2024 Every Woman's Marathon Race Experience
On Saturday, November 16th, I ran the inaugural Every Womans Marathon in Savannah, Georgia. This is a race that declared itself “a race for women, by women.” My race weekend was an experience; one that I recognize as being wholly my own, fully colored by who I am as a runner and as a run coach. Read on for a recap of my marathon experience in Savannah.
Accommodations
I shared an Airbnb with my friends while in Savannah. Our Airbnb was located between one to 2 miles from all the weekend activities, so I was able to walk to some events and taxi/Lyft to the rest. For me, a huge perk of the Airbnb was the washer and dryer, which meant I could pack lighter for this weekend trip.
Expo
Expo was held at Trustee’s Garden (this is also the finish line). I picked up my bib in one building and my race gear/goodie bag in another. Picking up the bib was a seamless process, however, getting the race gear was a little more challenging as the Rabbit booth was right at the entrance and caused a lot of traffic. The expo had several vendors, but I think it was mainly race sponsors. There was one vendor that had running gear, so this isn’t an expo for getting last-minute race needs. A unique part of this expo was the name wall full of magnetic name tags, the offering of cooking demos and mobility classes, and the large field for hanging out and listening to guest speakers. My expo experience was straightforward and quick, but I did hear stories of people waiting in a line for over an hour to get into the bib building and a lack of race-branded apparel for purchase.
The wall was color-coded according to how many marathons each person has ran. Yellow was for people who have ran 11-30 marathons.
Pre-Race
Pre-race activities, including meeting many women that I’ve had on the Runner’s Round Table podcast and women that I admire, was a weekend highlight. On Friday I attended the “Unofficial Shakeout” run with Alison Mariella Désir and a collection of incredible running groups, like Latinas Running, Harlem Run, and Prolyfyck Run Creww. This run was incredible because we made a stops along the way that explained the impact and legacy of Africans and enslaved people in Savannah.
With Runner’s Round Table season 4 podcast guests (clockwise from top left): Tia Pettygrue (episode 8), Vanessa Peralta-Mitchell (episode 4), Alison Mariella Désir (episode 32), and Latoya Shauntay Snell (episode 11).
Post-Race
Post-race celebration took place in Trustee’s Garden where the expo was held. There was a chocolate milk for recovery, a free beer for our marathon runners, a live concert from Natasha Bedingfield, and a recovery room with stretching and massages for all the runners. One thing I really liked about the post-race celebration was the separate “VIP” bathrooms for the runners. An interesting thing about this race was that spectators could only enter Trustee’s Garden with a runner, so runners and their family/friends would have to reunite near the finish line to enter the post-race area together.
On the Course
The course itself was not my favorite because it was full of turns and several out-and-backs that felt like they were being done just to get the mileage (reminded me a lot of my training runs). There were 14 aid stations on the course with water and Mortal Hydration electrolytes. GU energy gels were passed out twice while on the course, but I can’t remember where on the course. There were bathrooms at some of the aid stations, but in my opinion, there were not enough aid stations and bathrooms to fully support all the runners. l was happy I always carry a water bottle with me because the aid stations were 1.5-2 miles apart and it got hot as the day wore on. There were lines at almost all the bathroom because there weren’t enough bathrooms on the course. This is an issue because people don’t normally factor bathroom stops into their race planning and a 5-10 minute bathroom stop can be the difference between finishing the race and being swept.
There was crowd support, but a lot of the support came from fellow runners as there were many parts of the course where you ran alongside runners that were either ahead or behind you. Mile markers were clearly visible, but there was no clock time or any other timing device to let you know how much time had elapsed (really important to know if the race is going to be strict about a 7:45 time limit).
Race Experience
The women participating in this race are what made this race memorable. A marathon is a marathon, and it is hard work on the body, the mind, and the heart, regardless of how you approach the race. Nearly half of the participants were completing a marathon for the very first time and it was so inspiring to see all the “1st marathon” bibs on the course.
I had a great experience because I ran the entire race with my friend and training partner. My goal was to finish the race and enjoy the experience of running in Savannah with 7,000 other, mostly women, runners. We made stops at each mile marker to take a picture and, let me tell you, that helped the race pass quickly. I stuck to my fueling plan (A+) and finished proud happy, and ready to rest.
I want to point out that my experience of this race may different from others’ experiences because I have ran multiple marathons and because I view races not only through the eyes of a runner, but also through the eyes of a run coach. I personally did not like the course and felt it took a harder toll on the body than necessary because of all of the turns. I felt like fellow runners and the spectators that were out there made the race feel supported, but I also feel like there was a missed opportunity with the residents of Savannah, or at least the ones I spoke to who had no clue a race was happening. Why missed? Because this could have been a great opportunity for the local community to get out to support the runners on race day.
Overall impression
What made this experience worth it for me was seeing all the women who came out to run this race, including all the first-time marathoners and all the women who did what they could to support the women around them. It’s not to say that I had a bad experience because I didn’t - I had a very enjoyable experience - but what made that experience as enjoyable as it was were the women who were around me. I felt that more could have been done to support the runners on the course with more aid stations, more bathrooms, and perhaps a course route that didn’t include so many turns.
As someone who continues to come back to the marathon distance, I know how special running is, but I do wonder if the same effect could have been accomplished with the half marathon distance. My weekend takeaway was that the running community is full of many incredible women and that there really is no stopping women from accomplishing big, audacious goals.
Pros
By women, for women event.
Low entry fee.
Great swag bag with a long sleeve rabbit shirt, feetures socks, and running belt.
Personal touches, like the name wall, that made the race extra special.
Expo activities that included cooking classes, mobility, classes, and speeches from the race captains.
Small race field, if that is your preference.
Self-seeded corral, if that is your preference.
On time start for the race.
Post-race celebration and music concert.
Supportive running community, especially for run-walkers.
Free race photos.
Cons
I did not like the course.
Field size, depending on preference.
Course route, depending on preference.
I know this was a #teammilk sponsored event, but may not be the friendliest or vegetarian or vegan runners.
Additionally, there were PETA protesters both Friday and Saturday.
Long lines at expo and sold out race merchandise.
Not enough aid stations or bathrooms.
This is what this race was about: women supporting women as fellow runners and spectators.
To be honest, I had my reservations about this race before race weekend because of the lack of information that was out regarding the course itself, and because of their lack of a deferral policy. My hope was that this race would be a success as the mission behind Every Womans Marathon is one that I support and want to see grow. Again, I had a great experience because of the women who made this event possible and because of the women I shared this experience with, but this is not a marathon I personally would do again.
As for me now, I rest. After running Chicago and Every Womans Marathon this fall, my body is tired, and I am looking forward to having a couple of weeks of low intensity, low stress running. This has been an incredible racing season for me and, in general, an incredible 2024 in running. I will spend the next few weeks recovering and doing what I can to come back stronger, physically and mentally, so that my 2025 goals can be met with a full heart and all joy.
