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☰
Mississippi Blues Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Mississippi Blues Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.8 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 260 [displaying comments 141 to 151]
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M. M. from Clinton
(1/18/2010)
"Well done but challenging event" (about: 2010)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Mississippi Blues Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 We complained about the heat last year.... Be careful what you ask for. Wow, it was cold. I'm assuming next year the weather will be just right. Guitar-shaped medal: A+. Harmonica in goody bag: A+. Jackson State Sonic Boom drum line: A+. People in Eastover with fire pits by the street: A++. Volunteers in 17-degree weather: A++. Icicles in my eyebrows in Mississippi: unforgettable. Thanks for a great event. | |
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E. W. from Jackson, MS
(1/16/2010)
"Chilly race!" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Mississippi Blues Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Wasn't looking forward to the cold, but organizers did all they could to make this race a fun experience. I ran the half last year and this year was my first full. I know they've already shortened it, but I wish Lakeland Drive could be eliminated completely from the course. I hate running next to the traffic and fumes and very few spectators come to that part of the course. Other than that, I had a blast. Will definitely run it again. | |
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L. P. from Austin, TX
(1/16/2010)
"Great Race" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Wonderfully organized. Excellent challenge. Great fans and volunteers! An absolutely beautiful run. | |
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J. J. from Jackson, MS
(1/15/2010)
"Great, hilly course; wonderful people" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 A wonderful marathon on an absolutely freezing day. I ran the half last year, and so thouroughly enjoyed it that I caught the marathon bug. This is my second marathon. The people are so incredibly friendly and supportive. With wind chill, it was single digits temperature-wise at race start and didn't warm up much from that. It also snowed a little bit. For a race in Mississippi, that is crazy. Even with that, there were great spectators. The Jackson State University drum line was my favorite. Very dedicated. Additionally, the police did an amazing job with traffic, encouraged the runners and even had a smile on their faces. The course is a little bit hilly, but nothing too severe. It started and ended downtown, had one somewhat boring out-and-back along a busy street (but cars were kept well away), and then ran through some beautiful Jackson neighborhoods. There were plenty of water/gel stations and many even had ice. :) The slushy, half-frozen Gatorade was actually quite nice. The finish was great, with many volunteers welcoming you. They helped cover you with Mylar blankets, placed the medal around your neck, took your timing chip off and handed you some water all while congratulating you. To be so enthusiastic after volunteering and standing in 20-degree weather for 4-5 hours was truly amazing. I should have been congratulating them. Compared to last year, the spectators and music were sparse (but it was also about 40 degrees colder than last year). Only two negatives were the paucity of music (it is the MS Blues Marathon, after all) and a little confusion concerning parking. No one at the expo knew anything about where to park. As it turned out, there was plenty of parking within 500 feet of the start and finish, but it would have been nice to know this ahead of time. Post-race food and drink were plentiful and excellent, especially the red beans and rice. Overall, a very good race, well put together by great, dedicated people. Jackson is my home town, so I am a bit biased, but I am also incredibly proud. Thank you to everyone for a great race. I will be back. | |
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N. K. from Horsham, PA
(1/14/2010)
"Excellent race, especially considering the weather" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really liked this marathon. Though it was 17 degrees when we started, the crowd support was pretty solid. All of the spectators were really friendly and in great moods for being in the midst of an arctic blast. They even had a drum line at mile 2! The course was relatively flat until mile 20; then it became a bit difficult. It's a good challenge, so be prepared! I loved the harmonica, and the shirt's pretty cool. The race medal is also pretty unique (in the shape of a guitar), which I like. If you're traveling from afar, it would be a good idea to rent a car. There are only a few restaurants in downtown Jackson (which are usually closed between 3 and 6) and no grocery stores/convenience stores and the like. Plus the surrounding area is pretty. Finish line food included pizza, red beans and rice, sandwiches, bagels, soup... good stuff!!! | |
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E. J. from Raleigh, N.C.
