RnR events, any good?

[Deleted]

Have seen they have them in Europe and I'm interested (Edinburgh maybe). Are they good or a load of bollocks?

[gummybear]

I've done two. The tend to be expensive and crowded but IMO they do a good job organizing. Having the music along the route is very motivating.

[clseale]

Ditto gummybear. I've done 2 fulls & a half with them. They tend to be pricier, and their races (at least the U.S races) are pretty big, but they're usually organized, lots of crowd support/course support, and they always have really nice medals. I had fun at all 3 races.

[Deleted]

Hmm, okay, I wonder whether it would be the same in Europe. Specifically Scotland. I'm not a fan of a massive crowd race (though Paris is going to be busy, I'm giving it a free pass because of the wine and cheese on offer) so I might check out the course and see how many people they ram in it.

[Wines Not Whines]

I've run 3 RNR races and basically echo what the others said - large races, expensive, good energy. The last RNR race I ran had some organizational problems, but they had just changed the course, so hopefully this year it won't be as bad. I signed up to run the same race again, so it wasn't bad enough to scare me away.

[secretlyevil]

I am anti-Competitor Group. They nickel and dime you to death, which annoys me. Also, the water stops are hose water. At least all the ones I've been too. I think there are much better races out there.

[MrsE]

Pretty much what the PPs have said. I enjoyed it though.

[taratru]

The only one I've done was ok. The start was stupidly crowded, because no one checks bibs. And I waited like 30minutes for my bag from bag check because they couldn't find it. It was right in the front. My course wasn't packed with bands/music either. For that kind of money I expect a little better.

[clseale]

I really think it depends on which event you do. In my experience, they've been pretty good, but a smaller, cheaper race can be just as good. I'm learning that I like the smaller ones.

[Deleted]

Interesting feedback. I've always thought US races would be organised really well because, well, the US just seems to be that way (in comparison to Europe where service and general organisation is apathetic). Maybe it's just my impression that the US is slicker. I seem to find the whole place is as clean and neat as Disney. Like, I went shopping in NC once, just a regular group of shops, nothing like a mall and everything was manicured to an inch of its life and there were speakers in the ground piping music around the place. Or when I went to Breckenridge and the pavements were heated. That freaked me out. As an avid skier we normally go to Val d'Isere which is a really nice resort but you'd never find heated pavements! I guess it's like the difference in the tv show "The Office". The US version has high production values and really tight scripts. The UK one was less so.
Anyway, it does make me wonder whether the RnR would be a bit more 'Disney'.

[pag41989]

One of my family members did one and she had done a ton of Half marathons and Marathons and she said the RnR marathon she did in Savannah, Ga is the best one she has ever done. I plan on signing up for it either this year or next year.

[secretlyevil]

Jan 31, 2014 3:13:15 GMT -5 @cheshire said:

Anyway, it does make me wonder whether the RnR would be a bit more 'Disney'.

See, that's just the thing. My second year of RnR St. Pete, I actually paid attention to the various things I had to purchase, when it added up - it was the same price as a Disney registration - without the benefits.

Women's Half has been one of my favorite races. Competitor bought it a couple of years ago, the 2012 race was pretty much the same as it had been, the signage was a little different but that was pretty much it. Last year, the course entertainment was reduced to some speakers at two different mile markers. The course was changed, the communication about the course change was minimal and inaccurate. Because of this, H was unprepared to be blocked from the parking garage and forced to park on the street. He had enough change to pay for a little bit of time. He got to see my cross the finish line, give me a kiss and had to run back to the car because his meter had run out.

Maybe you shouldn't listen to me, I'm a little bitter about competitor group.

My running team members seem to really enjoy RnR's Savannah, GA race...

[mrshandy]

Jan 30, 2014 8:02:16 GMT -5 Wines Not Whines said:

I've run 3 RNR races and basically echo what the others said - large races, expensive, good energy. The last RNR race I ran had some organizational problems, but they had just changed the course, so hopefully this year it won't be as bad. I signed up to run the same race again, so it wasn't bad enough to scare me away.

