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Marathon Details - Rock 'n' Roll Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > CA > San Diego > Rock 'n' Roll Marathon

Rock 'n' Roll Marathon

Rock 'n' Roll Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K

San Diego, CA USA

June 1, 2025

http://www.runrocknroll.com/san-diego

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Race Details

ROCK the streets where it all began. The Suja Rock n Roll Marathon & 1/2 Marathon To Benefit The Leuklemia & Lymphoma Society returns for its 19th year on June 5, 2016. Run through historic neighborhoods including Balboa Park and Old Town. The Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay are packed with live entertainment on course that will keep you rockin all the way to the finish line.

Contact Information

Name:	Competitor Group
Address:	Competitor Group 9477 Waples St., Suite 150 San Diego, CA 92121
Phone Number:	800-311-1255
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (417)

Course 3.5

Organization 4.1

Spectators 4.1

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Number of comments: 417 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 42 > ]

D. N. from Franklin, TN (6/14/2022) "It's a tough one!" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my 20th marathon and maybe my toughest one yet. I obviously checked out the elevation chart prior to the race and thought other than the big hill at mile 22/23, the rest of the course was fairly level&it's not. This is one tough course! The first half had more hills than I was expecting. The crowd support for the first half was good, but not great. Miles 14 through 21 are a lot of running on trails, with little or no crowd support, so it starts getting lonely. Then of course comes THE HILL at around mile 22/23& makes Heartbreak Hill look like a bunny hill! I thought I was ready for it, but it was brutal. Once you get to the top of THE HILL, the last 3 miles were great. San Diego is such a great town, with so many great little neighborhoods. I think if they would incorporate more of the neighborhoods into the course, they could design a much better course, which would also lead to better crowd support.
s. d. from Calgary, CANADA (6/8/2019) "Hard work, but organization is swell." (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 You need to be ready for this if you are attempting any sort of time that is in your historical reach. It is true - significant 1 mile hill at #22, but not to be ignored are recurring bubbles (overpass, roll, big downhill requiring brakes, etc.) beyond halfway mark. A couple of very short and steep ramps elsewhere. This was marathon #47 for me, and personally I haven't seen a course with these sorts of ascents before. Whew! Its an ideal time for good weather in the area and the race is organized perfectly. Crowds are pretty thin - youngsters scrolling on their iphones, looking up as their next amazon page loads. If you come for Boston-like crowds, forget it, just so you can get what you need. Everyone has their own requirements.
B. B. from San Diego, California (7/17/2017) "Better Than Good...Could Be Great" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Miles 1-8 - Great start at Balboa Park, thru Hillcreast, up and around residential North Park. This portion of the course gets a 4 out of 5. Miles 9-14 - Back thru North Park, Hillcrest, and thru Mission Hills. An even better section of course, I give it a 5. Then...the wheels come off. I could have picked a hundred better routes than what followed. Miles 15-18 - Morena Ave to Mission Bay, back to Morena and Friars Rd. Flat section of course, but brutally boring! I give it a 2, Miles 19-22 - Friars Rd. Not bad. A noticeable grade, but the uphill run felt good. I give it a 3. Miles 23-24 - Route 163. This is what gets most people upset; a killer highway hill late in the race. It was tough, but AWESOME! 4 out of 5. Miles 25-26.2 - Downtown SD. It would have been great if my legs weren't shot from running Route 163. I give it a 4. Overall, no complaints from me. The route could have been better, but it was okay. I give it a 3 overall. Fans were good. They were especially fervent in North Park and downtown. Lots of bands and local school cheerleaders. The finish was pretty awesome. Expo was above average and post-race party was excellent. I'll do it again next year, but I hope they change the course. Leave Route 163, but ditch Mission Bay.
G. I. from ARIZONA (6/20/2017) "NICE VACATION RUN" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 TRAIN FOR HILLS, SAVE SOME JUICE FOR THE LAST 6 MILES Had a family vacation scheduled for 1st week in June, so I decided to run San Diego for my 24th marathon. Glad I did-BUT I wasn't aiming for a BQ/PR, as I wanted to enjoy this race. The expo organization was very efficient and well organized. The start line organization was the best start line area arrangement I have ever been a part of. I did not want to chance the trolley/shuttles/parking garages so I got an uber ride to the start line and I'm so glad I did; I was dropped off 1 block from the start area and only walked about 3 minutes and enjoyed a pre-race warm up in beautiful Balboa Park. Wave starts were very organized and, for a race this large, did not feel crowded. It was cool and overcast at start time. Course is hilly, with punishing inclines/camber for 5 of the last 6 miles. Would definitely run San Diego again for the crowd support and great sights and nice weather.
