This website uses cookies and pixels so we know how people are using the site and to ensure you get the best experience here and elsewhere on the internet. That cool?
View our
Privacy Policy
Latest reviews by Melinda Edgerton
Melinda Edgerton recommends this race
(2017)
"The heat! The humidity! The hills! It was still worth it. "
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
I will preface this review by saying that I am a native of Nashville who had been living in Colorado for years until a few months before the race. I will say that if you are not native to this area, and are unfamiliar with running in the heat/humidity, this might be a shocker. I had been warned that the weather is unpredictable, and if you read race reviews in past years, it is all over the place- cool and rainy, hot and humid, perfect weather- you get the picture. I happened to return to TN during an unseasonable heat wave, and that is the race weather I got in 2017.
The nitty gritty: Rock n Roll Nashville is READY for runners.
Parking: I splurged on VIP parking, and opted to not worry about it the day of. That was a good $15 to spend for peace of mind.
Port-a-pots: There are plenty of pre-race port-a-pots, but it's no secret that the hotels close to VIP parking don't seem to mind runners coming in and using the facilities. A church very close to the start line offers bathroom access too, although those lines were almost as long as those at the port-a-pots near the beginning, so I am not sure it is worth a detour.
Water/Aid stations: The aid stations are plentiful, and they are staffed with great folks.
Let's talk about the weather: I happen to know some of the paramedics working the finish line tent, and they were ready for treating patients with heat-related issues. Thankfully I avoided that tent, but many did not this year. They called the marathon early because the temperatures were too high (it reached 90 degrees that afternoon, with high humidity). One of my friends treated multiple marathoners with dangerously high fevers. Again, I was impressed with the planning though. For example, there were cooling buses around the route, and I decided around mile 11 after several miles without shade that I would swallow my stubborn pride and board the cooling bus (with a pretzel bucket inside). The A/C helped to cool me, and I didn't linger or I probably would have stayed on that bus. But it did help. Every water stop I grabbed 3 cups. One to drink, one for pouring on my head, one for slapping water onto my body for evaporative cooling. I think this kept me out of the aid tent. At the finish, we received cold wet towels for our necks, and I have never been happier than when that was draped around my neck. I almost forgot the medal I was so elated about the towel.
Hills: Yes. Plan for them.
Spectators: The spectators are incredible, especially in the first half of the race that goes through neighborhoods. If only those tree-lined sidewalks had lasted the entire race! People had hoses out and would spray you if you wished. I remembered that everyone watching was in the same heat, but without a medal at the end. They were loyal to us runners.
Was it easy? No. Would I do it again? Yes...most likely. But probably not the full marathon, and certainly not the full marathon if I were looking to BQ. I did have a great overall experience, and feel like I can do almost anything after surviving the RnR Half of 2017. This was my second race in the Rock n Roll Marathon series, and I was once again not disappointed with the organization, communication, expo, and facilities. Please don't let my review scare you off of this race. I am sure the following year will have wildly different weather, and the year after...
Login
or
sign up
to leave a comment.
Melinda Edgerton recommends this race
(2016)
"Nice local 5K for mid-winter blues"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
This fun 5K was a cold one, with a thin layer of snow on the ground. The race is in a nice location, with views of the South Platte River and mostly on trails (there was one slightly icy parking lot to traverse). The price is excellent- there is no reason NOT to run this one!
The race was well-organized- the expo was surprisingly great for such a cold morning, with a nice showing of vendors before, during, and after the race. They held a kid's race at the start that was FREE (that's not so common these days), and also free were the professional race photos. Note: they don't touch up frozen-in place half smiles. You get what you get. The race director and volunteers were cheerful and didn't seem to notice the temperature.
The port-a-pots were at the just-enough level, so no complaints there. The post-race snacks were excellent- bagels, muffins, chocolate milk, cookies, everything you could want. Again, well-organized volunteers.
For swag you get a soft race tee and a Santa hat (I appreciated the extra head insulation), and you can pick up the packet before race day!
This race is everything you want in an affordable local race with easy parking, family atmosphere, and cheerful hosts!
Melinda Edgerton recommends this race
(2016)
"Fun race, festive atmosphere (even for those who don't like the Strip)"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
This was my first half marathon race after having two children, and I ran it with a friend who lives in nearby Henderson, NV. This was also my first Rock n Roll marathon series race, so I was curious about the hype and the race management. I could not say enough regarding the pre-race information and the communication leading up to the race. And if anyone can get you pumped up for a race, it is their social media. With medal and finisher reveals, it was exciting as we got ever closer to the race.
