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2013 RnR USA/National Marathon and Half Marathon Thread (Read 157 times)

Julia1971


    The new start is by the washington monument grounds?

     

     

    Yes, this might be the biggest change.  It allows for more Metro station options to get people to the start.  But, I'm going to miss hanging out in the Armory to keep warm.  I remember the days of having to wait outside in the cold for the race to start and that was not fun.

      Thank you all for your help! I'm going to print this thread out so I know what I am doing coming race morning. I was worried about the Metro but with all the advice, I think I may navigate it Smile! I'm hoping for cool weather. At this point it looks slightly cloudy with a high around 45. That would be perfect for me. Thanks again everyone and good luck on Saturday!

      Noelle

      ymmv


        I was reminded of one more thing that out-of-town guests might need to know:

         

        Metro stations do not have bathrooms.

         

        The New Carrollton metro station is adjacent to the AMTRAK station, and the AMTRAK station has bathrooms. The signs say 'AMTRAK Customers Only', but in the early morning hours before a race, I do not believe anyone will suggest that you not use it. I don't know if there is an option available at the Greenbelt or College Park Metro stations.

         

        Also, do not eat or drink on the Metro train.

          Thank you all for your help! I'm going to print this thread out so I know what I am doing coming race morning. I was worried about the Metro but with all the advice, I think I may navigate it Smile! I'm hoping for cool weather. At this point it looks slightly cloudy with a high around 45. That would be perfect for me. Thanks again everyone and good luck on Saturday!

          Noelle

           

          LOL, sounds like me at the MCM last year... My biggest fear was not the race, but trying to use the Metro!  I too had many folks tell me it would be "no problem" :-)  --- But I still chickened out and got a hotel that was close to the race start site.  I just walked to the race start, but I regretted it after the race because that 2-mile walk to the hotel after doing 26 was tough!  (Didn't look like that far of a walk on the goooooooooogle maps?  Hehe).

           

          Good luck everyone :-)  Looks like the weather is shaping up nicely for DC (and just south in Va Beach for us who are running the Shamrock as well)  Have a great race!

          The Plan '15 →   ///    "Run Hard, Live Easy."   ∞


          Mostly harmless

            Good luck to everyone racing tomorrow!

             

            Regarding Metro, be aware that part of the red line will be shut down tomorrow with buses taking passengers around a few stations.  More info here.

            "It doesn’t matter how often you do it or how much you accomplish, in general, not running is a lot easier than running." - Meb Keflezighi

            Julia1971


              +1 - good luck everyone.

               

              I'm hearing the number of 30,000 runners.  Shocked  That's like twice as many as usual.  Very exciting!  Maybe it won't be so lonely on the back half...

              bingo_jenn


                Just a note that the Metro stations DO have bathrooms.  You just have to ask the station manager and they take you there with a key.  It's really only to be used in an emergency.  Smile

                 

                I'm doing the half.  I'm excited about the scenic Rock Creek change, but that damn hill coming up Rock Creek to Calvert is the WORST hill in this city!  I agree that it's not as good for spectators. Smile

                Someday I want to do National/Shamrock Marathons back-to-back.  Michael Wardian does it most years and has won both in the past.

                  Meghan- I have to ask....

                  Do you sketch or do you sail a ketch?

                  PBs since age 60:  5k- 24:36, 10k - 47:17. Half Marathon- 1:42:41.

                                                      10 miles (unofficial) 1:16:44.

                   

                  Gunnie26.2


                  #dowork

                    It will. Most run the half. last year field was 24,000 and only 5,000 ran full.

                     

                    +1 - good luck everyone.

                     

                    I'm hearing the number of 30,000 runners.  Shocked  That's like twice as many as usual.  Very exciting!  Maybe it won't be so lonely on the back half...

                    PR's - 5K - 20:15 (2013) | 10K - 45:14 (2011)  | 13.1 - 1:34:40 (2013)  | 26.2 - 3:40:40 (2014)

                     

                    Up Next:

                    ???

                    Julia1971


                      Yeah, so...  Baggage check.  What was up with that?  I can laugh about it now but it totally derailed the beginning of my race yesterday.  I actually ended up abandoning my bag and spent the first 10K of the race worrying whether I'd see it again.  I'm reading on FB that people waited 1.5 hours after the race to get their bags back.  Crazy.


