Rock n Roll New Orleans Marathon

The New Orleans Rock n Roll Marathon is becoming a destination race for many. New Orleans is a unique city, and the race is relatively flat and fun. My friend described New Orleans as having its own identity, and I’d have to agree. It is unlike other cities. Running the marathon here means getting to spend time on Bourbon Street, eating beignets and other delicious food, and partaking in the festivities of New Orleans. I would recommend this race to anyone.

** Huuuuge bummer. They have discontinued this Rock n Roll Race. You can keep reading this post if you’re running a different race in New Orleans, but I understand if you click out right now. I’m sad to see they cancelled such a great race. **

Race Details:

• Cost = $70-120 depending on when you register.

• Time of Year: Beginning of February

• Flat course, typically good weather, and lots of spectators and music.

Choosing to Run this Marathon

Deciding to run the New Orleans Rock n Roll Marathon was not a well thought out decision by me. I recently moved to Minneapolis. When my running friends in Nashville signed up for the marathon, I jumped on the opportunity to see them and race with them. The race occurs at the beginning of February, and I did not put enough thought into what training during a Minnesota winter would be like. For all my advice on running in the freezing cold, see here. It was not always a fun time.

I made it through every long run in the Hal Higdon training plan and even accomplished a 20 mile run in sub zero temperatures. I was ready.

Heading to New Orleans

We flew into New Orleans on Friday night, checked into our AirBnb that had fewer “rooms” than we thought (all 6 of us basically shared 1 long room), and went out for a few drinks. I try not to drink much prior to a marathon, but everyone is different. And it’s New Orleans!

I recommend AirBnb if you want a cheaper place to stay, but there are also plenty of hotels not far from the starting line.

One of the hardest things about this marathon is that you want to explore New Orleans, but you also don’t want to drink, eat, or walk too much right before 26.2 miles.

I think Running while Traveling is one of the best experiences, so I wrote a whole post about it. 

Expo for the Rock n Roll New Orleans Marathon

We checked the Expo off our list first thing Saturday morning. It wasn’t too crowded, was easy to uber to, and took us maybe an hour to get through. If they still have the tie dye shoes next time you do a Rock n Roll race, get them! The Brooks Launch shoes are the ones I’ve trained with and run my last couple marathons in, and I love them. Also, who doesn’t love bright colored shoes?

The Expo had the usual packet pick-up, photo ops, free snacks, and running gear for sale. We were a little surprised by the lack of protein bars/pre-race food for sale.

Pro Tip: Bring your pre-race and race food with you! Don’t waste time trying to find it at the store. If you always eat a peanut butter sandwich before a run, pack one in your suitcase. Don’t count on the Expo to have what you need.

Saturday before Race Day

You have an entire day in New Orleans before the race. You can explore Bourbon Street, eat delicious food, check out a museum, walk the French Quarter – but don’t overdo it. We took 17,000 steps the day before a marathon, and I think that was too much. Try to pick activities that can involve sitting or plan to not be out and about all day. New Orleans is such a cool city, but you spent months training and don’t want to start your marathon with tired feet.

Race Day!!

Getting to the starting line was relatively simple, the race website tells you exactly where to line up, what streets will be closed, etc. We got dropped off a couple blocks from the starting line. Uber is definitely an option; I don’t know if I would risk parking unless you buy the parking pass with Rock n Roll ahead of time. There is the usual gear drop and porta potties available.

If you have never done a race with corrals before, don’t stress. Your corral is based on your projected finish time (that you state when you sign up) and will be printed on your race number. Find that corral, and you’ll start with that group. The race coordinators will start you off at different times so that 20,000 people aren’t fighting their way to the front at the same time.

Please do not go in a corral closer to the front just because you don’t want to wait to start your race. It’s not fair to the people who trained to get that faster time, and I promise you will be in their way.

Pro Tip: Download the New Orleans Rock n Roll app before hand. It’s very handy to have and has everything you need to know in one place.

Check the app or website to see where is best for spectators to see you running. My boyfriend was able to cheer us on at a few different spots by uber-ing from place to place. If you can, have a loved one be there to support you closer to the end of the race. Mile 7ish is helpful, but having someone you love tell you that you’ve got this at mile 22 is more necessary.

The Actual Race

I’m not going to tell you every turn or every part of town we ran through.

I will tell you that the race is almost entirely flat. You do run over one bridge near mile 13 and near the end that can break your spirit a little during mile 26.

You stay with the half marathoners until partway through mile 12. The spectators are out in full force during the beginning part of the race but not so much for the second half.

The second half is more beautiful, though. You run right along the water for a while.

There are a few out and backs throughout the course, which provides you with the opportunity to cheer for other runners. This is always motivating for me.

New Orleans Rock n Roll Marathon did a great job with the music; it was set up at perfect points and definitely carried me through some tough moments.

Aid stations are every couple miles, supplying snacks, water, gatorade, and gel – depending on the station.

Obviously, the weather can be different each year. From what I’ve heard, it’s typically pleasant. On this day it was a high of 60 and glorious running weather.

The group after the finish line

My Race

The night before the race, my dad told me to “just float.” And I did exactly that. I floated through the first 20-ish miles and then dug deep for those last 6. I started quite fast and mentally prepared myself for the possibility of it being too fast, leading to my demise. But that never happened. Sure, miles 20-26 were so freaking hard, but they’re supposed to be. If you feel fantastic during those last 6 miles you probably didn’t give it your all during the rest of the race. Or you’re crazy.

I finished in 3:45, beating my personal best by almost 10 minutes. I’m not sure how I did it. Maybe it was the Minnesota winter training. Or maybe I was blessed by the running gods that day and just floated.

Post-Race New Orleans Rock n Roll Marathon

You fly (or barely make it) through the finish line. If you are like me, you will be crying or close to tears. This was my 4^th marathon, and I still get overwhelmed by finishing one. It is such an accomplishment, such a testament to what the human body can do. It gets me every time.

They have the usual free bananas, Gatorade, crackers, etc. Grab these as you walk through the “finishers tunnel.” About 30 seconds after you stop running, you will be amazed to find out that you can barely walk. Limp to your loved ones, limp to the free beer, and then stagger to the food trucks. The food trucks had some amazing food options. It was nice to eat there and not have to rush and worry about finding somewhere to have lunch.

All in all, I loved the New Orleans Rock n Roll Marathon. Even if I hadn’t accomplished a PR, I would still rate it as one of my best races. It was FUN. Yes, marathons can be fun. New Orleans is such a lively city, and the community comes out to support its runners. I recommend this marathon to anyone who hates hills, loves music, and wants to experience New Orleans. I do think it would make a great first marathon.

Happy Running!

For more marathon reviews and running tips: The Charlevoix Marathon was an incredible race in upper Michigan! The New River Marathon in Boone, North Carolina was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done – think lots and lots of hills. And if you ever have to train in the cold, this one’s for you.