M. M. from NJ (6/6/2017) "More good than bad, but needs work" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This was my 17th marathon, but my first Rock 'n' Roll event. It was a mixed bag. I knew about the notorious climb on the freeway - and I train on hills all the time - but it was still brutal. We were lucky that the weather was warm but overcast; on a hot sunny day, we would have roasted trying to get up that hill on the exposed highway. Come on. There has to be a better route. I enjoyed the rest of the course, however. As a visitor from the East Coast, it was interesting to tour the various neighborhoods of San Diego and get a look at where people actually live. I didn't mind the rolling hills in the first part of the course; they were just challenging enough to make things interesting. And I was happiest after the half-marathon runners peeled off and things quieted down a bit (so maybe I'm not RnR's target audience). If you like or need crowd support, it was great for a mid-size city. Fluid stations were plentiful and well-run. The section lined with photos of fallen service members was deeply moving and a reminder of the community that was hosting us. Volunteers were friendly. Bib pickup was a breeze. I suppose the expo was OK - I usually skedaddle once I get my number and shirt. My main complaints (aside from the last miles of the course) concern parking and the finish area. I stayed with relatives in the burbs and drove in. A volunteer at the expo recommended that I buy a parking pass for a downtown garage. Well, on race morning, the approach to the garage was gridlocked. After waiting more than half an hour in traffic, I finally gave up and pulled into a nearby self-park lot. Which means I paid for parking twice. And I missed my corral's start because I was late to arrive and got stuck in the inevitable bathroom line. (Thank God for chip timing.) Baggage trucks are a long walk from the finish line. I'm OK with that - I've done the 'death march' at the New York City Marathon five times. But after the finish area itself, there are no volunteers or signs for blocks. I was sore and cranky and there was nothing to reassure me that I was headed the right way or to tell me how far I still had to go. I recovered my bearings, but it would have been nice to get some direction at that point of maximum exhaustion. I missed my goal time by a few minutes thanks to that hill and, TBH, my own mistakes, but on balance, it was a good experience. Thank you, San Diego. The organizers do need to work on some things, though.
Scott Campbell from El Cajon, CA (6/5/2017) "A mixed bag...." (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Rock 'n' Roll Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I'm a San Diegan and have run this race (I was about to say 'course', but more on that later) 4 times. Given that our nickname is America's Finest City, it saddens me to say that my hometime race - my first, most often, and most recent race - is not necessarily living up to it's nickname. The problem!? The course. Many talk about the hill at mile 21ish. Yes, it's that bad. And with all due respect to someone that said it's a mile. It's not! It's about 1.3. And at that point in the race, you notice every-single-step. I agree with a previous comment, if you run up, the down hill feels like an uphill, or at best, level. But this is not my big issue. The issue I have is the route. There are too few miles spent along the water (downtown/beaches) and too many miles in more urban areas that - while are nice to have breakfast or a craft beer - are not my cup of tea (pun intended) to run though. The two times I ran it (2000 & 2008?) there were more miles closer to the water (but different routes). Also, and on a side, the mayor wants to fix the many potholes in our city. Well, I didn't think too much about this until I ran the race. That's when you really notice the dilapidated-ness (?) of the streets. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Back to San Diego's version of Heartbreak Hill, if you're not in BQ mode or PR mode, you best slow the pace way down or even walk so you can really enjoy the 3ish mile downhill to the finish. Regarding the other aspects, I have no complaints. The expo's got plenty of stuff and well organized. If you don't mind walking about a mile, then you can park on the street for about $2. In terms of getting to the race, the last two years I've taken the trolley. It runs about every 7 minutes. From the far east stop (Qualcomm Stadium), it's about 20 minutes to drop off. I've walked the 1.3 miles to the start. I prefer this over the shuttle as I get a chance to loosen up. Not sure what the shuttle experience is like (maybe next year). Race organization is solid. Plenty of water stops. And if you want to not pay extra, I would not go VIP. If you're not modest, you can pee in bushes (forget the 200-deep porta potty lines) as this seems to be the main benefit of the VIP. I thought the crowd support was also good. This isn't Boston or NYC, so you can't expect cheerleaders at every mile (in response to a previous comment). Hope this helps. Now I have to figure out if 2018 will be my 5th SDRNR (it's only $69 right now). Happy running!
