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Georgia Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Georgia Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 3.1 
Spectators 4.0
Number of comments: 459 [displaying comments 361 to 371]
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E. H. from Augusta, GA
(3/27/2007)
"I will do it again" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I only ran the half marathon but I thought it was great... a few problems, but overall very enjoyable. Yes, there should have been more water and PowerAde available. BUT an even bigger problem was the large number of inconsiderate runners who think they are world-class athletes. If you are slow, then get in the back of the pack. If you plan on walking within the first 2 miles, then get in the back. If you think hydration might be a problem, then carry a water bottle. Be responsible for yourself and dont expect the race to revolve around you. I think Atlanta did an outstanding job for this inaugural event. And the CNN Omnni Hotel was very nice and convenient to both the start/finish and expo. | |
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b. j. from Atlanta, GA
(3/27/2007)
"High expectations with an ING race" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I was very disappointed due to the lack of electrolytes on the course. It was very hilly and very hot. Thanks to the guy handing out salt packets. Considering that Coca-Cola is headquartered in Atlanta, shame on them for not stepping up. Besides that, it was a fun course with challenging hills. I expect the small first-time wrinkles will be ironed out by next year. Run it. | |
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B. M. from Atlanta, GA
(3/27/2007)
"Great inaugural event; major organizational flaws" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I ran the half-marathon and agree with many of the other comments. The course was very challenging yet provided a great taste of the city! The water stops were very disappointing between having to wait while the volunteers (key word) poured the water and finding that PowerAde was not available at most of the stations. I only saw it at 3, and the one at Freedom Pkwy had it at the first table only. My biggest issue was the finisher's area. Again, no PowerAde, but we got offered WARM soft drinks - hello, dehydration?! And there were spectators and bums grabbing food off of the tables.... Overall, a great event, and with some organizational improvements it'll only get better! | |
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D. B. from Florida
(3/27/2007)
"Organizational failure" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 This was my 7th marathon, but the first time for a first-run event. Since ING knows how to put on marathons, I thought it would be well put together...I was wrong! My comments: The expo was great with lots of vendors, exhibits and lots of freebies. The start line was chaotic at best with 15,000 runners all packed together in what ever order they showed up in wasn't a good thing...they really need time-based corrals or a 'wave start'. The course was scenic but really hilly. There was lots of ups and downs, and very little flat. The last 4 or so miles were through downtown in the 80F+ heat. Aid stations were HORRIBLE! The station at mile 4 was gone! At mile 6, I had to wait for jugs of water; then pour my own into a cup. At mile 8, they ran out of cups, so we each took a jug with a little water in it. There was NOT A DROP OF POWERADE on the course!!! With temps forecast to be much hotter than normal, there really needs to be water and electrolyte replacement! There wasn't even Powerade at the finish line! The finish was not well-organized (it wasn't clear where to go next). The finish area should be 'secure' (runners only). Non-runners were taking drinks, etc. The fans were AWESOME! They provided water and ice, had hoses misting us and were very supportive. If the organizers wanted to have one of the largest inaugural events, they should have spent more time planning for the simple things like aid stations and less on the fluff (like a hot air balloon at the start!) | |
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t. a. from Atlanta
(3/27/2007)
"Beautiful course; good spectators; poor planning" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I live in Atlanta, so I knew what to expect: a beautiful, challenging running tour of some of Atlanta's nicest neighborhoods. I also knew an inaugural race could have glitches; however, some of these problems seem unacceptable. If the marathon is going to charge a pretty hefty fee, then it should provide what it advertises: PowerAde. Like many of the runners above, I found none and had to rely on kind spectators. The only fluids at the finish were water, Coke Zero (ugh!), and a few cases of Coke that hadn't been taken by thirsty spectators. With the home of Coca-Cola next to the finish, this deficiency simply added to the absurdity. Based on many of my friends' comments, I hope the organizers will address the following: -a more organized start with explicit directions and proper corrals that put so many of the walkers at the back -mile markers indicating time, or announcement that there will be none -better community involvement (many people in Atlanta didn't even know there was a marathon) Despite the glitches, I look forward to next year's race. | |
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J. B. from KC
(3/27/2007)
"Great City... Poorly Organized" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 First the pros: 1) Atlanta was a great host city. 2) Good spectator support. 3) Nice and helpful volunteers. 4) Super expo. Easy pick-up. 5) Very Scenic and very friendly neighborhoods. Now the cons...: 1) No PowerAde!! Course signs were posted reading, "PowerAde ahead," but no tables, no people, no PowerAde. 2) Not enough water stations. Need them every mile, but they only offered 2 in the first 9 miles. 3) Would be helpful to offer water at the GU handouts. 4) Not enought toilets during the first part of the race. Six-minute line at my stop. To recap.... It was unseasonably hot (87 degrees), there were lots of hills, and there was nothing to drink. But the neighborhood support was great - they were offering drinks, hoses, and ice. For me, they saved the day. | |
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Spencer Willbanks from Chicago, USA
(3/26/2007)
