Rock N Roll Marathon Series of Races

[KristinU]

I've done two RnR events (Philly and DC) and I'm about to do a third this Sunday (Montreal.) DC was the inagural year and it was just fine. We did have a transportation challenge to the start (metro station was packed and very few cabs available...and when we snagged a cab of course all the streets were closed for the course...but we made it!) I noticed that next year it starts by the mall so that should help. So yeah, I guess that they'll have some logistical bugs to work out in the first year, but not enough to turn me away. If I'm not mistaken, Montreal is the inagural year (and we're planning on hopping on the metro WAY early...learned from DC!)

They're fun events, well done, and the expos are fantastic. And if you're a medal junkie, the more RnR events you do in a calendar year the more medals you get.

And Mickey's gal - thanks for including 40's in your "younger set" comment...that makes my day! And just to echo others' comments, I saw all ages at both races - no worries!

[DisneyParrothead]

Has anybody here done the Dallas RNR half? What did you think?

[poohbear8]

For those who have done them, do you see a good amount of walk/runners? I am still new to running. I have been training for the TOT next week and ran a local 10k in July. There were very few walk/runners and I felt very intimidated with everyone zipping by me. I found the runners in this area are just that, "runners"!

I have considered doing the DC one next year. VA Beach was too close to school starting for me to make it this year.

[Goofierunner]

I've done two: Seattle and Chicago. There are all kinds of people participating. Runners, walkers, run/walkers. All ages, all shapes and sizes. As others have said, it's a pretty smooth operation. Lots of support along the way. I've also volunteered at the expo at Seattle checking the runners in and giving out numbers and that was a lot of fun.

[poohbear8]

Originally Posted by Goofierunner

I've done two: Seattle and Chicago. There are all kinds of people participating. Runners, walkers, run/walkers. All ages, all shapes and sizes. As others have said, it's a pretty smooth operation. Lots of support along the way. I've also volunteered at the expo at Seattle checking the runners in and giving out numbers and that was a lot of fun.

Thanks for the info! I will probably do the DC one in March.

[hungrygreenhippo]

Originally Posted by DisneyParrothead

Has anybody here done the Dallas RNR half? What did you think?

Is there anything specific you're wondering about? I did it in 2010 so my memory is a little hazy, but overall I really enjoyed it and can't think of anything negative to report.

[gjramsey]

Originally Posted by DisneyParrothead

Has anybody here done the Dallas RNR half? What did you think?

I did it this year. Well organized and very warm. Start time was 8am, and by the finish, it was well into the 80s. Finish line festival was around the Cotton Bowl and very little shade. Course is really nice, with most of the first half gradually uphill, and the last 5 miles slightly downhill (I never noticed the downhill part...). I liked the final mile or so running through Fair Park and around the Cotton Bowl.

I enjoyed it, and will probably do it again, but next Feb I am going to run NOLA RNR.

[KristinU]

Originally Posted by poohbear8

For those who have done them, do you see a good amount of walk/runners? I am still new to running. I have been training for the TOT next week and ran a local 10k in July. There were very few walk/runners and I felt very intimidated with everyone zipping by me. I found the runners in this area are just that, "runners"!

I have considered doing the DC one next year. VA Beach was too close to school starting for me to make it this year.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, DH and I had Montreal RnR on the calendar for yesterday - it was a great race! So I had this and the age question in my head as the race was going on. As for the earlier age question - deifinitely all ages, but to be honest I think the majority of folks I was were in the 30's - 50's range, but plenty of everybody. And as for the run-walking, I did see a few folks run-walking. The nice thing, though, about these big races is the corralled starts, so if you're in the right corral you're in with folks about the same pace...so nobody zipping by you making you feel discouraged. There certainly are fasties and elites at the RnR races...Montreal had a full and a half (and a 10k and 5k as well) - the full and half started together and shared the same finish line...as I was finishing yesterday right about 2 hours the first full finisher was coming in! So yeah, definitely serious runners in these things! But with the corraled starts, you don't need to worry about being slower than others, there were 18 corrals yesterday...and I certainly never saw the elites back from my spot in corral 10 Thie thing I've found with the small local races is that it seems like the smaller and less known they are, the more fast runners there are.

