Latest reviews by Leah

(2015)
"2015 Rivanna Greenbelt Marathon Participant Reviews"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management

WHAT PARTICIPANTS SAY ABOUT THE RACE

"This was a great, predictable "track" like course, perfect for a Boston Marathon qualifying race! The path had great variety to keep the course interesting. The early morning start in the dark was a great addition to the race, and it allowed athletes to maximize the cooler weather. The cool cloths were perfect!"

"I thought the race was very fun, had a beautiful course, took place during a beautiful and temperate time of year, and had a lot of helpful and supportive volunteers. The volunteers may have been the best part."

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE RIVANNA GREENBELT MARATHON?

"Kind people. Close to Richmond.

"plenty of green scenery and low-key/no-frills run."

"Actually finishing!"

"The dedication of the race director and the enthusiasm of the volunteers."

"The small group of extraordinarily supportive people. EVERY runner and volunteer was supportive and helpful from beginning to end."

"Close to home (Richmond), and focused on BQ."

"Amazing support from volunteers"

"The volunteers were great. They made me want to keep going even after I knew I was going to have to drop out."

"Everyone knew my name and was so encouraging! They even knew which bottle was mine when I came to the water stop and had it ready for me as I approached. And they were amazing for being out in the rain at 6:30am!

"The epic start. I like racing in crappy conditions."

"The race director and the volunteers. Plus I really liked the course."

"The volunteers. The beautiful setting. The weather."

"Flat trail. Volunteers support and fellow runners' cheers."

"The volunteers were awesome. They had everything I needed and more at the aid stations, and were so friendly and encouraging. Almost every person called me by name and said something nice at each turnaround."

"Flatness of the trail."

"My favorite part was the amount of support from the volunteers."

"The warm, welcoming volunteers and racing staff made this event very successful. The on course support with water, food, and rags was very professional."

"Cheap and simple."

"Honestly: location, date, and price. Plus, if I may be BRUTALLY honest, there were some rather attractive non-racers sharing the trail with us. They were my mile 12-22 motivation source"

"Very thankful for the volunteers getting up early to come support a few runners."

"The encouragement of all the other runners."

"The out and back course. It was great knowing what the terrain was after just four miles of running"

"Cold towels."

"Appreciated all the volunteers! The early miles in dark were better than I expected. Small field size and loop course were ideal for me. Support from other runners was great but not necessary. Most runners shared the road although a few didn't. Will send you more thoughts/suggestions, too!"

"The scenery, volunteers and low-key nature."

"Ice towels!"

"Great volunteer support, the cool wet towels were amazing!!!"

"Great marathon - friendliest people and nice runners that embody how great Charlottesville running community is."

"I thought the race was very fun, had a beautiful course, took place during a beautiful and temperate time of year, and had a lot of helpful and supportive volunteers. The volunteers may have been the best part."

"It was great to run along the river. And I really enjoyed running a race with so many folks from the training program on the course offering encouragement. The volunteers at that turns / water stations were awesome too!"

"No shirt, no medal, but TONS of Southern Hospitality! Thank you Charlottesville Track Club for marathon #77"

'This was a great, predictable "track" like course, perfect for a Boston Marathon qualifying race! The path had great variety to keep the course interesting. The early morning start in the dark was a great addition to the race, and it allowed athletes to maximize the cooler weather. The cool cloths were perfect!"

"Very intimate due to lack of runners. Volunteers were excellent and helped compensate for lack of spectators."

"This was a great course for runners in a rush to qualify for Boston. And you can't beat the price!"

"Knowing what it is (a 6.5 lap marathon course) is the only reason I would caution people against it. That said, all of the other people on the trail made for decent spectator support and broke up the monotony. Plus, the aid stations were top notch!"

"I was a little concerned about the hills associated with Charlottesville. The flatter course was a welcomed relief!"

"We were looking for an early fall race for a couple of friends to BQ and me to improve my BQ time, when this came up it seemed ideal to do it locally. Race price was very nice, but not having to get a hotel, use more gas, etc, helped a lot too."

"Came to BQ and did so, but had a pretty good time while I was at it!"

"Everything worked out really smoothly. Thank you for all the quick email replies. This was a very well organized event. Thanks!"

"Keep the early morning start! It added variety and cooler weather. A little more food varieties (bananas, lara bars, bagels) and water/juice post race would have added a nice touch. Holding off the running club herd until after the race would have cleared the course a bit and allowed more entrants, although passing the runners increased my pace!"

"Keep it simple, but add more runners. Lack of runners meant less mutual encouragement."

"For a first time and for expectations, you guys crushed it!"

"Keep it quaint and low numbers. Loved it."

"The enthusiasm, persistence, dedication, and tireless efforts of the race director were greatly appreciated!"

"I hope to run again next year!"

"The event offered everything as advertised. The course is very repetitive but that was known beforehand. It is a great last chance Boston Qualifier. Hopefully the weather will be better in the future."

