2010 was my 3rd time running Mohawk-Hudson, but the 1st time in 10 years. I got dropped off at the start by family members about an hour before race time. Boy I'm I glad I got there before the buses. For some reason there were only a hand full of porta-johns at the start, it became a big problem after the buses rolled in.

Most of the course is very easy on the eyes....and legs. Beautiful Fall colors and views of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. The paved trails along the rivers are well maintained, and there is a gentle decline most of the way. Although there wasn't any wind in 2010, if there is one it will most likely be at your back.

Aid stations were plentiful and well staffed. Crowd support is thin,but that's expected at small marathons.

Almost forgot...had to stop for a train about 2/3rds into the race. they have a person posted at the crossing that records how much time each person waits for the train to pass. I lost about 5 minutes and it was accurately subtracted from my finish time.

I highly recommend this race

The MHRM definitely isn't a marathon for those runners who feed off of the energy of the crowd. Spectators are few and far between until you get to Watervliet, and even then, you don't want to linger in Watervliet. The first half of the marathon is incredibly scenic: the changing colors along the Mohawk River/Erie Canal, well maintained trail course, and no jostling for position. Its great for runners who like to zone out during a long run.

Course is almost entirely downhill, with enough small uphills at the start in Schenectady to stretch out your legs before you hit the trail around mile 5. There is a section of city running right after you pass under the Twin Bridges for several miles, followed by six or seven miles of the Hudson River trail to the finish just outside of downtown Albany.

My only beef with the course is geographic: unless you're meeting someone at the finish, you have to park in downtown Albany and take a bus back to the start, which can be a bit of a pain, but there's really no other way to go about it.

For a first timer, the MHRM is both great and intimidating. The course isn't too challenging, but the presence of so many BQs might make you feel a little out of place, but that doesn't matter once the gun sounds.

October weather in upstate NY is perfect for running, but the race starts off pretty chilly, so I would advice a long sleeved throwaway for the start.

The Mohawk-Hudson Half Marathon was my first half marathon, and it was perfect! The course has literally zero hills, and even part of it was downhill. It was fast! I finished in 2:04:35, which I think is decent for a first half marathon. The weather was perfect and the second half the race is along the Hudson River, which is peaceful.

The only thing negative thing about this course is that there were hardly any spectators at all... even with half a mile left to go. The only place with people on the sidelines was the finish line.

There were enough water stops, except that I think there should have been one before mile 7. I think it was at 7.5 and I found myself wishing for water before then. But it wasn't too bad.

However, it was still a great race and I'm glad I picked it for my first half. I want to run it again in 2011.

This was the third time I ran this marathon. The last time was two years ago, and it was far better organized this time. The race has grown in size and closed out earlier each year, apparently due to BQ hopefuls wanting the fast course. The few spectators watching were very supportive. I hope this can become more of a community event in the future.

This was my first marathon, so I have nothing to compare it to. But, since this forum was the key resource for me to find this race, I owe a review.

The race starts off in Schenectedy and for the first few miles is through very manageable residential streets. Police have traffic stopped throughout until you reach the river(s?). Once along the river, you get glimpses of the water and it can be incredibly picturesque with the fall foliage. Even when not along the river, the canopy is beautiful. There are spots along this route (before you get back to street racing) where friends and family can pop in to cheer you on. There are two downhills - that one somewhere early along the river and the other around mile 11 or 12 but they should not be dismissed as easy. If you are like me and are used to easy downhills, you will need to prep for these; they will take a significant toll on your body. Thereafter, the race becomes less picturesque as you emerge from the trail onto streets, but don't fret since the amazing locals come out to cheer you on. The last few (brutal) miles return you to the park trail along the river and are very flat.

I applaud all of the volunteers for their hard work and selflessness (except perhaps some of the bike volunteers that don't get that I'm close to death and want to keep my line and they don't yield). Every question was answered and I was shepherded throughout. The crowd was fabulous and the setting can be stunning.

See you next year!

I gave this 3 stars for the course for 2 reasons. First, there was no music along the course (I understand it is a small race, but I have run small races before that had a couple of bands on the courses to motivate the runners). The other reason is that when you aren't running on the beautiful, tree-lined bike path, you have to run on a poorly-paved shoulder of the road. The other thing to watch out for is cracks in the pavement on the bike path; I had the unfortunate experience of tripping on one at mile 10, and while I finished the marathon, it was not one of my best. Needing more bathrooms at the start is an understatement. The pasta dinner at the host hotel was awful too. On the plus side, the race was very well organized, the water stations were more than adequate, and the foliage along the river was something not to be missed.

