“Better than expected from Review in 2019 - The race was generally ok. New route will make the event more interesting. Different times for different races help to spread people out a bit, but still have to run through a huge wave of people. I didn’t see an ambulance during the event. What will be the evacuation plan for any patient along the route as each side of the road is rather small to allow an ambulance to access to a patient while there are a lot of people running. The event was better than expected based on reviews in 2019.”

“First run was amazing - I would appreciate if Souq Walid parking were managed better, we paid for the parking surprisingly! Also, we did not find the buses that was supposed to take us from the parking to the running area. Otherwise, the event was amazing and enjoyable! Will repeat it again.”

“Well Managed - Suggestion: More advertisement is required, hoardings, banners to make others aware of the event. Definitely, it will help to gather more crowd..”

“Should Do Better - Should look to change Marathon course to incorporate Katara & The Pearl. Need specific Marathon & HM lane so no clash with 10k/5k starters. Quality & design of t-shirts were awful. No goodie bag.. No race specific medal design, so only way to distinguish Marathon from 10k is the ribbon colour.. Weather forecast had been poor all week but no preparation for rain, so bagdrop left uncovered which means all our post race clothes were soaked. No information about how to find results online. ”

“Good event, but risk missing Salat Al Jum'a - I thought the loop would be boring, not true as you could see top runners in action and catch people you know as you looped around . Aid stations had water+Gatorade, bathrooms were too far away and had high steps (very hard when your legs are sore!) It is disappointing that it is Friday every year and interferes with prayers, Ooredoo should accommodate Muslims and respect Friday. Ridiculous cutoff of 4:30 (probably because it's on a Friday) though finishers are counted up to around 6:30. ”

“Did not receive any feedback after the race regard - Did not receive any feedback after the race regarding the timing.”

“Good, but room for improvement - Improvement from 2019, but room for more improvements. At least t.shirts were not cotton and more Marathon like. For the price medals should be a lot better. Doha corniche/skyline in the background perhaps. I have completed in numerous international race events for a fraction of the cost, so for this price tag improvement is needed if only on the small things ”

“A room for improvement reg the organization - A room for improvement reg the organization”

“Good - Happy to do again ”

“No significant improvement - "Make your suggestions, heap your praise, say what you didn't like - if you don't share your opinion you cannot expect any changes ..." For how many years same same”

“Very good event for the first time:) - Use a small water bottles to reduce the waste of water. after the event I cannot find a website includes the marathon pics and videos despite many photographers attend the event.”

“Better than last year, but still needs improving - Overall the event was better than last year. T-shirt pick up was easy. There was a chip timer at the 10.25km mark for the 21km runners. T-shirt was cheap for the money entry. For 21km I planned to do my lap in 44min to avoid the 10km crowd on my second lap. I managed to run 44min30, which is pretty good, yet the whole 10km runners had already started and I had to weave through them and the puddles and that was devastating. Water should be just small cups to avoid waste. No prize announcemnt”

“very nice but value for money should be considered - The overall experience was very enjoyable and amusing despite the heavy rain, and its very nice and important to have such ongoing events here in Doha, but in order to encourage more people to join and participate, the value for money should be considered. Thumbs up!”

“A good race needing a few improvements - I was concerned that the race would be canceled because of the rain and lightning: was there a way to notify runners? More mileage markers would be helpful, even for motivation. Moving walkers to the back is an easy change to make. Paper cups could replace bottles on the racecourse. The after race needs the most work. Food boxes were hard to find and wasteful, & more guides telling runners where to go would have been great. Still, looking forward to the 2021 run!”

“Good arrangements with scope for improvement - The markings for kilometers on the track can be more , you come to know the distance only at turns. The 21K and 42K turns can be made a bit further the 5K and 10K can be started a bit late as the track becomes crowded. ”

“crap and cheap - Shame!! I cant believe i have flown from Oman to Qatar , booked a flight and hotel to witness this crappy event!!!this should be an international well organized event though !! shirts were very cheap Despite the fact that organizers should knew about the weather conditions long time before the event so they organize the event much better than this crappy event!! Volunteers were very rude and it was obvious that they had no communication skills at all, nevertheless, no one would fake a smile! ”

“I really enjoyed the half marathon run - I flew in for this from the UK. I thought the atmosphere was friendly and well organised. I agree with comments about waste - bottles could be smaller. I was surprised that there were no KM makers on the course so had to judge by turning points. There were a lot of walkers, often 4 abreast, doing the shorter 10k at the end of my run, so felt sorry for the longer distance runners going for a time as they would have to weave in and out. But loved the whole event (including the rain). Thank you!”