"I would recommend it to someone looking for a stress-free small race. The volunteers were great and the organizers helpful."

"Everything went smoothly. The volunteers wre great!"

"So many awesome volunteers who called us by name and encouraged us at every turn. Thanks!"

"Great for everyone wanting a low-key, low-stress marathon."

"Good communication and organization. Great volunteers."

HOW SATISFIED WERE YOU WITH THE EVENT?

"The course was not as fast as advertised, having to stop and turn every two miles really kills your momentum, if there was a way to make small loops at either end would be great, I know at the start we could loop through the parking lot right there which would keep you moving"

"I'd be more satisfied if I performed better."

" Thank you for being a bit bold and not canceling."

" While I was disappointed with the weather and my performance, the event itself was superb! Kudos to the race director and awesome volunteers! I can't believe how many volunteers were there so early in the thunderstorms!"

" I came into this race for the most part knowing what to expect...no frills, bare-bones support, mentally taxing out and backs; but the weather, not so much. I know race directors cannot predict the weather and I certainly don't fault you for the storms at the beginning, however, there seemed to be a lack of plan 2 in case of weather leaving runners in and out of cars wondering if we were going to start on time or not and tying to listen for the director to yell for us to get on the line."

"Weather ruined it. Could have cleared path of leaves/debris. People were awesome and helpful. Start earlier AM? Move to late in fall to get better temp for running."

"Operation was great. The water stops greatly exceeded my expectations. I seriously thought there was going to be a table and you would just pick up your own cups. Loved that there were actual people there to hand you water and gatorade! It was great having everyone cheer for you at the turnarounds, gave you something to look forward to!"

"Your social media coordinator is awesome! Love the tweets & instagrams! ;-) "

"Race volunteers were really nice. Thanks to everyone."

"Volunteers were amazing"

"One of the volunteers (Fred) found a ziplock bag and filled it for ice for me when I strained a calf near mile 6, then went out of his way to give me a ride back to the start. That was much appreciated."

WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THIS RACE?

"I am a trail runner but would recommend the marathon to a friend for its small size (benefit), relatively scenic course and organization. Low-key, no-frills is perfect."

"Already have."

"Running essentially alone for 26 miles is pretty hard. I've discovered that this setting may not be the best for me, but I'd definitely recommend the race to someone who didn't mind running on their own for the distance."

"It's a bit strange to run such a small event. But it's very welcoming."

"I wouldn't recommend for a first time marathoner, as it was a little to easy to drop out. For someone going for time, like I was today, it was fine. Folks were very nice and supportive. You can't control the conditions, but it was a tough race."

"Definitely. The only caveat, I'd like to keep it small! I think less than 20 runners is ideal!"

"I would recommend this to anyone looking for a last chance to qualify for Boston and who could take the mental challenge of the out and backs. Again, I knew what I was getting into and had driven to the trail twice during my training to prepare mentally for the out and backs. The rain puddles were not welcome, neither was the skunk that myself and another runner encountered before the bridge! Thank goodness we didn't get sprayed!"

"Logistics were great - location, cost, support, communication."

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

"Blow off the trail day before. Water stop at midpoint. Date with lower temperature."

"minor point but a little more guidance at the beginning would have been helpful. wasn't totally clear if we were delaying the event due to the rain or really starting, so didn't quite have all my things together."

"Maybe not have the 26 mile sign out the entire race? I hated seeing that sign on every loop!"

"A later start time - 7 or even 8 is fine. Communicate contingency plans for inclement weather and all other potential disasters to volunteers and runners."

"Just one--I think it would be possible to shove all that water off the trail once the rain stopped. With a big push broom or tennis court squeegee. I volunteer to do it if it rains next year."

"Awesome as is"

"It would be nice to close the trail for the race. Some people walking dogs on and off leash were challenging to get around. My friends supporting me said a guy parked across the trail at one point until they asked him to move."

It would have been nice to have the trail swept before the race, although some was from the storm."
Expand it, maybe? Allow more runners?

"It was a super organized, awesome event, so didn't need much improvement."

"Move up the time till 7 so you don't have to worry about running with a headlamp and if there are puddles or mud have someone use a push broom to get rid of it or have something to cover it to run over."

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

"I would pay more. Date with lower temp would be better. Trail could have been blown off day before."

"I heard about this marathon from someone in my running group. They had done it before and knew that I wanted to get into Boston for 2016. The price of $30 and the location sold me, why not? I spend more that $30 a month on Starbucks! Had it been a nicer day (no storms, no puddles), I would have enjoyed this race so much more. It's already mentally tough knowing you have to run out and back 6.5 times, but the storms and puddles didn't make it any easier!"

" After participating in multiple big city marathons, I prefer a small, low-key marathon. It's much easier for me to get in the zone when I'm running alone."

"I'm more of a trail runner but Boston is on my bucket list, and I did this event mainly to try to BQ."

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