I love this marathon! It's flat/fast/scenic, it starts at a reasonable time in the morning, it's not too big or too small, the spectators and support are great.

A couple of the water stops this year were a bit disorganized. Aside from that, fabulous.

This was my 4th year running, three years ago I set my personal best, this year I beat that.

Will be back again next year.

I am not a fan of all the hooplah that comes along with a large race. I don't need bands on the course, or huge crowds. What I want from a race is good organization from expo to finish line, well-staffed & stocked water stops, and helpful & cheerful volunteers. This race delivers all that, along with a course that is beautiful along the bike trail. I wish the entire race was on the bike trail, but the areas on the road were not too bad - though a bit of extra room would have been nice. We had perfect temps for 2012, and though I didn't PR, I did run one of my best marathon times. Great job Mohawk Hudson!

This is a great, well-organized marathon. The organizers clearly know what they are doing and avoid some of the pitfalls that I've seen in other marathons.

The course is incredibly fast - faster than Wineglass. It felt more downhill than I was even expecting, and I studied the elevation map and course video thoroughly. (BTW, the course video was much appreciated.) There are actually a few spots on the course that are perhaps too steeply downhill.

The small size of this race is perfect for running a fast time. The start area is not crowded, there were plenty of porta-potties (and whoever started the single line at the porta-potties deserves credit - I hate the multiple line situation). The half marathon starts halfway through the course and I never even noticed those runners.

The 4 miles on roads from 18-22 is not really that bad, though we could have used a little more room.

The race volunteers were great and the water stop volunteers were well-trained (again by a video on the website). Crowd support, though sparse, was very intense where it existed. The crowd support was more than I expected for a race of this size.

The shirt - a long sleeve tech shirt that I will definitely use - and medal were excellent.

Just a fantastic race. Everything was well organized. The rail trail portions of the race were scenic and zen. Even spotted a bald eagle flying over the Mohawk River at about Mile 5. Volunteers at water stations were great. It sure helped that the weather was perfect for a marathon. If there was one flaw, I would have liked more official time clocks on the course. The buses from Albany to the start in Schenectady went without a hitch.

The best part of this race is the start: with a relatively small number of runners, you don't have to deal with crowds during the first few miles, having to go slowly at the outset and then make up lost time later. You can get out and hit your desired pace immediately. The gradual downhill portion between the 14th and 17th miles was the second best feature. Allowed me to save some energy for the last 10k. Also was glad not to have experienced a train delay. I had no problem with running on the side of Route 32 from Miles 18 to 21, the drivers were courteous and the volunteers were on top of things. If anything, it made for a nice change of scenery.

Excellent race...easy transport to race, easy bag check, well marked course, aid stations spaced out well. This is a fast course, virtually no elevation gains. Used pace group (3:25), and pacer was excellent, I think his official time was 3;25:01. Only recommendations...there were 2 spots on the race where I felt runners could get hurt...1. Large, yellow metal gate closure of some sort on the path, about mile 15 maybe?runners could be directed by cones to either side of path about 10 feet before, I almost ran right into it. 2. Same goes for weird speed humps cutting through path...just a sign that says uneven surface ahead. About 20 of us packed together in pace group, and those in the middle/back did not really see those road problems. Easy fixes to both.

This race is well oiled machine, if you are looking for fast course, without all the hoopla and problems of bigger races, this is your race.

This race is well organized to the extreme. Genuinely enthusiastic volunteers and fans line the this flat (mostly downhill) point to point course. Aid stations are where they're supposed to be. Most of the course is on a beautiful bike trail that runs along the Mohawk and Hudson rivers. Runners are bused to the start of the race and the organization keeps everything smooth. I think this is the first race I've given five stars across the board. My only complaint is some of the late miles (19-21) are back on the street and tight to a shoulder on a busy road. Still, runners get back on the trail for the finishwhich is in a park by the Hudson. There are bands, food, massages, etc. This race is a keeper.

This is quite a contrast from a big-city race and a wonderful experience. Early downhill terrain followed by a flat 2nd half gave me an easy PR. Bike paths along the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers were beautiful although unfortuntely linked by a very tedious stretch along a highway. Spectators were scattered but very friendly, and rest stops were excellent. A shortage of porta johns at the start in the park was compensated by a very large woods. Prerace pasta dinner at the host hotel was great but we were disappointed that the hotel milked runners for an extra $50 if they didn't check out before 11 am ( 2 1/2 hours into the race!).

This is the best marathon I have run. The course is great from start to finish. It is well organized.

This was my first marathon and i was fearful of not being able to complete the course with the unexpected hot temps(approx 80 degrees at finish). Water and gatoraid stations every two miles that had plenty of friendly and motivating staff made the heat bearable. I wish I could thank them all personally. Every aspect of this marathon was well run including medical bike patrols, medical first-aid stations, GU at two stations, plenty of food and beverages at finish line and even a massage tent for those tired muscles. The medal and shirt were the best i have seen. I can't express enough grattitude to all those staff and volunteers that made this a wonderful experience for my first marathon.

There were some beautiful views of the Hudson on this course & a few nice downhills. The majority of the race was on a quiet, bike path & b/c the race was capped, it rarely got congested. The volunteers were great - the aid stations were fun & a definite pick-up after running w/o too many spectators. There were also volunteers working every major & minor intersection, so safety was not an issue.

The downsides - NO ONE at the expo had a printed map of the course for spectators, making it tough for out of towners. Since it was a hot day, the aid stations every 2 miles was a little tough, especially the 2nd half of the race. & Lastly, the t-shirts were a little cheesy.