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☰
Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon) Runner Comments
Back to Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon) Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 3.9 
Spectators 4.2
Number of comments: 338 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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K. B. from Raleigh area, NC
(12/31/2015)
"Highly Recommend this Dallas Race" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Very well organized! Highly recommend to anyone. A great Texas option for those completing the 50 states. Starting corrals were nice as it spread out the runners. However, I must have said I'd finish the race in a certain time because I was placed in a corral I thought I'd be too fast for. So just watch yourself when estimating your finish time for that determines your corral placement. I ran with the 5 hour pace group and the pacer was awesome! Big, huge shout out to Drew! The other runners in the group were very nice too :) . Not sure if it is open every year but the convention center was open so that was nice to get inside and out of the drizzly rain. Or if not open and it is rainy, one can stand under the overhang to stay dry. Changing rooms located right by gear bag check. Every marathon should have these available! Just add some carpet...please. I'd come back. I've got friends who live in the area too so that is an added bonus. | |
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Mike Hake from Overland Park, KS
(4/9/2015)
"Great city course, 1st-rate organization & extras" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Everything about this big-city race experience was great. After the race was cancelled due to the ice storm in '13, the energy of the whole event seemed amplified and thus even more exciting. The expo was as big and awesome as any I've seen. Aisles upon aisles of vendors and booths for races all across the country. It's held in the convention center where there is plenty of space. The weather was great for the race, some may have griped about the humidity and mist, but those are just gripes. The fact is, temps were perfect, in the 50s for the majority of the race, which is about average for Dallas in December. It should also be noted that I'm from KC area, where it can be in the 10s and 20s by December, so to me a little humidity is nothing to complain about. The finisher's medal is so cool, it's the shape of Texas and has lots of color, and the ribbon is very nice and detailed. The tech shirt is very tasteful, it had just the race logo and that's it, and is a comfortable material. The extras that made the race special were almost endless and it is hard to remember all of them. Boston champion Meb Keflezighi led the Mavericks relay team competing against the Ryan Hall-led Texas Rangers relay team. Hall finished with his relay leg in plenty of time to hand out finishers medals to marathoners; he handed me mine. Super humble, friendly guy. His wife Sara won the women's half. I believe there may have been elite appearances at the Expo as well. The massive race start had a huge big screen in view of all runners in the corraled street, and introduced the elites and pumped everyone up with music and race highlights. Fireworks blasted to send us off - it was an electric atmosphere. Spectator support was great, tons of neighborhoods came out in droves to line the course and cheer us on with signs and encouragement. Aid stations were well-stocked and spaced well. There were two CLIF Shot Zones where you ran under their inflatable arch and CLIF people were handing out energy gels. Another thing I noticed comments about was the amount of hills, which (sorry complainers) is absolutely ridiculous. This is NOT a hilly course. I believe there is somewhere around 150-200 feet of hill climbing total, which is very little for a 26.2 mile course. Do not be deterred, this is not a course with any brutal hills, just a few rollers to keep things interesting. The wind off of White Rock Lake slows your pace down for 4-5 miles through the middle of the race, but the scenery of the lake and skyline view of downtown is worth it. Just go into the halfway miles expecting to ease off a bit and you're fine. The final 4-5 miles is pretty much all downhill, which is a huge relief at the end of any marathon. I'm sure I forgot some other details that made this race special, but take my word for it and go find out for yourself why its a fun race. I have family in Dallas area so it was an obvious trip for me, but also if your a marathoner coming from cold winter weather this race (on a normal year) provides relief from the cold. I highly recommend this race to people looking to run a marathon in Texas or a December marathon. I enjoyed the entire experience and left feeling my every expectation was satisfied | |
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B. S. from Dallas, TX
(12/23/2014)
"Great marathon, don't forget the hills." (about: 2014)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Like many others I had to run this year after the cancellation of the 2013 D/T ice storm. The race was wonderful, the bands along the course were very inspiring, water stops perfect. The EXPO was well set up and packet pick up went easy, walked right in, got my packet with no wait. Everything that could be controlled was, and done well. My only complaints were weather, and hills. Now I live in the DFW area, and know there are hills in the area, but we don't have to run up them all, it seemed that the course could have been laid out better. That last hill once we came off running in the wind at White Rock Lake just sucked the life out of me. My other complaint was the sub tropic weather that day. There were so many runners around mile 20-26 with cramps, the humidity was 85-90% that morning with a heavy misty light rain. The race directors can't control the weather, but they could change the course to get out of some of the many hills. Otherwise I loved the race, and will do it again. | |
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T. V. from Flower Mound, TX
(12/17/2014)
