Very scenic route. The start of the race was a little unorganized. I was surprised when the gun sounded. First half of the course is mainly downhill and many people went out too fast. Best to save some strength for the more difficult second half. The aid stations were fairly well placed and had good organization. There was a lot of traffic on the road in the last couple of miles before the turn on to Lincoln. They should close off a lane. The finish was great with a large group of spectators. Steamboat is a great town; everyone is very friendly.

It really takes a village to pull off a marathon. Thanks to all the volunteers who worked together to make the marathon successful. Having completed 42 marathons, Steamboat is at the top as far as beauty. The pasta dinner was delicious. The bus ride to the start of the race was as relaxing as could be expected. The cold washcloths at the end of the marathons felt sooooooooo good. A special touch was the finishing card with my time and place. As this was my 4th marathon since January, my legs were tired. Thanks to all the friendly runners who talked and laughed with me along the way. A special thanks to a CO runner who would not let me stop until the next cone. He was having severe cramps and I was just old and tired. We were attempting to run to one cone and then walk to the next one in order to reach the finish line. The finish-line crowd was just as enthusiastic as Boston's, just smaller.

I ran this event in 1987 and 1988. Finished in 2:40 both times, 4th place in'87; 6th place in '88. This was one of the most memorable races that I have run. In both cases, the organization was great. Pre-race activities, as well as post-race activities were exceptional. As I finished each race, I felt like a star when the crowd greeted me at the finish line. The overhead banner really added to the special accomplishment each runner felt. I saw that the winning time of the 2005 race was 2:41. This made me feel even better about my 2:40 times of '87, '88!!!!

This is the second time I've run this marathon and the hot weather and hills proved to make this year much tougher. Still had fun. Just remember, even with the down hill, don't go out too fast or you'll really pay in the second half (I speak from experience). Beautiful course. Great place to visit.

Can't beat the scenery, tough course but very rewarding. I hit the wall at 20 miles, the start of the last uphill, but was able to rally with the help of some strategically placed fans. Will run again next year (with CamelBack).

What a race! Definitely a challenging run at altitude down and up and through Steamboat's beautiful countryside. Although many were in the race to compete, all partcipants were supportive of even the least talented runner. We all start from somewhere right? Team in Training philanthropists were everywhere in their purple shirts and in their fundraising efforts raised over $250,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - way to GO TEAM!

The course elevation graphic does not reflect the actual course. While it looks majorly downhill, in reality the drops are steeper, and the rises are longer then I expected.

Very pretty, and good support, but the altitude is quite hard on the lungs. 2004 saw temps into the 80's and that added tothe difficulty.

Nice touch #1: On crossing the finish line, they gave us a cold (icy) wet towel, and

Nice touch #2: As you got your medal, handed you a finisher's card, with your time, place, rank, etc., on it.

Beware of the speed trap after ascending Rabbit Ears Pass, where the downhill speed goes from 65 to 50.

Just ran this race yesterday and for me it was by far the toughest marathon that I have run. Early temperatures were pleasant but it was quite hot by the last third of the run. I found the downhills at the beginning to be less of a challenge than I was expecting and the uphill at mile 20-23 was much tougher. For recreational runners, can't think of a worse place to have a long uphill than right when you are 'hitting the wall'. The elevation also affected me more than I thought it would.

The volunteers at the aid stations were enthusiastic but the stations were too spread out, particularly in the last half of the run. There seemed to be plenty of water and Gatorade, but apparently no ice, despite all the water I did drink, I never once was given a drink that was really cold. The ice towels at the end of the run were a nice touch, just wish some of that ice could have been distributed over the course. Race organization was good, transportation to the start was easy, plenty of porta-potties, and well-run finishing area.

Overall, I would recommend a visit to Steamboat in June; the area is absolutely beautiful - I'll go back for a visit, but I won't run this race again.

Just completed this race - my first marathon - 3 days ago. Coming from the Midwest, the altitude and the hills were tough to adjust to. Fortunately, I listened to others' postings from previous years and didn't get too carried away on the early downhills, so I had a little left (very little) for the hills at 20-23. The weather didn't cooperate fully this year either, with about the first 8 miles in 40-degree weather and driving rain.

Overall, even with a tough course and rain, this was an excellent experience that I will do again. The course scenery was beautiful. The race was well organized and the spectators were really awesome. Of course, with only 500 in the marathon, there were less spectators than at a big race, but there were many throughout the course all cheering you on the whole way, and the last 3/4 of a mile was lined with people all lending encouragement.

This course is very perplexing. It sounds so easy with the huge downhill, however you will find that when you are on your second half, unless you are a running god, you will find it hard to have a good kick after the uphill on miles 20-23. I ran this race two days ago, and I need a new set of quads! I was setting a PR for the first 13 miles, and then pfffffft, forget about it! However, after starting this race in 40 degree rain, and running with trashbags on my body, I finished, and will sign up again. Great organization, and if you don't like to feel crowded, this is your race.