Rock and Roll Marathon

[Anonymous]

3:53, F 42. Thanks for asking, I had a great race. Agree about the poor organization on the race side. Sympathize on the traffic side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Who in my fair city approved this marathon? Shutting down the middle of Columbia Heights and Rock Creek on a Saturday morning is just plain stupid. Traffic from 16th to 11th was at a standstill for hours, not a few minutes, but hours. If you're going to do this, do it on a Sunday.

Signed-
Cranky mom who is a marathon runner

Last year my time was 3:30, thats right 3 hours and 30 minutes....the time from Glover Park to a kids event in Chinatown. I wish there was some way of stopping these things. They just shut down the city.

It's called the metro.

You're funny. Not.

We live a block from the metro and use it regularly. Please explain how I was supposed to get my son to basketball from Columbia Heights to Wisconsin & S Street?

God forbid 30,000 people who want to run the marathon interfere with your sons basketball practice! I apologize.

I have no problem with folks running a marathon. I am a marathon runner. The issue is that the decision to run it on a Saturday in the middle of the city isn't a smart one. Do it on a Sunday when there's less traffic. Run it along the edge of the city like the Marine Corps. And don't give some smart ass response like "It's called the metro." Of course it's not the end of the world if my kid doesn't get to basketball practice. But if you saw the back-ups for hours that occurred this morning, you could likely presume that people couldn't get to more important things like their job or appointments. That's not okay.

Just seems like one morning a year is no big deal. There was plenty of advance notice.

[Anonymous]

I know this isn't the OP's intent, but I agree with PP's about lack of metro and a race that closed off access to downtown by car. We were trying to go to a cub scout event downtown, couldn't take metro due to track work/closed stations and ended up getting stuck in traffic for 2 hours - not just "traffic" but at a standstill with no way out for the hour it took me to go a block. Having missed the event and my 5 year old in tears b/c she had to pee, we bailed and went home (7 yr old DS is the cub scout for those calling troll).

In my case, I'd blame metro, but given that metro doesn't go across, I blame DC for scheduling a marathon on a Saturday, that basically blocked all access to downtown and caused gridlock for those going cross town.

I grew up in DC (yes DC proper) and have to say this debacle reminds me of the Marion Barry era.

[Anonymous]

I don't know how people did not know about the road closures. Whenever I get in my car, I check WTOP traffic, you cannot afford to go anywhere in this town without checking traffic first. It is a mess.

For time, I am 35-F and ran it in 1:51. This was according to MY time. I was not able to cut corners, so I ended up doing 13.3, I stopped my watch at 13.1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Who in my fair city approved this marathon? Shutting down the middle of Columbia Heights and Rock Creek on a Saturday morning is just plain stupid. Traffic from 16th to 11th was at a standstill for hours, not a few minutes, but hours. If you're going to do this, do it on a Sunday.

Signed-
Cranky mom who is a marathon runner

Last year my time was 3:30, thats right 3 hours and 30 minutes....the time from Glover Park to a kids event in Chinatown. I wish there was some way of stopping these things. They just shut down the city.

It's called the metro.

You're funny. Not.

We live a block from the metro and use it regularly. Please explain how I was supposed to get my son to basketball from Columbia Heights to Wisconsin & S Street?

God forbid 30,000 people who want to run the marathon interfere with your sons basketball practice! I apologize.

I have no problem with folks running a marathon. I am a marathon runner. The issue is that the decision to run it on a Saturday in the middle of the city isn't a smart one. Do it on a Sunday when there's less traffic. Run it along the edge of the city like the Marine Corps. And don't give some smart ass response like "It's called the metro." Of course it's not the end of the world if my kid doesn't get to basketball practice. But if you saw the back-ups for hours that occurred this morning, you could likely presume that people couldn't get to more important things like their job or appointments. That's not okay.

Just seems like one morning a year is no big deal. There was plenty of advance notice.

