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Nov 24, 2024

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 61 to 71]

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E. S. from Chicago, IL (12/13/2009) "Scenic and hilly" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Very well organized race with a scenic route that I enjoyed. But I highly recommend hill training before running this race. The hills are very gentle, but there are a lot of them! Pros: Race start is very easy with the Convention Center right there. You can stay warm and use the facilities inside until 10 minutes before the start time. For out-of-towners, the hotels are very conveniently located right by the Convention Center. You just have to roll out of bed and you're at the start. Great organization and volunteers along the route! The spectators that did come out were very energetic and supportive, but since this is a mid-size race, spectator support was limited. Nice, long-sleeve tech tees. Cons: I wonder if the race could be advertised more locally to help get more spectators out. I didn't notice any signs downtown and my cab driver from the airport had never heard of it. Also, it would be cool if there was something more that connected it to NASCAR, since that coincides with the race theme. This was my first time to Charlotte and to NC. The city is beautiful and clean, and everyone I met was very nice. Although my race time was less than impressive, I'm glad that I was able to experience the city and meet the great people there! Thanks, Charlotte!
S. B. from United States (12/13/2009) "Great race but chip timing was off." (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Great race otherwise!!!
A. D. from Pound Ridge, NY (12/13/2009) "Great Race; Highly Recommend It!" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was probably the most organized marathon (out of seven) I've run. The course was tough, but scenic. The volunteers, including the race folks, the cops/firemen, and the kids at the water station, etc., were awesome. The crowds were solid and very creative: Bands playing Rocky music, Fugesi Wall to "break down" at mile 20, 10 a.m. BBQ crowds blasting all of the race classics on the radio ("Where the Streets Have No Name," "Born to Run," "Run Like Hell..."), garage bands, and my favorite, the marching band under the tunnel by Panther Stadium.... I went down from NY and it was inexpensive to fly there, and inexpensive to get a great room by the start of the race (Marriott, but there's also the Westin, Hilton, etc.). This is a super race, and the medals are solid. I would highly recommend that you add one to your collection. Thanks to all of the folks who worked hard to put such a nice race together. I had a great time.
M. R. from Ohio (12/13/2009) "Great race" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was a pretty good marathon. I had never run in North Carolina and thought this looked like a good one. The race is pretty conveniently located near several hotels. It was great to have the convention center open prior to the race. There are some hills along the course but not a single one was a "killer." They were all gradual hills. I was pleasantly surprised to receive a long-sleeve technical running shirt when I picked up my packet AND after finishing the race. The colors of the shirts were different, but it would have been nice to have two different designs. The medal was nice also.
T. M. from Greensboro, North Carolina (12/13/2009) "Very Pleasant Experience All-Around" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Having set a half-marathon PR in October, I decided to parlay that into potentially breaking my marathon PR. I have run some bigger races like NY and I chose to do this race late, so I didnt know what to expect. The Bad - It isn't just at this race, but some people need a lesson in race etiquette. I spent the first 3 miles passing slower runners and even walkers. If you are going to be running slowly or walking, start in the back! The mass half-marathon/marathon start really cluttered things up. - The port-a-potties were all occupied throughout the course. Maybe add an extra one or two each water stop. - Be on the lookout for the traffic. I saw a really close call with someone almost getting hit by a bus. The police would let people through intersections when there was a lull in the runners, but the backed-up car traffic would get antsy and try to make it through. A bus plowed through and almost hit a couple of people ahead of me. This was literally a half-mile from the finish. The Good - Despite the hills, it seemed like a pretty fast course. I cut my PR by more than 20 minutes. - Lots of available parking extremely close to check-in. We parked about 2 blocks from the finish line, so it was pretty easy to get out after the race. - Race day check-in was a definite plus. - A pretty enthusiastic crowd. There were a couple of stretches (14-16 and 18-20) where there was no one, but the first half of the race had a lot of the spectators. In the second half, the band under the overpass near the football stadium was awesome, as well as the stretch of people near the arena and the NoDa neighborhood. Thanks for coming out. - Great volunteers and police support throughout the city. They did a thankless job as well as one can do. - Weather was great. I have trouble running in the heat. It started in the low 30s and ended in the low 40s. I had a short-sleeve shirt on and by about mile 5, and I felt fine. All in all, it was a pretty positive experience. The hills didn't seem too bad as I train in a pretty hilly area, but the one after 24 just past Hawthorne High School was the kicker for me. I struggled home after that. There seems to be a lot of diversity, with a marathon relay, half-marathon and 5K, so if marathons are not your thing, there is something for everyone. I'd suggest this in the future and would contemplate doing it again.
