This was an excellent marathon, even with rain for the entire way. It was well organized from the expo through the finish area. Lots of volunteers. A challenging course, which gives a good flavor of St. Louis. Crowds were a bit thin (due to weather I suspect) but the ones that were out were very loud and cheerful. First time I've run this, but I will be back in future years.

This was an interesting race. The course is a nice one for a major city. You run through downtown St. Louis, south to the Busch Brewery, then back downtown out to Forest Park (the second largest city park in the USA) into the central business district of Clayton, down Delmar Ave. (which is a funky neighborhood), and back through Forest Park to finish downtown. The course has a few hills, but nothing really steep. The run through Forest Park is quite nice.

The weather was in the 50's all day and light rain on and off throughout.

The police did a great job of directing traffic and keeping the morons off the race course. One woman driver was really giving an officer grief for for not letting her cross Delmar. The policeman was very professional, understanding, and a real credit to the force in how he dealt with the situation. I thought the police did a really fine job, and with the bad weather, they were not only professional, but also really supportive!! I say again, good job!!
The fan support was pretty good, considering the unpleasant weather.

The volunteers were good. They could have used a few more at some of the early water stops. A few were running short on water. The volunteers were really working hard to fill cups, but there were too few!

The hand outs were nice. The long-sleeve tech shirt is pretty nice. The medal was really cool. It has an interior section, shaped like the Arch, that spins independently like a mobile. Quite cool!

The food at the end was excellent: bagels, granola bars, bananas and much more!! Thank you, Shop-N-Save!!
I thought that the finish line was poorly organized. No one was directing traffic, so I had to wander around to find my medal and get to the food. Due to all of the rain, the finish area got very, very muddy. Mother Nature, I guess, should take the hit for this one.

I was really thrilled to have the mayor of St. Louis, Francis Slay, and county executive, Charlie Dooley, come out for the start. They gave nice (brief) speeches. I thought the expo had a lot of good vendors, but they were really crowded into the Chavifz Arena. I think you needed to cut out 10 to 20 percent of the vendors, or find a larger area for the expo. Parking was a little tough at the expo, if you are cheap like me. I had to walk six blocks to find a spot on the street to avoid paying the $5.00 parking fee... yes, I'm cheap.

I thought that the price of $100.00 was also a tad high for what I received. I think $75.00 would be better! Compared to Chicago, though, it is a bargain.

I arrived at 5:55 a.m. and found plenty of free parking downtown... very nice!!

Of the 25 marathons I have run, I would put it in the top half, but not quite the top quarter. I would certainly encourage anyone to run in this race, and I thank the organizers for a job well done!!

The 2008 STL Marathon was my third and best. To my surprise, I qualified for Boston despite the hills. I had a whole 5 seconds to spare! I live in Chicago but grew up in St. Louis, so this was a homecoming event for me. There was excellent support, organization and weather. I would recommend this event to any Midwestern runner. The marathon is a little overshadowed by the half marathon taking place at the same time, but the two races separate after ten miles or so. Suddenly you have much more space and tranquility. The middle section of the race through Forest Park is peaceful and beautiful. Great spectator support.

I ran the Half. The course was scenic, hilly and ejoyable. Spectators were loud and supportive in some areas, then non-existent in others, but that's okay because the other runners were supportive enough; very friendly people. St. Louis is beautiful. The architecture is amazing. Busch stadium is impressive! The smell of beer while running past Anheuser Busch was delicious and a real pick-me-up.

One thing - maybe find a bigger venue for the expo next year. It was very crowded; so crowded that I left after about 5 minutes. Too cramped to shop.

Overall, a fantastic race. I will definitely do it again next year.

What a difference 7 years can make, I first ran this marathon in 2001 when it was a bare-bones event with around 1,800 participants. I recall struggling through the final desolate miles wondering if the finish line would still be there upon my finish. Seven years later this race has evolved into a spirited first-class event, with 15,000 participants and a beautiful course featuring many St. Louis landmarks. Here is what I like about this marathon....

