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☰
Richmond Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Richmond Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.7 
Spectators 4.5
Number of comments: 401 [displaying comments 281 to 291]
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K. S. from Goode, Virginia
(11/17/2005)
"Great race in a great Southern city!" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Richmond Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I love the course! It takes you through downtown at the start for a few miles, which is not all that pretty but is nice and level and allows plenty of time for your legs to get warmed up and loose before you have to do anything even remotely strenuous. The course then takes you through some of Richmond's historic areas and residential neighborhoods, across the James River twice, before concluding with a nice downhill segment back in downtown. Spectators are vocal and numerous at most high traffic areas along the course but sometimes depending upon where you were on the course the spectators were sparse. Volunteers were numerous and helpful, aid stations were well run and had carb gels, gummy bears, donuts, wet washclothes, Powerade, etc. Plus, the weather was simply wonderful this year which made it a perfect race! | |
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David Reinhart from San Antonio, Texas
(11/17/2005)
"Running with all the Fall Colors" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Beautiful time of the year to run a race in Richmond. A very good race, but could use a few improvements: 1) Where were all the bands that were advertised? I only saw just a handful of the 30 advertised. 2) I know this race used to be much later in the morning, but I still think it is too late - try 7 or 7:30 am. 3) A pet-peeve of mine is running races alongside traffic on busy streets; to me the course should include a greater portion on side/neighborhood streets. But aside from that, I would still recommend it to others. | |
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F. L. from Woodbridge, Virginia
(11/17/2005)
"Great Marathon" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Richmond Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my second marathon race experience and definitely the best. This is the marathon that I will use to compare others with. The race lived up its name of 'America's Friendliest Marathon' in every way. Highly recommended to everyone who is looking for a great organized race. | |
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R. R. from St Louis, MO
(11/16/2005)
"Good Experience" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Richmond Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Very good: weather (start - low 40s, finish - low 60s), medal (one of the best I have), finishing stretch (similar to Columbus, but steeper decline and more fan support), general race organization (wonderful), guided tour of course (on a Greyhound - well worth the time), police support (wonderful with traffic control and positive comments to runners). Good: course (scenic, a little more hilly than I anticipated - up and down), crowd support (good, but not as much as I anticipated based on ads), expo (not bad, but a bit tight on space) Enhancement opportunities: water stops (somewhat disorganized... some had water followed by sports drink, other had the opposite, others had water on left and drink on right, others the opposite), potties (few and far between for a race this size), finish line (basically it was ok, but no where near what I had expected based on advertising and other comments, nor as good as other similar sized races (ex. Columbus)). Overall - a good experience! | |
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Charlie Conrad from Moseley, VA
(11/16/2005)
"How much fun can 26.2 miles really be!?" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 4-5 Richmond Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is my 4th time to run this race and it gets better every time. I've run 3 other courses and now realize how much better the course, the fans, the bands, and the post-race food is at Richmond. It is a joy to live near a town that puts on such a quality event. Congrats to all the volunteers, police, medical and race officials who have done such an awesome job. | |
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Rebecca Sora from Baltimore MD
(11/16/2005)
"AMAZING RACE!" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Richmond Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My second marathon and I enjoyed every inch of it. :) Will definitely do it again and again and again. :) Thank you, everyone. | |
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W. H. from Blountville, TN
(11/15/2005)
"A wonderful marathon experience" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Richmond Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 From the absolutely perfect weather to the enthusiastic supporters all along the way, Richmond was a wonderful marathon experience in 2005. I had been away from running for almost six years and chose Richmond to make my re-entry into the running world. I could not have made a better choice. The course is quite scenic and gentle (still looking for all those 'hills' everyone warns about). The volunteers and event staff are top-of-the-line and the residents who opened their streets to us also gave a grand showing of southern hospitality. If you want a truly wonderful running experience, pick Richmond. | |
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S. J. from Williamsburg, VA
(11/14/2005)
"A great small marathon" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Gorgeous weather - perfect fall day that began with temps in the high 30's that rose to the low 60's. The field is small, so there are no packs to block your run. Lots of race volunteers and spectators to cheer/guide/help in any way that they can. The organizers seem to think of everything that is needed - from port-a-potties everywhere on the course to junk food and washcloths. The course has some hills - with very quick descents, and long slow ascents. You need to include hills in your training to be ready for this. The T-shirt wasn't the greatest, but the medals are good. This marathon is worth a drive and some effort. As fun as a marathon can be. | |
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M. S. from Blacksburg, Virginia
(11/14/2005)
"A relaxing fall marathon " (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 For my second marathon I chose Richmond because it was rated highly on this website, in Runner's World, and was also fairly close to my current location. I was not disappointed in my choice. The course was varied, starting in the urban skyscrapers, out through Monument Avenue (celebrating a unique mix of individuals such as Arthur Ashe and JEB Stuart), then out to the banks of the James River, back to the downtown, and around some of the nice neighborhoods on the north side of town, and finishing downtown again. The course was also quite flat, and the few hills (I would term them grades, not hills) were minor (although I'm coming from the western part of VA). The variations in the course keep one engaged and interested. The only two drawbacks about the course is that the inclusion of the James River means running on two long concrete bridges, and some of the streets are not in the best shape - i.e a fairly heavy camber and uneven surfaces. However, that alone does not diminish the overall great experience of the course. The organization was top-notch, such as the aid stations in good order and evenly distributed, packet pick-up simple and straightforward, and a well executed start and finish. Also having a pint glass with the race logo on it more than offset the fairly weak long sleeve t-shirt (my only complaint about the organization). As far as the spectators went, it may not be as many as what are reported for NYC or Chicago, but there were a lot of fans out there cheering us on at most stages of the race, even the more remote ones along the James. The few bands that were out there were pretty good although their choice in songs wasn't the best (i.e. the BNL song 'Brian Wilson' is not the most uplifting since it's about depression). Overall, Richmond was a great race for a variety of reasons and I believe in my 2 experiences before that it was one of the 'most friendly marathons in the US'. | |
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A.S. King from Powder Springs, GA
(11/14/2005)
"An absolutely wonderful experience!" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Richmond Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a wonderful race experience -- from start to finish. It was very well organized event, from the packet pick-up to the water stations. There was an abundance of everything: fans, water, GU, PowerAde, beer, chocolate - you name it, it was there. And the scenic route wasn't bad either. Got a PR!! Would recommend this race to anyone! |
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