Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon New Orleans

Not sure how I will be able to run another race after this one. They all seem pretty boring in comparison to this one. There are bands and live entertainment around every corner so keep the earbuds at home. People lined the streets cheering you on. to them it probably looked like the worst parade ever of sweaty runners but to me it was motivation to keep going. If you are thinking about doing a race, really consider this one. The layout of this race is spectacular and an amazing city to run in.

²⁄₁₅ runs for the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame!
I love New Orleans!
Have you ever drank orange soda, ate a donut or even had a piece of cake (King Cake to be exact!) while running a half marathon?!? OMG, it was wonderful! People in New Orleans know how to take care of their guests. If they handed out beignets during the run, then I would have packed my bags and moved to NOLA! The people of New Orleans are soooo nice and friendly! Too bad I didn’t get the plastic toy baby in my Kings Cake. :)
And the route was easy too! We ran by my bank, and I was very tempted to stop by the ATM. Why? Well, you also run by Café Du Monde, and they only accept cash. I ended up deciding against it since I had too many sweets for one day already. Lol.
I’m definitely doing this race next year, and hopefully they continue with the race snacks! :)
**If you run the 3 out of the 4 Rock n Roll marathon/​half marathons in the same calendar year — New Orleans, Raleigh, St. Jude Country or Savannah you will earn the Southern Charm medal!

My SO volunteered at Mile ¹⁹⁄₂₂ water station, so I tagged along to help a little bit, as well as watch the race. It was a fun enough time. The marathoners were all enthusiastic (or as enthusiastic as possible, given they had just run 19 miles had had 7 to go). The other volunteers at that station were also very enthusiastic. The race seemed organized and we could hear the closest band pretty well.

This was my first Rock n Roll series event. I found it to be very charming and tons of enthusiasm. My biggest gripe was the fact that the start/​finish lines were at least a mile or more apart. Since I am somewhat new to the race world (less than 1 year) I have never participated in a race that was not a «circle». Other than that, I feel like I did not see the mile markers at each interval. And when I did, the clock was not always working. And I did finish my half marathon before the 2hr 30 min mark. But, overall, it was a very fun and entertaining race. Lots of fun characters participating in the race, great fans, and I even got King Cake at mile 4!

Great race, and very organized. Multiple bands on the course, and locals line the streets of the beautiful historic homes. Some of them hand out food and even jello shots to the runners. And the elevation is lovely for folks that hate hills. The amount of participants is huge and the finish line festivities are great. Also, tons of buses to shuttle folks to and from the finish line, with very little wait.
This is my second run with this event and I will probably be back next year.

This is the worst parade ever!
Throw me some beads, mister!
The Kenyans are drinking all the beer. Run faster!
You have great stamina! (Call me)
You’re beating all the people behind you!
These are just some of the motivational signs that cheering spectators held up along the race route during the 2014 New Orleans Rock n Roll half marathon. This was my 20^th half-​marathon and maybe the most fun yet. Having completed Rock n Roll races in San Diego, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Jose, San Antonio, Seattle, and Nashville, I have to say that the NOLA version is my favorite, so far.
I did the half marathon with the b/​f plus five other friends from Vegas and one from Phoenix. We all arrived on the Friday before Sunday race day, which was also Super Bowl Sunday. Our hotel was located in the lower Garden District on St. Charles, part of the race route and very convenient for our stay, with easy access to the street car and walking distance to the French Quarter. The convention center was also within walking distance so we were able to get to the expo and pick up our packets that night before the expo closed. Unlike other Rock n Roll races, there was a lack of «swag» In our swag bags, i.e., the freebies that participants usually get along with the free race shirt. We got our race bib, our shirt, and an empty gear bag. No packets of sunscreen, BioFreeze, mini Power Bars, or Sport Beans. Wah. Yes, we’ve been spoiled from other races. It’s a minor detail, but it’s also part of what we pay for and come to expect.
Race day itself started with a 1.2 mile walk from the hotel to the start line. It was a wet day, with a steady drizzle and fog, but comfortable temps in the 60s. A flat course below sea level was a nice change for us Vegas residents who are used to running at 2,100 ft of elevation and hills. Like other Rock n Rolls, there were music bands along the race course, as well as cheerleaders, local residents, and friends and family, cowbelling, clapping, urging on the runners, toting those motivational signs, and even offering free beer. Unique to NOLA were the folks handing out free king cake, but I waited until post-​race to try that dessert. Friendly volunteers were in great supply at the aid stations, handing out water and Gatorade about every two miles. GU gels were distributed at the 8.6 mile mark. With 16,000 registered for the event, there was a lot of dodging involved with that many runners and walkers doing the race. Not only did you have to watch out for people around you, but the roads have potholes galore. Combine that with rain made for a tricky course, but we all crossed the finish line in one piece. Additionally, it’s always a plus when you travel to an interesting city to run because you get to see a lot of the city (when you’re not looking down at the ground) from a different perspective. And what better city than New Orleans, with its rich history and culture. For this race, participants start downtown and along the way pass Café du Monde (yummy smells), the French Quarter, the Superdome, the Garden District, Audubon Park, Loyola University, Jackson Square, the WW II Museum, St. Louis Cemetery, the Art Museum, with the finish line at City Park. Once you got your finisher medal, there were tons of water, Gatorade, chocolate milk, bananas, Power Bars, popcorn, and chips available for recovery. Port-​a-​potties were a welcome sight (really) and a beer tent if that’s your idea of celebrating the end of a half or full marathon. I just wanted to pee. There were shuttle buses to take the thousands back to the finish line, a well-​organized system in place to do just that.
If running/​walking is your thing and you’re looking for a race with lots of good food and extracurricular activities to do before and after the event, consider giving RnRNOLA a shot. We ended the day with more beignets from Café du Monde to celebrate and watched a lop-​sided Super Bowl game, but this will always be an unforgettable weekend with friends, doing two things we love: run and eat.

