Although I live in Virginia, I grew up in the Tupelo area. The hilly course, and the risk of hot weather made this marathon more appealing to me, because I like a challenge. Who needs an expo or space blankets? The organizers did a great job with a limited number of support personnel and volunteers. They even managed to have cool weather! There were almost no fans cheering, but running isn't exactly a spectator's sport. The finisher's medal and long sleeved shirt are really cool. I would like to have more cold drinks, bagels, and bananas at the finish area next year. Other than that, I had a good time. I visited family and friends, met an ultra marathoner from Minnesota, and saw some people that I hadn't seen in years. One day, the Tupelo Marathon will be a huge event, but for now I enjoy small town get togethers.

This is truly a marathoner's marathon. It had everything you want and nothing you wouldn't.
The 5 a.m. start was perfect. That was one of the neatest thing I have ever experienced running. Since you are out in the country there are few if any street lights and you are running in the pitch black. So much fun.

To this point I have to disagree with some of the other posters. The second half you don't really know what's coming next because the first time you ran it you couldn't see squat. :-) We were all joking, "Have we been here before? I don't remember SEEING any of this! Hahaha."

Pros: Best finisher's medal I have ever seen anywhere. I thought my Mickey Mouse was cool.... it doesn't hold a candle to my skull and cross bones. Loved the logo on the back as well: 'Trample the weak, hurdle the dead.' Great course and volunteers, and the weather wasn't nearly as hot as I was scared it would be. You cannot beat the entry fee. It makes me wonder what Chicago or Disney does to deserve double or triple what this marathon charges. Also I gave the fans 5 stars because in the race packet there were Elvis fans in there. You can't beat a Elvis fan, now can you? (But there were zero spectators.)

Cons: Mile markers on signs would be nice. Also in the dark miles, someone at the mile markers with a flashlight calling out times. It really didn't matter much. This really wasn't an issue for me. Once it got light I was pleasantly surprised to find out how far I had gone. Also, bring back the glow in the dark shirts!!

All in all, this is one awesome marathon. Not one for first-timers (in my opinion), but everyone else, come on down and enjoy some good ol' southern hospitality. You won't be disappointed in Tupelo!

Race start was dark, but there are enough people with flashlights,et.al. that you can find your way. Some of the roads on the first 5 and last 5 miles are banked and not on great asphalt, but no potholes. Did hurdle a carcass in the road--as yet unidentified small game. Temps were much better than I anticipated, and I train in southern MS. The race was very organized, but the miles could have been better marked. Nice respite after the Katrina ordeal we had been through earlier in the week. Great race and I will be back next year.

I haven't run the full marathon, but I've run the 14.2-miler this year and last, and it continues to grow on me, for a number of reasons. The weather in North Mississippi in early September--even in the early morning--is a gamble; mid-70s and 90% humidity at 5 AM is possible. But this year conditions were truly perfect: low-to-mid 60s, clear and dry; there was still a small chill in the air when I finished at 6:42 AM. The magic in this race (and there is a lot of magic) comes partly from the pre-dawn start, in the middle of a country road; partly from the small size of the field (300+ between the full and half), which means you may well be running mostly by yourself; partly from the dogs barking at you and roosters crowing at you in the dark; but mostly from the way in which, as first light comes on and blends seamlessly into true dawn, you find yourself skimming along on good roads through pristine countryside, more than an hour of hard running under your belt.

It's true that the early miles need to be better marked; I thought I knew where to look but still was unable to find any mile markers (after well-lit mile 1) until mile 8. But the truth is, not having mile markers forced me to sink more deeply into myself, listening, and that was a good thing, leading to a strong, controlled race. The 14.2-mile distance, nonstandard as it is, was also a good thing; it made this race into what I'd call 'pure running'--not a time you can easily compare with others (i.e., half marathon times), but instead a great late-summer assessment tool, a way of getting a handle on what your weeks of base training have given you to work with. Or just a good hard marathon-pace workout, if you prefer. The post-race spirit is relaxed, friendly--but then that's what Mississippi is like.

I drove over from Oxford (50 miles) but I'd drive 500 miles for this one.

This is a nice course, I didn't see any bands but the run was great.

Was good. I enjoyed the 5a.m. start. Ran on the rural Tupelo roads & no traffic till 9a.m. Constant police cruising past, roads were not closed but no traffic problem. Was hot but that was what I expected. No frills. water stops/gator aid as expected. I am a 50-stater & a lot of showed up. I thought it was a fun time in a small marathon. Finisher's medal was super. The hills were no big deal. someday I will run tupelo again.