(1/13/2010)
"What a GREAT event" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 3 Mississippi Blues Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 What an event! The start temp was 9 degrees with the wind chill. All of the volunteers were spectacular and were very appreciative to all of the runners for choosing Jackson to run a marathon. There wasn't a single aid station or course monitor who didn't thank me for coming to Jackson. The course is slightly challenging but goes through some nice neighborhoods. The goody bag has contained a blues CD every year, but this year the race added a harmonica. The medal is also nice. The race is very organized. I have had a great time at all three of the MS Blues Marathons and i'll be back next year. | |
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M. W. from Irvine, CA
(1/13/2010)
"Cold Blues, but Still Good!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The course left a bit to be desired, being quite hilly and on a very cold day, with a bit of ice and cold winds along the way. But there were parts that were pretty, and it was quite well put on. The expo was fantastic - definitely not too big, but still space for a stage, with lots of comfy chairs in which to hear speakers, and great music! The shirt is pretty cool and the harmonica that came with the cool goody bag is also awesome! Race morning was super easy to navigate; parking and getting to the start were no problem! Once we were moving, all seemed to go well, and the folks on the course were very kind and helpful - despite having to stand in that frigid weather! Post-race was also fairly nice: a small tent with some warm coffee, and some fruit and bagels. Overall, not a bad performance for the MS Blues Marathon. | |
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M. P. from VA
(1/13/2010)
"Friendliness took away the chill (well, sort of!)" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Mississippi Blues Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I think there were more volunteers than marathoners, and every volunteer I encountered cheerfully offered assistance and thanked me for participating. As a slow runner, I was especially appreciative of these folks for enduring the cold temps for hours. Their support and the event organization earned high marks in my opinion. No surprises about the hills, but the course was a bit dull as it followed highways for many miles. However, everything was well marked, and traffic was controlled throughout. I loved the blues music at the expo, great schwag, and the trolley pub crawl post-race party. Stayed at the host hotel and was happy with the location, quiet, and extended meal hours for runners. Excellent experience in Jackson... despite the frigid temps! | |
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L. K. from Missouri
(1/13/2010)
"What a surprise!" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 First off, I am from Mississippi and now live in the St. Louis area... so I always wanted to do at least a half in my home state. At the same time, I was a little worried. Jackson is not always the most organized of cities and I was unaware of there being much of a running community there. Well, I had a GREAT time. I showed up the night before to an expo that had plenty of parking and was well organized. No, it did not have a 100 vendors, but they have live blues music playing. Cold race day, at 21 degrees. But I have never been to a half or full that was so easy to get around. I got a hotel that was a 10-minute drive to the start line. I arrived at the event at 6:20 for the 7 a.m. start. I was able to park on the same block as the start line, free!!! If that were not enough, they had planned for the weather and had two large party tents equipped with full-siding... inside: live blues music and HEATERS! YEAH! Both were fewer than 50 yards from the start line. Very nice. Now, if you dont like hills - dont come to this event. Very hilly. Also, not a large crowd, but they were all super nice and all cheered. Don't expect thousands cheering you along, but expect friendly groups along the way. The finish got you a great medal and plenty of food! The red beans and rice were awesome. After some cold water for me, there was plenty of hot coffee and chocolate. A better selection of food than you will get at Memphis or Chicago. KUDOS! I was very happy to say I was from Mississippi and proud of the people from Jackson that put it on. One or two fewer hills would have been nice, but oh well!!! All of this and a harmonica engraved with the logo of the race! | |
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J. D. from Mississippi
(1/13/2010)
"Great, friendly race that is well organized." (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Mississippi Blues Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 It was cold, unusual weather for MS, even in January. Course could be improved by running same course only clockwise. The big hills would be early and leaving smaller hills at the end. Great support on the course. Ran the full this year; ran half previous two years. Plan to run again next year. |
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