It was a good course, but I would have liked more of it with ocean or city views and not as much through residential neighborhoods. I enjoyed the beginning along the cove. The organization was good and there were more spectators than I expected. I liked it but doubt that it is one I will repeat. I did find all the different races going on a bit disconcerting. I think I prefer a marathon that is more focused on the marathon. I do love the shirt - a long-sleeve tech with a woman's fit - and I also liked the medal in the shape of Maine.

A great course with a few tough hills. Sparse fans created a couple of desolate areas, but that's expected with a smaller race. Volunteers were great. Packet pick-up was simple. Parking pre-race was easy. Make sure to beat the six-hour time limit, as course support leaves promptly at 2 p.m. All in all, a great experience. I would recommend it, as well as do it again.

Kudos to the organizers... this was a great event. I found the course to be hilly enough to add variety but it was equally interspersed with long stretches of flat terrain as well. The route was quite lovely - pastoral and residential, combined with the color and the autumn smell of falling leaves. The start was surprisingly organized and not as congested as I expected it to be. If you're driving and running be there early though... the traffic was horrible in the vicinity of the race start line. Fortunately, I got dropped off. All in all, a fun race - I would highly recommend this race for novice and veteran runners....

Very well done race. Very affordable. Great shirt. Nice medal. Perfect time of year, and a wonderful route. This was a super event. There are a few things that I could complain about, but why? It was a great event and I had a wonderful time running it. Lots of fun spectators and a fair (as in not a mean-spirited sort of fair) course that was a pleasure to run. I'd recommend this race.

Lots of rest stops. A decent number of porta-potties (never enough). The rest stops were pretty basic, and the post-race was without hot food, but there were hot showers! I love medals in the shape of the state; we got a great-looking long-sleeve high-tech shirt. "Well done event" is the best description that I can give this event. I am sure others will tell you that they need a date on the medal, or gels, or something. But for a runner, this had everything that you want, and more than you need. This is a big thumbs up for me!

Overall this was a very nice race. While I didn't have a great run, I did enjoy the scenic course while I was still feeling good. Two things might improve it for the racers.

1) Expand the start area. People were stuck on the sides due to the race popularity.
2) Somehow distinguish the relay people better from the full-marathoners. After the half-marathon split off, there were a lot fewer people out there and I kept trying to pace with someone only to find out that they were only running six miles - so they would start speeding up at the end of their leg and so would I, not knowing that they were speeding up because they were almost done with their race. It sounds weird, but I've run nine other marathons, and some had relays, but when the race is smaller like this with lots of relay teams, it was a bit disconcerting not knowing who was who. They did mark the bibs, but you can't see them if you are behind a person.

Beautiful weather, cool temperature.

Packet pickup was hassle-free and volunteers were well informed. Loved having the USM gym to wait in before the race - it was warm, with room to lie down and mellow out before the race.

Plenty of porta-potties at the start/finish. Crowd support was scattered but enthusiastic and friendly. Water stops were spaced intelligently.

Only about two steep hills, but a considerable number of lengthy gradual ones - great going down, but less fun going back up. Great home stretch; it was flat and pretty by the water.

Really cool town. Worth exploring if you have a few extra days.

This race has few frills, but all of the necessities. If you're looking for music, crowds, swarms of racers, and generally want to run through a The Who concert, this is not your best choice. The Maine Marathon is well-organized race mostly along a country road. It's meatloaf, not steak, but it's very good meatloaf.

This was my second full marathon, and I have done the Maine Half Marathon several times. This is a terrific small-state race, and the fall foliage is almost always peak. The course is typical of coastal Maine, with mostly flat stretches interrupted by a few hills. At the turnaround point for the halfers, the course suddenly got very quiet, which wasn't bad. There were always runners around me, even at the far reaches and at the end of the race. The spectators are wonderful, even if they don't line the whole route. It was a real plus to be able to drive 30 minutes to my house after the race. The organizers did a good job, and reps from Atayne followed the runners, picking up trash. I'd do the race again in a heartbeat!

I am a 50-stater and this was my choice for Maine. The race was well-organized and race directors allowed an early start for walkers and slower runners. This turned out fine EXCEPT that the results for early starters are NOT included on MarathonGuide.com (although they are listed on the Maine Marathon website). I stayed at the Eastland Hotel downtown and was able to walk to several interesting sites, including the excellent Portland Museum of Art and the Longfellow House. Course was pretty, with fall foliage just starting, although much of it was through residential areas rather than the city itself. Small but attractive finisher's medal.

I loved the course, volunteers, water stops, and t-shirt. Portland is a beautiful area and I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. The only negative was the huge traffic jam of people trying to get to the race. I'm glad I didn't need to park; my husband dropped me off 3 blocks away or I never would've made it on time.

Nice goodie bag with lots of free stuff. We stayed at the Portland Harbor Hotel (pricey but worth it). The hotel was a mile from the start/finish, but conveniently near lots of shops, restaurants, and the water.

The weather was perfect - mid 40's with a slight breeze. It was sunny, but there were so many tall trees that the course was mostly shaded.

The course is an out-and-back. The first three miles were relatively flat, but after that, is was mostly rolling hills. Most of the mile markers had clocks, so I was able to keep track of my pace.

Lots to do in Portland. We all enjoyed a ferry ride to one of the islands in Casco Bay.

Most of the restaurants were a bit fancy (and high-priced), but we lucked out and found the Old Port Pub - uncrowded, good food, and good prices.

Also recommend a trip to the Portland Head lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth - well worth the visit. This was a great and memorable experience for the entire family.