M. G. from Arizona (6/8/2016) "Still a mixed bag..." (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Rock 'n' Roll Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Was my 100th and the race director graciously reserved bib #100. Have run many RnR events and shared kudos and concerns oftenthis race is no different. What they rocked: good expo, easy packet pick-up, awesome volunteers, on-time start, great corral management, visible mile markers, big water stops, great shirt and medal, great finisher's jacket, fast results and photos posted. Tons of music, cheering squads, unofficial handouts on the course. Never alone out there. More or less scenic. What needs rethinking: this was a new course (again). Hill and camber from 22-24 was brutal. Finish line way too far from bag pick-up. Line for jacket was ridiculous. Course was mis-measuredeveryone said it was off/too long. Biggest faux pas: sag wagon picking up laggards and moving them forward to still cross the finish line and get a medalit disrespects the sport and those who ran/walked all 26.2 miles. Definitely a fun/party event with talent of all levelsspeedy to turtle. More halfers than full but easily co-existed without challenge. The split for the half and full well-marked on the course. Hopefully they rethink the last few miles and the disconnected finish areaall fixable.
S. B. from Waco, TX (6/8/2016) "A Rocking Time in San Diego" (about: 2016) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 San Diego is home away from home for me so I was fairly biased in favor of this race from the beginning. The expo was terrific, as is to be expected from a Rock-n-Roll event, there were plenty of vendors to talk to and lots of good information. I didn't have any issues with parking at the expo, it was a pain to pay $15 to park at the convention center but most big city events are going to gouge you on parking, especially if it's in a downtown area. I used the shuttle system to get to the starting line, which meant standing in a long line at 5AM but it moved fast and was way better than fighting for a parking spot. The biggest problem pre-race was way too slow of corral releases which meant that a lot of people spent over 30 minutes slowly shuffling towards the start line. This wasn't a huge problem, but when you're fired up and ready to get going, that's a long time to shuffle around after the starting gun has been fired. The course itself could have used some more water front views but the section in Mission Bay was great. It was a big out and back but it was along the ocean so it was a great view. I liked the neighborhoods we ran through and thought it was a good mix of houses and eclectic local shops and restaurants. Fan support in those areas was great, plenty of cheering people and you could definitely feel the support. About the massive hill on Highway 163 from mile 22 to 24 that everyone talks about in regards to this race. I honestly don't mind a race throwing a big challenge in the later miles, I run a lot of hills in training so I don't mind them that much. My issue with this stretch is that running on a highway is just not a lot of fun, especially that late in the race when you're dog tired and need all the distractions you can get. Once you get over the novelty of running on a closed highway, it's a long slow climb that never seems to end with very little scenery and no fan support because you're on the highway. All that being said, once you reach the top it's all downhill to the finish. I loved this race, love the city, and really appreciated how well run the event was from start to finish. In typical Rock-n-Roll fashion, there were plenty of opportunities to be separated from your money and the event has a very corporate feel to it at times. But, I would highly recommend this event and hope to be able to run it again in the future.
J. E. from Indiana (6/7/2016) "Race OK, logistics were awful" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I actually liked the marathon course. The brutal hill up the 163 freeway at mile 22.5 to 23.5 was tough but was advertised. The emphasis on this race is the HM, though, not the full. What annoyed me most was the difficulty in getting to the expo ($15 to park? Really?), hassle parking on race day, getting a 'shuttle bus' with a long line and not getting us to the start area, a 45 minute wait for a pre-race porta potty, a 2 mile walk post race to get the promised finisher's jacket and then back to the confusing parking garage. Squeezing 30,000 runners into a tight city center is tough and the organizers didn't really do a good job of this, IMO. I'll not run a RnR event again. Too much noise and not enough signal.
M. B. from Sacramento, ca (4/25/2016) "everything was fabulous" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Everything was great!!!

