Portland was my second of two marathons in two days - so I was not physically fresh and expected to take over 6 hours. I thought there would be more hills. There were hills, but they were very manageable and I finished under 5 hours, with a better time the second day.

Pros:
1. Easy pick up on Saturday - but like others have mentioned, the expo was shut down when we arrived at 5:15.
2. Medal - shaped like the state of Maine is unique and fits my 50-state collection nice.
3. Long-sleeve tech shirt is of high quality.
4. Food at finish line plenty of choices and plenty of food.
5. Volunteers - very helpful and very friendly.

Cons:
1. Traffic was merging with runners at about mile 5-6 - a woman leaving the local pottery show was driving between the runners, and it got a little scary when she drove on the heels of a runner. They need better traffic control at that point of the road. Outside of that, the roads were well controlled by the police.
2. More view of the water would have been great.

Just wanted to say that this was a well organized marathon and the fans along the course were awesome!! They really helped people through the tough times!! This was my first US marathon, as I am from New Brunswick, Canada, and could not believe how smoothly the event went!! Keep up the good work!!! Don't change a thing!!

This is a race to run if you would like to enjoy the Maine scenery in the fall while spending a few extra days in Portland to be a tourist. This is not the race to run if your only purpose is to BQ. I ran this race as a training run before running Las Vegas and it served its purpose: 3:47 in Maine and a 3:37 qualifying time in Vegas. It was a peaceful training run and Maine has beautiful scenery. I have no regrets about choosing this race but just know going into it that there are some hills.

Both this race and the NH Marathon the day before were jam-packed with 50-Staters and Marathon Maniacs trying for a double-marathon weekend, which made it lots of fun!

Course was pretty nice (hilly), and the swag was pretty decent.

I ran this one in '09. It was a cold day, I thought it was too heavy on the hills and I didn't like my time at the end. I wish there were more choices for big races in Maine, especially in August and September when I'm still vacationing in the state.

All I can say is, I'm glad that my timepiece worked this year, because now I have some hardware and an official documentation of finishing the race this year, as opposed to a previous race when I lost my time chip and as a result wasn't credited with a medal. That said, I can check this race off my "list" and will definitely choose an alternative to this race next time - primarily because the concerns that I've previously raised with the organization of this race aren't deemed legitimate.

The Maine Marathon is a well organized small-town-feeling marathon, with great water stops, volunteers and traffic control. My only complaint is that they had only a few porta-potties along the course, so there was always a wait. The parking at the University of South Maine was easy, and the gym was open for everyone before and after the race, so we had a nice, hot shower waiting at the post-race area - without the hassles of begging for late check-out at the hotel. The course is hilly and made for a tough back half. There were not many spectators, but those who were out were most enthusiastic.

This was my first half-marathon, and I chose Maine because it was a place that I had never been. I was impressed with the organization, the ease of packet pick-up, and the items we received. I loved the overall flat course, although I wish it had been more scenic. This was a good race that I would recommend to first-timers!

The course was quite nice. There were a few hills here and there, but overall, it was pretty good - save for stretches of streets with cars!

Organization was what made this race superior. The RD was a nice and helpful guy - generous from the time I first contacted him via email a few weeks before the race, to at the expo where everything was organized fairly well and not overdone (easy bib and shirt pickup, and grazing jars along the booths!). He also proved to be a class act when it came to giving race funds to a good cause and supporting troops out on the course and then welcoming them kindly when they finally made it to the finish. Course support was also good, with nice, friendly, cheerful people. Further, the post-race party was one of the best I've seen in a long time - with a nice assortment of snacks from bagels, to PB, to fruit, to drinks, to pretzels!

This was a pretty spectacular event, in no small part due to the fantastic organization. I just felt like every detail was thought out and runners were cared for.

I knew that the packet pickup and expo for the race was only scheduled until 6:00 on Saturday. We got the USM gym at 5:45. Yes, the expo was already torn down, which was a little disappointing. But realistically, after running one marathon, and having a long flight back home on Monday, the last think I wanted to do was wander around another race expo. I don't sign up for the races just for the expo. I had no issues with getting my number; in fact, the volunteers were more then helpful, explaining the whole D-tag thing to me. In response to the previous comment, I registered for the race in mid-August. They were out of the size shirt that I wanted. This was expected - picking up numbers that late in the day usually means that the shirt are all gone But... they had samples of the sizes and were taking numbers down for a second printing of the shirts. I tried on a few different sizes and should be getting my shirt in the mail in a few weeks. Not many races are that accommodating to the late arrivals.

The course runs through a nice city and becomes rural. It starts right by campus and meanders its way outside of Portland. Yes, more shore views would have been nice, but this was still a very scenic course. There are also plenty of spectators - from the people out walking the dog to the friends and family of other runners. Having the out-and-back was nice because you were never really alone.

I have to add this regarding the organization. I missed my traveling companion finishing (and did not see her name on the results) and waited until the sweep bus came in. They were willing to do a name search to find out when she had finished for me. Few races that I have been to have been that helpful.

After running in Bristol the day before, I was hoping not to see any more hills. Lucky for me there weren't quite as many. I completed my first double despite not running for 19 days (doctor's orders) prior to race day in NH. The crowd at the finish "pumped me up" to help me feel proud of my accomplishment.

I only gave two stars to organization because when my wife and I arrived at the expo at 5:30, exhibitors were tearing down and leaving the building. Strike one! I can't say much for the people who gave us our numbers. They pretty much handed us our number and pointed to the shirt table. Strike two! I registered in July yet they had no shirts our size. Strike three! I left the gym with a number in my hand and a director I care not to comment about. The shirts "looked" very nice, as many people commented. I hope you had a chance to wear them when you got home so others could see your accomplishment.