My complaints are as follows. The course is very boring, unless you enjoy seeing nothing but trees and a little bit of water. The course was not marked except for some signs on the second leg. I did not see one volunteer, except for the police in the city, telling runners where to go. I was told that it was impossible to get lost. I followed several other runners for almost a half-mile before we realized we were going the wrong way. If you sign up for the walk (or slow runners), you will not b eligible for awards. They had sports drink at only 2 stops. No port-a-potties on the course or at the start line. The race director announced that, in Alaska, every tree is a port-a-potty.

I followed the arrows labeled "MM" on the second leg only to find out after I finished that they were painted on the street by the Mayors Midnight Sun Marathon (but it did take me to the finish line). The half marathon medal really sucks. It does not even indicate "half marathon." The front reads, "Skinny Raven Sports Anchorage, Alaska" in such small letters that you must magnify it to read it, and "2008." The back of the medal is an advertisement for Oxford. At least the full marathon medal indicates that marathon, but it also does not have the date of the event.

They did have mile markers at each mile. Humpy's bar/restaurant serves a very good, free pasta dinner.

This course was exactly as described on the website, so there should be no complaints on that front. Lots to do in the area, as long as you rent a car. The race started on time, and the course workers were enthusiastic. Lots of good things for the RD to be proud of. Only two negatives come to mind: 1) Need to put sports drinks at more aid stations. Lots of them only seemed to have water. 2) The parking garage charged $1/hour for parking on race day. Neither of these are big problems - just something to look at. Overall, great job!!!!

This race has many great volunteers and enthusiastic spectators. The problem is that there were not enough signs pointing runners in the right direction, and a decent number of runners (including me) ran off the course. I missed an unmarked turn between miles 20 and 21, and it added about a mile to my distance. This race will lose runners unless they address the directional markers. Otherwise, everything leading up to the race and the post-race food was wonderful.

I came to Alaska from NJ for work; little did I know I would be signing up for a half marathon and this was my first time. Previously, I was only running and walking for fitness, never paying attention to time or pushing myself harder. Completing the course movitated me in many ways. Running is a part of me now and so are the memories. Thanks to my boyfriend, Jon, for inspiring me and joining me in Humpy's Half-Marathon. Thanks to the organization and volunteers. I would LOVE to do it again!

This marathon is very small - about 200 marathoners take part. I was surprised to see the race this small, considering it starts and ends right downtown. I gave the course 4 stars because of the potential of seeing moose.

Once the walkers/cyclists figure out there's a marathon going on, they're great! Local runners show up to cheer you on, too, and they really know how to cheer!

What sets this race apart is the friendliness of the spectators and the other runners. I ran alongside one Alaskan for a good 8 miles, and when I told him I was trying to BQ, he shouted out mile splits for me. Everyone was just so genuinely friendly, it was incredible.

Cons: The unmarked split at mile 5 or so that E.H. and company went the wrong way at. I was right behind them too; could have happened to a lot of us. I wound up winning my age group (and getting that BQ), and my award was just a different colored version of the finishers medal! I know it's a small marathon, but something a bit more special would have been nice.
By the end, passersby were starting to eat the food for the marathoners.
The run up the hill right at the end to get back into town was tough, but the course was fairly flat otherwise. No expo, and no goodies at packet pick-up, though the pasta lunch was included. Also, if the race was sponsored by an alehouse, where was the free beer?

Overall, it was a memorable race.

This is a good marathon to run because of the cool temperatures and wooded environment. It is low-key, so be prepared to run alone most of the way. It is a great course. A funny thing did occur at around mile 5. I spaced out and made a wrong turn and 2 poor guys followed me down a wrong path. I accidentally turned down to the Anchorage waste sewage plant. Anyways I ran down to a dead end. I turned around heading back and an saw that an automatic gate with barbed wire had closed on us and trapped us in. Eventually we jump the fenced. One guy hurt his ankle, the other one cut his hand open. I made it unhurt. That basically turned my race into a fun run after that. The rest of the race was playing catch up to the leaders and seeing how many people I could pass. I had a blast because it is a great story to tell. Well worth my slower time. Anyway, the race director is a great guy and the volunteers are awesome. I am a trail ultra guy but this is a great run, as far as pavement goes. Overall it was a great day.