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 42 > ]



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D. N. from Franklin, TN (6/14/2022) "It's a tough one!" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my 20th marathon and maybe my toughest one yet. I obviously checked out the elevation chart prior to the race and thought other than the big hill at mile 22/23, the rest of the course was fairly level&it's not. This is one tough course! The first half had more hills than I was expecting. The crowd support for the first half was good, but not great. Miles 14 through 21 are a lot of running on trails, with little or no crowd support, so it starts getting lonely. Then of course comes THE HILL at around mile 22/23& makes Heartbreak Hill look like a bunny hill! I thought I was ready for it, but it was brutal. Once you get to the top of THE HILL, the last 3 miles were great. San Diego is such a great town, with so many great little neighborhoods. I think if they would incorporate more of the neighborhoods into the course, they could design a much better course, which would also lead to better crowd support.
s. d. from Calgary, CANADA (6/8/2019) "Hard work, but organization is swell." (about: 2019) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 You need to be ready for this if you are attempting any sort of time that is in your historical reach. It is true - significant 1 mile hill at #22, but not to be ignored are recurring bubbles (overpass, roll, big downhill requiring brakes, etc.) beyond halfway mark. A couple of very short and steep ramps elsewhere. This was marathon #47 for me, and personally I haven't seen a course with these sorts of ascents before. Whew! Its an ideal time for good weather in the area and the race is organized perfectly. Crowds are pretty thin - youngsters scrolling on their iphones, looking up as their next amazon page loads. If you come for Boston-like crowds, forget it, just so you can get what you need. Everyone has their own requirements.
B. B. from San Diego, California (7/17/2017) "Better Than Good...Could Be Great" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Miles 1-8 - Great start at Balboa Park, thru Hillcreast, up and around residential North Park. This portion of the course gets a 4 out of 5. Miles 9-14 - Back thru North Park, Hillcrest, and thru Mission Hills. An even better section of course, I give it a 5. Then...the wheels come off. I could have picked a hundred better routes than what followed. Miles 15-18 - Morena Ave to Mission Bay, back to Morena and Friars Rd. Flat section of course, but brutally boring! I give it a 2, Miles 19-22 - Friars Rd. Not bad. A noticeable grade, but the uphill run felt good. I give it a 3. Miles 23-24 - Route 163. This is what gets most people upset; a killer highway hill late in the race. It was tough, but AWESOME! 4 out of 5. Miles 25-26.2 - Downtown SD. It would have been great if my legs weren't shot from running Route 163. I give it a 4. Overall, no complaints from me. The route could have been better, but it was okay. I give it a 3 overall. Fans were good. They were especially fervent in North Park and downtown. Lots of bands and local school cheerleaders. The finish was pretty awesome. Expo was above average and post-race party was excellent. I'll do it again next year, but I hope they change the course. Leave Route 163, but ditch Mission Bay.
G. I. from ARIZONA (6/20/2017) "NICE VACATION RUN" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 TRAIN FOR HILLS, SAVE SOME JUICE FOR THE LAST 6 MILES Had a family vacation scheduled for 1st week in June, so I decided to run San Diego for my 24th marathon. Glad I did-BUT I wasn't aiming for a BQ/PR, as I wanted to enjoy this race. The expo organization was very efficient and well organized. The start line organization was the best start line area arrangement I have ever been a part of. I did not want to chance the trolley/shuttles/parking garages so I got an uber ride to the start line and I'm so glad I did; I was dropped off 1 block from the start area and only walked about 3 minutes and enjoyed a pre-race warm up in beautiful Balboa Park. Wave starts were very organized and, for a race this large, did not feel crowded. It was cool and overcast at start time. Course is hilly, with punishing inclines/camber for 5 of the last 6 miles. Would definitely run San Diego again for the crowd support and great sights and nice weather.
