I imagine this is what marathons might have been like in the '60s, before they had to sell 'em like some sort of product. It's a good-natured spiritual thing, which is what running's all about for me. Pretty and rolling course. Fantastic shirt and medal, and the nicest, funniest fellow runners in the world. There's no gun at the beginning, just Mike L. yelling, "Go!" You'll hurdle a few dead armadillos, and trample an insect or two, but that's about it for the downside. An excellent long run to rev you up for the big fast one that will qualify you for Boston. Tupelo is a lovely old southern town full of friendly people.
Eat at Vanelli's the night before - the buffet is perfect fuel, and the staff is very kind. I saw Elvis. Heck, he ran the last 12 miles with me, and said his name was Claude, but I know the King when I run with him.

A great, small race. This year the weather was wonderful. Ten days prior to the race the weather was terrible and I was dreading the run, but I woke up to temperatures in the 60's, and the day never got worse. I met wonderful people during the race - sorry, Rob, for making you break 4 hours the wrong way this year. I met people that were as crazy about running marathons as I am. The race was a wonderful stroll down country lanes with new found friends to chat with the entire way. I even picked cotton for a new friend. It was truly a nice, small race. Rolling terrain (it would be unfair to call them hills), plenty of food and drinks at the end (even for people who came in well after four hours like myself). I even used the porta-potties with no wait just before the turn-around. It just doesn't get much better than that!

I came for the medallion, but I loved the event. This is a race shirt and medallion (too bad it had the 14.2 printed on the medallion - people at work thought that I had only run 14.2 miles) that is so unique that everybody should do this race at least once. Of course this year the slogan seems to have changed to "Hurdle the weak - Trample the dead" vs. the previous slogan of "Trample the weak - Hurdle the dead." The shirt and medal slogan matched each other, so go figure.

Come for the bling, enjoy the run. Don't forget to visit Elvis while there.

My only regrets included the lack of pre-race party. Also, people brought those dumb flashlights. And I didn't like the 14.2-mile option printed on the finisher's medal.

I am not sure that lacking music counts as a weakness, but it was totally silent before, during, and after the run... just like a training run (but I guess a lot of people don't train in the dark, so they used those dumb flashlights).

It also might have been nice to have a coned-off lane to come back in as there was no shoulder on the road, but if I wasn't busy gabbing I would have been single-file and it would not have mattered as much.

Basically no negatives.... It was fun running in the dark and not knowing who was part of your conversation for seven miles. People would chime in that you had no idea were part of your group. It was a blast. I had more fun than at Albuquerque last Labor Day weekend... and that is saying a lot!

I grew up in Tupelo, and wanted to run my first full marathon there despite everyone warning in previous comments that this is not a good first marathon. I completely disagree. I trained properly, and for the most part trained by myself, so it was no big deal when I spent miles 14 through 26 by myself. I am not saying it was easy. In fact, the course was harder than I imagined it would be. The elevation changes are somewhat difficult and deceptive for north Mississippi. There were no spectators to speak of, but what do you expect at 5:00 a.m.? The weather turned out great, and I would recommend this marathon to anyone, even if it is your first. Enjoyed it and will be back again for sure.

I had fun! This was my first time to run the Tupelo Marathon. It's usually too hot to run a marathon this time of year, but I thought it would make a great training run. We had nearly perfect temperatures this year with 60 degrees at the start! I enjoyed it much more than I anticipated. There were more water stations than I had heard there would be.... Thank you! I was a late finisher, so there weren't any good snacks left by the time I finished; however, food was not a priority. Race staff was helpful and upbeat. Police presence was a plus. Thanks, Tupelo! I'd do this one again.

Pros:
All of the runners were very polite.
5:00 am start before it got too hot.
Not too hot or humid.
Waiting area at the Furniture Mart.
Course was well marked and easy to follow.
Best Western Hotel was very accommodating.

Cons:
No fans but then again, none were promised or expected.