“Little improvement from last year - Drop station need improvement, my bag wet because the area is open. ”

“Good event but slightly disorganised - Poor runner organisation, where many people who were only intending to walk the event were not directed to the back of the group at the start line causing problems for some runners. I could see some of the faster and more experienced runners held up badly as they could not find their way through groups of people walking without leaving room for the runners. Generally though it was an enjoyable event despite the rain.”

“Better than last time - Please give the energy drinks at more number of stations but in smaller bottles to avoid wastage while providing much needed energy to the runners”

“Improve Organization, Overall Okay - The organization of the packet pickup was okay, but the location did not work well. There's only one entrance/exit to MIA, so traffic was unbelievable. Could it be done at a mall or something with more access? I wish there was an additional water station in the middle of the course. I would have preferred less waste with food after the race - no box, only grab what you want to eat. I only wanted a banana and it felt so wasteful. Overall, it was okay and I'd consider doing it again. Thank you! ”

“An improvement from last year - The area for the bags should be covered, everything was soaked because of the rain. Medals and race kits were far better from last year. Food was also okay. Overall, I enjoyed this marathon very much despite the weather. ”

“Wonderful atmosphere great run - Improvement required in event communication such as race time, bib collection point etc. Well in advance, parking area should be indicated, lot of walking to the event. Overall was a great experience good arrangement in race zone entertainment for children etc. Race was great due to nice rain.”

“Room for improvement - It is nice that it is a completely flat race, but a different route instead of going back and forth in the Corniche would be nicer and more enjoyable. At the stations there should be glasses instead of bootles and a bit of food. Being a close loop, the 5 and 10k start should not block the 21 and 41k runners. ”

“It is unfair for masters to compete with 45ers - In the past, the Master's age was 55 and above. Since last year's event, you started to consider the Master's age starting from 45 years. It is absolutely unfair competition for a 62-year runner. ”

“Better organised than last year - Distribution of T shirts and medals was much better organised than last year. But I didn't bother to collect the food box, I had no idea where to get it and I was too tired after the run to join another queue. Would be helpful to extend the hours available for registration the day before the race, for example start from midday so we don't have to come to the venue in rush hour. ”

“This Event Medal for 42 kms same in the 3 kms. - This EVENT for 2nd straight years no single BANANA/APPLE in the Aid station. contrary to a Full Distance event it should have at all Aid station for Full 42 kms Course.”

“Marathon can start earlier - 42K marathon cut off time of 4:30 hrs is too late and the marathon can start earlier”

“Not one of the best city marathons i have done - Volunteers badly briefed and unfriendly. Bag drop not covered from rain and not secured. Nobody to greet tired runners at finish line nor to give medals. Cut off time not fair for marathon ”

“Still enjoyable but the route is boring - Bag drop needs to be covered for rain or sun with more people manning it. Entry to the MIA was first thing was badly organised, unable to enter through the main entrance. ”

“it was good experience - There was a heavy rain in between the event and the rain water was clogged in the route way at few places which resulted runners to soak their shoes in waters. The organizers could have handled if they had prepared for such natural calamities. Other than this issue all went well. ”

“Standard Doha Event - The event is generally well run on the day. The course is 8 times along the Cornice. I like the Cornice but 8 times along the same road is hard work. The turn for the 21/42 at the MIA end is tight and winding, could be better. Race day info (start time, pack collection etc) was not sent out until the last minute. Zero communication until a week before the race. On the positive side, plenty of water stations, a massage after and plenty of rain on the day. I plan to be back.”

“Timer not accurate - Timer based on gun shot and not on the time i crossed the line to start. the time was not accurate.”

“. - . ”

“Great experience - The event as a whole was amazing and enjoyable. It was pretty much inspiring as well..... But the Gatorade bottles were too large for a person. But the overall experience was great”

“Very Good 2020 Series - The Hard Rain added an extra color and story to tell. The distance is not anymore indicated in the T-shirt but it's no big deal to me.”