                      The Terminator

                        I hope everyone had a great race!  Great weather and some really enthusiastic spectators made my day.  Some things I could do without -- all the uphills in the course and the traffic-jammed finishing chute.  I was running flat out and ran right into the back of a solid wall of bodies trying to get through all the food and stuff.  I would love if they had a chute where you can bypass the gatorade and bagels to go straight out.  It would relieve a lot of the traffic.

                        "In the South, the cotillion of Machiavelli is played as a soft-shoe, in three-quarter time." - Pat Conroy

                        trailblazerbarbi


                          Congrats to everyone who did this, but it sure sounds like a failure in regards to organization, parking, etc.  Almost did this, but now am glad I'm running next weekend, especially considering the price.

                          Julia1971


                            I hope everyone had a great race!  Great weather and some really enthusiastic spectators made my day.  Some things I could do without -- all the uphills in the course and the traffic-jammed finishing chute.  I was running flat out and ran right into the back of a solid wall of bodies trying to get through all the food and stuff.  I would love if they had a chute where you can bypass the gatorade and bagels to go straight out.  It would relieve a lot of the traffic.

                             

                            I think the net effect of the changes was that it was hillier than in years past.  So many people walked the hill at Mile 6.  I saw lots of people stopped on the side of the road stretching their calves and hamstrings later in the race and I wonder if the two are related.

                             

                            The finish was chaotic but I didn't mind it too much.  I didn't get a blanket, though.  I got lost trying to find the baggage pick up and realized I really needed one.  I eventually found the line and a nice guy who was already wearing a long sleeve gave me his.  Smile

                            lap


                              Congratulations to Julia1971 for winning her age group.  Nice race!

                               

                              The race suffered from too few volunteers.  There weren't enough people working the gear check ins, which led to huge lines, and there weren't enough volunteers at the gear pick up.  When I got to my pick up bus, there were 4 or so people ahead of me in line, waiting while the person on the bus sorted bags.  The first guy in line (a top 15 HM finisher) noted that he had been waiting 20 minutes, then took off to run a bit to work off the shivers.  Eventually we learned that the person on the bus  was the bus driver, and the volunteer(s?) who were supposed to off load the gear had not shown up.  I persuaded her to let a few of us on the bus to help her sort the bags that lined the floor of the bus, and after a little bit, we were able to start getting people their bags.  Crazy.

                               

                              And on the course, the first few water stops were either unstaffed or understaffed.  At the first stop, the water cups were all stacked up, but there was no volunteer in sight.  It was similar at the next two stops, IIRC, but one of them had one person handing out water.

                               

                              Last year, the organization was a big step up from the National Half.  This year, not so much.  I don't know why they moved from a circuit to a point to point race, but I much preferred the old setup.

                              Julia1971


                                Congratulations to Julia1971 for winning her age group.  Nice race!

                                 

                                The race suffered from too few volunteers.  There weren't enough people working the gear check ins, which led to huge lines, and there weren't enough volunteers at the gear pick up.  When I got to my pick up bus, there were 4 or so people ahead of me in line, waiting while the person on the bus sorted bags.  The first guy in line (a top 15 HM finisher) noted that he had been waiting 20 minutes, then took off to run a bit to work off the shivers.  Eventually we learned that the person on the bus  was the bus driver, and the volunteer(s?) who were supposed to off load the gear had not shown up.  I persuaded her to let a few of us on the bus to help her sort the bags that lined the floor of the bus, and after a little bit, we were able to start getting people their bags.  Crazy.

                                 

                                And on the course, the first few water stops were either unstaffed or understaffed.  At the first stop, the water cups were all stacked up, but there was no volunteer in sight.  It was similar at the next two stops, IIRC, but one of them had one person handing out water.

                                 

                                Last year, the organization was a big step up from the National Half.  This year, not so much.  I don't know why they moved from a circuit to a point to point race, but I much preferred the old setup.

                                 

                                Thank you for helping out with the baggage claim.  After the race, someone mentioned that runners were giving out the bags - my friend actually noticed that the people in the bus had bibs on.

                                 

                                And, you're right - there was one volunteer at the first water stop.  (That lady must be exhausted today and probably deserves a medal - all the volunteers do.)  I know I had to run over and get my own cup.  I can't remember the next couple stops but I think there was another one where I had to go over and get my own water.

                                 

                                I think they said they did the circuit because it would be more scenic but logistically, they obviously weren't ready to deal with the baggage.  I can't figure out why they didn't do something like Boston where it's by bib number instead of last name.  That way, the baggage claim at least could have been more staggered.

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