Where? I only heard about it this morning on NPR in passing. I go to WaPost daily, listen to NPR, walk around the city...I saw next to nothing about the race itself and even less about the road closures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Who in my fair city approved this marathon? Shutting down the middle of Columbia Heights and Rock Creek on a Saturday morning is just plain stupid. Traffic from 16th to 11th was at a standstill for hours, not a few minutes, but hours. If you're going to do this, do it on a Sunday.

Signed-
Cranky mom who is a marathon runner

Last year my time was 3:30, thats right 3 hours and 30 minutes....the time from Glover Park to a kids event in Chinatown. I wish there was some way of stopping these things. They just shut down the city.

It's called the metro.

You're funny. Not.

We live a block from the metro and use it regularly. Please explain how I was supposed to get my son to basketball from Columbia Heights to Wisconsin & S Street?

God forbid 30,000 people who want to run the marathon interfere with your sons basketball practice! I apologize.

I have no problem with folks running a marathon. I am a marathon runner. The issue is that the decision to run it on a Saturday in the middle of the city isn't a smart one. Do it on a Sunday when there's less traffic. Run it along the edge of the city like the Marine Corps. And don't give some smart ass response like "It's called the metro." Of course it's not the end of the world if my kid doesn't get to basketball practice. But if you saw the back-ups for hours that occurred this morning, you could likely presume that people couldn't get to more important things like their job or appointments. That's not okay.

Just seems like one morning a year is no big deal. There was plenty of advance notice.

Where? I only heard about it this morning on NPR in passing. I go to WaPost daily, listen to NPR, walk around the city...I saw next to nothing about the race itself and even less about the road closures.

There were temporary road signs notifying travelers for days on major routes -- Beach Drive, 16th St, Memorial Bridge, etc. Lots of streets signs posted on utility poles and trees, in the newspaper and on the radio. I ran today and saw posted and road signs often. I don't disagree that these types of events make traffic a nightmare but there are several major events (including the Cherry Blossom Run right around the corner which will cut off access to DCA across the Memorial Bridge) that close streets and major throughways.

[Anonymous]

It's time to shut these things down. It almost every weekend from now till November. This needs to be an issue in the council race. What do the people who live in DC get out of these things? Starting holding these things in Alexandria or Bethesda.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry, but I don't even drive that often (I metro) and I still saw a ton of signs on various roads notifying people of the event.

People, you live in a major city. there are a limited number of big races here - this one, Cherry Blossom, Army Ten Miler, the marathon. (3 of which I have run.) And yes, some smaller races with limited impact. i don't mean to sound unsympathetic, but if you really can't deal with having your traffic patterns changed 4 times per year, you maybe shouldn't live in a major city.

will sympathize about metro sucking, though - I was particularly unimpressed with their f*cking up the blue line on Old town parade day when thousands of folks would want to take blue line to Old town. Very poor planning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Female, over 50, 2:05 ish. Was aiming for under 2:00 but the Calvert Hill killed me and I never fully recovered.

That's ... the half marathon, I take it? Rock on!

Yes the half. I think I would be the fastest woman of all time if that was a full marathon time.

I think there is a balance. Obviously I'm a runner and I love the fact that DC is a running city with so many races. With tens of thousands of runners including many people from out of town, this race brings tourist dollars into the city, and adds to the quality of life. They close Beach Drive on weekends for bikers, which is very inconvenient for some. But I've also been inconvenienced by closed streets for races and I know its frustrating. Ultimately I think this was a very poorly run race and that extends to notice about street closures. Was there something in the Washington Post? There always is for the Marine Corps (which is run on a route that is definitely less inconvenient). I was on H Street a couple of days ago and saw tiny signs warning about the race. People are supposed to see that? I think if people are going to be inconvenienced it should be for a good race like the Marine Corps marathon and this race pretty much sucked so I feel bad that people were so inconvenienced.

[Anonymous]

23:15 again and I do have to say I agree with 22:34 that this is part of living in a great city and all big cities will do this. I just wish it had been for a better race.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Who in my fair city approved this marathon? Shutting down the middle of Columbia Heights and Rock Creek on a Saturday morning is just plain stupid. Traffic from 16th to 11th was at a standstill for hours, not a few minutes, but hours. If you're going to do this, do it on a Sunday.

