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Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.5 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 417 [displaying comments 251 to 261]
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P. S. from Georgia, United States
(11/4/2004)
"Time of my Life!!!" (about: 2003)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run for over 25 years with this being my first marathon and without a doubt one of the best experiences of my life. I am over 40 and kept thinking throughout my training for this marathon that I would not be able to do this, but I did. From the start to finish I was just so thrilled to be there with all the excitement, fans, runners from all walks of life, and the gorgeous scenery. I plan on running it again in 2005. What a race!!! | |
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S. H. from Sacramento, CA
(10/18/2004)
"Slanted course causes problems that last" (about: 2002)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran this race in 2002 but just discovered this site. My biggest complaint (and warning to anyone considering running this race) is the slanted course. It's like running with one leg a couple of inches shorter than the other. I developed plantar fascitis after this race and 2 years later am still recovering from the secondary effects. My goal is to complete a marathon in each state, and If I had it to do over again I would have chosen a different race in California. I have also done the Portland Marathon--my favorite so far thanks mostly to the Runner's World pace group and the Chicago Marathon--organization could have been better. A lot of people seem to be complaining about other aspects of the course. It wasn't that bad. People think CA is all beautiful beaches, etc. I have lived here all of my life and wasn't surprised. Besides, when I'm running I spend a lot of time looking at either the ground or the spectators, so the scenery isn't that important. | |
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Super Woman from Washington, DC
(8/13/2004)
"Tougher course than expected" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The elevation profile is quite deceptive. There are plenty of ups 'n downs throughout this course, and not much shade to cover you (even though the weather in 2004 was great - 60s throughout the race). Course wasn't as scenic as I expected either. So, I wouldn't do this one again (but I'm also an East Coaster). The organization was outstanding, as was the expo. Only flaw was trying to find my car in the huge parking lot after the race, at which point I was already delusional. They didn't have many signs/markers to help you remember where you parked. Transporation information was a bit confusing too, given the point-to-point nature of the course. Would be nicer to end in Balboa Park or nearby. Half of the cheers/spectators are for the TNT crowd, which makes the non-TNT people feel really left out - not cool! I was fast enough to be ahead of most of the TNT walkers/runners, but there are many of them so it could be a problem for 4:15+ marathoners. | |
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C. M. from Pensacola, Florida
(7/18/2004)
"Why so many complaints?" (about: 2004)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I cannot believe the number of complaints about this marathon. This was number 56 for me so I have done a few. I don't know what people expect! Big runs like this are never my favorite, but with the thousands of runners, I always expect things not to be perfect. I was in a port-a-pottie line when the corrals were opened and by the time I got onto the street, three of four corrals behind mine had moved forward. It took me 13 minutes to get to the start line and several miles to pick up my pace because of all the walkers who insist on walking three and four abreast. But, with a race this size, it is to be expected. (Do wish the team coaches would advise their groups NOT TO TAKE UP THE WHOLE STREET so no one can pass). All in all I had an enjoyable time even though it took me over an hour to find my rental car in the parking lot after the race (the row sign I parked near got knocked over) and then over another hour to get out of traffic and back to my hotel. As I said I prefer smaller marathons but the Grand Slam Medal will soon be mine! | |
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C. K. from Wyoming
(7/15/2004)
"Great race, but non-believers in conservation" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Forty-five bands, 20,000 runners, 2,000 cheerleaders, thousands of spectators, raising thousands of dollars for leukemia research... this is a festive and popular marathon! I watched the sidelines go by like a movie. I have one minor complaint: I wish the organizers would think in terms of resource conservation. There are so many bags and wrappers and maps and fliers and odds n' ends, so much waste... runners don't need that much 'stuff' and a marathon shouldn't be in need of its own landfill. But it's a festive race. | |
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D. H. from Houston, Texas
(7/2/2004)
"Over-hyped, so-so race" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 Whoever designed this course should be court-martialed. Finishing in the Marine Depot is just anticlimactic. It is a restricted area with armored vehicles in the middle of the courtyard and marines training in classrooms a few yards away. I was greeted by someone with a gun as I approached the finish line. The course was definitely not ?most picturesque,? as they claimed to be. There were a few scenic spots, but mostly ugly. I was prepared to be annoyed by the bands. Surprisingly, I found two or three bands pretty good. They should post each band?s name and should let people vote for the best band. (My favorite was the first band.) But the idea of running and listening to staged performance was fundamentally stupid. A few other observations: 1. Starting line up was good and the start was efficient. It took me only 2 minutes to get to the start line (there were 4000 runners ahead of me). 2. Expo was crowded and getting to it was terrible. I drove and the traffic stopped a mile away. When I finally got to the convention center 30 minutes later, I had to pay $8(?) for parking! Then there?s another 45 minutes to park. Worst expo ever. 3. The crowd was small and the cheerleaders were lazy. I had to cheer them up (which I didn?t mind, with my runner?s high) a couple of times. 4. There was no food, except bananas and oranges, in the finish area. No tables, benches, or shade. I couldn?t even find out my finish time until after 5:00pm (compare to the HP Houston Marathon, which send me email and cell phone text messages tracking my times throughout the course). | |