“A decent event but needs some improvements - The course is not very interesting, would enjoy being able to run one big loop through the city. Have different courses for shorter distances so 10 & 5km runners don't block marathon runners path. The medals could be more original and different each year celebrating the unique country of Qatar. Tracking of competitors would be nice to have without having use mobile phone. T-shirt was much better this year. Having training suggestions, list of competitors would be great prior to the event.”

“Enjoyable marathon - I enjoyed the route and the laps were actually great. It got a little congested at times with the 10k and 5k runners. Good facilities and water stops. My worry was the 4.5 hour cut off time which wasn’t actually enforced so I’d recommend being more accurate with this, there were marathon runners finishing after 6 hours so I had worried unnecessarily. Overall though - it was great fun and the rain added an extra story to tell!”

“Must to do in list for next year - One of the well arranged event at international platform ”

“Well organised event - One of the best event I participated in. Alhamdulillah got first in 5km.The breakfast was athlete type.Well dome ooredoo.”

“Please get an experienced race director - Please cover the bag check. Everything was soaked. The start line was much too narrow. Do not give out full bottles of water or Gatorade because people trip on them when dropped. Out and backs are especially challenging. Food boxes were great but NO GARBAGE CANS! Medals should be presented when crossing the finish line, don't make me wait in line after putting in all the effort. ”

“Getting Better but room for improvement! - Bib pick up process efficient but why not open it during the day? Getting in and out of MIA parking was a nightmare in the evening. Close the corniche and use both sides of the road for the runners so there isn't so much congestion when 5km/10km races start. Open the metro to make travelling to the event easier. Goodie bags were a disappointment, for the entrance fee amount, a t-shirt doesn't really cut it. The length of the route was wrong, 10km was more like 10.2km”

“Running time not available - My running time not available and recorded”

“not up to the mark - Pathetic an international event handled in such a poor way .......”

“Ooredoo Marathon is getting better - Improved from the last event. More to improve guys especially the route. It could be done better. Tshirt should improve, paper cups should be use instead of gatorade. One runner cant finish one bottle. They just throw it away. ”

“Nice event improving every year. - I liked the t-shirt this year was much better quality and I used it for the run. In general I found the event has improved and evolved to a better shape and organisation. I did not bother to collect the medal this year because my time was so bad... ha ha ha but I took and ate all the breakfast pack. If I could change something I would do a longer lap so we do not go around as rabbits for HM and marathon distances, then I would mark in the floor which km we are on. Keep it up you did a great job!”

“Separate the race distances with looped course - Staff at registration collection were rude and can be ignorant. Need to separate the full and half marathon runners with other runners, especially at the start of the course. ”

“ Crap organisation and planning - Ooredoo should have prepared better for this annual event my bag was soaked wet no dry T-shirt all soaked .. we can do with a tent and proper coverage of personal belongings.”

“Big potential, poor delivered - - Needs to have an Expo before the race. - Have a marathon lane, so marathon runners not getting stock behind slower 5km runners or walkers. - Need a tent to protect the bags in cause of rain. - Use cups at the water station not a big bottle Gatorade that you though away a short taste - KM markers - Most important. Getting the medal after you crossing the finish line. I should never walk around took stand in queue after running 42 km An another nice thing would be that the Metro was open. ”

“Well organized event with funny weather twist - Well organized up to start. Starting slower categories after starting main event and mixing runners on track is a bad decision. Cut off time off 4:30h for marathon is too tough and puts some runners off. Post run willage was chaotic. Get inspiration from other venues. As soon as runner passes finish gets a medal. Handing over timing chip gives him/her food/goody bag and he/she is free. No shuffling here and there. Weather cannot be controlled and provided nice twist to running in middle east.”

“2685 - Nice at all ”

“Timing issues - Despite starting the tracking app with difficulty in the torrential rain and despite bringing this to organisers online attention I am still listed as having not started. No arrangements made as contingency for conditions, cell phones and rain do not mix.”

“I love it but i comant that do runing than cycling - I love it but i comant that do runing than cycling and wiming plz do it”

“Improved since last year but a bit more to do! - Organisation appeared better with larger registration, pack collection area. Still marathon/1/2 marathon after their 1st lap have problem of running into 10km race which had just started, please make a distinct barrier between these different groups. Can you change the route as it is very boring, what about going through West bay itself?”

