Can't say enough about how great the town is. I live in Chicago on the course, so I get to see or run or volunteer in a major every year. But this dwarfs the Chicago experience. Everyone in town understands what a marathon is really about and is incredibly supportive.

The course is legendary (yes, it is tight, but you are with an experienced crowd, so it was manageable). It's just as tough as people say. The hills really wear you down, so start slowly. I'm very impressed by anyone who can re-qualify on-course - an impressive feat. The true point-to-point nature of this course is very interesting; as you drive out on the bus in the morning, it's shocking to think you have to run all the way back to town.

If you can, run this race. It's well worth the experience.

I missed requalifying by a few seconds. If I had run the tangents instead of going to the outside and stopping for eight kisses, I would have made it! Fortunately, I already qualified for 2011 last fall....

I'll not restate what others have said about how great this race is; I'll just say that it's the best one that I've done - by far.

I do have one small complaint for the BAA. Please make the charity/exempted runners prove their times, just like the rest of us. They should be lined up according to their best time over the past 18 months. If they haven't run one, then put them in the back. It is clear that many of them claim to be able to run a faster time than they are capable of (intentionally or not). This is a fair approach that would relieve congestion.

WOW! I have run three (3) other marathons, and nothing compares to this one. Fantastic crowd support from start to finish, and everyone is into the race 100%. Very well organized from start to finish. The blankets provided for the runners were a nice touch. The potato chips that were in the goody bags really helped get the body close to feeling normal. The course was definitely a great challenge. Will definitely come back!

I had a wonderful experience running my first Boston.

Wow!!! I know now why it has been continually the longest running marathon for 114th year. Thank you.

This is my 8th marathon (Richmond, Marine Corps, Nashville, Memphis, Hartford, Green Bay and San Antonio) and I would have to rate this one at the top. I will say it was expensive but overall it was worth it. For sure, this course was the most difficult I have run. Very hilly and the Newton Hills followed by the downhill made it very tough. I have never understood what all of the runners on MarathonGuide.com talked about when it came to crowd support until I ran Boston. The entire city is immersed in the race. There is no way you would walk during this race unless you were really hurting.

The organization was impeccable. The buses out to Hopkinton worked well. The start area was great. I had only about a 5 - 10-minute wait for the portable "restroom." There was a short walk to the start but nothing inconvenient, and the start was flawless.

The volunteers were all fantastic. Very helpful and supportive. The Boston Police were very friendly and readily gave directions when you were downtown.

I stayed at the Hilton at Logan Airport. I got a one-week T pass for $15 bucks and was able to take the train where ever I needed/wanted to go. The Hilton was only $160 per night.

The only negatives I experienced were the overcrowded expo. I got in Saturday night, so I was probably there on the worst day, but it was a complete zoo. The race is expensive - travel to, lodging and even the entry fee. The last negative was: who the heck picked the colors for the shirts and jackets? I saw some of the jackets from years past and wondered why they didn't have those for this year. Man, those things were gaudy.

Overall, this was a super experience and I'll return every chance I get.

This race was very well organized - with the exception of a tight first 5 miles if you are farther back than the first 3 corrals in your wave. For my race, that ended up being a benefit for the second half of the race. Still, I felt like I was constantly dodging elbows and legs if I intended to pass anyone before mile 6. But overall, great fan support, nice and semi-challenging course, and an enjoyable experience! Thanks to all of the towns on the course that paved the way into Boston!

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I ran it, but this race is straining under the weight of its immense popularity. Tens of thousands of runners are crammed into a small area. If you arrive early (like the organizers recommend) you'll wait at least a couple of hours before the race starts. Try not to walk around too much or you'll wear out your legs.
The best part of Boston is when the race starts. In my opinion, the first 10K of the course are not very attractive. But the rest of it is magical.

I am not sure if it is the effort it takes to get there, but this was easily my best marathon experience. Very organized, and the City of Boston is welcoming and proud of its marathon. Great course - very historic. It is a treat to run with a fast group of runners who "get" what it means to be there. Well worth the effort to qualify.

I've run Boston twice; it's nice to be in a (mostly) qualifier-only race. Everyone's written a lot about the course and the spectators, etc., so I'll just say that they have GOT to get their buses to the start line earlier and relieve some stress. I got there so late that the gun went off and I had to sprint to get into line.

The 2009 edition was the second time I ran Boston, and it was my 26th marathon. I will be back in 2010. The race was terrific, the organization simply beyond compare, and for me the course is rather easy. I train in hills at my home in Placer County, California so the Newton Hills are hardly a bother at all. In fact, Heartbreak Hill is the most overrated and over-hyped hill on the planet. How it even qualifies as a hill is a mystery to me. The spectators are fabulous and the girls at Wellesley are a sight for sore eyes (and feet) at the halfway point.

My only criticism would be the pre-race pasta/carbo feed. Food was much worse in 2009 than 2008, but the worst part was that the beer people are inside and you have to go outside to get your food. Once you were outside, for "security reasons" they wouldn't let you back in to get a beer. It was worse than the TSA at Logan. And the people who "manned" the door just couldn't get it through their thick skulls that in order to carry your food to your seat and carry a beer took two trips. What morons.

I thought that the porta-potties at Hopkinton were sufficient, all things considered. And the post-race organization - from getting your chip off of your foot, to getting a warm "blanket," to retrieving your bag - was well done. Kudos to the organizers.

So don't let those who say the course is difficult to deter you. Sure, it may be harder than running a flat course like the California International Marathon in Sacramento, but the hills are your friends.