This run into Billings from the countryside was spectacular. Although there were some uphills, this would be a great course to score a personal best. It could also lull you into pushing too hard in the first 1/2 only to fade out in the second. Very friendly race. Only downside was that there was lots of traffic. It was the first race where I didn't wear my iPod once - out of fear of not hearing traffic. This was state #14 in the pursuit of 50.

On my quest to do 50 states, the Montana Marathon was state #9. The organization was excellent. For example, the buses took us to the start where we stayed warm in the Molt community center. The pasta dinner was inexpensive and I enjoyed Western States 100 winner Nikki Kimball's slide-show presentation about her race.

The course was straight, with views of the vast grasslands. I got my best of the year with this course.

If there are anything negatives, the medal was ordinary and one needed a car both to get to the pasta meal and to and from the race finish.

In conclusion, what I really appreciated was the spirit of the Billings spectators and race volunteers.

Positives:

Coming from a big city on the east coast, I was amazed at the beauty of big open sky. Watching the sunrise over the prairie was amazing.

The volunteers were helpful and encouraging.

The host hotel was comfortable and inexpensive.


Negatives:

Although we were told the course was "all downhill," there were long stretches of gradual uphill challenges.

There were very few spectators for most of the course until we reach the outskirts of Billings.

There were no Gu's or gels to be had if you were a "middle of the pack" runner like me.

The post-race food tent was meager - bread with honey, and some fruit and water.

The sports drink offered at the stops - "Hurl" - was nasty.

As I continue my trip around America one marathon at a time, I finally found myself in Montana. A large state with very few people - and in the Billings area, not a very interesting landscape. The people, few as there are, were uniformly nice and uniform in physical appearances.

I cannot say enough about how nice and friendly everyone I met in Montana was. They where laid back (I am from New York City, so everyone is at least a little laid back), easy going and willing to help out.
Billings is Montana's largest city, I have been told, which is not saying much. It has very little to offer culturally or visiting-wise. It is a commercial city and not a tourist place.

The race starts in the smallest city I have ever been in, Molt - population 50, with about 6 buildings. The race runs along a two-lane highway for about 18 miles, with only open prairie to look at. I do not think a more boring landscape could have been chosen. There was nobody around but you, the road, and the animals.
The course while net downhill is not fast. The declines are sharp and short. The inclines are gradual but long. The altitude does make a difference if you are used to sea level. Do not expect a PR. Expect your legs to take a pounds on the steep declines, which you will pay for later.

Spectators do start when you reach Billings and its suburbs. Spectators are - for such a sparsely populated area - plentiful and enthusiastic. I give the town a lot of credit for the support it gave the runners. But do not expect too many spectators; after all, there are very few people living in Montana.

The race is well organized. It does not have big-city amenities, but it has all the essentials for a marathon. Everything is close together. Stay at the host hotel; it is very nice - and it's close to the YMCA for the bus to the start and not far from the finish.

This is a nice little race. Do not come with great expectations and you will not be disappointed. As a whole, I think Bozman is a better choice (nicer town in a nicer area with more touristy things to do) if you are doing the 50 states.

I do commend the people of Billings for being so friendly and nice and the race organizer for doing a good job on a very small scale.

This is just what the doctor ordered if you're sick of big-city crowds at the start or messing up your times with the half people colliding with you midway through. My wheels came off due to the toll the decline can put on you, but it's not the marathon course - should've adjusted the training. No matter, I really enjoyed the course, the nice hotel rate, and the overall nice weekend for a great race!

The 2006 Montana Marathon was my third marathon and the first in my home state. I went in hoping for a new PR but I underestimated the course and ended up coming in about 45 seconds off my PR. The course is point-to-point with a net downhill, with long gradual ups and downs the first 10 miles followed by a good 4 miles of solid declines and then 12 miles of generally flat terrain with a few short ups and downs thrown in. This year's course was redesigned to avoid the gravel section that was referred to in previous comments and I think the new layout worked well. Just be careful on the steepest downhill portion; that's where I over did it.

The race was very well organized. The buses left for the start on time and got there with plenty of time left to warm-up. The race started promptly at 7 and the course was well stocked with aid stations, porta-potties, and volunteers directing traffic at intersections.

The technical fabric t-shirt was nice, although I personally have a pet peeve about organizations from Montana always displaying mountain scenes on their advertisements, even if no mountains are visible from their location. If you run the Montana Marathon expecting to see the mountain scene depicted on their logo, you'll be sorely disappointed. The finisher's medal was unique; a hand-crafted leather medallion on a leather lanyard.

The weather sucked (cold, rainy, very windy), but in Montana you never know what to expect. A previous commenter said the race should be pushed back to Oct. or Nov. to avoid the Sept. heat. This year's event was a good example of why Sept. is about as late as they can go. In Montana, the further into the fall you go, the more you flirt with winter weather.

Spectators were sparse, but given the weather conditions, I can hardly blame them. The people who were cheering us on were very enthusiastic and supportive despite the weather.

Overall, this was a well run, small event (about 130 full marathon finishers). If you're ready for the course, I think it could be a very fast one.

I am a member of both the 50 States Marathon Club and the 50 States Marathon & DC Group, with 36 states done on my quest to do them all. If all the marathons had someone like Jennifer Anderson, her volunteers and the YMCA to run the marathon, it would be more pleasant in any weather condition!

The weather was not kind to us BUT the warmth of the people at each and every aid station caused us to look forward to each mile (17 aid stations with Heed/water, and gel at many of them). The finish line was set up so we could get across and have plenty of food and drinks (even hot coffee and hot chocolate!!) This marathon should be drawing thousands of runners and when the word gets out about how well it is run, IT WILL! Thanks for the great time. It was worth the trip from the Tampa, FL area! I hope to be able to run it again someday.

Ran the 1/2 marathon: First mile is all downhill (don't go out too fast or you'll pay for it), course was well marked, and marshals did a good job directing runners and stopping traffic. It was a windy and rainy day, but it didn't bother me. There were a few spectators ringing bells and cheering us on, which helped. I was upset that there weren't more pictures taken, especially at the finish. The spaghetti feed was good but not great. Runner's t-shirt was same as last year (2005). All in all, it was a good time.

No negative comments.

I just thought I should put in my thoughts after reading some of the comments about the race. It seems if you have run this race in 2004 or 2005, you really enjoyed it, like myself. I enjoyed this race so much that I didn't want some of the comments that people put up from earlier years to taint how well done this race was.

I ran this race 2005, and we had wonderful running conditions - a little fog at the start, but still good temperatures. There was plenty of signage, sheriff patrols, water, sports drink, first aid and volunteers to run through the rural roads into downtown Billings, MT.

I also ran this race in 2000, and I feel this race is becoming one of the best in the region! I want to give this race a huge thumbs up for this year!