The run truly is as pretty as everyone else has noted; the lake is certainly gorgeous, and the chance to run much of the way around it, on a road closed to all other traffic, is an appealing one. I won't try to further praise the lake, then, but will note a few logistical matters that I wish I'd known -- they're not as exciting as the scenery, of course, but perhaps someone else will appreciate these quotidian things. So:

- The road does not literally circle the rim of the lake the entire way around. Rather, it goes inland for large stretches -- not much more than a quarter or half mile from the lake, but enough so that you can't see the lake for large periods of time. This hardly makes the course ugly, and it makes the returns to where you can see the lake that much more dramatic, but it does mean that you're not running right alongside the lake (with the lake in view) the entire way. On the other hand, this also means that there is more tree cover on the first 3/4 of the course than I had anticipated. Hailing from Alaska, as I do, I had feared the heat more than anything else, so was pleased to realize that much of the run was in the shade, and that we soon gained shelter from the nasty wind at the start.

- The incline at mile 22-24 is not just a relatively steep uphill at the end of the race... rather, it is a steep incline at the end of the race run on a relatively sandy surface, with little protection from the sun. It's not too soft, so you're hardly sliding backwards as you run -- but it is a fairly trying ending to the race. And it's definitely sand, rather than the gravel back road that you might expect from the map.

- The rim road, which you cover in a clockwise direction for miles 0-19, has a fairly significant camber to the right. You might take extra precautions in band-aiding or otherwise preparing your left big toe, on the inside; I got a massive blister there, which is out of character for me given my running style, and which I attribute almost completely to the camber. By the same token, you may well find yourself running in the middle of the road, or even on the outside of the curves, just because the camber is so much less dramatic here than on the inside of each curve.

- The course finishes 1000' lower than it starts, and drops ca. 3500', total, against an overall gain of only about 2000'. Whether this makes it an easy run may be a matter of debate; what it certainly means is that you should practice your downhill running as well as your uphill. Miles 15-22 are literally one long downhill, after all; if you're prepared to run down for such a long time, you can give yourself a break after the ascents of the first half, and likely pick up some time, too.

- They meant it when they said there's no food on the course. The aid stations were great and copious, and everyone was glad to let me take one cup for me, then three more to fill up my water bottle. So there are absolutely no complaints there... but if you're hoping for solid food nearer the end, or anything other than water and Ultima, you're on your own.

- Some first-half mile markers were off this year; by mile 10, the marker came at mile 10.18, according to my GPS watch. So if you've run the race before you'll probably notice the discrepancies from years prior, but if you're doing it for the first time and are trying to pace yourself, you might take your calculations with a grain of salt.

All that aside, it's a truly lovely run, and a great chance to cover the rim road with no one else out there save a few other runners. I highly recommend it, while hoping that these logistical comments prove useful to someone else.

No question the scenery was gorgeous, and I personally very much enjoyed the relative solitude of the course. The organization was pretty bad, however: It wasn't made clear to us why it was a VERY bad idea to try to stay in Fort Klamath where the race was actually located, rather than a good 45 min away (in Klamath Falls). The motel (to remain unnamed) had actually lost our reservation, there was absolutely nothing to eat locally after 8pm (there is a 'general' store, but unless you are fond of beans the night before a race -forget it- they didn't even have a piece of cheese, a can of tuna, a loaf of bread - no kidding). In the morning, there is nowhere to get even a bad cup of coffee, not even a gas station, so I ran the course with a huge headache the whole way. Anyways, those things need to be spelled out, so that those people who don't feel like getting up at 4 am to drive over can come forewarned, with groceries and French press in the trunk (and real coffee). Also they ran out of tee-shirts my size - although we registered way ahead of time, so one should have been put aside. On the plus side, the volunteers were very nice, and the Gatorade wasn't too sweet, which is rare.

I have run this race 6 times and look forward to my 7th time in 6 days. The most majestic, scenic race that one could ever imagine. Out of the 80 marathons I've run, the 6 that I've done here have been my favorite. No where on earth do I feel closer to God than next to the starting line on top of the Watchmen's Tower. Don't plan on running a very fast race if you do this one, just make sure you soak every second of it in while you're running it.

It was such a spectacular run, even though it was 26.2 miles long. It was so beautiful the whole way that you forgot you were running. I really enjoyed it, and look forward to running it again this year!

Done the marathon 3 times, the half twice, and the 1/4 twice. Views from the entire course are spectacular. Plus deer, squirels, marmots, eagles, hawks, etc. The course workers are super friendly/supportive. The shuttle buses are wonderful giving you a fun ride and another opportunity to see world class vistas. However, do not expect to have huge crowds of spectators cheering you on like @ the NY marathon. I run a lot of marathons and this is the highlight of my year!!

My running partner and I have been training in 100 degree temps and humidity of 90% on our tough runs to get ready for Crater Lake. It was worth it. The elevation and hills were everything we expected. My time was 1 hr off my last marathon. We'll be back.

The scenery is fantastic!
The course is very challenging.
It took me a half hour longer than my normal time.
I loved it!

The Crater Lake Marathon also has a half marathon and 6.7 mile run as well as the marathon. This makes it ideal for families, or if your training wasn't up to snuff for the hills at the end of the marathon. The downhill at the end of the marathon makes Pikes Peak look easy! I actually did the half marathon becasue I was injured and couldn't take the down hill. The course is georgeous, absoulutly astounding. It is by far one of the prettiest races and hardest races I've done. Because the roads are closed, it's also really quiet and peacefull, only other runners around. For the shorter length runs, they bus you back to the start. I didn't have to wait long for the bus, which was nice.

As a member of the 50 States & DC club, I have run marathons in all the states. By far Crater Lake was the most scenic. It is also one of the most difficult for a flat lander. The altitude and the hills are very trying. If you are looking for a crowd to pull you through those last few miles of a marathon, this is not the race for you. The course is closed to traffic for the majority of the time so runners are left on their own. I would suggest carrying a camera with you. The pictures of crater lake early in the morning with the fog burning off are a sight to remember. This is a course to enjoy not to try for a PR.