Signed-
Cranky mom who is a marathon runner

Last year my time was 3:30, thats right 3 hours and 30 minutes....the time from Glover Park to a kids event in Chinatown. I wish there was some way of stopping these things. They just shut down the city.

It's called the metro.

You're funny. Not.

We live a block from the metro and use it regularly. Please explain how I was supposed to get my son to basketball from Columbia Heights to Wisconsin & S Street?

God forbid 30,000 people who want to run the marathon interfere with your sons basketball practice! I apologize.

I have no problem with folks running a marathon. I am a marathon runner. The issue is that the decision to run it on a Saturday in the middle of the city isn't a smart one. Do it on a Sunday when there's less traffic. Run it along the edge of the city like the Marine Corps. And don't give some smart ass response like "It's called the metro." Of course it's not the end of the world if my kid doesn't get to basketball practice. But if you saw the back-ups for hours that occurred this morning, you could likely presume that people couldn't get to more important things like their job or appointments. That's not okay.

Just seems like one morning a year is no big deal. There was plenty of advance notice.

I see your 30K people and raise you 617,000--the population of DC. Take a look at the race map -- it drew a box around a major portion of the city. This is a city that knows how to do things that are a major disruption. We have rolling thunder. We have the Fourth of July. We have the Marine Corps Marathon. We have motorcades shutting streets down every friggin day. But this was ridiculous. The only thing worse is when some god forsaken bicycle race happens here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Female, over 50, 2:05 ish. Was aiming for under 2:00 but the Calvert Hill killed me and I never fully recovered.

That's ... the half marathon, I take it? Rock on!

Yes the half. I think I would be the fastest woman of all time if that was a full marathon time.

I think there is a balance. Obviously I'm a runner and I love the fact that DC is a running city with so many races. With tens of thousands of runners including many people from out of town, this race brings tourist dollars into the city, and adds to the quality of life. They close Beach Drive on weekends for bikers, which is very inconvenient for some. But I've also been inconvenienced by closed streets for races and I know its frustrating. Ultimately I think this was a very poorly run race and that extends to notice about street closures. Was there something in the Washington Post? There always is for the Marine Corps (which is run on a route that is definitely less inconvenient). I was on H Street a couple of days ago and saw tiny signs warning about the race. People are supposed to see that? I think if people are going to be inconvenienced it should be for a good race like the Marine Corps marathon and this race pretty much sucked so I feel bad that people were so inconvenienced.

I didn't know about it until this morning, when I was in the car. And I had the newspaper with me and there was no map showing the race route. Trust me, I had plenty of time to look.

[Anonymous]

M, 42, 4:20 marathon. Awful course. After the split from the half we were running warehouse areas and doing loops on Anacostia waterfront and finally ending up on the hilly and deserted Minnesota Ave. by the time I got to the finish area the place was destroyed and they were out of a bunch othings, including chocolate milk. Luckily everyone was gone by then so bag check was a breeze.

[Anonymous]

The comparisons to the Marine Corps aren't fair. The Spring DC marathon, ever since it became into existence, was always to showcase DC and run entirely within the DC borders. So it's a lot of miles to cover and obviously they try to take you all around the city to show off the best parts.

MCM doesn't have the impact because it's run within DC doesn't go into residential areas.

[Anonymous]

I am delighted to have ruined somones basketball practice!

This time I really enjoyed the race, wasted time standing in line for the portapotties, without that would have made a new personal best.
Weather was great, I had been worried about that.

What a beautiful city you live in. I did the fulland seeing SE DC was an eye opener. I am still wondering how you can have such poverty a stones throw from the wealthy. You are all side by side!

Crowd support is not as good as other places, but you seem to be a grumpy sort city people.

Go to the soup kitchens and feed your homeless. Your 'District' has much bigger worries than some kids sport practice.