What place could be better to recuperate from a race than the beach? You have sand, sun and plenty to celebrate. But does this translate to a good RACE at the beach? We headed to the Jersey Shore to find out the answer at the Atlantic City Marathon.
Let’s dive right in and talk about the course. PR seekers will be happy with this flat as a board(walk) course. Over ten miles of the race takes place on the famous boardwalk and most of the rest traverses the neighboring streets of Atlantic and Ventnor Cities. Long stretches of the race are in full view of the ocean, which makes for some pretty views. And of course taking in old-timey AC sites is always a fun time, even if you’ve never been.
The first 10 miles or so were great...
But despite it’s seemingly easy terrain, it should be noted that the barren out and back sections of the course are a little hard on a runner. Watching people come back down a street that you still have to run down crushes the soul just a little. While the marathon is one of the oldest in the country, it tends to attract a relatively small crowd. While race sponsors and organizers certainly let the runners know they are welcome (the race packet even says that the use of the casinos and related facilities is welcome and encouraged), it still feels like you got to the party just after everyone left. Runners that long to race unencumbered by crowds will be pleased with AC. But if you’re banking on a raucous crowd to get you through that wall, you might be in need of some help.
But the latter miles can get a little lonely.
And though early on there were plenty of knowledgeable race marshals and volunteers, with this course playing host to three different races (marathon, half and 10k), all of which intersect on the boardwalk, trouble really starts.
There is no signage on the boardwalk to direct the runners, in an appropriate path, back when approaching the finish line and in later stages of the race. I was nearly mowed down by a speedy half marathon finisher who was kicking for the tape, right at me. This scene was repeated over and over again, with runners going in both directions, yelling at each other “head’s up!” Unfortunately, this happened again near mile 20, on an out and back section and again by the finish. To be fair, the boardwalk is open to the public, and it is probably not possible to close off sections of it. (I had to duck around a family of four exiting a boutique, with shopping bags in hand, less than 100 feet before the finish.) However, signs and more marshals to direct runners would greatly improve this experience.
More signs like this later in the race would do a world of good.
Even off the course, we had a few other gripes. Though pre-race and post race communications were great, the event organization needs some refinement too. The expo and packet pick up were located at Bally’s casino and there was no signage in the building (other than the casino’s) to direct runners to the appropriate area. I had to walk around for twenty minutes and ask two staff members before I found it. Once there, there was an exceptionally long line to pick up materials and this line was located in front of the smoking lounge. Every few minutes, people using the lounge would enter or exit, causing the whole line to be deluged with second hand smoke. Lines are nothing new at expos, but the wait time seemed very unreasonable.
Here are the marks:
Course: B It’s flat and fast. You’re going to get the full Atlantic City experience here, but that also means that you’re going to have to traverse through some lonely stretches along the way.
Organization: C For a marathon that’s been around for so long, certain things should be down to a science. But they’re not. Little touches like better course signage or having a a board with runner names and numbers, so expo volunteers would not have to look them up on a spreadsheet, would go a long way.
Atmosphere: C+ AC has a few hardy groups of spectators who are really spirited but there are long stretches of the course that are very quiet. Despite the fact that it was a gorgeous fall day, there were not many people out. This may be a factor of being at the beach in the off season or it may be that AC attracts a late night crowd. Either way, your run will be fairly quiet.
Logistics: B From the NYC & Philly areas, AC is only a few hours’ drive. It is served by plenty of bus service as well, making it easy for those without a car. However, the cost of a hotel room in the town can be prohibitive. The best bet is to stay just outside and drive in on race morning.
Overall: C+ The Atlantic City Marathon may be one of the oldest marathons around, but it still has a ways to go before it pulls in the big crowds that it could. Better organization and a little more support and this could really be a great fall destination race.
-Mary