B. S. from Charlotte (12/13/2009) "Great race for first-timers and veterans!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)s COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is my fifth Thunder Road and it continues to get better. Spectator support is somewhat scarce in some areas while there are wild parties in others. It was challenging with the hills, and yet there were some flat portions (never enough). I highly recommend this race for all types. If it's your first time, make sure you check the elevation maps.
F. L. from Littleton, NC (12/13/2009) "Not bad but could be great!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)s COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Charlotte is a great town with wonderful people! Really good crowd support on a cold day! Volunteers rocked! Thank you so much for braving the cold to make our day better. In this year's Thunder Road Marathon, a few things were better than last year, and and two definitely were not! On the positive side: * Most folks like the technical shirts better, and Charlotte changed to a very nice tech shirt, * As a surprise, they passed out a second technical shirt at the finish line. Very nice! But there were disappointments! * Other then the name (Thunder Road Marathon) there was NO support from NASCAR. Not a single car parked on the course. No cars at the finish! No NASCAR drivers. Nothing! Why not just call this the Charlotte Marathon? I was disappointed. Last year, at least there were race cars parked at several points along the way and at the end. * The finisher's medal was not dated! Just a plain medal with the words "Thunder Road Marathon." But still, this was a fun race. I wish they could change the course to an out-and-back; the first half is BEAUTIFUL, but the second half not so much.
B. S. from USA (12/13/2009) "Time for limits" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Charlotte Marathon (formerly Charlotte's Thunder Road Marathon)s COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was my second time running Thunder Road. I ran it last year also. I think it is time to start thinking about some limits on the race. I have no idea how many half or full runners there were (I heard someone say 9,000), but I expect there were at least three times more half runners, since the course was extremely crowded all the way to the separation point. If the race continues to grow but the same logistics are used every year, more runners are going to be finishing feeling very dissatisfied. Three examples: 1. Not enough porta-potties on the course. Seeing 15-20 people in line to use a porta-pot at every aid station on the front half of the course is ridiculous. I waited 5 minutes to use the restroom at mile 6 and another 4 minutes at mile 10. 2. There were 5 gels left when I got to the first aid station that offered them. 3. There was absolutely nothing left in the finish line area except some green bananas, PowerAde and a Snickers energy bar when I finished. It looked like a ghost town. All of the tents were being taken down and they were pushing the NASCAR away. And I finished in under 5 hours. Did all the half marathoners eat everything? When a course says it will remain open for 6 hours, but there is nothing left in the finish area for the mid-to-back-of-the-pack runners, that is poor planning! Last year there was fruit, bread, hot chili, and BEER! Very disappointed. I did get another tech shirt shoved into my hand. Consolation prize for us slower runners, or did everyone get a finishing shirt? I don't know what the answer is. Limit the half runners? Cut out the half completely? Start the half runners later? They run the Dowd Half Marathon in November; why do they even need a half mixed in with the full marathoners if they can't support that many runners? Other than that, very well run marathon. The course is what it is. Scenic first half, and some good block parties going on in the second half. Loved that we got a tech shirt this year instead of cotton. Expo was good. Staying warm in the convention center beforehand was appreciated. Plenty of water and PowerAde on the course. Lots of enthusiastic volunteers and some spectators along the course. Good bands- the few that there were. I especially liked the drum and cymbals group under the bridge near the stadium.