1) Organized packet pick up system, and adequate expo, (you can get anything you need as a runner or walker).
2) Attractive long-sleeve tech. shirt, featuring a well designed "Go St. Louis" logo.
3) HUGE finisher's medal (I needed help transporting it back to my hotel).
4) And of course the COURSE, featuring Busch Stadium, Anheuser-Busch Brewery (with the fresh smell of barley and hops lingering in the early morning spring air), Soldiers Memorial, Union Station, Forest Park, SLU, Washington University, Downtown Clayton, and the charming neighborhoods throughout.
5) Rolling hills and wide running lanes.
6) Runners line up at a "pace per mile" rather than a projected time of finish.
7) Energetic spectator support at various locations throughout the course.
8) HUGE mile marker signs (as a middle-aged hack, who is quite often dazed and confused, I truly appreciate these billboard-sized mile markers).
9) Hard-working volunteers at the expo, aid stations, traffic control intersections, and finish line.
10) And of course my FAVORITE, the mile 25 downhill cruise, with a panoramic view of the Gateway Arch, symbolizing the Gateway to the finish!!!

This was my 22nd marathon and most enjoyable experience to date.

Thank you, ST. LOUIS.

This was my first half marathon. The expo was wonderful, the race was very well organized, and the spectators were awesome!

The course is as hilly as the elevation map says. Water/Gatorade stops were plentiful, and they gave out Gu at mile 10. Nice medals and space blankets at the finish. After the race, water and food were plentiful.

Last year I walked a marathon the Lewis and Clark so this year I decided that I could run and half. My dad had just passed away and I almost didn't make it; my time could have been better, but as I ran it, I kept thinking, "This is for you dad." My time was 2:57 - not too bad. I loved running by Busch, and the Arch; it was a beautiful run and the people were great. When I was done, the snacks were good too. I just loved this one and will do this as long as I can!! Keep up the good work. The hat was a nice extra too!!

This was my 17th marathon experience and I felt St. Louis did an excellent job. I signed up with a pace group, which made the event especially enjoyable. Betty, my pacer, not only kept us on pace but also acted as our tour guide through the city! I would recommend this marathon to any first-timer, as the support was exceptional.

This was my 12th marathon, and definitely one of the best organized races. Here are the pros and cons:

Pros:
1) Start line was very efficient and runners lined up according to pace. The PA announcer constantly reminded participants to line up according to pace (signs were well-marked) and there was plenty of space between each pace sign. I thought they did a great job of this.

2) Aid stations were well-stocked and volunteers enthusiastic. In general, the aid stations were about 2 miles apart (although the 1st 2 aid stations were about 2 1/2 miles apart). Towards the end of the race (after mile 17 or 18), there were aid stations every mile.

3) Scenic course - started in downtown with the Arch in sight, ran past Busch Stadium, Anheuser Busch Brewery, Union Station, Forest Park, Washington University, and finished back in downtown. The course has some long, steady hills, so definitely not a flat course.

4) Technical long-sleeve shirt and finisher's hat were nice.

5) Expo had lots of vendors with plenty of giveaways, although it did get pretty crowded on Saturday afternoon.

6) Finish line had plenty of junk food and beer.

7) Pasta party was good - Kristin Armstrong was an inspiring speaker. Although the $20 price tag was a little high, they had plenty of food, water bottles, bananas, cookies, and $1 beer bottles, so it was worth the cost.

8) City of St. Louis has nice attractions - definitely check out the Arch (you can take a tram to the top), Busch Stadium for a Cardinals game, and the Anheuser Busch Brewery for free beer!

9) Convenient access to the airport - we took the Metrolink from the airport ($3.50 from the airport and $2 back to the airport), which was very efficient and took you directly into the airport terminal.

Con:
1) Downtown St. Louis is pretty dead on weekends. As others have mentioned, there are no drugstores or convenience stores in the area, so make sure to bring your own Gatorade, sunscreen, etc. However, downtown St. Louis offers convenient access to the Arch and Busch Stadium, and you can easily take the Metro to other parts of the city.

Overall, I would highly recommend the St. Louis Marathon - it is medium-sized so there are always runners and spectators. The course was more beautiful than I expected, and there are plenty of things to do in the city if you spend a long weekend there.

Although I am biased (being a St. Louisan), I do think this was a very nice marathon. The course is hilly but enough so that it makes it interesting. The water tables were easy to get to and well stocked. The weather was beautiful and I think it brought out more spectators than in the past. At the relay stations, you felt like you were running through a gauntlet of people cheering just for you. Each year this marathon has grown and the organizers should be applauded. The medal, shirt and finisher's hat were of first quality (the medal had a 2-color design). If you are looking for a marathon that is a good size, but not the crowded venues like Chicago or NY, give this one a try.