I am so glad that I brought my cold weather running gear because the temperature at race time was 30 degrees and a high of 44 degrees Fahrenheit with a breeze of 2-3 mph. I'm telling you now that it was freaky cold and I wasn't used to it. The sky was clear and there was steam coming off the Columbia River, which we would be running along most of the race.

The race is not large. There was about 120 total runners - most of them trying to qualify for Boston. I was not in that category. The run also has a 5-hour course closure time and my previous time in Portland was 5:33. So there was extra incentive to break five. They did offer a 7 a.m. start time for those who were worried about this time, but I wanted the sun to come out a bit more as well as I liked that extra incentive.

The race claims that it's a flat course. I guess I can see how they say that, since in between the big hills going up to the bridges the four times that you cross the river. I think that Portland was actually a slightly easier course because of the amount of downhill slope from mile 18 to the finish.

The course in pretty much an out-and-back and the only real scenery is the river, which is impressive, but it gets a little old once you've seen it. You are only running on streets for about 5 total miles and the rest are on river trails, so traffic was never a problem.

Aid stations were available every two miles with Gatorade and water at each. There was no lube or gels available at any of the stations. The staff was very friendly, and the 100ish spectators were really supportive.

I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Wife and I drove down from Redmond and stayed at the Shiloh Inn. We ate there the night before with some fellow marathoners, walked outside my door to the start line 50 feet away, and when it was over I walked another 50 feet to my room, which had late checkout! In other words, convenient.

The course was great. No wind, a bit chilly, but overall a great time. Will do this again.

This was my first TCM, and what a great one. The course was completely flat except for the four bridge crossings, but they don't gain much elevation. The aid stations and volunteers were great, placed fairly evenly every 2 miles, always ready to hand you water or Gatorade. The food at the finish line was good, except for the frozen bagels: good selection of fruit, candy and granola bars - and plenty of drinks. Weather was good, sunny, and though a bit cold at the start (~30), it warmed up nicely later on. This race was very well organized, we got very nice Dri-Fit long-sleeve shirts without the thousand sponsors on the back. Overall, I'm pretty pleased that I missed Portland this year and opted to go to the Tri-cities - I will recommend this to anyone. But maybe we should keep it secret so the low-key, small field is preserved!

What a beautiful day for a fast run if you like temps in the 30-40 degree range. Lots of aid stations, friendly volunteers, good selection of post-race food, pretty course... and no wind this year! A local told me 1 of 4 TC Marathons are windy, so I decided to try again after last year. Glad I did.

The race starts and finishes in the same place, a definite plus. Late checkout available at the Shilo Inn, another plus. Race course very scenic. We ran along both sides of the Columbia River - a very nice place to have a marathon. Flat course that crosses the river four times. Well run, with plenty of aid stations. Friendly volunteers and great after race snacks. Finisher's medal was well done. I liked the marathon shirt, as it was cotton and I could wear it throughout the year. Definitely putting this one down for next year. Recommend to first-timers, as family can support you throughout the course.

Spoke with the race director afterwards, and the wind this year was indeed legendary. Heard some complaining between miles 19 and 22, as hopes for a fast time diminished with the energy expended, but for me it makes the achievement that much more sastisfying.

The day before was absolutely perfect weather-wise, and Monday also would have been an excellent race day, although colder. Oh well, them's the breaks. Well run, good accommodations, great atmosphere. The quality of the field was very good, especially for the size of the event. If you want a laidback race or want to measure yourself against some very good runners and avoid a big-city event, then Tri Cities is well worth your time.

Should the wind kick up on race day, accept it and keep your shoulder into the breeze.

I very much enjoyed this marathon, though anyone who was there may think I'm crazy. We had a 40-mph headwind for eight miles in the last half!!Nevertheless, this race was well organized by a crew that really suffered in the wind. And it was beautiful and very fast. I missed, qualifying for Boston due to the wind yet still managed to shave 18 minutes off my first marathon time. I would really recommend this event to anyone.

It was a gorgeous morning - sunny, cool - but the wind, oh the wind. I've never in my life experienced such powerful gusts as those on marathon morning in Richland. Someone had warned me that it tends to be windy there, but words fail to describe how it was. Imagine doing traveling lunges with a 50-pound bar on your back for three miles - and maybe 30 pounds the rest. Or think of running against a strong ocean current for 26. The salmon have nothing on those who ran the Tri-Cities Marathon in 2006! The wind choked us, blinded us, beat us, and we ran diagonally or curled up in a ball. The sand became a multitude of tiny bullets, and bushes unexpectedly uprooted and pummeled us.

That said, I did get a PR, amazingly. In this case it wasn't because of the "easy" course. It was a matter of intense training. I'd love to try this one again, because next time - if there's no wind - it'll feel like a cakewalk.

The volunteers were so pleasant. It felt like one, big, happy family.

- There was no race expo whatsoever, just race packet pick-up. Expected, but a little disappointing.
- The t-shirt design is very nice BUT unfortunately it's cotton. I'm quite disappointed. I would gladly have spent a few more registration dollars to get a tech fabric shirt so I can actually wear it during training runs.
- The Shilo Inn (host hotel) was very accommodating... discounted room rates, fresh fruit, popcorn and cookies in the lobby and a 2:00 p.m. late check-out.
- The course itself was incredibly beautiful.
- Unfortunately for us, Mother Nature was in a bad mood and served us up 26.2 miles of blustery weather. I'm not kidding. I looked up the weather history the following day: the wind speed from 7:00 a.m. - noon ranged from 12.7 mph - 25.3 mph with wind gust speeds from 20.7 mph - 35.7 mph. I could go on forever on all the effects of the wind, but I won't. Suffice it to say it made the race very difficult. It cost some runners a DNF, but fortunately not me.
- The race has a 5-hour course limit but the RD allows early starts. Approximately 20 other runners and I decided to start at 7:00 a.m., which gave us a 6-hour limit. A couple of the early aid stations weren't ready when we passed, but that was sort of expected since we started early.
- For the most part the course was lonely. It was definitely a BYOS (Bring Your Own Spectator) type of event but again that was also expected.
- The few miles leading up to the halfway point were a little scary whereas we weren't 100% sure we were on course. Luckily we were.
- The finish line food was moved into the hotel since it was so windy. Plenty of yummy food and treats.
- The finisher's medal is quite nice, especially for a small marathon.

I'd only run this one again if I were 100% positive the wind wouldn't be a factor. Since that's never a guarantee and there are just too many other races out there, I probably won't run this one again.

This is a small marathon that is really well done. It is also a very fast course! I knocked 15 minutes off my Portland time and qualified for Boston.

The organizers do a nice job of providing liquids on the course and lots of fun snacks at the end. All of the volunteers were very friendly.

The course is pretty and flat (except for the bridge crossings). Neighborhoods, parks, a small industrial area, and bridges - enough diversity to keep it interesting.

If you're tired of the big marathons, or looking to get a PR, this is the marathon to do!