I ran the 7.5 kilometres in the childrens race (thats about 5 miles) I thought the marathon was a lot better than I first thought. I did the last leg of the race and I'm glad I did, because the amount of support you get from the spetators at the finish line was amazing. If you were tired and you wanted to stop the crowd would get right behind you and you want to finish the race. The only bad side to it is that I can't run next year because I would have left school.
- M. Greatbatch, 15 years old from the Marlborough school

I ran the children's marathon and I ran 10KM - 6.2 miles. Even though I didn't run the marathon, it was amazing! There were drummers every few miles, little children with their hands out trying to give you high-fives, crazy runners with costumes on, you name it!! There were rollerbladers there too, and they were fast - zooming past everyone in a line! I was running with a clown for some of it and whenever we went past a group of people, they would scream at him!! It felt good to be near him because every time someone roared at him it would give me a bit more energy to go faster. Overall, I would rate this marathon as 10/10, even though I've only run it once! I'll be back next year with my school, Marlbrough. DEFINITELY!!

The Ford marathon in Cologne 2006 was fantastic! This was my first marathon and it was truly one of a kind. The spectators, the views, and the feeling were excellent! Plenty of refreshing stops along the way and cheering crowds gave way to an everlasting experience. The course was scenic and featured many historic buildings throughout the journey. The path was flat and I would recommend this marathon to all first-timers.

Some marathon advice:

* Book your hotels and/or hostels as early as possible. Try to book one that is near the finish area.

* Show up to the race at least three hours early, as it will be crowded. Try to get your race number a day before the race in the registration area as it will be crowded on race day.

* The gels and liquid you carry with you on this race should be minimal. There is an abundance of stops along the way so don't bring too much weight with you. In the 2006 race, there were instances where your choices included water, tea, Coke, Red Bull, and bananas. What a buffet!

- Lawrence

Fantastic organization and great ambiance! Beautiful track and good runners.

Koln is a beautiful city, and the route was great. There were bands and people cheering almost the whole way. The water/banana stops were spaced just right. The only complaint I have was the late start, but other than that I was very impressed. The people in Koln made my first marathon experience a good one.

Some friends in Dusseldorf and a few glasses of wine convinced me to travel from England and run in this marathon - my first. I had a fantastic time. It was 23C and rained heavily for the first hour which was great for me as it kept me cool. The crowds and bands along the route were wonderful and kept me going when I thought I had to stop. Luckily the course is almost flat and so is easy going for beginners or for those who want a fast time. There were plenty of friendly volunteers handing out drinks and, at the end, medals and food. I really enjoyed myself in spite of the pain!

This was my first marathon. Weather was gray and about 11C. Crowd was great. Learned many new German words 'Tempo' Schneller'. End was a surprise. They wind you up a shopping street and you see 'Ziel' and the Dom at the same time. Quite a moment! I was surprised to see Coke Cola and tea served all along the way. Downside is Koeln is a bit industrial, not a sweet old German city. The scenery wasn't interesting. However, sometimes you couldn't see the buildings through the crowd.

I have run this marathon already three times, the course is nice, you pass quite a lot of historical parts of the city, the finish is sited at the old and impressive cathedral, but the spectators are the best, a second carnival. Even when the weather is bad -expect it, that's usual- there are about half a million of enthusiatic people yelling, laughing, giving high fives, the last kilometer they push you through to the finish. Only existing since 1997 the cologne marathon is already one of the biggest marathons in germany (up to 15.000 runner). Run this one, it is real fun.

Well organized, enough to drink and eat on the course. I never saw so many interested spectators (1/2 million) on the course for a marathon. The wonderful finish is in front of the Cologne cathedral. After the marathon everything was perfectly organized (food, massage, showers,...).
Things to improve: on some parts the road is too narrow for 15000 runners.
The only bad thing: there is a good chance for rain and it did rain this year.