I would recommend it for a low-anxiety lst marathon; out-and-back with little fuss throughout! The hills were not tough, but just kept coming - the last one at around 21+ miles. The volunteers were wonderful and they had a lot of food for afterwards. I didn't like the dark green Gatorade or whatever that was! Great shirts and medals of good quality!

After a friend, one of those 50 State guys showed my husband and me his medal from this race last year with the slogan "hurdle the weak, trample the dead." We knew we had to run this race. I don't take the heat very well, so I was a little nervous about Labor Day Weekend in Mississippi. This race was more than worth the risk of becoming one of the trampled dead.

There were plenty of water stops, so there was no excuse for getting dehydrated, and they were manned by plenty of friendly volunteers. The course itself feels like a nice relaxing jog through the country. Picturesque country roads take you past many pastures and farms. I was initially concerned that it was not a closed course, but the cars were never a problem. Although you are running in the dark for the first hour or so, it was never so dark that you could not see your footing.

This is exactly what a marathon should be. Put on your race number, line-up and go. No fighting your way through crowds, no useless junk in a goodie bag. It is very low-key. If you need all of the hype and crowds of a big-city marathon, stay away from this one. If you enjoy simply running, put this one on your list.

My only suggestion is to hold the awards ceremony sooner. Five and a half hours after the start of the race, they still had not posted results, or started to give out awards. The organizers need to realize that a lot of people from out of town probably need to be checked out of their motels by noon. At least posting a results list as soon as possible would let people know if they need to stay.

Other than that one detail, this is a very well organized and fun race.

Ah, the birthplace of Elvis. What do you think the theme of this small race is??? WRONG!!!! This is a race with a skull and crossbones! I mean the motto is "Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead" and more recently maybe it is "Hurdle the Weak and Trample the Dead." Must depend upon the race director - I'm not sure.

If you have never done this race, and have no expectations, you will be greeted with a great long-sleeve shirt and a fantastic medal! If you have been here before, you will be depressed; the last two years the shirts have been lousy in comparison to previous years. It's no longer a tie-dye shirt with a glow-in-the-dark skull and crossbones. You have a perfect shirt that everybody runs the race just to get the shirt and mess it up? Not smart. Now the medal is fantastic, but lousy compared to last year. It is a unique shape with the skull and crossbones and great red eyes. Why did they take out the relief from last year? Get a great design and keep it every year; change for change's sake is stupid when you have the best product. What if Disneyland or Disney World changed their medal? Would anybody go to their race? Well, yes, but not as many. Disneyland and Disney World are way better destinations than Tupelo - sorry, but let's be honest here.

The course is nice; you start at 5 a.m. to get you back before the heat cooks you. Yes, it is humid before the sun comes up, but it is a worthy trade-off and part of the special appeal to most all of the Labor Day races are the early starts in the dark. The course is a nice, rolling out-and-back course - too boring, and definitely not too hilly. There are plenty of rest stops¬ like the big races, but plenty for a smaller race. There is good, hot food at the finish every year as well. Very nicely done. The race even has a unique short opti - a 14.2-mile straight loop. The full is an out-and-back and the 14.2 runs with the full all the way to the turn around (so you can bail out at 13 if things are not working correctly that day). Very nice.

This year there as a great medal for the 14.2. I tried to trade my inferior full medal for the half, but couldn't get a trade executed before I left for the hotel. Dang! The 14.2 medal was a keeper - I don't plan on keeping the marathon one as I have better Tupelo medals already.

I recommend bread pudding and dinner at Ivey's; they aren't open on Sunday so it has be Saturday. Nice enough little town, and don't forget to stop by and see Elvis' birthplace! I like the wine store as well. The three stops for me while I am there: Ivey's, Elvis, and what's-it's-name next to the Italian restaurant just over the hotels. It is heck getting old.

This race was run by another race director that could give lessons to those big-city directors. What a great job. So well organized that this should be on your list.

