another one waiting ahead. For anyone who has heard negative things about Anacostia (it always seems to be in the local news), I'll admit that it's not the prettiest parts of town; it definitely makes you appreciate what you have. Plenty of cops along that area of the course, so I never felt threatened. The few local residents that were out around the course either kept to themselves or clapped as we ran by. One lady who had definitely looked like she had been through some rough times was out near the water station high-fiving people as they ran by. Overall I thought this was a pretty good race. It's fairly new, so it definitely has some room for improvement. The expo, as I've already, mentioned could be beefed up. The mile markers were sporadically available. I saw one at mile 1 and didn't see another until mile 4. This seemed to be a problem mainly through the first half of the course because the mile markers during the 2nd half were either more available or more visible. Nonetheless it made it difficult to figure out what my actual pace was since I couldn't count on the markers being available. This was the first race I've run where they kept changing the Gatorade flavor at each station. A little nerve-racking since I wasn't sure how my stomach would react to all the different flavors. (Although a little amusing when you saw someone with a white shirt that looked like it had been tie-died with Gatorade.) Based on some of the previous reviews, it looks like they've taken input about the lack of port-o-johns seriously, since there seemed to be plenty along the course. Finish-line area was well-staffed with volunteers. I was so thankful to have a volunteer available to remove the chip from my shoe. Plenty of bagels, bananas, oranges, granola bars, water, and soft pretzels in the food tent even for a slower (4:04) marathoner like me. As other people have already said, this is one of those races where you really have to rely on yourself to get you through it. Not a lot of spectators. Heck, not even a whole lot of marathoners (1,386 finished). But it's a great race to see what you're capable of when you're not having to fight for elbow room and when you've really got to look within yourself to see what you've got. | |
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Joan Smith from Washington, DC
(3/30/2008)
"great race... can't wait 'til next year" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race was well organized from beginning to end. The course was great! This is definitely one to do again. | |
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K. S. from Tallahassee, FL
(3/29/2008)
"Great First Marathon!" (about: 2008)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I am writing this with very sore legs while my thoughts are still fresh! This was my first marathon, and I am glad I picked it because the size was perfect. The course was centered around the capitol building and I really enjoyed it. We ran through very neat neighborhoods, had waterfront views, and saw plenty of cherry blossoms, the National Monument and of course, the Capitol Building. There were a few hills, but nothing crazy. On the course the volunteers were great, with plenty of water and Gatorade stops, and although I didn't have to use them, I heard no bathroom complaints. The worst parts of the course were: Around mile 22 we were heading straight into a 15 mph wind for about 2 miles, but that was the weather's fault. Also, we ran across a drawbridge and I don't know about anyone else but the bad footing really killed me. The crowd was pretty good along most of the course. At mile 8 or so a school set up a spirit section and it was really neat. I could have used that again at mile 21! Some negatives: The race packet was lacking pretty bad for $95, and the expo wasn't great. Also, more bathrooms were needed before the race (although I am sure this is a normal problem, but I had to wait almost half an hour) as well as more toilet paper (there was NONE after the race). All in all, I thought this was a great event, and would definitely recommend it. | |
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A. P. from Northern Virginia
(3/29/2008)
"A Surprisingly Magnificent Marathon!" (about: 2008)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A beautiful DC spring day, cherry blossoms in perfect condition, wonderful volunteers, cheerful runners, and vocal and considerate spectators all added up to a fantastic marathon experience. The organization was good, and the course was interesting (full of hills to take on and enough twists and turns to be entertaining). I would have liked to see driving directions posted for getting to RFK; but I was very glad to see the Metro open early for the race. For those of us disappointed with what MCM has turned into, this was a welcome alternative. | |
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S. J. from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(3/29/2008)
"Runner Feedback" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 First time I've run this course. Positives: -Well organized. -Enthusiastic volunteers. Thank you to everyone who helped make this race possible. -Good aid stations - Gatorade and water at every stop (every two miles). Gu at 13 and 20, exactly as advertised. The volunteers at the water stops were all great - very on the ball. -Good shirt. -I generally like the smaller marathons. But, with the wind in this year's race, it made it tough to have nobody around. Negatives: -Anemic expo. Actually depressing. A dank building with nothing to speak of in terms of vendors. Maybe turn on some music or something. -Lame goody bag. Not that I really care about the contents of the bag, but they don't give you a decent size bag that you can use for the bag check at the race. Fairly common practice, I thought. -Not enough port-o-johns at the start. Seems a bit foolish to me that a race this small still has lines 20- and 