This was my 3rd marathon, and my first one in LA. I thought packet pickup was a bit crowded, but I got my packet fairly easily. Loved the socks, although the shirt was a little bright. The starting point was easy to get to... my boyfriend parked on a side street and it was easy to walk to the start. This was my first time doing a double-loop course and I thought I would get discouraged passing the finish line and watching all the halfers get to stop, but it wasn't too bad. There are NOT a lot of fans on the course, which is disappointing considering how much of the race is ran through neighborhoods. There were even fewer fans for the marathoners on their 2nd loop. The Houston Marathon is almost all throughout neighborhoods and the people of Houston treat the marathon like a huge block party. Those at the water stations were enthusiastic though, and I especially liked the LSU Cowgirl water stop... they stuck it out to the end and were so funny! As for the weather, which nobody has control over, it was a little warmer than I like: 50s at the start and 70s at the finish (at least when I finished). I only saw one water station abandoned, and that was around mile 20. Luckily my boyfriend was riding his bike throughout the course and was able to give me some water. Overall, the course is nice with lakes and beautiful homes. It was well marked and I never felt lik I would lose my way even though I was pretty much alone during the 2nd half. The BR Sheriff's Dept. and all other volunteers did a great job stopping traffic. The medals were great, and there was still a bunch of food and drinks at the finish when I got in at 4:33.

Flat, lots of shade, and a two-loop course through the campus of LSU and surrounding neighborhoods. Previous comments were right on - watch for cars, but the police did a pretty good job with traffic control. BIG PROPS to the RD for allowing an early start for those with flights to catch and those who are slower walkers/runners. Great swag - cool shirt, really cool medal, gloves, socks, and a koozie. Nice pre-race meal, and really great buffet post-race - you have to try the alligator stew!! This is a small race, really well done, that won't be small for long!! WAY TO GO, YOU CRAZY CHICKENS!!

This was a fun event - and the volunteers saw to that. We had pizza and dirty rice the night before the race, and by the looks of it some of the cooks have seen a lot more dirty rice than negative splits. So there you have it - a bunch of folks looking for a good time, and some of us runners were fortunate enough to be invited.

Course was fast; but curves and random potholes made it slower. I didn't mind the curves, as they made the run more enjoyable.

Organization - I only ran past mile 14; stations were enthusiastic and stocked.

Spectators - They were doing all sorts of zany things, and it looked like they enjoyed themselves.

Hotel - We stayed at the host hotel (Marriott) and it was refreshing to have a hotel staff that seemed pleased to help us with our spontaneous needs. I've attended races where the hotels did a lot less and let you know that they were not pleased.

Swag - Shirt, medal, and socks are one-of-a-kind.

Only bad thing was the traffic to New Orleans airport - 8.5 miles in 57 minutes in bumper-to-bumper freeway traffic.

I was sick, and had a DNF, and had a terrible ride back to New Orleans; but all of the fun and hospitality of the folks in Baton Rouge made it an enjoyable event that I'll have to come back to.

+ This is a fast, fun, and scenic run. It's a double loop but the second time around allows you to really take in what you missed the first time around... much appreciated because there is so much to see. Aid stations were well stocked with water/sports drinks, but no food/GU/Clif Bars/etc. Good crowd support, with tons of people not in the race running around the lake offering encouragement. The weather was perfect. Races like this make it hard to rest and recover. I'm already excited about the next run.

- The only complaint (or maybe it's ignorance on my part) is how the start was conducted. The half runners start on the opposite side of the road, facing traffic. The full runners stage behind the halfers, going with traffic until they merge 100 yards ahead as the road narrows and gets very congested. This was my 2nd marathon so I don't know if it would work better to have everything switched so that the fulls can get ahead of the mess. But that is really the worst thing. I was clear after 2 miles and ran a sub 3:30... so who's complaining?

Bonus: My wife and kids had a blast waiting for me in the park at the start, thus remaining supportive as I continue to log miles/hours. I can't wait to do it again!!! Highly recommended!!!

This was such a fun race weekend! My husband and I flew in Friday afternoon for some time away from our kids and me to run the marathon.