I am an early morning runner so it was nice to run in the dark at the beginning under the moonlight and the Big Dipper. Everyone was so happy to be there. The course was pretty easy since in the moonlight the hills couldn't be seen and in the sun the road just flattened out. I was worried there would not be enough water stops but I planned accordingly and drank ample amounts at each one and it was fine.

The lack of frills is what made the race great. The start was the best, with all of us trying to figure out where the start line was all that denoted the start line was a pained line across the street. Just classic and great. This is what I imagine marathons in the 70's were like.

The volunteers were amazing and helpful. The horses and dogs and cows and roosters gave us all the cheering we needed.

Great job and a must-do.

The only thing I would add is a pasta dinner before the race.

A great throwback race to the days before commercialized marathons. My 38th marathon. Mike and the volunteers show true Southern hospitality and genuine concern for the runners involved. Also I've never had a lead runner in a marathon tell me that I was looking great - thank you. Chuck Engle... what a class-act runner! Stay at the Hampton Inn if you go - they had breakfast out at 4:00 a.m. and "to go" bags for those in a hurry. A suggestion for the race: Put glow sticks out for the first few mile markers, as it is dark for the 1st hour or so of this race. Note to runners: Bring a hat because when the sun rises you will appreciate it. Tupelo is the birthplace of Elvis and host to a super little marathon. I'll be back !!

I had run other races in the Tupelo area (the King of the Hill Tri and Gum Tree 10K) and new I wanted to make my first attempt at a marathon the Tupelo Marathon. I'm glad I did. Not a lot of flash but didn't want or need it. The finisher's medal was awesome. Great organization and super nice people. Proud to call Mississippi home and glad my first was in-state. Way to go, Tupelo.

My friends and I missed the race the year of Katrina, and the race committee sent our shirts and medals anyway. It was a great gesture, but I had to earn it, and I did! Early weather reports were frightening, even to someone who trains in Florida, so I was pleasantly greeted by the relatively comfortable conditions. There was quite a bit of shade after the sun came up. Water stations were ample and well staffed. And EVERYONE was smiling and helpful.

There were no hitches involved - everything went totally smoothly. The course was easy to follow and Tupelo was easy to get around.

I turned off my music to hear the early morning sounds of nature - roosters and cows; and horses trotted to their fences to watch us go by before daylight.

I love the theme - the shirts and medals are great. There's a lot to be said for the smaller marathons, and this is one of the best.

This is a marathoners marathon. I have run Tupelo 5 times and over 100 marathons and this race is what marathoning is all about. Great organization and a great race director. If you need crowds along the course stay in bed and watch TV. This is a rolling hill course that is a true marathon. I am not one for pampering or flashy crowds. Give me heat, give me hills. This marathon is a test as a marathon should be. Run it and know that you have completed something special. It was my first and I hope I will run my last in the heat and the hills of Tupelo.

I like this course so much, that me and my training partner started at 11:30 p.m. and ran the course in around 3:55. Then, we ran it again with the normal marathon group. I have run 20-30 marathons, and what makes this one my favorite are the people. Although there are no fans or bands or basically anything else for that matter, but the support of the volunteers and staff is unmatched. Even when we told Mike that I would be would be out there running all night, and then doing the regular run as well, he still offered support for us and food when they did not have too. Just a small insight to the kind of awesome people that put that event on. THANKS to everyone. Me and my whole family will be there as long as you have it. It was also the place my wife and son both got their first full marathon medals. A true runner's run.

The organizers were great and the course was challenging, especially since there were minimal people around to cheer you on. Be careful at the beginning b/c it is pitch black. I saw some people w/ flashlights! I didn't like that traffic was not blocked off at all and some drivers seemed oblivious to the fact that there were runners on the road. I also would have liked Gu (or something similar) and earlier Gatorade stations. I found the after-party to be disappointing b/c by the time I finished (around 5 hrs) the food and drink selection were picked over and all I had was a sausage McMuffin and water.