This is the only marathon I have run three times. Since there are hundreds of US marathons to choose from, there is almost no reason to repeat an event these days, unless you really like it. If you haven't heard, this course is very fast and very beautiful, with the exception of that Mile 18-22 stretch. Apparently, this event is getting really popular, as it filled up in July, even with a bigger limit than in previous years. It was as well-organized as ever, despite the larger field, and in 2010, the race definitely had more "polish" than in previous years, with Adidas sponsorship, a larger expo, and newly remeasured mile markers.

I had an absolutely horrible race and was in a world of hurt in 2010, but the experience with the course and organization really cemented MHRM as my favorite marathon anyway.

This was my 5th marathon, and my 3rd attempt at qualifying for Boston. It is now my favorite marathon, and yes I did BQ. It is very evident that this race is put on by a running club, because they understand the importance of the little things, such as "Gatorade on the left; water on the right" being yelled out well in advance, so there is no confusion nor congestion at that point. They could definitely use more bathrooms at the start. Add $5 to the entry fee and bring in some porta-potties. I was in line 40 minutes before the start and with 7 minutes to go, I had to run into the ladies room. That is my only complaint. It is a beautiful course, and it IS FAST. Run this marathon if you want to qualify for Boston.

Caveat - I ran the marathon course on 10/10/10. It was just my second marathon - and my previous was National Marathon in Washington DC.

First, what everyone probably wants to know about this course is, how fast is it? The course has a point-to-point layout that starts in a park in Schenectady, NY and ends in riverside park in Albany, NY. Although it's not pancake flat, there are no substantial uphills at all. There are several minor rolling hills in the first half of the course and a number of steep downhills. The second half of the course is very flat with a few false flats (very minor gradient). If you're looking for a fast course, this marathon won't disappoint you.

Second, the race is held in early October, which means it gets pretty cold during start time. This year it was hovering around 37 degrees at 7 a.m. (time when free bus from Albany to Schenectady leaves). Temp went up to low 40s by 8:30 start time and went up further to the low to mid 50s within 3 hours. Water stops were well organized with H2O and Gatorade every 2 miles; however, GU gels weren't available until well past the halfway mark. Not too much spectator support, but those who were out there gave everyone boisterous support.

Negatives:
1) Perhaps the most important: Not enough porta-potties. For a marathon of this size, it was very neglectful for the organizers to have just 6 porta-potties and the public bathrooms at the park. Lines were very long (I was lucky enough to make it waiting 30 minutes in line). There were plenty of people who didn't have enough time since the buses dropped us off with just 40 minutes till gun time. A very serious issue in my opinion.
2) This complaint really has little to do with the marathon itself but Albany as a city is a dreadful place. Half of the stores in the downtown area were out of business and there were very limited options for food. If you're driving from the area as I did - a 2.5-hour drive from NYC - it might not be as much of a big deal, but if you're coming any farther, I wouldn't do this one because of the lackluster area. The plus side is the second half of the course was very beautiful, running by the Hudson River.
3) Although my bus made it fine from Albany to the start area, there were some buses that got lost. Yup, there was a ruckus over the radio and we never found out if those unlucky souls made it in time for the start.

This is a fast course, and it is incredibly scenic. I highly recommend this race. I am pursuing the 50 states and this was my choice for NY; it was a great choice. The race director and registration coordinator were incredibly nice, caring, and kind.

Some of the pros of the race included: well-marked miles; nice, little expo; awesome shirt; plenty of food at the finish; flat/downhill, fast course; incredibly beautiful scenery; plenty of course marshals/volunteers; well-stocked aid stations; and friendly volunteers.

Areas for improvement include: more port-a-potties needed at the start. As far as I could tell, there were 10 port-a-potties total for both genders and 6 restroom stalls for women. This was for 800+ runners. The lines for the bathroom facilities were so long that people were still in line as the race started. Also, the shirts were gender-specific; however, this information was not stated on the registration form. Therefore, most women ended up with a shirt that was too small. When we fill out our size, most runners assume a unisex shirt unless otherwise specified. Please let future registrants know if the shirts are gender-specific so they order the correct size. Finally, the PDF documents online of the start/finish map and information for runners were not accessible on 4 different computers (between my friend and I). These documents need to be accessible to everyone.

I set a PR by 9:03 (12th marathon), so I was thrilled. If I weren't pursuing the 50 states, I'd be back. The race director and her crew were attentive to detail and did a great job. Check out this marathon!!