"great marathon" (about: 2014)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Nice to have this one back after it got iced out in 2013. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't great for this one. I finished at a disappointing 4:15 (was shooting for 3:50, but cramps got me), and it absolutely started to pour rain right as I crossed the finish line. And I was in the upper 50%, so many many runners ran in the rain. The fan support on this course is great. The organization is great for such a big run. The new course for 2014 was very pretty. It's still a fairly hilly run, though, but that's Dallas. And the winds around White Rock Lake (from roughly 13 - 18 mile points) can be tough, as they were this year. Tons of well stocked water stands, with goo at several. Very organized start. Nobody at the post-race party when I finished, because of the rain. The only real negative was the parking. I paid $15 parking just to pick up my packet on Saturday. Then $10 on race day. There were maybe some cheaper options, but still ... wow. Plus the race itself was like $130. So it ain't a cheap run. | |
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V. B. from Longview, Texas
(12/15/2014)
"Pleased to be back" (about: 2014)
3 previous marathons
| 2 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The race directors really brought their a-game this year after the cancellation of 2013s race. The quality of everything from the expo to the presence of staff and volunteers on the course was tremendous. | |
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N. S. from Arvada, CO
(4/23/2013)
"My favorite, so far..." (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I REALLY enjoyed this marathon. The course went through some very beautiful neighborhoods and the section around White Rock Lake was enjoyable. The guy at the end who shook my hand (race director maybe?) made my day! Even though I'm not the fastest, he made me feel like my participation was greatly appreciated. The tech finisher shirt was long sleeve and the design was stylish. I wear it all the time. All the volunteers were friendly and efficient. My only complaint was the food at the end was kind of boring. | |
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D. E. from Santa Clara, CA
(1/27/2013)
"Boring course, post-race setup terrible" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Except for the loop around White Lake, it was a pretty boring course. Industrial areas, residential area, few spectators = same old, same old... Having to walk around half the convention center to get to the post-race area was very poor planning. Some previous reviewers complained that they got a cotton shirt instead of a tech shirt, but I don't understand their complaints. The cotton shirt was the pre-race shirt, and the tech shirt was handed out as the finisher shirt. Did these people not pick up the finisher shirt? A shout out to the Dolly Partons. You guys made my day! | |
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J. W. from Arlington TX
(1/14/2013)
"Latest Course Change a Big Disappointment" (about: 2012)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I've run this event several times, and this latest course change was a big disappointment. At points, the congestion was such that for runners wanting to run through the water station (mile 7-ish?), it was impossible. The finish line ought to take an example from Houston - same set-up (convention center, etc.), but better organization. Having to go upstairs on a very crowded escalator was nuts, and having to walk so far through the underpass just to get inside was nuts. Take another lesson from Houston on how to move runners through the post-race circuit. I have loved this race above all others, and now I don't know that I'll return. (And, yes, let's have something hot at the post-race.) | |
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M. M. from Fort Worth, TX
(1/12/2013)
"My First - so have nothing to compare it to..." (about: 2012)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I used Marathon guide to select this race for my first marathon and was so worried about it being the worst organization, the worst weather, and the worst course, I could have ever selected. My race time was not even close to what I wanted, but it wasn't due to the management of the race, the weather, or the course. It was my first race, so I really don't have anything to compare it to, but I sincerely enjoyed it. I felt like the course was beautiful, well supported, plenty of aid stations (complete with free beer at mile 19 - definitely took advantage). I can honestly say, I had a blast! I will run this again.... and hopefully redeem my time next time. :) | |
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James Lehman from Coppell, TX
(1/7/2013)
"terribly average" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Dallas Marathon (formerly the Dallas White Rock Marathon)s
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I volunteer and run the WhiteRock (excuse me-Dallas) Marathon for the past few years and wish that every once in a while the organizers would attend or run other marathons happening in the US so that they could imitate good things others are doing. 1. Packet pick-up in Dallas compared to Route 66 is dull and uneventful; like a funeral, just solemn. 2. Lack of innovation and marketing compared to Little Rock and Mississippi Blues. Changing the name from White Rock to Dallas alone won't do the trick. 3. They should vary up the shirts. Plain jane shirts from Dallas are totally theme-less. 4. Course is also plain jane save for White Rock Lake which represents a portion of the full race option. 5. Post-race amenities were also disappointing considering the fee structure. Something warm and edible, say? Should I have purchased the VIP for $150? I'm not sure I paid even half that amount for the Balbo tent at Chicago a couple of months earlier. 6. I appreciate volunteers' efforts at the water stations but please instruct them to stand on the side of the street as they offer water/hydration. Too many runners on the course for volunteers to be crowding us. 7. The shorter races (mayor/5K) was an organizational disaster. Not even half the volunteers appeared as committed and there was only one volunteer at the starting point trying to rein in thousands of runners to one lane so that the leaders would have a return lane to run in for getting to the finish line. |
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