Go for it with DC! You won't be disappointed!!! Oh, and we were talking to a guy yesterday who did VA beach and he said it was wicked hot and just gross. It was a hot summer everywhere, but I just don't know that I'd sign up for a summer race. As it was, I found it really tough to train well for this September race - just a gross summer!

[DisneyParrothead]

Originally Posted by hungrygreenhippo

Is there anything specific you're wondering about? I did it in 2010 so my memory is a little hazy, but overall I really enjoyed it and can't think of anything negative to report.

Originally Posted by gjramsey

I did it this year. Well organized and very warm. Start time was 8am, and by the finish, it was well into the 80s. Finish line festival was around the Cotton Bowl and very little shade. Course is really nice, with most of the first half gradually uphill, and the last 5 miles slightly downhill (I never noticed the downhill part...). I liked the final mile or so running through Fair Park and around the Cotton Bowl.

I enjoyed it, and will probably do it again, but next Feb I am going to run NOLA RNR.

Just what the entertainment on the course was like, goody bag, course, etc. I'm looking to stay more close to home and I'm asking questions about races that friends have done. I'm doing the White Rock half in December, but I don't have anything lined up for next year.

[gjramsey]

Originally Posted by DisneyParrothead

Just what the entertainment on the course was like, goody bag, course, etc. I'm looking to stay more close to home and I'm asking questions about races that friends have done. I'm doing the White Rock half in December, but I don't have anything lined up for next year.

I thought the entertainment was excellent, seemed like there was a stage every mile or so. Mostly classic rock cover bands that were excellent. A couple that were playing blues music. Goodie bag was mostly coupons and the like..not much really. Looking at the White Rock route, it looks like part of that route is the same as RNR did.

here is a link to my Garmin data for the RNR course, and I imagine it will be close to the same route. Dallas Half

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Originally Posted by KristinU

As I mentioned in an earlier post, DH and I had Montreal RnR on the calendar for yesterday - it was a great race! So I had this and the age question in my head as the race was going on. As for the earlier age question - deifinitely all ages, but to be honest I think the majority of folks I was were in the 30's - 50's range, but plenty of everybody. And as for the run-walking, I did see a few folks run-walking. The nice thing, though, about these big races is the corralled starts, so if you're in the right corral you're in with folks about the same pace...so nobody zipping by you making you feel discouraged. There certainly are fasties and elites at the RnR races...Montreal had a full and a half (and a 10k and 5k as well) - the full and half started together and shared the same finish line...as I was finishing yesterday right about 2 hours the first full finisher was coming in! So yeah, definitely serious runners in these things! But with the corraled starts, you don't need to worry about being slower than others, there were 18 corrals yesterday...and I certainly never saw the elites back from my spot in corral 10 Thie thing I've found with the small local races is that it seems like the smaller and less known they are, the more fast runners there are.

Go for it with DC! You won't be disappointed!!! Oh, and we were talking to a guy yesterday who did VA beach and he said it was wicked hot and just gross. It was a hot summer everywhere, but I just don't know that I'd sign up for a summer race. As it was, I found it really tough to train well for this September race - just a gross summer!

Glad you had a good time. That is one I was thinking about adding to my list. How was the Expo? Were there a lot of vendors? Did you get a lot of freebies? Definitely agree with the small race comment. It was discouraging at first to be around so many speedy runners, but I think ultimately, it helped with the motivation to keep improving a little bit at a time.

[johde]

Originally Posted by poohbear8

For those who have done them, do you see a good amount of walk/runners? I am still new to running. I have been training for the TOT next week and ran a local 10k in July. There were very few walk/runners and I felt very intimidated with everyone zipping by me. I found the runners in this area are just that, "runners"!