"Control what you can; don't worry about the rest" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I expected some first-year hiccups, even from a race with the backing of ING, but some gaffes went beyond the pale. The starting was clumsy, with a two-lane mass corral, and one entry at the back for all 13,000 runners with just a few hand-held signs to indicate pace group staging was inadequate. I started working my way to the front, and bailed out so I could walk alongside the corrals and hop over, something the police put a stop to soon after I did it. In the first half-mile, a non-towed car forced a rough compression of the pack, tricky in the pre-dawn darkness. The hills were to be expected (you can have a beautiful course or a fast course, and they rarely coincide, and this one was very beautiful, the best tour of Atlanta and Decatur possible) and the heat was something no one expected, but they should have had more water and PowerAde!! I trained with the Coca-Cola product to prepare, and I never got any during the event! Two or more water stations never got set up, but while I was running, fortunately for me, at least, many course neighbors were offering unofficial hydration tables. I finished 150th of 4000+, so I doubt the good Samaritans were able to keep up later on. There were really very few spectators or cheering people. Not as many as I would have expected, and I grew up in this town and have seen the outpouring of affection at the Peachtree. Maybe more will come with subsequent runnings. But on some level, the sparse and quiet spectators made for an even more idyllic, charming course. I didn't have any trouble being blocked by the half marathon walkers once the courses re-merged. It was pretty easy to go around them. I first encountered them on the Freedom Parkway out-and-back leg of the course, my least favorite part due to the direct sun and the cement road. The finish area had plenty of food, but again, not much water or PowerAde to drink beyond the finish line. Also, GA state laws prohibit alcohol sales until 12:30 on Sundays, so there was no post-race beer until 5:30 after the start. The post-race party area was hard to navigate since it's all on two-lane city streets with no open plazas or parks. I don't mean to bemoan the organization kerfuffles, but those things could have been better. All in all, a very good first-year event, especially for its size. I expect that it will be better going forward, and I will not rule out doing it again. The course is hilly but one of the most beautiful I have seen. | |
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m. l. from St. Louis, MO USA
(3/26/2007)
"First-time LARGE race - not too bad...." (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I enjoyed this race. The course is quite interesting and much more challenging that I had anticipated - rolling hills the entire way. I only ran the half, but I thought the course for 1-4 and 17-26 was sufficiently challenging. I definitely would NOT recommend this for a novice (first-time) half or full-marathoner! Regarding the race organization, it wasn't stellar, but any of us that have run in many races know that a first-time race with 15,000 runners could have this problem. Did the PowerAde issue concern me? Absolutely! It would have caused my performance to be seriously impacted had I run the full. Will that mistake be made twice? Probably not! I'd consider coming back to run this as my spring marathon.... I would look forward to seeing the improvements, and I enjoyed my experience during this race. | |
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J. N. from Connecticut, USA
(3/26/2007)
"Beautiful and Tough Course/Organization Problems" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Pros: (1) This course is absolutely beautiful and you run through the BEST parts of Atlanta. It was awesome to pass Ebenezer Baptist Church (where MLK held services) in mile 3. The homes in Druid Hills were beautiful and the view of downtown from the top of Freedom Parkway was fabulous. If you want to run in a race and really get a feel for the city... run this one. (2) I thought the mile markers where large and easy to see... I didn't miss one. (3) Fan support was good, but a little smaller than I expected for such a big city. The guy offering beer cracked me up. (4) I don't know if the computer chip and e-mail updates are standard for all big marathons, but I liked that and so did my family and friends. Your family can sign up to get text messages of your time as soon as you hit the 10K, half marathon, and 20 mile markers. That wasn't available in the smaller marathon I ran previously. Neutral: (1) This course is hilly. Not necessarily steep hills... but long inclines and lots of them. I do NOT recommend this for a first-time marathoner. I ran my first marathon on a flat course in 3 hours, 32 minutes. I trained harder for this one and did it in 3 hours, 40 minutes. Not a pro or con... just a fact... this one is hilly (including at the end). 2. I found the "non-denominational" prayer at the beginning a little odd, mainly because it didn't seem non-denominational based on some of the things that were said. I also got the "this race is so hard you're going to need to ask God for help" vibe, which literally made me laugh out loud. Not really a confidence builder 2 minutes before the race. Cons: (1) One reason so many people are writing about the PowerAde is because the announcer right before the race specifically reminded us to not just drink water at the aid stations... but to drink plenty of PowerAde. Kind of a challenge when there is no PowerAde. This was pretty annoying... enough for me to knock organization down to a 3 and almost a 2. As a University of Florida alumnus, I have to comment that perhaps PowerAde itself is the problem. Everyone knows that GATORade is the better drink anyway. (2) Avoiding the walkers, particularly from mile 20 and on, was a challenge. Running lanes just seemed too narrow at some points, particularly in the Highlands. I didn't consider this a major problem, but I did notice it. (3) Some of the water stations were too small and they needed a couple more tables per station. I'll write the organizational problems off to what I'm hoping are first-year kinks (easy for me to say because I didn't pass out from heat exhaustion). I would still recommend this marathon for anyone looking to run a beautiful course in a great city. | |
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W. D. from Somerset, KY
(3/26/2007)
"Great Inaugural Race" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Georgia Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Ok, so the PowerAde wasn't there and that was a MAJOR mistake - especially with the heat. If PowerAde had been there, though, the majority of comments would be positive: 1) Nice technical shirt. 2) Great expo - one of the best I have attended. 3) Beautiful, beautiful course. 4) Two Clif Shot stations. 5) Supportive fans. 6) Nice medal. Some ideas for improvement: 1) Clocks at the mile markers. 2) Separate 1/2 marathon walkers from marathoners after the merge. 3) PowerAde, of course. Also more volunteers at each of the water stations. 4) Have a water station directly after the Clif Shot station. Overall a great firsty-year marathon! This one is only going to get bigger and better. Put it on your marathon TO DO list. |
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