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☰
Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon) Runner Comments
Back to Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon) Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.4
Number of comments: 181 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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susan Plattner from Raleigh NC
(11/25/2014)
"Awesome run through awesome city" (about: 2014)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Very impressed by this marathon...very well organized, challenging course (hills yes but they were not bad), amazing spectators, and a big shout out to the 4:10 pace dudes. You got me through!!!! Highly recommend this race!!! | |
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K. Z. from NC
(11/24/2014)
"Hilly, FUN Course" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)s
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great crowd support at this race!! The course really highlights Charlotte and goes through some beautiful neighborhoods, in front of Panthers Stadium and new baseball stadium. Police officers very friendly and cheered at road crossings. Tough course but scenic. Great medal and shirt. Pacing service offered. Well organized and ample porta jons. Ample cheap parking close to start line. Would do again! | |
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C. K. from Phoenix, AZ
(11/16/2014)
"Fun, well-supported, well-organized race" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Spectators were fantastic - loved the neighborhood parties. Race was well-organized from volunteers at aid stations to police directing traffic to race volunteers directing runners through course. Previous comments indicated the race is hilly, which it is, but the hills are rolling with no major inclines, which only made the course interesting. Weather was very cold at start but cold is preferable to too warm. | |
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D. D. from Gaithersburg, MD
(11/16/2014)
"Hills, Cold, Cheers!" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 First off...this year was VERY cold (nothing that you could do about that). Second, there are hills, however, none of them were too daunting (except the one near the finish line but that probably wasn't as big as I thought at the time.) Thirdly, the spectators were awesome, especially in some of the neighborhoods on the back half of the course like Dillworth and a few others. There were mini block parties set up for the spectators (and some of the runners). This is a challenging course but it's also very scenic. The course winds through some of Charlotte's nice neighborhoods and even when you were in the industrial areas, there was good spectator presence to help you forget. Also great job by the Charlotte/Mecklenburg police/sheriffs for their traffic control and a few cheering officers along the course. | |
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K. C. from Nashville, TN
(11/29/2013)
"Hilly but well organized marathon" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I found this race to be very well organized, from the free shuttle bus from the airport, to the cluster of hotels near the start and finish line, to the race itself. I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn and had a 4 block walk to the start, and the race finish chute was literally steps away. The course was hilly, although I train on hills and had run Mt. Desert Island 4 weeks earlier, so it was no big deal to me. The course starts in downtown and quickly moves out into some nice tree-lined residential areas, skirting a park or two before hitting a few industrial areas. Had it not been for a misty rain for the first 10 miles and persistent cloud cover throughout, I might have found the course a little more scenic. The course was very well marked, and there were abundant volunteers throughout. I tend to run pretty hard, finishing 29th overall, so if there are spectators on the course, I don't tend to notice them. However, in Charlotte, enough held up some rather provocative signs that I actually did notice them. I was impressed that the water stations had very knowledgeable volunteers, who called out what beverage they had and knew how to move their hands in the direction I was running in so it was easy to grab without breaking stride. Medals were enormous and ornate. I would have preferred a technical shirt to cotton, but we're picking nits if this is the major criticism. Age group awards were unique-checkered flags with the race name and your place in the age group. Overall, I really enjoyed this marathon. It's also pretty easy to get to as Charlotte is a US Airways hub. | |
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J. W. from Columbus, Ohio
(4/4/2013)
"Great, well-organized race." (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Always impressed with the City of Charlotte and the marathon didn't disappoint. A tough course - there are almost zero flat stretches, however, with few exceptions the hills are very manageable and the change of pace from what I'm used to was nice. I didn't PR, but came close and my time was just barely a BQ. I'm surprised it is such a small race - Charlotte is a fairly active large city. The corrals were open access, but getting towards the front was not an issue it seemed most of the field was lined up correctly on their own. Spectators were great in pockets, but some dead stretches particularly in the tougher parts of the 2nd half. I will definitely run this race again in 2013. | |
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K. W. from Charlotte, NC
(1/28/2013)
"Great race, very organized" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)s
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is my second Thunder Road. Ran with a pace group, extremely helpful. Well organized from expo to finish line. Parking for the expo at 5pm was difficult. Plenty of options for race day parking, short walks from the start and finish. Thanks to the NoDa and Plaza neighborhoods!! The mental energy boost helps during the tough 3-4 mi. at the end. The course is challenging. Rolling hills along the way. If I remember correctly, miles 18-20 are a steady gradual incline... Lots of food/snack options at the end if you still have an appetite. I did find the beer truck! Shot blocks were difficult to open. Might consider going back to gels. I would recommend this race to anyone that wants a small race with the organization and attention to details of a large race. | |
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B. S. from Little Rock, Arkansas
(12/29/2012)
"Great Half Marathon!! Overall a superb race!" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race provided a shuttle from the airport to packet pick. This was a GREAT idea and very much appreciated!!! Packet pick-up: very organized and plenty of gear or last minute items available Hotel: nearby hotel was within walking distance of everyone and everyone was friendly RACE DAY: plenty of porta potties, organized start line, local shops allowed up to enter to stay warm. THE RACE: the race was absolutely scenic!! Beautiful tree lined streets, nice bands, spectators. The race is Hilly and challenging, so practice hill work!! The finish line was organized, plenty of food drink and volunteers. GREAT RACE and I'd recommend it to any and everyone! | |
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S. H. from North Carolina
(12/1/2012)
"Course with lots of variety" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Overview: This was a great race for me. I achieved my goal of running a BQ and set a 16 minute PR. Just about perfect running weather, although a little windy at times. I arrived at the Westin, one of the host hotels, in the early evening. There were several events going on at the Westin and we had to wait about 45 minutes for check-in, so I didn't get to spend a lot of time at the expo. They ran out of shirts in the size I registered for, but they offered to mail one in the correct size. I'm still waiting on it to arrive, but I'm hopeful it will come soon! The Course: Not as hilly as I expected based on other reviews here. I live and did all of my training in the foothills of western N. Carolina and was prepared for some major climbs. But the course is rolling with no major up or downhills and enough straight sections to make it interesting. In general, the first half of the marathon is much prettier than the second half. There was a section with lots of construction and some industrial sections along the way. NoDa was lots of funlove the spectators and their enthusiasm. The race website suggested there would be more bands and entertainment along the way. Not really impressed with this aspect, but I generally don't run races for the entertainment. Spectators: Some bare spots, but overall good support. My family was able to catch me at the 14 and 16 mile marks. Again, kudos to the NoDa and Dillworth neighborhoods. A fun block party that made everyone feel welcomed. There we some fun motivational spectator signs along the way too (pain is temporary, internet results are forever). Water Stops: Plentiful and well stocked with water. Also had gatorade, but I just opted for water. They offered Shot Blocks 2x, but I carried my own nutrition and didn't take the blocks. Post Race: A good selection of snacks and entertainment. Nice finishers medal. I was able to find my family immediately. No complaints! If you're looking for a well-organized, modest sized race, this is a great event. I will definitely do this one again. Thanks for a great experience! | |
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C. K. from Illinois
(11/21/2012)
"Fun, beautiful, well organized" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Start and finish close to hotels. Loop course with no backtracking. Plentiful porto potties along course. Scenic and varied course. Enthusiastic spectators. Police department went above and beyond:they were out in force and many of them cheered us on when they could. You could see the finish coming from a distance so you could pace accordingly.Variety of food and drink at the end and places to sit if you had to. Only thing I would have preferred differently is gel instead of energy chews along the course. |
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