I had read many reviews of this race on this website and I have to agree with all the reviews. This is a great race. The town of Green Bay is very nice, as are the people. The Lambeau Field venue is awesome. Being able to hang out in the indoor atrium before the race, and stretch and have flush toilets that accommodate a whole packed Lambeau Field for Packers games means there's certainly enough room for all of the runners. The organization of this race was outstanding. The race director really has it all together for the race. This had the most water stops of all six marathons that I have run. Bag-drop was super convenient. Post-race food was excellent. Just overall superb organization.

The course was pretty good. Only downside was that there were a lot of concrete roads (guess that is the way you have to build roads in that climate). The course wound through a lot of residential neighborhoods, which was nice. Lots of turns, but nothing bad happened with that. Getting to enter through Lambeau at the end of the race and running on the (enter John Facenda) frozen tundra of Lambeau Field (exit John Facenda) was really cool. Not a lot of fans on the course, but fans never were a big motivator for me. The race is enough to pump me up.

The only downside for me was the travel to Green Bay. I currently live in San Antonio, and it took about 12 hours of travel time to and from Green Bay, which was a drag. Even still, I was really glad to chosen this race, and I agree: it is one of the best marathons in the country.

The organization was top-notch. All of those little things that annoy you at other races were conspicuously absent. Three gel stations, exactly where I wanted them. The fluid cups were filled to perfection. Gatorade was at every water station. Even when the half-marathoners left, and things got lonely, I knew where I was going. The course is flat. The expo was decent for a medium-sized race. Packet pick-up was easy. Pasta dinner included at Lambeau. Ample parking and hotel shuttles. Free beer after the race, and at the pasta dinner. No silly bands or stupid gimmicks (unless you count running through Lambeau). Reasonably priced.

Minor complaints: the running surface was often concrete and a little hard. I wanted to start nearer to the front of the pack and had to work to get there (I am a big fan of wave starts and fixed corrals, but this might be a personal preference not shared by everyone). Since it is a medium-sized race, I didn't mind running with the half-marathoners (sub-7:30 the field wasn't that crowded).

The course was pretty fast, and I was able to chug along at a constant pace and get my first BQ.

I don't know if I would travel across the country to run it. There isn't much mystique for non-Packers fans, and Green Bay isn't a stunningly beautiful city. But because of the strong organization, it is a good, no-nonsense, runner's race, and worth running for anyone in the region.

Where do I begin? This was my 5th marathon and by far the best experience (and a PR!). I wrote the race director less than 24 hours after I finished to thank him for a great job. Where to start?

FIRST: IT'S AFFORDABLE. In this world of "mega" marathons with "mega" prices, this one is cheap: $60. That $60 includes the pasta dinner (which was tasty, plentiful and clean), shirt, medal, and the best post-race food I've ever seen (water, root beer, beer, fruit, cookies, brats, cheese, YOU NAME IT!).

COURSE: flat and lovely. The river-side part would have been tough if it were windy, but we had perfect weather.

SPECTATORS: above average in number for a small race. And in the spots where there wasn't a lot of fan access (along the Fox River in De Pere), there were motivational signs (sponsored by local businesses) every 10 feet or so.

FLUIDS/AID: these stations were well stocked and appeared every where they were advertised online pre-race. The aid stations even gave out Advil! (Some don't, like Twin Cities, which only gives out Tylenol (ick).)

LAMBEAU: even as a Vikings fan, I liked the run through Lambeau: they allowed friends and family to be in the stands cheering for you and they were blasting motivational music in the arena.

EXPO: normal-sized expo for an event with 10,000 people.

PARKING: FREE. Free at the expo, free at the pasta dinner, free at the race. You won't get that in Chicago or New York, and not even Twin Cities!

This race was spectacular, and if I didn't need to start my training in February in Minnesota, I'd make it a yearly pilgrimage. RUN GREEN BAY!

The race organizers did a great job with this race. The course was very flat and fast. The run through Lambeau Field was great. The finish area was well organized and all of the volunteers were friendly and helpful. The free post-race beer and brats were appreciated.

One minor suggestion: All of the miles should be marked with clear signage. In some places the miles were only painted on the pavement. I missed a couple of mile markers and had to guess about my pace until I found the next one. This is a very minor issue with a very nice course in a very nice town.

Pros:
Quick in-and-out for race info - no ID checked so friends can pick stuff up for you.
Smaller number of runners, so plenty of water.
Lots of water stops.
Lots of toilets.
Awesome finish through Lambeau.
Cheap hotels.
Most hotels were a few blocks from start/finish line.

Cons:
The starting line was crammed with both full- and half-marathon runner. It would be nice to stagger those starts by 10 minutes.
Things were not clearly marked and we weren't told where to run through Lambeau; the elite were finishing with half-marathon runners, which was very confusing.

...that it was pretty cool having the marathon village and events at Lambeau, and to run the final leg into the stadium.

The course was good... 99% city streets, but most had big trees on both sides. There weren't a lot of spectators, but enough to keep you going.

The event was well organized and went smoothly for this first-timer.

The cotton t-shirts were a true disappointment.

I'd recommend this race as a good early season one. The highlight was the volunteers, whether at the aid stations, the end of the race, or wherever. They were excellent! The weather was ideal except for a slight headwind. The course is relatively flat, although the back side of the marathon felt a bit lonely at times. All in all, it was a good experience.

This was my first full marathon and this race is first-rate all the way!! I would highly recommend this race to anyone. The expo and pasta dinner were excellent, the start was well organized, the course is flat, the aid stations were well stocked and the Lambeau finish was incredible. My only complaint was that miles 16 - 22 were on a bike trail along the Fox River, which had very little crowd support and, I thought, was a little boring.

If you plan to do this race you need to book a hotel room well in advance - Green Bay hotels fill up fast.

My wife and I will be back for the half marathon in 2009!!

I thought this race was very well organized and run. Course was great and running through Lambeau was the BEST part. The brats and beer at the finish were superb. I have nothing negative to say.

Race organizers had all of the essential logistics covered well, including packet pick-up, race start, course markings and control, aid stations, timing, awesome finisher medal, and post-race amenities. Some of the most inspiring and enthusiastic aid stations I have ever seen - thank you to all of the sponsors.

Green Bay has to be one of the most motivating venues for a marathon and it is clear that the organizers, sponsors, and community collaborate to provide an event that is on par with the great sports history of the area. Fantastic!