This was definitely a fabulous event. The course was excellent! The fans were spectacular and the water stops plentiful! We traveled very far to participate in this event and will definitely be back next year!!

I'm glad I read the comments from this site, in addition to the GMM site. It kept me training hard. Tuesdays - hills, Thursdays- speed, and other days just running in Alabama heat. Honestly, the traffic was tough (especially on the blind curves at the end of the race when I was a little dehydrated). I don't like to whine but it was an aggravation. I didn't mind the folks out to cheer for the runners, but they were few and far between. It was a tough uphill run, mentally and physically. I trained on hills but probably needed more long-distance, uphill training. I finished under the 5-hour cutoff and felt bad for those who did not. I ran the race in honor of my grandmother (member of the McDougall clan), who was at the finish line. It was NOT my favorite marathon, but I will never forget it because of her and my family cheering me on at the end. I earned it - every step of it.

Maybe I'm a bit jaded, but the race seemed not to be as incredibly beautiful as described. Yes, the race was hard and the scenery is pretty, but I did my hill training on Skyline Drive, which was much more dramatic. So, don't run the race just for the views, but rather the challenge.

The overall organization was good, but don't expect anything but the bare basics. There was only water and Gatorade at the water stops. There were no porta-johns, Gu's, or other sometimes necessary amenities. There were no medic tents along the route either. So, make sure you don't get sick or have an injury along the way - haha. Plus, all the cars on the road were annoying, particularly all those "helpful" support teams who parked their vehicles all over the roads so that other runners had to practically dodge them. The finish line amenities were almost a joke. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, bananas and candy bars. Big-city prices, small-city charm, hard course, no frills.

The race website rightly celebrates the return to the "older, tougher" course without mentioning that it's even prettier than the interim course. The organizers continue to perform admirably while trying to keep runners and their friends and family, Blue Ridge Parkway officials and tourists, highland gamers, and local drivers happy simultaneously (good luck!). The folks at aid stations are great and very encouraging, as are the stalwart few fans along most of the course. The post-race snacks are basic, tasty, plentiful, and greatly appreciated. The Gatorade folks may need to come up with an award to recognize the unusually consistent concentration at aid stations, a real plus after experiencing the other extreme! The other runners are a blast and a huge help on the course.

This was my fifth marathon, but first GMM. I will be back again.

My goal was to run a smart race, save some for the second half, and finish under five hours so I could hear the bagpipes and run around the track. I did it all. :) The weather was perfect, the course was shady and well-marked, the folks at the stops were encouraging, and the few spectators who came made lots of noise. And best of all, the scenery was incredible. As the comments from last year advised, I saved some for the second half and boy... was I glad I did. I actually ran a negative split at GMM and finished with a smile on my face in 4:24. (Not impressive to many, but only 12 minutes off my PR at Richmond.) The scenery and bagpipes were all I imagined them to be. The shuttle service and $10.00 tickets for marathon spectators were a GREAT addition this year. My family and I will return to Boone for this marathon again in the future.

I thought the course was beautiful. I trained harder for this race than I have for any of my previous marathons. That said, I still wasn't prepared for the difficulty of the course. This has got to be the toughest road race in America.

This race is spread out over a very unpopulated area, so the low fan turnout along the course was expected. The organization was good. They need to do a little better on food and drinks at the end. I finished under the 5-hour requirement, yet there were no soft drinks left.

This marathon is definitely small and has no fans. However, the mountains are beautiful. I agree with the previous comments that you should save something for the last 6 miles. I went out conservatively and was flying by people at the end because of it. I am definitely glad that I made the trip.

Wow, this race was actually harder than I expected, even after reading all the race reports I could find.

I didn't mind that the course was about a half-mile over 26.2, since it's not certified anyway. I kind of liked that we got back to the older, harder course, and then the last-minute detour made it even harder.

There was some traffic on US-221, which made up about half of the course. I didn't find it to be a problem, but you do need to be aware when approaching blind curves.

I liked being able to stay in the dorms the night before the race, although I wish I had brought a sleeping bag. It was cold overnight with just one very thin blanket.

The finish was really special, with the bagpipes going, people cheering, etc. You have to experience it.

My one criticism is this: this is definitely a no-frills race, but it's priced more like a big-city race with all the amenities. I doubt that it cost more than about a third of the entry fee to put on this race. I guess there were some charities involved? I often wish we could go back to the days when road racing and charitable donating were two separate things. Now, it seems like every event tries to milk the runners of as much cash as possible, and it just seemed especially obvious here.

Overall, I definitely recommend this race. I have one piece of advice to give: make every effort to run a negative split. In other words, save something for the second half. I was way undertrained due to injury and so I went out really conservative in the first half. It paid off big-time. I felt great at miles 20-24 when everyone else was dying, and had just enough reserves to hold it together for the finish. The first 10 miles of this race are unbelievably hard. If you go out too fast on those early miles, you will absolutely be crushed in the last eight miles.

I can't believe all of the people complaining about this race. If you did your homework, you'd know what to expect... a tough course and not a lot of extras. If you want that technical shirt, fancy pre-race meal, etc., go to a mega-marathon in a big city! That being said, this is a rewarding experience with terrific scenery. Sure, the shirt isn't great, the post-race food is not a 7-course meal, etc.... But, it's the same every year! And that's a good thing. OK, we did run a little extra, but who cares? You're not going to PR here - obviously. It wasn't the race director's fault that a bridge was out on the course. They did what they could, and I applaud them.
When I ran this last year, I said I'd never do it again, because it hurt so bad. However, I came back and I'm glad I did. I don't repeat marathons very often, but this one is worth it. I'm sure I'll be back - probably next year.

The course was tough as advertised. I trained on 3 small hills (up and down, up and down) in my hometown; also ran Pilot Mountain up and down 2X. This training was adequate. There was a lot of support at the water stops, and it was magnificent to come into the Highland Games and run around the track. Pre-race organization could have been a little better - almost didn't get bus tickets to ride back down the mountain, but overall the race was very well done. Beautiful scenery, and all in the mountains. The traffic was no worse than running on open roads anywhere else. All in all, a great run, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a challenge!!