Army Ten Miler Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Carla R.
Arlington, VA

  (11-24-2009)

"The course was great, mostly flat, though spending the last two miles running over the 14th Street Bridge was hellish.

The race was surprisingly disorganized though. There were only two corrals, which meant that with 30,000, the course was crowded the ENTIRE time. We had to keep dodging people, not just because they were going slow in front of us, but because it was really that packed.

I always sprint to the finish, and this time I could barely pick up my pace, since there were dozens of people people blocking my way, it was hard to weave through. No one should still be weaving through crowds through the last 50 feet of the finish!

I would do it again, since it's a DC institution -- one of the largest races in town (I think only the Marine Corps Marathon is bigger), but hopefully they can come up with proper corrals, not just two, with 15,000 people in each, 3 minutes apart from each other!

And please, add more porta-potties. The lines were ridiculously long before and after the race.

I loved the unexpected 25th Anniversary cap we got (great surprise!), but the race expo was the most boring one I've seen so far.

Overall, the ATM should take an example from the MCM guys -- they have the most organized race I've seen yet."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Melody h.
Arlington, VA

  (10-07-2009)

"Excerpt taken from my blog: http://willrunformargaritas.blogspot.com/

Note: This is my 3rd year running the ATM (my mom comes up from FL to run it, too) and the field size has increased each year. However, this is an awesome race, rooted in an awesome tradition!
________________________________________
Since the 2009 Army 10 Miler marked the 25th Anniversary of racing, they opened the race to 30,000 runners! Since there were 30,000 runners, they had specific waves for specific race numbers (all color coordinated by having same-color race numbers and balloon arches indicating the wave). Since I was bib number 2245, I was in the wave (#2) behind the elite runners. However, like any big race, with 30,000 runners, 96 year old, Grandma Betty, with bib number 29, 987, thought she could start in wave #2, too. Sorry, grandma, you cant! My biggest frustration (besides not enough water) is runners who think that they can start whenever they want. There are wave starts, bib numbers and timing chips FOR A REASON! If youre not in my wave, dont start running with me!

I am so thankful for:

A)Awesome weather!!!
B)My best ATM ever (this was my 3rd year running). I ran 10 miles at a 6:59 pace!
C)My mom being able to run the whole race and not stop (Its a LONG story but my mom had a terrible horse accident less than one month before the race and she wasnt even sure she would be able to run)!!!
D)A PR for my boyfriend, too!

Awesome things about this race:
1) Location: its close to home, the race starts and finishes at the Pentagon
2) Supporting our Troops! Im an Army Brat, so I have a special place in my heart for the men and women that serve our country! I clapped and thanked every amputee I saw on the run (and after) because they deserve it.
3) Washington D.C. Shit happens here. Its cool to run 10 miles in and around our Nations Capitol!
4) Hundreds of AWESOME volunteers: some civilians and some Military personnel.
5) The ATM is beyond organized, its probably one of the best organized races in the U.S.
6) Awesome expo
7) The after party is so much fun! There are tents everywhere, good food and everyone is having a good time.

Not so awesome things about this race:
1)Very, very crowded. Because this race is so well organized, 30,000 runners just barely works. However, I am NOT happy about the laissez faire-ness of the bib numbers and wave starts. There are HUNDREDS of (handsome) military guys working this race, you need to enforce it, fellas.
2)30,000 runners, YOU ALWAYS NEED MORE PORT-A-JOHNS. Yes, trust me, you do! (I almost missed the start of the race but thankfully a very kind man (who was obeying his later wave start/time) allowed me to cut in front of him, I just barely made it in time.)

Verdict: I love this race for a number of reasons, including my mother/daughter weekend, great weather and the support to our troops! Im 3 years strong and I hope I can run this for (at least) another 25 years. Im def in for year #4.

Overall Score: 9
"

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009