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☰
Alpharetta Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Alpharetta Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 2.6 
Organization 3.4 
Spectators 2.1
Number of comments: 43 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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D. T. from NC
(3/20/2007)
"Lots of hype. Little delivery. Save your money." (about: 2007)
50+ previous marathons
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This marathon delivered virtually nothing that was promised in the advertising. Lovely course? Only if you enjoy strip malls and auto dealerships. A course profile map would have been nice pre-race.... Those were NOT what I would call "rolling hills." Expo? A joke; two vendors. And why bother picking up your packet the day before when you have to arrive 90 minutes early to get your chip race-day morning? There were very few fans (it was quite chilly that morning); personally, that was fine by me, but for someone who likes a lot of cheering, don't expect it here. Most annoying to me was the promise of gel at every water station. There was NONE. Although the volunteers did generously offer "Butt Paste." The post-race food wasn't even worth walking up (another!) hill for. No Mylar blankets at the finish, no shelter, and almost a two-hour wait for the awards. The most annoying aspect of each of these issues was that the race did not deliver what was promised. I don't mind a challenging course, or bringing my own gels, bringing my own Mylar blanket, etc., if that is what I'm expecting. The two positives: This race had more uniformed course support than I have ever seen, and a fairly nice medallion. That nonwithstanding, there are too many nice events this time of year to waste your time, training, or money on Alpharetta. | |
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R. D. from Atlanta, GA
(3/17/2007)
"Hills. Hills. Hills." (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Alpharetta Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Hills. Poor food. Hills. Poor expo. Hills. Few specators. Hills. No Gu. Hills. | |
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p. p. from Georgia
(3/14/2007)
"Killer Hills" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Alpharetta Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The upside: Numerous and enthusiastic volunteers. Plenty of police marshaling the traffic. Nice finisher's medal. Overall, scenic course. The downside: Unrelenting hills in the last several miles of the race course. No gel packs at any water stations contrary to race information. Only cash or check accepted at expo registration - so I had to find a cash machine on busy Windward Parkway during rush hour on a Friday. | |
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Jon Walk from Spring, Texas
(3/13/2007)
"Tough course, but well-run event!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Alpharetta Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I agree that the traffic support was the best that I've ever experienced. (Thanks to Alpharetta and Roswell PD/FDs!) Yes, the back half of the course was brutal, but I drove the course the evening before and was prepared (and I work for a company with an office near mile 4). If you live in the area, you should know that there aren't many flat spots there. I ran it in 5:16 and never had a question where to go. (The course map on the website maybe had three places that you couldn't go or identify.) The volunteers were super and extremely friendly, and it wasn't exactly a warm day for them to be out. The shuttle bus was visible across the road from the finish line (and had a nice ride back to City Hall). This was state #9 for me and I'd do this event again or Atlanta's Thanksgiving Day event than run in an ING event (other than NYC). Want your times? Wear a watch. | |
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A. A. from Atlanta, GA
(3/13/2007)
"Don't Bother" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Alpharetta Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Where to start to detail what's wrong with this race? You don't pick up your timimg chip at the "expo," although I would hardly call 2 vendors an "expo." You have to get to the start on race day an hour and a half early to pick up your chip. They advertised that Gu would be available at ALL 18 water stations. I did not see it at ANY water station. For the price you had to pay, they could have given out a nice technical shirt instead of a long-sleeve cotton shirt. They advertised an 8-hour course. I take that as meaning the course will be open for 8 hours and the finish line will be open for 8 hours. I finished in about 5:20 and they were already starting to tear down the finish line. They must have meant 8 hours from when they started putting things up that morning and not from the start of the race. It was freezing at the finish and there were NO Mylar blankets and no one to tell you where to go to get the post-race refreshments. As if you had not already run enough hills in the race, you had to walk UP another hill to a parking lot for warm Coke and a few Oreos. They also advertised some of the "finest" scenery in North Fulton County for the race. I guess their idea of "fine scenery" is the mall parking lot, strip shopping centers and car dealerships because that's about all you had to look at. Very dull, very tough course. The Little Rock Marathon is the same weekend - next year give that one a try. Now that's a GREAT race! | |