Beignets at Café du Monde!
Po Boy Sandwiches at Mothers!
Jambalaya at Mulates!
These were some of the things that motivated ME when I ran this half marathon. By mile 10, other racers began to look a like beignets, Po Boy sandwiches, and bowls of Jambalaya. My goal was to get to the next beignet. But to my disappointment, they weren’t beignets after all. Darn it! Naw, but seriously, I had a great time at this Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in New Orleans. Read my gf’s review and she pretty much sums it up perfectly (
). This is only my second half-​marathon and by far, my favorite.
Rain, wet roads, potholes, the humidity, uneven streets, and thousands of people that you have to dodge on your way to the finish line is the perfect recipe for a PR… because PR is what I did. Yeah Buddy! Actually, a few of us PR’d this bad boy. So, if it’s time you’re after, then this Rock ‘n’ Roll is perfect for you because the course is flat. But you don’t have to run this course to have a good time and a sense of accomplishment. I walked my first half-​marathon and have no shame in it. How many people do you know can say they just completed a half-​marathon, walk or run? Runners or Walkers… you have to bookmark this RnR. It’s a fun one for sure.
This is my first race with the gf and she even slowed down for me so we can finish at the same time. Thank you, GP! I had the time of my life. Overall, I recommend this Rock ‘n’ Roll Half-​Marathon (or Full) to anyone looking for an excuse to visit New Orleans, eat, PR, and most of importantly, have a unforgettable time with friends & love ones.
TIP: We took the Gray Line Tour the day prior to this race. The tour takes you through history of NOLA and the course itself. It was pretty cool to run this course and pass through some of the places we just visited during the tour. Besides… you can also get a sneak peek of what lies ahead.
PS: If I had any complaints with this event, it’s not with the actual event itself, it’s with the expo. The walk from the Convention Center doors to the actual expo had to be at least one mile (it at least felt that way). The expo was also lacking excitement and their swag bags were lacking swag. No big deal since I bring my own gels, protein, and energy beans anyway. To sum it up… I left the expo feeling like I just went Trick or Treating and only had candy corn to show for it.
Unilocal PERSONAL CHALLENGE — (⁰²⁴⁄₃₆₆)