With a 5:00 a.m. start, the first 9-10 miles are run in the dark. That was pretty cool because it was an out-and-back course, on the way back you actually got to see what you missed in the dark, so it was like seeing the course for the first time. The folks were very friendly at the packet pick-up and the t-shirt was great; they went back to the tie-dyed shirts - very cool. The medal is also outstanding. I love their running club's motto: "Hurdle the weak, trample the dead" - and it is on the back of every medal. Lots of parking at the start so that was not an issue.

Rolling hills with plenty of long straightaways, so it was not too hard on the quads. It was also nice to finish a race early enough to get back and take a shower and clean up without having to make sure you were checked out in time to avoid getting charged for another day. Not a lot of spectators but the ones that were there cheered on everyone. Water stop volunteers were also outstanding. They had to be in place before the 5 a.m. start, so they had a very long day. I'm telling everyone that they should do this race sometime in their running schedule.

If you love running, this is for YOU! The majority of my marathons have been high profile (i.e. Chicago, Disney, Country Music, etc....), yet this marathon rivals the best, largest of them. This event is a runner's paradise, almost like a rave run: alone with your thoughts, but in the company of those who have a passion for the sport. The 5 a.m. start was surreal - running under starlight, watching the nautical twilight transition into a morning glow across the horizon and watching the sunrise as you run. The only spectators (and yet the best) were the runners and we encouraged each other... that's all that mattered! The race committee did a great job of executing this event. Weather conditions were ideal. I LOVE the medal: Skull snd crossbones w/ motto: "Hurdle the Weak; Trample the Dead." The tie-dye shirts are awesome! Tupelo is a great suburban city (Elvis' birthplace) nestled in a gorgeous, Ozark-like scenery. The only - yet BIGGEST - recommendation I would STRESS are additional latrine facilities along the course. Oh... and specialize the runner's bibs.

We would do the marathon again but most likely not 14.2. No medals for the 14.2, COOL medals for the marathon (the medals say 14.2-miler and marathon). Great t-shirts. Great course, country roads, mild hills, out-and-back for the marathon. No spectators at 05:00, but that is alright with us. If you are not finished by the time church starts, watch for fast cars. All lodging was close to the race start and packet pick-up, and they had great food.

I've been to a few marathons and let me tell you that this is one of the best medals you will ever get and definitely the best T-shirt. This year it was a long-sleeve tye-dyed shirt with a big skull and crossbones and the motto, "Trample the weak, hurdle the dead." I mean, come on! How cool is that? The course is flat. The only problem is the potential for really hot and humid weather. In 2006 it was 62 at the start and 72 at the end. The race starts at 5 a.m. so part of it is in the dark. Many people brought cheap flashlights for the first hour. There isn't much to see in Tupelo (sorry natives but, it's kind of dull). If you are an Elvis fan you can see his two-room birth house there. The hotels are not near the start so you will need a car if you fly in. I liked the Courtyard by Marriott. The Olive Garden is right next door too. Food after the race was good but most of it was gone as the 14.2-runners scarfed it up. They did have McDonald's breakfast burritos and yogurt parfaits as well as apples and sodas. Beer was there too for those Hash House Harriers. All this for $40. There were about 150 marathoners and 150 14.2-runners. I gave it 5 stars for the specators because there weren't any! They just get in the way anyway. Also I would say there was more roadkill per mile than any other race I have run. Dead fox, squirrel, possum, armadillo, and even a skunk. Maybe the motto should be, "Hurdle the Roadkill."

Imagine a 4 AM start and it was already hot and humid. As the race began in the darkness my glasses stayed fogged over from the mist and humidity. No street lights, as we were running through farm fields and rural neighborhoods. It was mostly silent with only the plop, plop, plop of running shoes pounding a strangely arrhythmic beat to keep us company. I kept from crashing into other runners more by sensing their presence beside me than from anything I could see. It was surreal and I would not have missed it for the world! Once the sun rose the heat built up to crushing heights. By mile 16 I lost so many electrolytes that both legs began to cramp. Finished the last 10 miles with constant cramps from my feet to my hips. When I crossed the finish line I felt like I had accomplished something. I do not recommend this for a beginner, but if you already love to run marathons, then this one is not to be missed!