“Running in the rain was fun.... - ...but the course could use an update, it's getting boring. Nice volunteers who must've suffered in the rain, thank you to them. The t-shirt was again a cheap crappy giveaway and not worth the entry fee, which is the same every year. It would be great if the 10k and 5k runners wound be started either on a different course or time deconflicted further from the half and full marathoners as the slower ones block the course. This also happens every year. ”

“Well organized event on ground, Off the field ? - The Racemap App has to be upgraded big time. Notifications of the event were absent. But the event itself was reasonably well organized. Better announcements of the Start of the Races is very important. Also Billboards showing the start time of each of the events should be displayed prominently.”

“Could and should be much better - Boring route, bad give away t-shirt”

“I had a good time - The GPS tracker wasn't accurate, I got different times on my GPS compared to the ooredoo one. Next event please sign post directions to the event better. Otherwise it was good. Thank you for the hard work. ”

“Great event from ooredoo! - Next year please make a sign for the queuing line. Wasted 20 minutes lining up on the wrong category to get the medal. And more freebies!”

“Overall OKAY - The medal should have different categories on it whether 21K or 42K or 10K. It should have been better if the medal was awarded at the finish line. There should have been energy drink at the finish line for runners especially for the 21K and 42K finishers. Instructions on the entrance gate should have been announced early on and not on race day that we have to figured out ourselves where the entrance is to the event.”

“Results not shown - Biggest complaint: time keeping didn't work and my results are not shown. Very frustrating. Other: post-race signage of where to go for medal and food could be better. Also a shame that the medals are not given out at the finish line directly. But mostly ok and certainly better than some editions in the past. Glad to see things improve.”

“Good but can be BETTER - It is my second year....there are videographers and photographers on the route, but what i can't figure out is, why Ooredoo never post them for the participants....medals should've been awarded after crossing the line and atleast a distinction in the distance participated, not only printing it the lanyard. the shirt was a far cry from last year, it was an improvement.”

“Enjoyed it but there’s room for improvement - Great event in general, welcoming and cooperative staff. It’s disappointing that the bag drop area was not covered and that the chips were not registering data properly. My name is missing as well as my friends’, as if we hadn’t finished the race, that hurts after a half marathon. The start of the races could also have been better organised. The vibe was great though, and I confess I loved the rain. ”

“Ooredoo marathon is always welcome... - Bad point#1: my personal items were completely wet because of the rain: is it possible for the keepers to protect them ? Looking for a dry tee-shirt and finding only wet ones after 4 hours running is not OK! Bad point#2: the race results were messy: intermediate times were completely erroneous, and they disappeared after few hours Bad point#3: where are the arrival photos? Bad point#4: the tee-shirt this year was ugly Good point: the massages at the arrival were welcome!”

“Disappointing - Terrible course should run through more of Doha instead of 4 soul destroying laps”

“Great experience - It was very unfortunate that it was raining heavily, but everybody showed great enthusiasm and the result did not really matter to me”

“it was not well organized, few toilets for male - They should have crisis management due to rain, and most of the time the volunteers , using their mobile , many ran on the walkway, timing record is not done properly, their is absence of supervision on the staff deployed at site, the park water station was most of the time talking on mobile phone. and many things. Qatar deserve the best, why you not really improving, why many things still failed. Thing were improved the Tshirt& Medals distribution, but there was many weak points”

“Boring route no bananas - Can be better routed through katara or pearl”

“Some improvements compared to previous years - Some improvements compared to previous years. We were lucky this year to have a very good weather despite the flooding in some areas of the course. The start of the 10k should b delayed by at least 15 minutes and/or the start of the full/half could b earlier.”