I had the fanatastic opportunity to run my first marathon, which was Humpy's Marathon, with my younger brother Nick and his son, my nephew, Nick Jr. This was also my brother Nick's first marathon, and my nephew's second one. My mom and other family members were in town too and were there to cheer us on. That was something special for all of us. It was a real family affair!

I could have used more aid stations towards the end of the race. I was hitting my wall right after the 20-21 mile-mark. It felt like the next aid station was miles away by that point. The final two miles were where I finally overcame the fatigue factor and saw all of those other runners lined up for me to pass them just before going up to 3rd avenue on that heart-breaker of a hill. The volunteers made me feel welcomed coming into each aid station towards the end of the race. Plus, it was good to have the volunteers posted on the intersections where I could have easily taken the wrong path along the route.

I made 4 special shirts for this race with pictures of my late father, and three of my late uncles on both the front and back of the shirts for me, my brother, nephew, and my mom to wear in their honor. Before my father died I told him I would run a marathon race in his honor since he was runner himself. He said, "Good, and I'll be there too!" It was nice to hear how some of the volunteers paid attention to what I was wearing and asked good questions about who these honored people were. It made me feel good to know my father and uncles were with me in spirit for the whole race.

Thanks for a memorable marathon race!

- Chester Jr.

This was a wonderful race and I had a blast. It was fast, flat and lined with trees most of the way, so everything seemed to whiz by much faster than usual. The spectators were amazing and inspired me to push myself; I'm pretty sure the x-country team of every Anchorage high school was on the trail cheering us on. There was a spot on the Coastal Trail that smelled suspect (septic treatment?) so be prepared for that around mile 15. Weather in 2007 was slightly overcast, in the 60's, with occasional subtle drizzle throughout the race.

Marathon #22, state #17, and I gotta tell you, I did not expect much going into this race. After reading the comments, I braced for mediocrity, but I was going to be in Anchorage for the weekend, so why not give it a chance?

I have run some big marathons and some small, but none smaller than Humpy's. I must admit I have never run a course where the person running next to you may be a fellow competitor, a tourist, or a dog walker out for a morning jog asking you if there is some sort of an event going on. At least for me that added a little humor to the morning.

I had also never run a marathon course with so may out and backs, twist and turns where running the wrong way is a distinct possibility. Again, at least for me it made it interesting. Volunteers at all races are great, and neccessary, but for Humpy's if it was not for on-course volunteers pointing me in the right direction I would still be out on the course somewhere. This is not to say that the course is not marked - the mileage markers are prominent and correct, which is something many bigger marathons seem to struggle with. It's just that the field gets spread way out and there is no one to follow and much non-race traffic on the trail. It is easy to miss turns and I came close to doing that twice. Thanks to the volunteers for being there when I was delirious and oblivious.

The course is flat and can be fast. I enjoyed the bridges and tunnels and the frequent aid stations. I smiled at how few spectators there are, especially for a course that starts and finishes smack in the middle of Anchorage. I smiled because that type of thing is not important to me; the things that I deem as important Humpy's did well. Easy access to the start/finish, a properly timed event, a correctly marked course, and sufficient aid stations. Congrats, Humpy's, I think you put on a nice little event.

This is a runners marathon because the course has great terrain variety and nice scenery, and it was put on by runners. Packet pick-up start, finish, timing, aid stations, medical support, course markings were all very well managed. All the basics were covered very well. I have gotten into my own routine with pre- and post-race food, so I can't really comment on what the sponsors provided... but that beer garden looked pretty inviting at the end. The aid stations were staffed mostly by high-school cross-country athletes so they were really enthusiastic. This is also a great spectator course. My family met me at 6 different places... so may as well take advantage of the visit. This would probably be a good first marathon and is for sure a great summer marathon because the Anchorage summers are very moderate. It could very well be a PR course as well, though it is rolling and not flat.

Run safe and have fun.