ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Sid B.
Goose Creek, SC

  (03-23-2011)

"This marathon has a new sponsor,PUBLIX SUPERMARKETS took over from ING,but the quality remains at the same hight level. Due to injury,I had to do the Half instead of the full but the support for all the events was the best. The course isnt easy,plenty of hills,but the Volunteers and aid stations are there when you need them.
The Expo is held at the Georgia Dome,so plenty of room,and they had alot of vendors.
On Saturday there was an associated 5K run held at Zoo Atlanta,which was a nice way to stay loose and get another shirt.
Highly recommend this event."

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2011

Holly F.
Atlanta, GA

  (05-04-2010)

"Course was pretty hilly, especially in the later miles so it is hard to make up time. Nice course through the city."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Matthew C.
Atlanta, GA

  (03-24-2010)

"This was my first time running the marathon, but I've run the half-marathon twice before. Excellent organization, water stations, and support. The race gets better every year. "

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2010

Elizabeth K.
Atlanta, GA

  (03-23-2010)

"This was my first ever 1/2 marathon and race. Looking back and comparing to other races I've recently competed in, there are definitely somethings to change. The expo was good-well organized and plenty to look at-but could have been spread out a bit more-it got very crowded. I did not think the start was well organized. People were trying to cram into their start corrals and for a first timer I was clueless as to what was going on. Once the race started it was awesome. Its defintely a tough course but the crowds were great and I loved seeing my city on foot-along with the sunrise. It was easy with MARTA to have spectators see you at several points. I somehow missed the GU station but luckily had one with me-I don't think it was well marked. The finish was a little hectic though. No way to meet your family-i had to borrow someones phone to call and try to find them. Great medal and shirt-Big Peach Running engraved for free the following week. If you bought the picture package you recieved start line and Atlanta skyline pictures as well-which was kinda cool considering how much you pay for a few photos of yourself. I was out of town for the race this year but actually signed up for next year today. Hoping they have worked out some of the issues since this will be the 5th year. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Jessica A.
Tuscaloosa, AL

  (03-22-2010)

"Great race! I was so impressed with the organization, particularly at the expo and the start line. The corrals were organized and actually regulated so that you weren't running over walkers for the first mile.

Course support was good and frequent with well-stocked aid stations (Gatorade, water and portapotties at every station). The cheering stations were great, too!

The only reason I would not run this race again were the hills - I am not a fan of hills! Give my body a week to recover, though, and I'll be thinking about signing up for next year :)"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Barbara V.
Atlanta, GA

  (03-21-2010)

"Great race and organization. Crowd support is amazing! Corrals are clearly marked, as are the miles. Great race! There are no aid stations on the course (or that I saw which is a bummer if you need them)"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

beth o.
crawford, GA

  (03-10-2010)

"This is a great course that will take you throughout the city of Atlanta and into neighboring Decatur. I ran this race in 2009 and will be running it again this year. Most of the organizational details are great (tons of water stops, volunteer, good expo and decent merchandise); there were a few hiccups last year that it seems are being addressed this year, including time based corrals and splitting lanes where marathoners, half marathoners, and the middle school one-milers converge towards the end of the route.

The course is moderately hilly and the most difficult part is around the Druid Hills area in miles 17-19 or so (just my opinion). They have changed the latter part of the course this year, so I can't comment about that. Other than that, you'll run through many of Atlanta's different neighborhoods; it's a nice way to get an on-foot tour of the city whether you live here or not. You'll run through Little Five Points, VA Highlands, tons of other neighborhoods, and past the home where MLK Jr. was born. You'll also pass through Georgia State University, Emory University, Agnes Scott College, and Georgia Tech. There's enough going on here that there aren't long stretches of boring miles connecting interesting areas. "

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Matthew C.
Atlanta, GA

  (08-11-2009)

"Excellent run. Hilly course, but fun overall. "

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Caleb M.
Winterville, GA

  (06-04-2009)

"I ran the ING Georgia Half Marathon for the second time in 2009. This race is very well supported, and the Atlanta fans are excellent.

In planning with your spectators, make sure that they know it can be a little confusing to get into the Centennial Olympic Park area where the finish is. Due to the barriers, you can only access this area through a couple of entrances. Just ask the race volunteers, and they will point you in the right direction.

Make sure you take note of the excellent places you run through/by, including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, the Carter Center, and several great Atlanta neighborhoods."

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Hutch D.
Atlanta, GA

  (05-20-2009)

"As one who lives in the Atlanta area, the ING Half Marathon (Atlanta) is a race that will be an annual event with me from now on. It's incredibly well organized and I really enjoyed how the course winds its way through scenic portions of Atlanta.

With the aid of a garbage bag before the start, the weather was quite suitable for short sleeves and there were plenty of support stations for water and sports drinks along the way.

While there were no steep hills, there are a couple of long/gradual inclines that might test a runner used to training on flat ground. Otherwise, there's not too much there to test one's metal.

The medal is as cool as any medal you'll ever have in your collection and the the Tech Tee is very well designed and one I have enjoyed wearing on subsequent training runs.

From just about any place you might be in or out of town, consider catching MARTA and just get off the train when all of the other runners do! :-) "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

John B.
Atlanta, GA

  (05-18-2009)

"This is a rolling course through downtown Atlanta. It was really well-supported, with a huge set of tents at the start, and lots of support along the way. A lot of the course is very pretty, but the last few miles are pretty industrial as they lead in to Centennial park."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009