This race provides all the basics of a good run, with none of the 'fluff' - no timing chips, no photographers, no cheering crowds, no expo. If you need those things, don't run this race. It's a relatively fast course, entirely on quiet country and residential two-lane roads with gently rolling hills, but nothing too difficult. The first 10k are in the dark (5:00 start) and quite serene, with the Milky Way glowing overhead and just the sound of footsteps, plus the occasional rooster crowing as twilight begins (you might want to carry a cheap flashlight for the first 10k and discard it at one of the water stops; there are a few places with some rough pavement). The countryside at dawn is just beautiful and temperatures are still cool. I will always remember the quiet dawn beauty of miles 6-10 of this race. Marathon runners turn around at the 13-mile mark and repeat the loop backwards, and by the time they hit the 20-mile mark the sun is up and it's getting warm. A cap is helpful for the last few miles, as it's into the sun. Don't expect any crowd support; there just isn't any, except for a few friendly dogs, and that's OK with me.

Pros: Real flush toilets at start and finish. Fast, relatively flat course on good blacktop. Friendly, enthusiastic volunteers at water stations. Quiet serenity of the Mississipi countryside at dawn. Second half is same as the first, only backwards, so you know just what to expect. No problem with crowding, it's a small race and the pack quickly spreads out - at times you might not see another runner. Really cool medal, and long-sleeve T-shirt with just the race logo and no sponsor ads. That's rare! Tupelo - birthplace of Elvis. Don't miss the museum! Finally, friendly and accessible staff and volunteers. This is the nice thing about a 'small' race. They made allowances for the people who couldn't make it due to Hurricane Katrina. Nice touch.

Cons (these are minor): Sometimes-hard-to-see mileage marks spray-painted on the pavement - a few upright signs at regular intervals, even every 5 miles, might have helped with pacing. More porta-potties - I waited for a couple of minutes at mile 15, and it almost cost me a 4-hour time (I don't really want to urinate on someone's lawn). The hot food was gone by the time I finished, all eaten by the 14-mile runners. Hey, they deserve it too, but maybe you could save some for the marathoners!

Overall, a memorable race that my wife and I really enjoyed.

This race provides all the basics of a good run, with none of the 'fluff'--no timing chips, no photographers, no cheering crowds, no expo. If you need those things, don't run this race. It's a relatively fast course, entirely on quiet country and residential two-lane roads with gently rolling hills, but nothing too difficult. The first 10k is in the dark (5:00 start) and quite serene, with the Milky Way glowing overhead and just the sound of footsteps, plus the occasional rooster crowing as twilight begins (you might want to carry a cheap flashlight for the first 10k and discard it at one of the water stops, there are a few places with some rough pavement). The countryside at dawn is just beautiful and temperatures are still cool. Marathon runners turn around at the 13-mile mark and repeat the loop backwards, and by the time they hit the 20-mile mark the sun is up and it's getting warm. A ballcap is helpful for the last few miles, as it's into the sun. Don't expect any crowd support, there just isn't any, except for a few friendly dogs, and that's OK with me.
Pros: Fast, relatively flat course on good blacktop. Friendly, enthusiastic volunteers at water stations. Quiet serenity of the Mississipi countryside at dawn. Second half is same as the first, only backwards, so you know just what to expect. No problem with crowding, it's a small race and the pack quickly spreads out, at times you might not see another runner. Really cool medal, and longsleeve T-shirt with just the race logo and no sponsor ads. That's rare! Tupelo--birthplace of Elvis. Don't miss the museum! Finally, friendly and accessible staff and volunteers. This is the nice thing about a 'small' race. They made allowances for the people who couldn't make it due to Hurricane Katrina. Nice touch.
Cons: (These are minor): Sometimes-hard-to-see mileage marks spraypainted on the pavement--a few upright signs at regular intervals, even every 5 miles, might have helped with pacing. More portapotties--I waited for a couple of minutes at mile 15, it almost cost me a 4-hour time, and I don't really want to urinate on someone's lawn. The hot food was gone by the time I finished, all eaten by the 14-mile runners. Hey, they deserve it too, but maybe you could save some for the marathoners!
Overall, a memorable race that my wife and I really enjoyed.

I'm a 60 year old kid who loves to run - and this marathon was one of the best overall times that I ever had! The crew was great - quick e-mails to update us and answered questions about gas,weather, etc--the early start was GREAT! Seeing and sharing a meal with the '50 States Marathon Club' was an extra to add to the perfect weekend. I do not understand why anyone who runs marathons does not belong to one (or both) of these great clubs. The team at Tupelo worked very well with the clubs -THANKS! You should be proud of your marathon. I am proud to have been part of it!!!

Nice marathon...very friendly atmosphere. No pressure to perform...(is that not just great). If you get a chance...go into town and try the barbecue chicken pizza from Dr. Pizza. WOW! I will run this marathon again...you never leave your first love.