“Race Comment - Nothing can stop us even rain, we enjoyed even we are shivering to death. the only comment is. there is no gatorade section for 10km run. Tshirt is superb this time, only give aways. atleast add more food for the runners. ”

“Astonishingly poorly organized - Inept planning and poorly executed. 10km participants were released into the front of the marathon and 21km race. Everyone running slower than 1:28 for 21km had to navigate through chocked roads for at least 7km. Running a PB in this situation is completely impossible. Marathon runners had it worse as they had the scenario repeated when they had to pass 5km athletes. Drop bags left soaking in the rain No medals in the finish chute Chaos at meal tent Insufficient Gatorade No toilets at end”

“Very poor organization!!! - If you would just check the weather app you would know that it might rain on the race day and make bags drop off in a covered area so that runners after spending 3-4 hours running on rain actually have some dry clothes to change in! I was lucky as i decided to leave my phone at home, otherwise I would lose it as my bag was completely wet! It is unbelievable and that participants after completing their race have to walk 300m to get medals! Its shameful that you couldn’t put volunteers on finish!”

“5km - In view of the thunderstorms the event should have been postponed. People could not get to the even, roads were flooded, no covered areas”

“Excellent organizing & colorful event - Support staff were really cooperative. Appreciate the excellent efforts of the organizing team, despite the heavy rain during the morning hours ”

“No improvement - Giveaway are cheap for the price, route is basic (2x the same route), a curve 100m after the start and releasing all distances on the same route does not make it professional. It is marketing.”

“So far the coolest marathon I experienced in 6yrs - Keep up the good work, creativity ' always surprise us. Thank you Ooredoo ' next Year again”

“Disappointed timing chip didn’t register my time - There was a lot of water at the start line and maybe this affected my timing chip not working - idk. . I was so disappointed to look for my result online and it said I didn’t start the race! Organizers should be prepared for rain and even the heat by having tents or covered areas for runners to wait or stretch before and after the race. Also confusing where to find medal, recovery food and no sign of Gatorade post-race. Shirt a slight improvement but heavy and gaudy design. ”

“A lot to improve - First I never received email confirmation with number or where to collect the kit. Luckily I participate other times and knew where was the collect place. The separation between inward and outward runner give you a chance to fall. No signs with any distance ( just the ones to return for 3/5/10 km) No indication where to take beverages after the race neither where the medals are. No parking - could have an agreement with Souq Parking ”

“Fun, improvement is still required - The event was fun but unexpected weather (rain) was not anticipated. Drop bag area was covered so I got all stuff in bag are wet. I cannot find Gato**te station. A volunteer pointing somewhere another doesn't know. However, It is much better than last year that was the worst event.”

“Great experience with rain it add more challenge - I will participate again ”

“Not well organized. A lot to improve on! - 1. Didn’t know if I’m running in a river or on the road. Road flooded. Course should have involved red road parallel to corniche. 2. Staff not attentive to distribute drinks. 3. No ambulance on water checkpoints. 4. Side road dividers dangerous for runners to trip on. 5. I still don’t know where to find the time of my result for half marathon. 6. It’s too expensive for this level of organization. Next year the race should at least go Mia Park, corniche, west bay, al bida and Mia Park.”

“Event is amazing despite the rain. - I find the overall event amazing! Will definitely participate next time. I recommend to place sufficient number of trash bins along the track. Plastic bottles and caps litter the track and pose as risk for runners once stepped upon. ”

“Great event even in the rain - Nice t-shirts this year, unlucky it rained as I'm sure the rain spoiled a lot of the entertainment plans. Good nonetheless, only one minor gripe from me, can bibs have F or M in front of the number as it seems some men may have been running in women's bibs again this year which messes up results and upsets those who finish fairly in the top 3 but don't get to see that result.Big shout out to the volunteers giving out Marathon medals and clapping competitors as they came to collect their medals. ”

“Not bad..needs improvment.. - Toilets was a disaster..small..no lights inside..and above all no water!!!”

“ok - Event is great even on rain but your team should be care more about the runner ,should be more marshall and more about the trash bin for bottle. thankyou”

“A great event but organisation poor - Today I ran in the Ooredoo Marathon with my son. I have run it before but this year we experienced heavy rain. My son received a serious foot injury when negotiating the water. Such injuries are not uncommon in a Marathon race yet it took 45 minutes before he received any treatment and he had to negotiate 400m on a bicycle to be recovered, From there, we cannot be more thankful to the care of the QRCS team. The end of race arrangements were chaotic and signage of facilities was poor.”