M. M. from NJ (6/6/2017) "More good than bad, but needs work" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This was my 17th marathon, but my first Rock 'n' Roll event. It was a mixed bag. I knew about the notorious climb on the freeway - and I train on hills all the time - but it was still brutal. We were lucky that the weather was warm but overcast; on a hot sunny day, we would have roasted trying to get up that hill on the exposed highway. Come on. There has to be a better route. I enjoyed the rest of the course, however. As a visitor from the East Coast, it was interesting to tour the various neighborhoods of San Diego and get a look at where people actually live. I didn't mind the rolling hills in the first part of the course; they were just challenging enough to make things interesting. And I was happiest after the half-marathon runners peeled off and things quieted down a bit (so maybe I'm not RnR's target audience). If you like or need crowd support, it was great for a mid-size city. Fluid stations were plentiful and well-run. The section lined with photos of fallen service members was deeply moving and a reminder of the community that was hosting us. Volunteers were friendly. Bib pickup was a breeze. I suppose the expo was OK - I usually skedaddle once I get my number and shirt. My main complaints (aside from the last miles of the course) concern parking and the finish area. I stayed with relatives in the burbs and drove in. A volunteer at the expo recommended that I buy a parking pass for a downtown garage. Well, on race morning, the approach to the garage was gridlocked. After waiting more than half an hour in traffic, I finally gave up and pulled into a nearby self-park lot. Which means I paid for parking twice. And I missed my corral's start because I was late to arrive and got stuck in the inevitable bathroom line. (Thank God for chip timing.) Baggage trucks are a long walk from the finish line. I'm OK with that - I've done the 'death march' at the New York City Marathon five times. But after the finish area itself, there are no volunteers or signs for blocks. I was sore and cranky and there was nothing to reassure me that I was headed the right way or to tell me how far I still had to go. I recovered my bearings, but it would have been nice to get some direction at that point of maximum exhaustion. I missed my goal time by a few minutes thanks to that hill and, TBH, my own mistakes, but on balance, it was a good experience. Thank you, San Diego. The organizers do need to work on some things, though.
Scott Campbell from El Cajon, CA (6/5/2017) "A mixed bag...." (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Rock 'n' Roll Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I'm a San Diegan and have run this race (I was about to say 'course', but more on that later) 4 times. Given that our nickname is America's Finest City, it saddens me to say that my hometime race - my first, most often, and most recent race - is not necessarily living up to it's nickname. The problem!? The course. Many talk about the hill at mile 21ish. Yes, it's that bad. And with all due respect to someone that said it's a mile. It's not! It's about 1.3. And at that point in the race, you notice every-single-step. I agree with a previous comment, if you run up, the down hill feels like an uphill, or at best, level. But this is not my big issue. The issue I have is the route. There are too few miles spent along the water (downtown/beaches) and too many miles in more urban areas that - while are nice to have breakfast or a craft beer - are not my cup of tea (pun intended) to run though. The two times I ran it (2000 & 2008?) there were more miles closer to the water (but different routes). Also, and on a side, the mayor wants to fix the many potholes in our city. Well, I didn't think too much about this until I ran the race. That's when you really notice the dilapidated-ness (?) of the streets. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Back to San Diego's version of Heartbreak Hill, if you're not in BQ mode or PR mode, you best slow the pace way down or even walk so you can really enjoy the 3ish mile downhill to the finish. Regarding the other aspects, I have no complaints. The expo's got plenty of stuff and well organized. If you don't mind walking about a mile, then you can park on the street for about $2. In terms of getting to the race, the last two years I've taken the trolley. It runs about every 7 minutes. From the far east stop (Qualcomm Stadium), it's about 20 minutes to drop off. I've walked the 1.3 miles to the start. I prefer this over the shuttle as I get a chance to loosen up. Not sure what the shuttle experience is like (maybe next year). Race organization is solid. Plenty of water stops. And if you want to not pay extra, I would not go VIP. If you're not modest, you can pee in bushes (forget the 200-deep porta potty lines) as this seems to be the main benefit of the VIP. I thought the crowd support was also good. This isn't Boston or NYC, so you can't expect cheerleaders at every mile (in response to a previous comment). Hope this helps. Now I have to figure out if 2018 will be my 5th SDRNR (it's only $69 right now). Happy running!
