The course was hilly (esp. to someone from FL), but not so bad that it will keep me from coming back to do this race again (to count as KY next time). I enjoyed the people, the small towns, the scenery, the hotel (Sycamore Inn), the skit, the swinging bridge, the parade down the main street - just about everything. The race director did an admirable job. I think that better directions/signage for mile 13 is needed, but otherwise the miles were well marked and hillbilly footprints kept us on track. Great experience!

Wow, it was humid.

Only a couple complaints, 1 being my own fault.

1) The pasta at the pre-race party was cold and simply boring.

2) I made the foolish mistake of reserving a hotel at the last minute and ended up in the Pikeville Half an hour away. (Do NOT room at the Landmark Inn!) The lodging is limited. The people at the host hotel told me that next time I should start reserving rooms by January 1st because they do fill up that quickly.

Other than that, David Hatfield is the man! He definitely takes care of the runners. Everything written before me is so true, so no need to to be repetitive. The only hope I have is that this race becomes certified one day to bring in a bigger crowd for the area.

I have never, ever recovered so quickly. The rolling hills, while challenging at times, were wonderful on my muscles. This race is all about community, and they know it. I love the people there. Even my 7-year-old daughter was entertained for 4 hours by the Hatfield "actor." He played Frisbee and just kept her company for the entire time I was trucking through the course. She left West Virginia saying she "loved that man."

It's also true: I was 15 minutes off my time. Expect it. And seriously - take in the scenery. It's the Appalachians.

By the way, at mile 24 when my body was screaming, "NOOO," a gift from God, or Mr. Hatfield, was left on the side of the road. Yes, they even toss out cold water and PowerAde towards the end. Imagine my joy as I spotted that!

First of all, it has to be said, that the race director, his staff, and ALL of the volunteers are first-rate. There are a number of well organized "smaller" marathons, and this one ranks up near the top of that list. From a responsive, personable and funny director; to eager, efficient, cheery and encouraging water stop workers; to the the two gentlemen dressed as "Hatfield & McCoy" who stood at the start and then through the finish posing for endless pictures, the volunteers rated an A++ in my book. I think the race director truly understands the value of his volunteers.

A little about the 5 Stars for the course and spectators. I give the course 5 stars because to me, it had everything: beautiful scenery, a challenging hill (or two), some wicked declines, two-lane and four-lane road running, downtown street running, trail running, golf course cart path running, a swinging bridge, rivers, streams, fields, forests, police escorts and aid workers on both bikes and ATVs.... It's like every marathon course rolled into one. I also gave the course a 5 because after driving it, I realized how much more challenging (killer) it could have been if they hadn't taken it "off road" for a good portion of the second half.
I give the spectators a 5 not for quantity, because there ain't many, but for quality. A group (community) of more genuinely friendly people you'll never meet. Most were just sitting on their porches smiling and waving as you passed, through. I had to figure that they would have been doing the same thing even if there wasn't a marathon that day.

You gotta run this one!

First of all, don't let people fool you - there are 2 big hills, and then what people call "rolling hills." I still don't get that; a hill is a hill. When running this race, remeber you are in WV and they don't know what flat is. Not a bad thing but I think there was about 1 mile of flat ground and the rest you were going up or down. Fun though...

The people and volunteers at this race are amazing. They are the nicest I have run into. Also, I have never seen a RD do more for his participants than David did. I even saw him offer his couch to someone that could not find a hotel room. Others should learn from him.

The course was well stocked with water and the like. There was a spot where we were running literally intertwined with cars, which was bad. The ending mile was also bad, running on the sidewalk, but the rest was picturesque. Running on the golf course was fun, yelling to the golfers that we were playing through.

Overall, a great race. Put it on your calender for '08. It is worth it.

One more thing: expect to run about 10-15 minutes slower than normal - it is just that type of course.

I knew from past comments this would be a tough challenge, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I also suspected it would be a lot of fun. The volunteers were great. The spaghetti dinner and entertainment were great. I want to thank David Hatfield, the sponsors, and all the volunteers who are committed to making this a wonderful experience. Having water stops every mile was excellent. The conditions were hot and humid, so David, who ran the 1/2 marathon earlier, drove the marathon course checking on the slow finishers like myself. Where else would you find this type of hospitality? This is one marathon I would recommend to anyone wanting a fun weekend.

I've finished over 100 marathons and have never had so much fun. A great course - people opened their homes for restrooms. A lot of good conversation with people I ran with, including a long talk with the McCoys at the house where the baby was born along the way. No one was worried about their time - just finish and enjoy the day. Congratulations to David Hatfield and especially the volunteers - all over the course. If the volunteers only know how important they are to us and how grateful we are to have them. We cannot do these marathons without them. Again, thanks. I will be back.

This year the race was hot and humid but the volunteers did a great job with water every mile (even ice water!). They also had bananas and gel at most stops. The course runs along back roads and the river, so not a lot of folks on the course, but the ones that did come out were very supportive. Also you get to tour some of the more exciting historical sites... like the hanging at the PawPaw trees. The volunteers at the end were great! The towels soaked in ice water were outstanding and I walked, well staggered, to the massage tent as soon as I crossed the line and not one but TWO people massaged my legs with cold, icy towels to expedite the cooling. The course is challenging but not overwhelming. Only one large hill. A great place to stay is Chief Logan State Resort Park. Brand new lodge with great rooms/food. Only 25 minutes away from start on 119.

Quite the marathon experience! The course was one of the most difficult that I've done... but I gave it 5 stars for the challenge and the scenery. The lush mountain surroundings were magnificent! The marathon was well organized... and all involved in putting on the show should be congratulated! There were very few spectators. Many areas were quite isolated... but I had to give 5 stars to those who were there. They took such good care of me... and I REALLY appreciated it! It was warm, but the course was shady... except the last few miles... and they had plenty of ice for the heat! Everyone, including race staff, hotel staff, city police, etc., worked hard to show me great hospitality. I also enjoyed passing the historic sites related to the Hatfield and McCoy feud. Thanks to all... and congratulations on a marathon well done!

Dave Hatfield and the locals are some of the nicest folks you'll ever meet. Even though the spectators are few, everyone is very encouraging and genuinely glad you're there. Water and PowerAde were provided at every stop evenly spaced about 1-mile apart. This was one of my slowest runs, but definitely one of my most enjoyable.

It was hot and the hills got me - mostly because of my own ignorance - but I loved the whole experience. Learning about the feud and that whole area in general was very rewarding. It's neat that - because it starts in KY and ends in WV - the 50 States Club allows us to count it as either state - or both if we run it twice - so I hope to go back (plus run it a whole lot smarter).

It's definitely a "must-do" marathon. David Hatfield is a great race director - he also ran the half. We usually don't do the pre-race dinners but attended this one and would highly recommend it to anyone else.

If you're looking for a race with a lot of spectators, this is the wrong spot. If you're looking for a flat or downhill course to set a PR, this is the wrong spot for that too. But, if you want a one-of-a-kind experience or need KY or WV on your quest to do all fifty states, this is it!!

One other thing we liked is that all the money from the race goes to scholarships for local high school runners.