“Ooredoo message - Well managed despite extreme weather conditions. ”

“Nice event incompetence organizing - 1-Healthy food counter to be available to promote the healthy lifestyle. 2- More trash bins to be distributed as people throwing cans and other items on floor as the bins are limited to specific areas. 3- Should ask photographers/ public to move from runners way at the starting and ending points. 4 - MOST important the entry gate should be reallocated. Shouldn’t be difficult to reach to the gate and it’s muddy. 5- risk team has to take a look at the floor cables and the barriers.”

“Good improvement from last year. - Ooredoo listened and improved.”

“تنظيم متوسط - منطقة تجميع الحقائب سيئه جداً و الحقائب متسخه من المطر ”

“Despite the rain great fun - Marshalling in the rain could have been better. Debris on the road”

“Very bad pre organization. Absent social media . - Until 1 day before the marathon i had no idea where is the exact location of marathon.i ddnt have a marathon number sticker, i didnt know what time i should be there for the 5k. What kind of organization is that ????No single email to clarify details ? Even my enails you dont reply to. You are absent even on social media. I called ooredoo they gave me a number to call no one answered! Is this how qatar is planning to do the 2022 world cup ? You represent qatar in this big event . ”

“Great experience - It was great run, regardless of the heavy rain”

“Unique ambiance - Organisation was excellent, I’ve got stuck between runners at the beginning due to the rain and water in the road, everyone was in the wet path. 21 and 42k runners have reached at the start of 10k which created more load to limited running space. This to be fixed please in future. Path definitely require to be larger. ”

“Nice event..even it was rainy...good organisation - Better preevent comunication”

“Nice experience overall - Add kilometer markers, cater for rain as all dry clothes got wet at bag drop off, smaller bottles of Gatorade”

“ BAD organizing and communication - 1-event organizers never mentioned roadblocks due to race and alternative routes to the event location 2- runners were promised a bus to deliver the runners from the suggested parking to the event location but never found+no signs regarding the location and we had to walk all the way to the event location while raining 3-upon arrival the marshals were not clear on how can we organize ourselves and when to be ready 4- luggage area was unorganized.the bags got wet and I had to look for my bag.”

“I have enjoyed immensly - That was my first time experience and I am super excited about the event Overall impression is very positive, it was easy to sign up for, information was exhaustive at the sent email before the run, clear instruction and easy to follow. Well done! Thanks for great impressions! Will join next time as well!”

“حدث مميز - كان ينقص الحدث توجيه الجمهور،. المشارك بنفسه لازم يكتشف كل شيء ، للأسف التنظيم دون المستوى وياريت يتم الاستفادة من التجارب الأخرى في الدول القريبة ”

“Running 5k - Very good”

“A weather warning would have been nice - We did not start the event this year since the heavy rain surprised us. The bagdrop items have been soaking wet as we picked them back. the start area was holding water up to the ankles. The weather is certainly not your fault, but the organization was not prepared. To help.”

“Well organized but - Bags should have been protected from the rain The food ans medal distribution was confusing and complicated. Suggest to distribute right at the end of the race. I would also have appreciated that the train would have been operational to support the event. A train that starts at 1400 does not serve much. Thanks a lot ”

“Needs Overall Improvement - Better organised than 2019. Specially communications pre event. But poor planning overall. All bags were left with no cover on the ground so dry clothes and valuables were all wet after the race. Needs better signalling overall, better parking instructions, & more communication to unexperienced participants in regards to the start & running “etiquette”. Also inundated sections today although fun were outrageously dangerous, injury prone, anywhere else course woulc have been changed or cancelled”

“Well organised this year despite the rain! - Well organised and easy to participate. No distance markers. Website uninformative. No information on pack collection or warning to look out for email. My email went straight to junk folder! Racemap app did not seem to track my run even though I started tracking. The app was generally a bit flakey with no help on how to use it. ”

“Event organization getting better - The event is getting better, race pack, medal and meal collection. However, there were no bananas given in the race route. Also, the bag drop don’t have any roofs, all the bags are soaked due to the rain. Despite weather condition, the event was very good.”

“Should have planned for wet - I loved the rain today but I really would have loved dry clothes after the event. We all knew it would rain so the event planners should have cared for the bag drop better. Leaving our bags out in the pouring rain was ridiculous! Also, the metals and snacks should be right at the finish line, not something you have to look for all over the place. That was weird. I have done lots of races and people told me this race always does it this way...not so nice. The course and the kits pick up was great”