Atlanta Marathon

I almost passed on this race after reading all the negative comments about the hilly course. I instead decided to adjust my training to include a large number of hill repeats. As a result, I felt just fine on marathon day and did not bonk. The cool temperature definitely helped keep me comfortable throughout. The host hotel - the Hilton Signia - was the perfect place to stay. I saw the Start/Finish from my hotel window, which is always reassuring. As others have mentioned, the Expo was surprisingly small for a big city race. I also noticed a lack of porta potties on the course. However, I was very pleased with the organization overall and would recommend this one for other 50 Staters.

I just did the 2025 edition of this race and came here to immediately say: the hilliness of this race is no joke! All of the other reviews are here to warn you of this, but I just want to be one more voice declaring it. I was prepared for hills, but was still found shocked at how rolling it was. There is very few moments where you don't have to mentally prepare for what's to come. This was my 27th marathon overall and it was by far the highest elevation gain of them all. All this to say: this is still a race worth doing. Challenging courses are worth taking on and this one will leave you feeling very accomplished. The expo was simple and easy, and the race itself featured a good crowd. Only downfall is the lack of spectators. For such a major city, it's just weird that there were only pockets of crowds throughout the course. Do better, Atlanta!

The race expo was held outside of beautiful Mercedes Benz Stadium. It was a moderate size expo with the usual gear, speakers and merchandise. The race shirts were nice Adidas high quality material. There were ample hotels in walking distance close to the city sights - GA Aquarium and World of Coca Cola that I explored during my first time to Atlanta and I was able to walk to the starting area. The race was well organized with the bag check and starting line areas clearly marked. There were even volunteers to ask if needed in the start village that was much appreciated. The course was all hills with no flat portions whatsoever, but that was what I expected going into the race. I didn't get a chance to look much at my surroundings while running due to the poor road conditions with potholes and uneven surfaces in several places. The First Half Marathoners were with us until the break off point so it was a bit crowded at times. The second half of the race had long stretches with larger hills that began around mile 21 and continued to the finish. At the finish we were provided with water, chocolate milk, yogurt, oatmeal pies and Uncrustables as well as a free beer. The city didn't seem to recognize the marathon as much as other ones I've been to with little fanfare leading up to the event - but the Atlanta Track Club organized the event well I thought.