Agree.

Re DC RNR: The website was encouraging. They acknowledged a lot of the problems and gave solutions for how they were going to fix them. So I hope it's better this year.

[clseale]

I don't understand what people are purchasing. lol Three events (although twice for the same event) and the only thing I purchased was the entry. What are you buying?

I've done San Diego & Savannah. San Diego is their original event, so I guess it makes sense that it's a well oiled machine. Of course it's crowded, they're HUGE races, but the stagger corral starts make it manageable. For both of those events, people checked the bibs. I will say that Savannah wasn't packed with bands like San Diego, but it was still a fairly easy (albeit crowded & expensive)process.

ETA: In my experience, the food is also good. Bagels, fruit, chocolate milk, bags of jerky, other various carby snacks, etc. For the above mentioned events, there are tables & tables of food as you move through the finish area. 

[Deleted]

Tables of food? Wow, haven't seen that here. You usually get a bottle of water or lucozade if they are sponsoring. You sometimes get a goody bag which has an muesli bar or something and discount vouchers for running shops, but that's it.

Oh, and to clear up any confusion, I wasn't attempting to compare it to an actual Disney race, that's just an expression we use here to describe something American that is well organised, sanitised, clean, um I'm not doing a good job of explaining. Like when you go to a restaurant that is purposely decorated to be old rather than being authentically old, we'd say it's a bit 'Disney'.

[stinkerbell6879]

I did several (10) RnR's back in 2012, I really enjoyed them. I also run Disney, so I tend to enjoy bigger races anyways. I do know that they tend to listen really well to feed back and try to make changes based off those problems (hence the 2011 Vegas RnR debacle to a much better 2012 Vegas RnR). I have never go outside the US for any of the races so I can't say that it translates over to how they run those races...

[andrealynn]

I've never done one because they are way too spendy, but I did volunteer once. I didn't think it was that well organized. Also, I might be bitter because they don't give discount codes to their volunteers. Rude.

[taratru]

Don't get me wrong, I love large races. LOVE them. But for $105, I don't think it's too much to ask to have corrals that actually have spacing between them and are checked. Sorry, I just don't. And when the whole schtick of the race is Rock n Roll, then there should be effing music along the course. I should also get free runner tracking (at least for me) instead of paying 5.95. I should also get a medal that isn't on a fucking hair ribbon. And a shirt that isn't fitted for the torso of a 3 year old (or the option of exchanging).

The only thing I really liked about my RnR experience was the course and that had nothing to do with what I paid for.

[clseale]

taratru, which event did you do? All very reasonable expectations, imo. I forgot about runner tracking. They do charge extra for that, and that sucks. What I really don't understand is why they are not consistent across the board. I have never had your issues, but I have definitely heard complaints from other RnR events. SD, there is literally a band every mile, not the case in Savannah. I don't understand what changes when it's the same company putting them on.

ETA: I also have the torso of a 3 yr old, so I actually get to wear race shirts for once. LOL!! You know who has the shortest shirts? Chicago.

[runaways]

Jan 31, 2014 3:13:15 GMT -5 @cheshire said:

Interesting feedback. I've always thought US races would be organised really well because, well, the US just seems to be that way (in comparison to Europe where service and general organisation is apathetic). Maybe it's just my impression that the US is slicker. I seem to find the whole place is as clean and neat as Disney. Like, I went shopping in NC once, just a regular group of shops, nothing like a mall and everything was manicured to an inch of its life and there were speakers in the ground piping music around the place. Or when I went to Breckenridge and the pavements were heated. That freaked me out. As an avid skier we normally go to Val d'Isere which is a really nice resort but you'd never find heated pavements! I guess it's like the difference in the tv show "The Office". The US version has high production values and really tight scripts. The UK one was less so.
Anyway, it does make me wonder whether the RnR would be a bit more 'Disney'.

