This was my first marathon and I had a wonderful experience. There were a few things to complain about, if that's what a person wants to do. However I had a wonderful time because of visitng with folks at the start, enjoying the scenery and beauty of the areas we ran through, visiting with other runners as we ran, enjoyed the cheers of the spectators when and where ever they were. The aid stations had plenty of water and PowerAde, plus PowerBars and gels. Once the half marathon and marathon split, there are stretches where it got very lonely and one intersection where having a race official would have been very helpful (a spectator insured that I went the correct way because the arrows were confusing at the 21.5-mile point). As this was my first marathon, I was not out to set any speed records, but I think runners would be able to do very well on this course. I would like to see more spectators, especially after the marathon and half-marathon split. I will plan on running this marathon again.

I cannot believe this past race (5/20/06) was the 28th! I would think the coordinators would have read the comments. Please use visible mile markers. They are mentally motivating. Please try harder not to run out of H2O - good thing I brought my own. More spectators would be ok, but they might get knocked down by the bicyclists. Also, definitely mark the route better. I too had to help a few runners find the right way. And re-running the same loop was mentally tough (which isn't a horrible thing, but running 26.2 is challenging enough - give me more hills instead:). Beautiful city, but the race needs a big improvement!

It was very hot, but not too bad. My mom and I stayed together the whole way, which was a good thing because we rarely saw other runners once the half and whole marathons split. The course could have used better markings although I suppose they were good enough since we never got lost. I also think water stops should have occured more frequently due to the dry heat.

Also, and this was the worst to me, they ran out of finishers medals!!! How horrible to finish a race and receive no medal! They have promised to mail them, but I have nothing to show my friends and co-workers who have been cheering me on back home - and that is one of my favorite parts.

Idaho is beautiful and I loved the scenery along the route. Breathtaking!

Weather was hot and sunny. The course was flat and mostly on bike paths. In all of my 71 marathons, this was the most poorly marked course. Here are my observations:

Positives:
1. Nice course
2. Friendly volunteers and fellow runners

Negatives:

1. Poorly marked course. Mile markers 2, 9, 10, and ? were missing. Mile markers 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 - there were two marks for each mile point. Most were of equal size and appear to be quite recent.
Mile marker 7 was 0.2 mile too long while mile marker 8 was 0.2 mile too short.

2. Water stations were not evenly spaced. At mile marker 18, there were two water stations within 0.25 mile. The next water station was at around 21.5 miles.

3. Lots of turns and twists. I saw runners taking the wrong turn. Most of these turns did not have any volunteers directing the runners.

Suggestions:

1. On each mile point, put a can of soup. Then, a potato on top of the can. Next, stick a flag on top of the potato with the mile mark. After the race, donate the cans and potatoes to a local soup kitchen or charity. Simple, cheap, and visible.

2. Need more volunteers for course direction.

After 27 years, this race (the 28th edition) needs to take care of the basics. Runners need reliable, accurate, and visible mile markers to gauge their pace. No one likes to take the wrong turn and either run a shorter or longer distance. Water stations need to be more consistently spaced. I cannot recommend this race because of these poor logistics.

This was my second marathon and the weather was perfect; however, I would have been really sad if it had not been for my friends out there cheering me on. The course was deserted and it often felt like I was out there alone. This race could use a lot more spectator support and a ton more runners. The volunteers were very nice and there were plenty of aid stations (although one was abandoned). Overall the race was nice but lonely. Course was well-marked this year, in my opinion... complex but well-marked.

Nice run along river. Gel packs were nice to have at each aid station. More bathroomes are needed. There were some at the start and only one more around mile 10. Not many people to cheer you on.

This was my first half marathon, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The course was nice, right along the Boise River most of the way, and the weather was perfect, perfect, perfect! The aid stations were pretty well-manned, with water, Gatorade, and Powerbars... Not too many spectators, but the course was nice enough that it didn't matter. I'm not sure about the marathon course though, I didn't run the extra 13.1 miles...

I just ran this race two days ago. I was pleasantly surprised as to how scenic the course was. It started in a park along the river and proceeded along a green belt towards the city. It then worked it's way into some of the nicer neighborhoods and along a golf course. The later stages of the race seemed to be a bit confusing as there were lots of twists and turns. The course was well marked, BUT, in my opinion, late in a race there should've been more volunteers at those turns making sure the runners went the right way. When I'm at mile 24-25 of a race I don't want to think about where to turn, I'm just thinking about finishing! I did get lost after the 25-mile mark and ended up running a 28 mile race.

The race had plenty of volunteers at the water stops who where not busy and could've easily been standing at the turns directing runners. I would run this race again, but I would make sure I paid close attention to the course. Other than getting lost, I had a great time! The Coolmax shirt was extremely nice, medals were thick and heavy with print on both sides and the post-race food was plentiful with baked potatoes, pizza, fruit, etc.

I'll run the Boise Marathon for the 3rd time in 4 years because it is close to home, small, personal and enjoyable. Course organization can be better, but I've never got lost, and the scenery is pleasant and the people are very friendly. It's low-key and the start is pleasant. I've met some great people on and off the course, and ran a delightful 3:59 here in 2001.

Less than a mile to go and even though I was looking for it, I missed the last arrow turning me into the park for the finish. I went from 3rd place female to disaster very quickly! I ended up lost and desperate for help and directions. The course was very confusing and there were not enough water stations for the temperatures of the day. I may run the half sometime just to see where the heck that arrow I missed was, but I will never run the full in Boise again!