Course is fairly flat, pretty, and interesting for the 2 loops. It is open to traffic, but that was not a big deal; it was well marked and there were police/volunteers at major intersections. Lots of concrete, though, so a little sore from that.

Amazing number of water stops about every 1.5 miles for the first loop, although the best one was the LSU row team and they were closed up on the second loop. That was not good because it was getting hotter and we really needed that water, besides being kind of discouraging.

Really no spectators, but the volunteers were great and my husband was able to see my 5-6 times - plus at the finish.

Great swag! I got a tech shirt, matching socks, gloves, can cooler, and a nice medal!

The BEST post-race party - they had free beer, soda, fried catfish, chicken wings, and a whole bunch of other yummy things to eat.

Shuttle to the start was a little slow, but no problem getting back after the race. Stayed at the Marriott and that was a nice deal. Go to Mansuers for crab cakes to celebrate!

Loved the race and had a really nice weekend for marathon #18 and Louisiana!

After reading comments about 2009 having problems with water stations, I assumed that this would be corrected. The first half was well supported. However, two stations were gone on the second loop and one had just left small cups of water. Considering the warmer temperatures, this was not adequate. If you plan to run the full, plan to carry fluids.

I did some driving to get to this race too (16-plus hours), coming from Wisconsin, but it was definitely worth it! I love the course set-up with doing 2 loops of the same. All of the volunteers were super friendly, packet-pickup was well-organized, and the shirts are great! The weather was an awesome 70 degrees or so at the finish, which is a real treat for a Wisconin runner in December! Thanks for a fantastic race!

I did the BRBM the second time yesterday (I pulled out halfway last year due to injury). It's a great double-loop course, running through the LSU campus and skirting the shores of the lake. An egret walked in front of me - is that good luck?

The course is well-marked, so that even the second loop is easy for runners to stay on course. The volunteers were wonderful; unfortunately there weren't enough of them, and one table on the second loop was unmanned (though that may not have been an official water stop in the first place). But there was plenty of food at the finish, at least after 4 hours.

All in all, a great destination for 50-staters; it's only an hour's drive from New Orleans Airport, there are plenty of cheap hotels near the start, and the solid organization makes everyone feel at home.

The Baton Rouge race was by far the most well planned run I have ever participated in. Registration was well organized by enthusiastic and friendly volunteers. The pre-race dinner featured a very tasty jambalaya. I also saw salad and pizza with an array of drinks to choose from. The organizers provided wonderful shuttles to and from the start and finish line from the Marriott Hotel. Before the race they had coffee available as well as an adequate number of porta-potties. The course was nice and scenic without much in the way of hills. At the finish there was a vast amount of tasty food and drinks. This could not have been a more enjoyable run. Also, along the route they had water/Gatorade stations fewer than every two miles.

If the weather gods are kind and you open yourself to the environs, the run around the lakes will offer you a sense of peace and serenity unparalleled by the big-city, urban-street marathons. If the crowd of half-marathoners distracts you from this opportunity to enjoy Mother Nature at her Baton Rouge finest, don't despair. The repeat second loop will offer you a quieter run.

The well-marked course, with mile markers painted on the road as well as side of the road signage has more curves than a nest of snakes in a Louisiana bayou, so take advantage and run those tangents.

The organization is top-notch. The RD deserves the award for "most accommodating." He's easy-going and unruffled, and has put together a team that keeps everything running smoothly, efficiently, and effectively. The pre-race Louisiana-style dinner at packet pick-up only whets the appetite for the Cajun food fest after you finish your event. Be sure to thank Chef Cecil for this unique southern culinary experience - if you can find him. He's onsite, but wears many other "hats" marathon day.

The matching high-tech marathon shirt and medal sport the marathon's identifiable "chicken" logo and both are stand-out "brillant."
Although fans, per se, are lacking, you'll have great fan support from the aid station volunteers, approximately every 1.5 miles. Yes, some are absent on the second loop (when was the last time you gave up your Saturday morning to pamper runners?) but there's no need to grouse; take that opportunity to enjoy the wildlife "fan" support, especially the stately cranes who stand statue-still in the lakes as they watch you run by. They were worth the five-star fan rating.

Thank you to Craig and Dawn, Bill, Cecil, Shirley, Marsha and John for a great marathon weekend. See you next year.