I've never done any RnR events, but I found this to be so hilariously, painfully accurate of my semester in the UK. The Office comparison nails it!

[taratru]

Jan 31, 2014 12:57:53 GMT -5 clseale said:

taratru, which event did you do? All very reasonable expectations, imo. I forgot about runner tracking. They do charge extra for that, and that sucks. What I really don't understand is why they are not consistent across the board. I have never had your issues, but I have definitely heard complaints from other RnR events. SD, there is literally a band every mile, not the case in Savannah. I don't understand what changes when it's the same company putting them on.

ETA: I also have the torso of a 3 yr old, so I actually get to wear race shirts for once. LOL!! You know who has the shortest shirts? Chicago.

I did Denver in October. Definitely not inaugural (which I would sort of understand), so I thought it would be solid, ya know?  I have heard great stories about other races, though. 

[foundmylazybum]

Jan 31, 2014 15:55:01 GMT -5 taratru said:

Jan 31, 2014 12:57:53 GMT -5 clseale said:

taratru, which event did you do? All very reasonable expectations, imo. I forgot about runner tracking. They do charge extra for that, and that sucks. What I really don't understand is why they are not consistent across the board. I have never had your issues, but I have definitely heard complaints from other RnR events. SD, there is literally a band every mile, not the case in Savannah. I don't understand what changes when it's the same company putting them on.

ETA: I also have the torso of a 3 yr old, so I actually get to wear race shirts for once. LOL!! You know who has the shortest shirts? Chicago.

I did Denver in October. Definitely not inaugural (which I would sort of understand), so I thought it would be solid, ya know?  I have heard great stories about other races, though. 

I believe the Denver RNR also had a big problem with course measurement in the marathon a couple years ago.

www.denverpost.com/ci_16558468 Here is the article about the mismeasurement.

[foundmylazybum]

I'm not into RNR's at all. I think they advertise that they are in scenic locations and then the courses actually take you into some of the most BORING parts of the locations possible.

I was very interested in Savannah, but I know Savannah pretty well, and had the impression that we would be running..oh I don't know THROUGH HISTORIC SAVANNAH. The course starts in the historic areas, then within a half mile takes you ON THE FREEWAY and out into ugly, out lying areas. $80+ dollars to run into Savannah suburbs? No thank you.


The same thing happened in Phoenix, and in San Jose. At the very least Phoenix is flat and very fast. It's a January race, and the weather in AZ in January is practically unbeatable--so "scenic course" be damned. You can definitely get scenic on your trip lol.

I also find that their expos are lame. Very big, easy to get excited about and then you find that there isn't a lot of free stuff--it's just a lot of vendors of crap for sale.


Finally, I had a HUGE, I mean HUGE blister at the end of RNR San Jose on the bottom of my foot...the "First Aid team," was able to give me a paper towel...nothing else..not even a band aid for the thing. I would have done better to pop it with my safety pin from my bib--with them watching and doing nothing. Then I had to fill out a form with all my information about how they "helped" me. It was lame.


I (and I know taratru has too) have run in some HUGE local races like BolderBoulder, and things like course, expo, first aid, party at the end are just..better.

[atlas]

I've done only one RnR, Seattle. It was awful. The organization was fine. I like the RnR shtick of appealing to newer runners who want to try a half or a full. But the course. Oh God the course. When you have 30,000-50,000 runners the only place you can put them all is on the concrete freeways. Seattle is beautiful and has amazing trails and fantastic places to run. We were running 70-80% on concrete freeways; the other 20-30% was on asphalt, while better - it is still not good. I'm not expecting a trail RnR, but anything not on concrete would be nice. Honestly I really don't remember the bands; but the last 5 or so miles had nothing. I think it is harder for RnR to get groups outside of So.Cal. There seems to be so many people in San Diego/LA area that are trying to make it and I think it is easy for the organizers to get groups to play; certainly wasn't true up in Seattle.