calendar icon Sep 20, 2024

Memphis Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Memphis Marathon Information & Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.2 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 4.7 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 4.2 
 
 
Number of comments: 382 [displaying comments 171 to 181]
More Comments: [ < 1 .. 16 17 18 19 20 .. 39 > ]

 

C. M. from Petal, MS (12/5/2007)
"Loved it!! Loved it!! Loved it!!" (about: 2007)

1 previous marathon | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


The entire St. Jude weekend experience was incredible - especially for those that signed up as heroes and got to visit the hospital and attend the pasta dinner. The race itself was great other than the cambered roads, but I managed to fight through IT band issues late. I will definitely be back next year... and the next... and the next. I am now trying to form a team for next year.

Thanks to Juice Plus and the Memphis Runners Club for a wonderful race and thanks to St. Jude for the inspiration needed to complete my first marathon.

 

K. S. from Maryland (12/5/2007)
"Great First-Marathon Experience" (about: 2007)

1 previous marathon | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 3  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


This was my first marathon and I was originally very nervous about everything. I read about marathons with poor organization and uneven streets, but encountered none of it in Memphis.

Some of the best parts of the race:
- The scenery in the first half of the race (the pyramid, St. Jude's, Beale St.).
- The expo - easy to navigate.
- Aid stations - plentiful (every mile!), with friendly volunteers and a clock to calculate your splits
- Pace teams!
- AutoZone Park - a very cool way to finish. Everyone can see you and they announce your name!
- All of the volunteers - everyone went out of their way to help and encourage us.
- The spectators - very plentiful and encouraging, especially in the first half of the race

A few negative comments about the race:
- The second half of the course is not very exciting and there are a lot of cars that pass you.
- There are pace teams finishing every 15 minutes after 4 hours, so if you are between 4:15 and 4:30, you're on your own.

My overall experience was excellent in Memphis! Everything was better than I expected, from the weather to the scenery. I will definitely run this race again!

 

R. R. from Chicago, IL (12/4/2007)
"I'd do it again!" (about: 2007)

3 previous marathons | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 3


Wanting to get second chance to set a PR after a disappointing experience in Chicago, I heard about Memphis and its supposedly fast course. I signed up, and eagerly awaited the event. I found the course to be very challenging (lots of hills), but water/PowerAde was available at every mile. I had my fastest time ever through 20, but my legs locked up because I didn't replenish my electrolytes well enough. I learned a good lesson for when I try it again here next year. I recommend this if you've trained for a hilly course.

 

J. D. from Tennessee (12/4/2007)
"LOVED IT!" (about: 2007)

1 previous marathon | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


First-timer here.... I did the half marathon and loved it! I'll be back in '08!

 

d. r. from durham, nc (12/4/2007)
"My first marathon - I just loved it!!!" (about: 2007)

1 previous marathon | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I just loved this marathon!! It was wonderfully organized and everybody - volunteers and spectators alike - was enthusiastic and supportive. It was sunny and 60 degrees by the end, so water stops every mile helped a lot. The course was rolling, which got a little painful at the very end, but the final 1/2 lap of the AutoZone Park was a blast. And the food was good. What's not to love??

 

C. C. from Booneville, MS (12/4/2007)
"Fantastic event" (about: 2007)

50+ previous marathons | 6+ Memphis Marathons
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


St. Jude really puts on a quality event. This is one of the best marathons that I run. The people in the run and the volunteers are fantastic. The course could be a little smoother, but it is hard to change the city streets. It might be better to start the runs a little earlier, as the cars were not very nice to us. But we were disrupting their Saturday morning and the police just couldn't control some of the cars. A couple actually pulled out and pushed me back. Not nice when we were contributing so much to the economy on that weekend. All in all, a great event. I have run it for 20 years and will be back next year.

 

S. T. from Chicago (12/4/2007)
"Nice Race" (about: 2007)

3 previous marathons | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 3


There was plenty of water throughout the whole course, and it was nice to have splits every mile. The hills were not difficult, but you should expect something - I mean, you are entering the foothills. I never had to stop once for cars. There were quite a few fans for such a small marathon (I ran Chicago and there were fans for all 26.2 miles), but I couldn't have expected more.

 

A. M. from Edwardsville, IL (12/4/2007)
"Good "mid-major" marathon" (about: 2007)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 2


This was my first Memphis Marathon, and 11th marathon overall. I found the course to be very challenging as it seemed we were constantly either running uphill or downhill. The aid stations as well as post-run replenishments were some of the best I have seen. I too thought the hairpin turn at mile 24 was a bit odd, as I am sure they could have found another way to get the distance. Finishing in the stadium was cool, though running on the outfield track was weird as the gravel was soft and loose so you could feel your feet sliding. My two negatives are small crowds and running on some of the streets where the road was seriously crowned. I caught myself running just outside the cones in an effort to find a surface that was not crowned. Overall, though, this was an excellent experience and one that I will consider doing again in the future.

 

A. G. from Aberdeen, MS (12/4/2007)
"Amazing!" (about: 2007)

First Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


The entire weekend was unbelievable! It was so organized and efficient. This was my first race, but it will definitely not be my last!

 

B. T. from St. Louis (12/4/2007)
"Good Marathon - Bad Memphis Experience" (about: 2007)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Memphis Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 3


Really enjoyed the marathon and helping out a good cause. Only complaint was parking before the race. Several of us found a parking lot with nothing indicating any parking restrictions. After the race, my car had a boot placed on it and I dealt with the rudest person I have ever dealt with in my life. Long story short, $75 later, I left. Quite the scam for out-of-towners. All cars in the lot had boots and there were no signs indicating any problems with parking there. Also noticed as I was leaving that other parking lots increased their prices for the race. Never have seen this happen in other cities during marathons. Other parking venues the day before were also incredibly rude. I realize organizers can't control everyone in Memphis, but maybe they could select a few choice places for runners to park. Again, nice marathon, but I won't go back to Memphis!

 

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