Race day is race day and in St. Louis on October 21st, it can be snowing or it can be 80. In 2001 that meant 67 degrees at the start. Can race directors control the weather?

The course is a wonderful piece of eye candy. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery, views of the Arch, St. Louis University, the Central West End, Forest Park, Washington University, Clayton and University City.

The spectators were more plentiful and boisterous as compared to years past. They were encouraging, festive and cheerful to boot! Donut stands (free) helped keep them that way.

As for the run, St. Louis is far from flat. Be ready for a few hills, especially St. Louis University hill at mile 24 ... theoretically, the race ends at the top; it is pretty much downhill the last 2+ miles.

A PR course? Maybe if you are in great shape. I have done the marathon 6 times from 1983 to 2001 and this year was definitely the most enjoyable.

Kudos to the Director and race staff!

No one who really tries wants to be criticized but that seemed to be the case in St. Louis. It was a very small run by number of entrants. There were TONS of relay teams which created a little confusion as well as frustration for full marathoners at each relay point when the fresh ones zoomed past you. Also, none of the streets along the route were closed. Consequently you also had cars zooming by sometimes. It also forces runners to use the uneven shoulder of the road. There were so few port-a-pots at the beginning that I was 6 minutes after the start. Thankfully they were using chips. The water stops were well run and there were plenty of them. What fans there were were great. Race officials did a good job of looking up numbers of passing runners and calling out their names. The hills were way under-rated. There are not steep hills but many long inclines with little recovery downhill. Overall organization was good but very few people in St. Louis even knew it was being run.

I ran this Marathon in 2001. The weather was hot. The course was fairly hilly particularly the last half. The post race was excellent. The pre race packet pickup and expo were not great. They were located in a museum not easily accessible by public transportation and not near the race start or finish. The aid stations were good and there was enough fluids for a hot day. The spectators were enthusiastic but limited in number.

The city was great and I enjoyed the sights. The marathon was well organized and well run. The fans were motivated and at the right points, there were great crowds (when I needed it most). I've run in both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati Flying Pig marathons and no matter what anyone says you had better take your hill training seriously. Hills are about a half-mile or longer, repeatedly. It literally has hills throughout and finishes the last half of mile to 26 on an uphill of course that is after the half-mile down hill which was of course after the quarter mile up hill to 25 which was after....you get it. However, when you sprint to the finish on the flat .2 it is glorious. The greater the challenge the greater the feeling of victory. Hey, I'm a marathoner!!!

I moved to STL last year, and decided to give the hometown race a try this year. Perfect size field for me; there were 1313 finishers this year. The organization of this event is first rate. The aid stations are plentiful and well-stocked with everything from band-aids to orange slices. One even had bagels! Note to organizers: Having an aid station every mile from 18 on is something I wish ALL marathons did! Keep it up!

People were present all along the course cheering on the runners enthusiastically, and the volunteers worked hard and were just great. The course takes you past or through some of the highlights of this great city, like the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Busch Stadium, Forest Park, etc. Very good course with a couple of long gradual uphills. I only complained really about the one near mile 24! One of the best post-race feeds I've had, and a very nice medal and colorfully fun long sleeved shirt rounded out this wonderful event. Run this one!

Think I'm gushing over my success and the organizers are reaping the benefits of it? Here's some perspective:I made a few mistakes early that led to my worst ever marathon time! I still enjoyed the race thoroughly, and I'm glad to have such a quality marathon in my 'backyard'!

I decided to run St. Louis because I didn't want to put up with the crowds in Chicago. The course, support, and overall organization of the race was top-notch. I expected some 'hic-cups' in the event but I didn't see one. I hope to return in 2001 as well.

This was an excellent marathon. No waiting at porta-johns along the course. Water stations were adequate. There were more hills than I expected so if you're training for this, be sure to be ready for some hills. This was a smaller, more intimate marathon ( if a marathon can be intimate) than the only other one I've done, the 'Flying Pig' but I think it was just as well run. I plan to run it again in 2001.

This is my third time running this event. I've run it twice for 'fun' and this time to qualify for Boston, so I can say it really meets everyone's needs. If you want to chat while you run you will find lots of great company, but if you want to race the clock you can do that too: you won't be bumping into people, the organization is outstanding, and the spectator support is very good. The old course was definitely easier (fewer hills), but things must change. I've also run NY and SF: NY does have more music and bands on the route (but what a traffic jam); SF is beautiful (but seriously hilly). St. Louis pulls it all together.

This was my first trip to St. Louis and I wasn't disappointed. The course was challenging without being overly difficult. The loop course allowed me to see many beautiful parts of the city. St. Louis is a big city with a small-town charm. The volunteers, spectators and members of the St. Louis Track Club went out of their way to be friendly and gracious hosts! I would definitely run this marathon again!

After a one year layoff, a 'new' St. Louis marathon was run in 2000. I never ran the 'old' race so can't compare, but this race went well for a first year event. It was very organized, incredibly well marked, and seemed to go off without a hitch (except for the rain!). My only complaint is I found the course to be a bit boring. I'd definitely recommend this marathon, but with a warning. Most people think of St. Louis as 'flat'. I'd describe this course as fairly hilly.