I have considered doing the DC one next year. VA Beach was too close to school starting for me to make it this year.

Around here there are a few run/walkers. That being said, I've never been intimidated in a race. That being said, I've only done one 10K and it was part of a big race. It could have been a function of the 10K distance. I'm sure a lot of walkers either just do 5K's or jump up to half marathons. 10K could be stuck in the middle and attract the more serious runners. One thing I do before entering in a race that's been done before is look at last years results to see if there are people my speed in the race.

From what I understand of the RNR events most of them are fairly walker friendly and attract a fair number of walkers.

[KristinU]

Originally Posted by Rupert B Puppenstein

Glad you had a good time. That is one I was thinking about adding to my list. How was the Expo? Were there a lot of vendors? Did you get a lot of freebies?

Actually DH and I were both left a little flat by the expo. It was good, but not spectacular. Philly was the best I've been to, followed by DC. The freebies at Montreal were mostly yogurt and juice. A few coupons that we can't redeem here in the states and a handful of clothing and gear vendors. I did get some new Bondibands, which I was after, so I was happy. I was also hoping to pick up some new Experia socks, but the prices were not as good as my local running store, so I passed.

But I would add it to my list anyway - the course was beautiful and flat, there were supportive crowds at a whole lot of points along the route, and Montreal is cool to poke around...I wish we would have planned for an extra day after the race for sure.

Oh, and it really would help if you know some French...that was a bit humbling. I have a friend who is French Canadian and she had advised me before we went up that most everyone is bilingual, but she had said it would be nice if I did the greetings and thank-yous in French. I did learn my little niceties and it was nice and felt appropriate, and true that most people were very nice and spoke in english to us, but all of the signs and everything are completely French. So it was a cool immersion, I just wish I understood more. The race countdown was in French too, which of course I figured out

[Rupert B Puppenstein]

Originally Posted by KristinU

Actually DH and I were both left a little flat by the expo. It was good, but not spectacular. Philly was the best I've been to, followed by DC. The freebies at Montreal were mostly yogurt and juice. A few coupons that we can't redeem here in the states and a handful of clothing and gear vendors. I did get some new Bondibands, which I was after, so I was happy. I was also hoping to pick up some new Experia socks, but the prices were not as good as my local running store, so I passed.

But I would add it to my list anyway - the course was beautiful and flat, there were supportive crowds at a whole lot of points along the route, and Montreal is cool to poke around...I wish we would have planned for an extra day after the race for sure.

Oh, and it really would help if you know some French...that was a bit humbling. I have a friend who is French Canadian and she had advised me before we went up that most everyone is bilingual, but she had said it would be nice if I did the greetings and thank-yous in French. I did learn my little niceties and it was nice and felt appropriate, and true that most people were very nice and spoke in english to us, but all of the signs and everything are completely French. So it was a cool immersion, I just wish I understood more. The race countdown was in French too, which of course I figured out

Good point! I don't know any french, but will definitely have to study up. Bummer that the Expo wasn't as nice as most of the RNR events. I never spent so much time at an Expo until the RNR Chicago. So, I am eager to see how others are. Next up, Savannah. Hope that is a good one.

[JeffW]

I just finished the Denver full marathon this past weekend, I thought it was really well run. The expo had quite a bit of free stuff, and the course support was great. They only had GU at two places along the full course, so take your own if that isn't enough for you (I needed a few more than that). They also switched to Gatorade from Cytomax, if that is important to you.

The bands were spaced every mile until mile 12, where the full course split off. The bands were a little more spaced out for 13-26, but still good.

They placed people in 16 starting corrals for Denver, with both full and half runners combined. There seemed to be a pretty good mix of all age groups and abilities. The mix was probably 3/4 half to 1/4 full marathon runners.

Overall, I liked it and wouldn't hesitate to sign up again