S. B. from Charlotte, NC USA (12/12/2009) "A life experience..." (about: 2009) First Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Well, this was my very first marathon and overall I was pleased with the training I did to knock out 26 miles and 385 yards. Many of the long runs I did were on sections of the marathon course, and that definitely helped. Strongly recommend running sections of the course if you are reasonably close to Charlotte. Yes, pace groups were present and they should help, in theory. I started off with the 3:15 pace runner and we held 7:12/mile. No, that is not the pace for a 3:15 marathon, but closer to a 3:09 marathon. Someone in our group questioned the pacer about this and his response was that he was going to get everyone who stayed with him qualified for Boston. Well, that's nice, especially since many of the group was younger than 35, but not so great for the folks in 35-39 group, of which there were a few. Consequently, many who thought they were on 3:15 pace were dropped, hard, around the 11.5-12 mile stretch up E. Morehead. The pacer crossed the 13.1 clock at 1:34:30. Yes, if you are running a race, you should wear a watch that works and know how fast you are running, and should be running to reach your goal time; but at the same time, if you are a pacer, you should run at the pace you are advertising, not faster. The conference center was awesome with respect to location of the start/finish lines and infrastructure. Bathrooms were clean and plentiful. The physical location is readily accessible from the Charlotte Light Rail. It's a $3.00 ride, round trip, and there is a stop called 3rd St./Convention Center, which is about 120 yards from the Convention Center doors. If you are living in South Charlotte or have access to a place to say close to a light rail stop, you would be crazy not to take advantage of the light rail. The expo was decent. I didn't buy anything, but it was easy to get my registration packet and check/reclaim the bag I brought containing change of clothes and such. The volunteers were wonderful. Lots of water and PowerAde Ion on the course, and GU was where it was advertised on the website. It was really cool to see lots of little kids handing out cups and stuff, especially since it was in the mid 30's or so for the race! The marathon medal really is first class, and if you complete the Dowd YMCA Half Marathon in November, in conjunction with Thunder Road 26.2, then you can received an additional 39.3 medal. The latter is not as large, heavy, or attractive, but getting two medals for one race is better than getting one medal for one race. The food was ordinary in the finishing chute. Smaller, local races in the Charlotte area had tastier treats with more variety. With such a huge NASCAR presence only a stone's throw away, I am a little surprised that one of the sponsors wasn't a domestic brewery. Oh well. The volunteers in the chute were awesome at making sure you had PowerAde and/or water as quickly as possible, and the girls who took the old-school Champion Chips off of the shoes were great. On a greener note, they did go with an email virtual goody bag to eliminate unnecessary printing and paper. Marathon #2 is on the horizon and it probably will not be Thunder Road 2010 simply because I want to run the next one on a flatter course. Tough course for a first marathon, but I will probably run it again in the future. If you are a seasoned marathoner, you should definitely give Thunder Road a go!
K. F. from Charlotte, NC (7/13/2009) "A run through many of Charlotte's neighborhoods" (about: 2007) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, so I entered it without expectations. Being from Charlotte, I felt that the course did a fantastic job of showing off the town. I enjoyed running through downtown, Myers Park, Plaza Midwood, NoDa - all beautiful areas in their own unique way. Crowd support was sporadic: not many people can out in the Myers Park neighborhoods, while those in Plaza Midwood and NoDa were throwing sidewalk parties! Lots of spectators were clustered downtown to see the runners come through. I'm just not a fan of the combined half and full marathons, and this is the race where that sentiment began. It makes the start very congested and the race a bit discouraging when the half-ers are gunning it around miles 12 and 13. The expo was pretty lame, and I hope that the organizers work to improve that for future years. It completely failed to pump me up for my first 26.2 mile run the next day. The long-sleeve shirt was nice, as well as the finisher's medal. There was adequate food and beverages to refuel at the finish. The weather was beautiful; this is a good option if you're looking for a winter race. I also like the pace team option. While I enjoyed this as my first full, I would not run it again.

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