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w. d. from Fretta, GA
(3/12/2007)
"Thanks" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Not sure why all the whining but this was a competitive run. Thank you. Get over the traffic and after 50 marathons, this was pretty good for an inaugural! Some folks seem pretty spoiled. I hope for your success. | |
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H. D. from Alpharetta, GA
(3/12/2007)
"Hilly course, no spectators" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Alpharetta Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I've only one other marathon to compare to - the Atlanta Marathon - and this was the tougher of the two. The first half was "rolling" hills, but the second half was more severe. During a number of stretches, particularly during the latter part of the race, the course was on major roads with a fair amount of traffic - not fun, and dangerous. The organization was good (very good for an inaugural race). The race expo was lame, but... there were plenty of toilets pre, during, and post race for the number of runners; donuts and coffee at the start; Gatorade and water and peanut butter sandwiches (sometimes) at regular intervals (mile+); good amount of food and refreshments at end of race; excellent police support throughout; and many enthusiastic volunteers. No spectators.... OK, maybe a few dozen (all family, I'm sure). I wanted to run the "inaugural" Alpharetta Marathon (and I'm running the inaugural Georgia Marathon), but, because of the course, will probably not run it next year. | |
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L. J. from Atlanta GA
(3/11/2007)
"Define "Rolling Hills"" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Alpharetta Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I've seen "rolling hills" be minimized before, but this one takes the cake. Those last six miles could not have been any steeper. It made it a terrible experience. Also, GU was promised at every water stop, but I never saw it once. I thought maybe you had to ask for it, so I did that once and was told they didn't have any. Don't promise what you aren't going to deliver. On a positve note, there were plenty of water stops and the volunteers/police were great. | |
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Jeff Venable from dallas, tx
(3/11/2007)
"Course could use work - brutal and hilly" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Alpharetta Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I'd love to give the race better marks, but couldn't in any category. Okay, the course was tough. So what? But you ran on all surface streets - no neighborhoods for variety or spectators. You also ran during the winter.... Lovely country, but everything was gray and dormant. Maybe a fall marathon would be nice... or even a spring setting would be beautiful. But it was winter... yielding a bleak, ugly and a brutal course. There were tons of rest stops with lots of volunteers. There were lots of porta-potties. I have never seen so many uniformed public servants.... I swear all three shifts of police and firemen were out. There were hundreds of them! Food amounted to donuts and fruit at the finish. Okay, what was up with the lousy place for packet pickup? Then find the start... and find the finish? Not much of a deal for somebody trying to fly in and participate. A local would need somebody to drive them for that matter. The logistics of packet pickup, race start and finish just did not work. The time of year was wrong. The course was brutal... but you are in a lovely area that is lovely due to the hills. The medal was nice and shiny at least! Not sure what needs to be changed. But there is plenty of room for improvement here. They did a nice job... they just need to rethink this a bit. If this race survives, I think that it will be a great race. I doubt if it will survive with such a tough first look. I only went to do the double - Snickers Saturday down in Albany, and Alpharetta on Sunday. I'd do Snickers again, but not Alpharetta! | |
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B. Z. from Roswell, GA
(3/10/2007)
"Horrible "Rolling" Hills" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Alpharetta Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This was the inaugural marathon, and unless the route and organization is drastically changed, it should be the last. Hills, hills and more hills, especially after mile 19. A two-mile long incline and more to come! A week before the race the course was reversed and it made a bad course much worse. Runners walking side by side up hill after hill for miles cursing the course. The route map was incorrect too. Gu advertised as being on the course was not there. No clocks or volunteers calling out times at any mile markers. The "Health and Fitness Expo" was the smallest and worst I have ever seen - 2 vendors! The "Post-Event Food Fest" featured water, apples and oranges! Too many choices for excellent races to waste time on the hills of Alpharetta. |
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