I recommend asking at the expo about parking. My friend drove us to the race, where we decided to park at a hotel near the finish and take the light rail to the start. That was a bad decision. Everyone else had the same idea. The line for the light rail ran into a nearby casino, and stretched forever. We judged the length of the line and the time to the start (about an hour) and decided not to chance it. So we walked to the start, adding on almost two miles to our pre-race legs. Not ideal. We missed most of the pre-race concert, but enjoyed delightfully short port-a-pot lines. They seriously created a port-a-pot village in a huge area outside the concert venue.
This is a very large race, and the corrals are large and were not monitored for corral "honesty." I was expecting this, but I mention it because you will want to just plop down on the asphalt like only a few runners were doing until you are ready to run. Unless you are an elite runner, there is quite a wait for the half marathon start. I think the extra time standing on our pre-race legs was also not a great idea. We waited in line at the gate that holds back runners until time to get into the corrals. For those who went to the entire concert, they probably were not able to get anywhere near their true corral because the crowd just shuffled forward. (see picture for an idea of how many people were behind me. I was in my correct corral...ahem...rule follower)
The race had Glukos gels and gummies, and I really enjoyed those. I had tried them prior to race day, and they were great. The water/aid stations were well-stocked and plentiful for front- or middle-of-the packers, as were the port-a-pots along the way. A warning to those at the back of the pack- some of the water stations were out or running low on water at the end. You might want to wear some hydration for the last miles if you think this applies to you. My friend had an injury mid-way through the race, and I ran-walked the last half with her. Fortunately, I had some hydration with me.
For the crowd support, it was not what I expected. The crowd support near the start and finish were great, but once you are off the Strip and in the neighborhoods or the less populated areas, it was very quiet. I kind of liked the noise/light show brain break, but if you are looking for a Chicago Marathon type experience with spectators along the entire route, you will be disappointed. I will say that although I am not a huge fan of Las Vegas in general because I get easily overstimulated in casinos, etc., the festive atmosphere was contagious, and it is plain fun to run down the strip and see the spectacle the slow way without cars. The runners themselves were fun and friendly, so my memories of fellow runners far outweigh memories of the spectators. Fair warning: LOTS of people smoke in this city, so be ready to inhale some on the walk to the start, and the walk to your car/transportation afterwards. I seemed to always get stuck behind a pack of meandering tourists smoking like freight trains.
The finish was great- lots of genuinely nice people handing you things and taking your picture and pointing your tired body in the right direction. I have enjoyed many small races and a few big ones, and there is something to be said for a large machine working well due to experience managing large numbers of runners.
Overall, I had a great experience, and if I weren't set on running in different states, I would return to this race again in 2017.
Melinda Edgerton recommends this race
(2016)
"Beautiful run through Cherry Creek State Park!"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
This trail race is an easy trail for beginners. It is not technical, and the trail ranges from single track to crushed gravel to a limited amount of sidewalk as you near the finish. The field on this run was small, with only about 100 runners in the 10K. The weather is beautiful in Colorado this time of year, and the cool, dry start was exactly what I had hoped for. There are rolling hills, with nice views of the reservoir.
The expo before, during, and after the race was nice, and had about 20 vendors if I remember correctly.
There were not many port-a-pots, and it would not have been an issue if the park staff had not forgotten to send over someone to unlock the park restrooms that would have served the runners (unfortunate, but eventually they were unlocked before I finished).
The race website has seen improvements in 2017. The previous year, the FAQ page went to an error page, and the information was not concisely and clearly presented. The pre-race communication, however, made up for a lack of online information, so it all turned out just great.
The tech shirt is nice, and the medal is HUGE. Very nice quality for the medal!
I enjoyed this race, especially the location in the park is excellent with off-site parking only a 5 minute walk from the start, or if you are lucky, inside the park itself next to the start line. You can easily run in the park prior to the race if you are local to get a feel for the course. I hope to do more in the Endurance Race Series in Colorado next year!
Melinda Edgerton recommends this race
(2004)
"Old news, still relevant"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
I will not spend a lot of time reviewing a race from over 10 years ago, other than to say that according to tens of thousands of people who have run it since I did, the Chicago Marathon remains a special race that is well-managed, fast, and maybe the best crowd support you will ever find. Every neighborhood has its own flair for the runners, and you will not be sorry for choosing this marathon!