M. G. from Arizona (6/8/2016) "Still a mixed bag..." (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Rock 'n' Roll Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Was my 100th and the race director graciously reserved bib #100. Have run many RnR events and shared kudos and concerns oftenthis race is no different. What they rocked: good expo, easy packet pick-up, awesome volunteers, on-time start, great corral management, visible mile markers, big water stops, great shirt and medal, great finisher's jacket, fast results and photos posted. Tons of music, cheering squads, unofficial handouts on the course. Never alone out there. More or less scenic. What needs rethinking: this was a new course (again). Hill and camber from 22-24 was brutal. Finish line way too far from bag pick-up. Line for jacket was ridiculous. Course was mis-measuredeveryone said it was off/too long. Biggest faux pas: sag wagon picking up laggards and moving them forward to still cross the finish line and get a medalit disrespects the sport and those who ran/walked all 26.2 miles. Definitely a fun/party event with talent of all levelsspeedy to turtle. More halfers than full but easily co-existed without challenge. The split for the half and full well-marked on the course. Hopefully they rethink the last few miles and the disconnected finish areaall fixable.
S. B. from Waco, TX (6/8/2016) "A Rocking Time in San Diego" (about: 2016) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 San Diego is home away from home for me so I was fairly biased in favor of this race from the beginning. The expo was terrific, as is to be expected from a Rock-n-Roll event, there were plenty of vendors to talk to and lots of good information. I didn't have any issues with parking at the expo, it was a pain to pay $15 to park at the convention center but most big city events are going to gouge you on parking, especially if it's in a downtown area. I used the shuttle system to get to the starting line, which meant standing in a long line at 5AM but it moved fast and was way better than fighting for a parking spot. The biggest problem pre-race was way too slow of corral releases which meant that a lot of people spent over 30 minutes slowly shuffling towards the start line. This wasn't a huge problem, but when you're fired up and ready to get going, that's a long time to shuffle around after the starting gun has been fired. The course itself could have used some more water front views but the section in Mission Bay was great. It was a big out and back but it was along the ocean so it was a great view. I liked the neighborhoods we ran through and thought it was a good mix of houses and eclectic local shops and restaurants. Fan support in those areas was great, plenty of cheering people and you could definitely feel the support. About the massive hill on Highway 163 from mile 22 to 24 that everyone talks about in regards to this race. I honestly don't mind a race throwing a big challenge in the later miles, I run a lot of hills in training so I don't mind them that much. My issue with this stretch is that running on a highway is just not a lot of fun, especially that late in the race when you're dog tired and need all the distractions you can get. Once you get over the novelty of running on a closed highway, it's a long slow climb that never seems to end with very little scenery and no fan support because you're on the highway. All that being said, once you reach the top it's all downhill to the finish. I loved this race, love the city, and really appreciated how well run the event was from start to finish. In typical Rock-n-Roll fashion, there were plenty of opportunities to be separated from your money and the event has a very corporate feel to it at times. But, I would highly recommend this event and hope to be able to run it again in the future.
J. E. from Indiana (6/7/2016) "Race OK, logistics were awful" (about: 2016) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I actually liked the marathon course. The brutal hill up the 163 freeway at mile 22.5 to 23.5 was tough but was advertised. The emphasis on this race is the HM, though, not the full. What annoyed me most was the difficulty in getting to the expo ($15 to park? Really?), hassle parking on race day, getting a 'shuttle bus' with a long line and not getting us to the start area, a 45 minute wait for a pre-race porta potty, a 2 mile walk post race to get the promised finisher's jacket and then back to the confusing parking garage. Squeezing 30,000 runners into a tight city center is tough and the organizers didn't really do a good job of this, IMO. I'll not run a RnR event again. Too much noise and not enough signal.
M. B. from Sacramento, ca (4/25/2016) "everything was fabulous" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Everything was great!!!

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Marathon Details - Rock 'n' Roll Marathon