I love New Orleans. It’s full of culture, music, great food, architecture and history, It’s also a great party town with just the right level of seediness. So what better thing to do than run 13.1 miles through the city?
Let’s get a couple of particulars out of the way. The Rock n Roll marathons are more expensive than most. They’re generally well organized. They’re generally a good time. And this one was no exception.
My wife and I arrived at the start line with dreams of a personal best. After all, it’s New Orleans, where speed bumps count as hills. The starting area was expansive, and we were able find the gear check trucks with ease. After an obligatory pre-​race photo we went to our separate corals to see what we’d be able to do.
National anthem, jitters and then bang — we’re off. It’s up Poydras, a couple of misc side streets, and then settle in for a long run on St. Charles. This offered up a great view of the city and really show off its flavor. There were bands and water-​stations a plenty. The only part I didn’t like about St. Charles was the turn around. Not for nothing, but using the tracks as the separating distance for the U-​turn is a bit tight. Would loved to have seen them loop around a block so you’re not breaking stride.
In any event, back down St. Charles, through another few misc blocks, and then a mile on Peters before turning left to go up Esplanade. I will admit that as we passed Café Du Monde I was very tempted to stop and grab an order of beignets. While I again loved the atmosphere of the city, the bands through this area seemed to be few and far between. Maybe I was just tired, but the two people I ran with felt the same way. In addition, the road got rather rough before heading into the park — can’t fault the folks at Competitor for that. :-)
The finish area in the park was fantastic. Huge area to spread out, great area to meet back up with friends, and a perfect venue for the post-​race concert. Every race should be so lucky to have a venue like this.
I rather enjoyed this race. Not quite love, but pretty darn close.
As for my race itself, I finished with a 1:47:45. Missed a PR by 2 minutes. That said, you couldn’t smack the smile off my face at the finish line as it was a rather unexpected time.

I recently completed the New Orleans Rock n Roll half marathon. It was my first experience with this run, but overall my 15^th half marathon and 6^th different state. I arrived early Saturday and headed to the expo. Parking was somewhat challenging because of a cheerleader competition that was occurring at the same time, but I managed to secure a spot in the parking garage across the street. The expo was well organized, easy to find, and easy to navigate. I attribute this to the corps of ROTC students working the event. They all were organized, knew precisely where to go, and were polite. I was in and out quickly and ready to explore the city.
Race day started at 7 AM. Again parking was challenging, but I found a place about ½ a mile away. I spoke to others who took advantage of the shuttle service they were advertising; however, there were some delays in that and the people I was going to meet didn’t arrive until after the race started.
The course was flat and there were potholes in the streets. The water and Gatorade stations were well spaced and there were fans cheering throughout most of the course. The run was about 4 ½ miles out, then came back toward the start, and it was nice to see that the cheerleaders and supporters that were on one side going out and moved over to the other side of the road to encourage us as we were coming back. It would have been cool to run down Bourbon Street or finish inside the Super Dome perhaps, but overall the course was nice. The finish in the park was beautiful and I would have enjoyed staying to listen to the post-​race concert, but it had been raining and there wasn’t anywhere to sit in the wet, muddy grass. No rain during the run, but it rained days prior to the run and later that afternoon.
After the race there was a line of buses waiting to take us back to the start. Again it was organized as ROTC students were there too. The medal was beautiful — I loved the Mardi Gras beads as the chain. The t-​shirt was kind of plain.
Being an interesting, historical city and a nice flat course that I should have ran better on I will definitely add this to my list to top runs to consider each year.