30-deep at the port-o-johns. If you don't invest in the port-o's, don't be surprised when people run across the street and do their business on RFK Stadium. Would have liked to see them follow Baltimore Marathon's lead, and gain access to the stadium itself, so that people could use the bathrooms in there before the start. For a smaller race like this, a Steamtown-like starting line would be ideal (i.e. in a gymnasium). Especially at this time of year. -The 7:00 a.m. start is rough, especially in late March. Would be nice if the city could accommodate an 8:00 a.m. start. -Expect cold weather at the start of a March marathon. Therefore, expect people to hold onto their warm up clothes as long as possible, and check them at the last minute. Therefore, staff up those bag checks, big time. I was glad I had family at the start, because the line at the bag checks with 5 minutes until race time was insane. -Very little fan support throughout the majority of the course. -Ran the entire back half of the marathon (after the halfers peeled off) by myself. Made it tough with the wind - no groups to tuck in with for shelter. Ran a 2:56, just for reference - big spread between people at that point in the race (i.e. hundreds of yards up to the next person). Makes it difficult to try and reel people in. Between this spread and the lack of fan support, I felt like I was out on a tough training run/time trial - not a marathon. -Hotel situation isn't ideal. One of the main benefits of running a smaller marathon is the logistical ease. Should be able to walk out of the hotel to the starting line. If you keep the field relatively small, perhaps consider moving the start and finish to someplace in the city with a few hotels in walking distance. General comments: -Tough course. Hillier than the elevation chart would lead you to believe. A good challenge. -Brutal wind this year. Not gusts, but long headwinds. Between the hills and the head/tailwinds, my mile split times were all over the place. -Bottom line is that this was a well planned and well organized race. But, there just doesn't seem to be enough investment in it by sponsors or the city. -I would recommend sliding the date a few weeks later to get some better weather (not that there is any guarantee with that - just look at Boston). Other than picking up a few folks who will use the half as a tune-up for an April race (Boston), I don't see any reason not to move it a little later. Glad I ran it. Ran a PR here by 5.5 minutes with a 2:56. Didn't quite hit the time that I was looking for (2:55:00 - NYC qualifier), but that's okay. But, I would have no reason to come back and run this race again. | |
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M. K. from Washington, DC
(10/9/2007)
"Better than Marine Corps!" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran the new (2nd year) Wirefly National Marathon in 2007, having done the venerable Marine Corps marathon in Oct 2006. The National Marathon was much smaller, one didn't have to battle for elbow room during or after the race! The course as also nice, weaving through all 4 quadrants of the city, letting even us residents see areas we don't know well. Much better post-race organization as well. There were not enough toilets on the course and I lost 6 min waiting at the first one I found (at mile 8!), but race organizers have assured me that that would be taken care of this year. Overall a great race, and I plan to do this from now on as opposed to MC. | |
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j. e. from lancaster, pa
(9/9/2007)
"no bells and whistles, but nice" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It was cold and rainy. It was nice seeing some of the sites, but some of the race was quite deserted. It was a small event, but organized. The local people were friendly and quite supportive. I have no real complaints, except I hated the hill... but I hate all hills. It's not one that I would do again unless I was looking for a late winter marathon. However, that is sometimes tough to train for in the middle of winter in the Northeast. | |
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Marlin (reluctant runner) Keesler from Streamwood, IL
(9/1/2007)
"The ultimate DC tour" (about: 2007)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Come to DC and run. You won't regret the experience. There is an added sense of euphoria running through our nation's capital. Running past the various memorials and landmarks has a tendency to compound your sense of satisfaction when you cross the finish line. I truly enjoyed my experience running this marathon. I have no complaints; rather, I left with a fond experience to share with others. If you do this one, plan on staying a couple of days and get the most of what DC has to offer. This is my 2nd time running in DC. The 1st was the 2002 marathon that went bankrupt. | |
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J. A. from Lansing MI
(5/13/2007)
"Perfectly satisfactory marathon" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Really not a bad 26.2 - my 3rd. I can't list a single complaint. Overall, the experience didn't have the extra touches of some of the more established events, but it was an event worth running again. | |
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C. B. from Brooklyn.NY
(5/10/2007)
"Really Great Event" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll USA Marathon (formerly the National Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon, and I couldn't have been happier. Loved the course - even the hill at mile 19, just where it should be, after that I KNEW I was gonna make it. Thought staff/volunteers were very helpful. Only issue was lack of porta-johns on course, a problem I'm sure they'll address for '08. A great mid-size marathon in a great destination - made a mini-vacation out of it - highly recommended |
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