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H. C. from AZ, USA
(6/29/2004)
"Great weather!" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Perfect weather for me and I do love the course! I have lots of fun and enjoy the clouds, cool wind, and the volunteers who did a terrific job! Thank you and I will run again next year! I hope it's cloudy and cool again in San Diego! | |
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J. M. from San Diego, California
(6/29/2004)
"Really Fun Marathon" (about: 2004)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A lot of people here have complained about the course, and while it isn't the best course that could have been designed, it is well organized and well supported. Out of all marathons I have run, this is by far the best one I have run on the west coast. All others either lacked in support at the aid stations, amount of porta-potties available, timing or pace groups. This course has all that one needs and the course really isn't all that hilly. Most of the course is rather flat. A majority of the race is downhill for the first 9 miles. Then it's out to the coastal areas where it's mostly flat. Then there is another hill at mile 17 or so, which really isn't very large. The rest of the way in is basically flat. And with all the bands and fans along the route, this race is a lot of fun! | |
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C. F. from Los Angeles, CA
(6/21/2004)
"Lousy course, but great organization!" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Despite being warned about the less than exciting course, I signed up. Unfortunately, my friends were right. The course was not only boring, but a bit more difficult than I expected. There were a lot more rolling hills then the elevation map on the website has you to believe. The slanted freeway (from about miles 8-11) also caused some unnecessary discomfort. But the one hill around Mile 19-20 was just plain brutal. On a positive note, the water stations were awesome. Lots of water and different flavors of Gatorade and a ton of people working them. Loved the iced towels at the finish line. The finish area was a little difficult to navigate out of, but the race organizers did the best they could. Doesn't seem to make much sense to finish at an army base. Overall, it was a nice enough racing experience because of the organization, but because of the course, I will not be running this one again. | |
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Bill Abendroth from Portland, Oregon, Ecotopia, USA
(6/21/2004)
"The View From the Rear...." (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Rock 'n' Roll Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 Previous to the 2004 S.D. Rock & Roll, I've run 16 marathons & two ultras--including South Africa's Comrades. This marathon I walked with my sister, so got a chance to see how the other half lives. This is a walker-friendly course. While the race lists a seven-hour cut-off, we finished at 7:26--and there were still plenty of cheerful and friendly volunteers. The food was a little picked over, but still good; much better than what I expected. The start was very impressive. We were in corral 21 (with a thousand folks per corral), but still crossed the start line in less than ten minutes. Excellent organization. I thought there was a band every mile--but I've run in marathons with very little band support. I also thought that overall the quality of the bands was very high. I would have liked to see more bands post their names. Last time I ran the R&R, I sent fan e-mail to several bands. I couldn't do that this time. When I ran this race in 2001, the finish line was (and still holds the record for) the worst ever: Finishing on a Marine base, with restricted access and egress was a worse than a nightmare. This time, the shuttles moved well... but I don't know how smooth things ran for the masses finishing between four & five hours. But for the seven to eight hour folks, everything ran well. While finishing on the Marine base is a necessary evil, it is still evil and I did not like it. But that's just me. As for the course, this is a pancake flat course. I have no idea what 'hills' people are complaining about. And parts of the course are downright butt-ugly. But that's San Diego: It's the little girl with curl in the middle of her forehead. When she's good, she's very, very good. But when she's bad, she's horrid. No getting away from the fact that parts of the course will not be beautiful. I grew up there, and have driven on 163 thousands of times. I thought walking it was cool (but I please easily). Unfortunately, Elite Racing--despite doing a fabulous job on all other aspects of the race--scores a mandatory one star DSQ for organization. I was ten miles into the race before I found an aid station with Gatorade. Earlier stations had the tell-tale cups--but no Gatorade. For back-of-the-packers, that's flirting with disaster. So next year, more Gatorade, especially at the earlier stations. I want to make one special shout out. The TnT purple shirts & their rooters often get on my nerves, but one of their coaches--a guy all dressed in white--was flat out remarkable. He ran along encouraging walkers/runners, then after dropping behind, he ran ahead & continued good-humored support (we teased him about what a terrible job his 'brother' was doing about a mile back). This coach even carried Gatorade (when the tables were out), and offered me some--And I'm no purple shirt. I pack my own sport drink, but was touched by his generosity. So I want to thank not only that coach (even his terrible brothers), but also (sigh) apologize to TnT. You all do great work, and I will never think bad about you again. Oh yeah--for all you runners: I have never got blisters, cramping or exhaustion even **close** to what I suffered while walking (as opposed to running) a marathon. Make fun of walkers at your own peril! |
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