It was the first time here in New Orleans and it wasn’t for Mardi Gras. An epic weekend for sure, since I wanted to stay longer and enjoy what NOLA has to offer. This epic race weekend was one to remember, since I hit Bourbon Street the first night I was there, and it was pretty nuts. While I didn’t drink or anything, I just wanted to see what the hype was about with Bourbon Street. Nothing much just people getting their freak on. I’m glad to have made this trip and to see New Orleans. It’s amazing how well they’ve coped after Katrina.
The Rock and Roll New Orleans expo was basically what you’d expect as far as layout and the predictability that was the Rock and Roll brand. It was basically all the bells and whistles that they do and they make it like you are the rock star and that was feeds their financial engine. With high priced gear and high entry fees to their events, it’s no surprise that they are the largest event promoters in the country. Packet pick up was near the front of the entrance. They advocate bringing in this confirmation sheet, which has your bib number assigned and they ask you tourism questions like where are you staying, how many nights, and how did you get here. A bit intrusive, if you ask me. All in all, this expo was good and I got to meet friends here. It gets pretty congested here too during peak times. It was held at the convention center in downtown New Orleans.
The marathon started at 7am and with a sea of humanity of 30,000 runners, its a pretty awesome number. They did have seeded corrals based on estimated pace, so the faster people were lined up in the front and the slower people, obviously, where in the back. I got to meet up with my peeps that morning and it’s always great to have mini reunions wherever we find each other at any point of the year and wherever we’d like to go and run.
The course itself had several long out and back sections of the course, which was kind of odd. Perhaps it was due to considerations for the city and the police who had to manage this event with both eyes open. The first out and back was from the start to mile 7, then we turned north for about 5 miles zig zagging towards the marathon /​half marathon split. I realized I was one of the last marathoners, when everyone started to bee line towards the half marathon route and I was alone after mile 12.5. It was a downer, but I was here for the full marathon and it would be a waste if I flew back home with a half marathon finish in NOLA. The last half of the course was a huge out and back section with 3 miniature out and backs, with scenic views of Lake P in the background. It was awesome. I managed to keep my sanity and keep on going and bump into a couple of my marathoner friends who happened to be a few minutes ahead of me. The finish line was at the city park, miles away from the French Quarter, so the Rock and Roll people had shuttle service back from the finish line area.
The last mile or so was grueling as we entered the park, but we had to circle the vicinity and I just wanted it to be over. The aid stations were good and the volunteers were just awesome and kept me on my feet optimistic and smiling, when my body wanted to quit and sit-​down for the rest of the day. The finisher’s medal I received at the finish line was ok, but could have been better, but that’s how Competitor is. While this trip was epic, I knew that I could have done better with better training, since this course was relatively flat as a pancake. Totally recommended if you want to visit New Orleans and want to run a gorgeous marathon.
B+
*I have completed 39 marathons (22 states) & 14 half marathons, as of 05/​18/​2012 — from Hawaii.
*Also posted under Rock and Roll Mardi Gras*
#Yelp Marathons

My passions are running and traveling. My husband and I were excited to have the opportunity to run the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Marathon and explore New Orleans afterwards. Unfortunately, we missed Mardi Gras by a week. At least the city life and the race captured the amazing New Orleans spirit.
Course: Extremely flat with occasional potholes. For the marathon, there were a couple of times when we had an incline over a bridge, but nothing too difficult. We ran through the French Quarter, Garden District, Uptown along St. Charles Street, City Park, and Lakeshore area. The half marathon course did not go through the outskirts of City Park and the Lakeshore area. Even though the scenery was great, there were times when I wish the course wasn’t an out-​and-​back.
Communication: Sufficient communication via email. I read most of the race updates through Facebook.
Bib Pick Up/​Expo: We went to the convention center for the bib, packet, and t-​shirt pick up. The expo was huge! I loved the Brooks Carnival area where we got to play games and get prizes. WooHOo. In addition, there were lots of vendors selling running items and/​or passing out race information.
Bag check: Typically, I do not check my bag. Since the start and finish line were not at the same location, it was extremely easy for the bag check. The bags were dropped off at UPS trucks, and the trucks were at the finish line. There was no way the bags could be lost.
Water Station/​Volunteers/​Crowds: Plenty of water stations available, since the weather was hot. If you need GU, I would recommend that you bring your own. According to the course map, there were two stations. However, the first station at mile 8.5 ran out, and the second station at 17.5 mile had plenty available. The crowd support was amazing! People came up with creative signs like «Worse parade ever» and «Do epic sh*t». In addition, one of the groups gave out snacks and pb&j around mile 15. I needed the pb&j to help me past the halfway point.
Swag: Technical t-​shirt was awesome since there were women specific shirts. Please note that the Brooks women small shirt was extremely tight, so I had to exchange it for a medium at the finish line in the shirt swap. The medal was nice! I love how the ribbon was replaced with a beaded necklace. One thing I noticed was that the paint from the beaded necklace rubbed onto my skin after the race. My sweat must have been extremely toxic. After the race was over, I saw lots of runners wearing their medal around the French Quarter.
Post-​Race Expo: We received bananas, bagels, Snickers Marathon bars, fruit cups, water, and Gatorade after crossing the finish line. Since City Park is huge, there were plenty of meeting areas for spectators to meet the runners. In addition, there was a band playing at the post race concert.
Transportation: We took a bus from the finish line at City Park back to downtown. People complained about the wait, but I thought the flow went smoothly. It was amazing to see about 50 buses waiting in line to transport over 20,000 runners back to downtown.
Price: Great price for a marathon! We took advantage of the Saints football game discount of $ 55 off the price of $ 90, and paid $ 40! It came to $ 44 with the processing fee.
I will be back in the future! :)