Weather this year was perfect: sunny and no wind, temps in the 50s F. The course is almost entirely along the Columbia River, which you cross 4 times. These bridges are the only hills.

The race is well organized but very small. Water and lemon-lime Gatorade are available at every aid station, which occur every 2 miles or so. Also there are plenty of restrooms available in the parks you run through. No food is available on the course so you have to carry your own or have people meet you.

There are virtually zero spectators but it is very easy for your friends or family to meet you along the course. The race volunteers were very helpful and encouraging.

This was my first marathon and I enjoyed it very much. I will probably do this race again.

This is a flat scenic course along the river. I ran one of my faster times on this course. This is a small, no-frills race with a little over 100 finishers. No timing chip is used. They probably do not use the timing chip to keep costs down. No results posted at the finish. No mention of the race in the local newspaper. Race is a good value. They have a shirt and running cap. Post-race food was average. I would not do this race again because my results were recorded wrong. Initial results that were posted had me in the wrong age group with a wrong time. Age group is corrected now but time is still wrong by a minute. I would not run this race again due to the mix-up on the results. If you want to run a marathon in Washington State, I would recommend Yakima over this race.

This was my 6th marathon, the smallest I've ever run, and one of the best. The course was perfect for a PR. The four bridge crossings are spaced well apart and are a welcome change from the otherwise flat course. This year there was a headwind on the return half, which slowed many of us down a bit, but I was lucky enough to still have a PR and a Boston Qualifer! I won't hesitate to come back and do this one again, hopefully without the headwind next time. ;-)

This was my first race of any kind. Great course for a first-timer. Plenty of room to run your own race. Exactly what I was looking for. Everyone was very encouraging and the course was fast. Somehow I managed to knock 12 minutes off my best half-marathon time. I guess it was the phenomenon of being in the presence of better runners that made me a better runner. I faded on the backstretch - the bridge crossings seemed like Mt. Ranier - but still came within 3 minutes of the Boston Marathon qualifying standard. I was very pleased with the result. It was worth the 1200+ miles I traveled. Receiving medal from Miss Tri-Cities was a nice touch and the food and beverages at the finish line were plentiful. Except for the horrendous self-inflicted pain, it was a really good day!

I really enjoyed the scenery (Columbia River, park, and bridges)! I found the other racers to be very sociable; they encouraged me especially through the last 6.2 miles. (Thank you! I would have barely made it through without you guys and gals.) Water and Gatorade stations every 2 miles. With so few runners, it was very easy to reach the stations. The few aid station workers and spectators showed a lot of spirit! Great looking long-sleeve T-shirt. There was a headwind which made the race quite challenging. I thought it was neat to get to cross the bridges. A few short semi-steep hills. The most challenging one was near the 24th mile. Lots of yummy race refreshments! Race director was very friendly. I highly recommend this race for anyone. This would be a wonderful race for the first-time marathoner. I will probably run this race again soon.

For a relatively small marathon, this race was very professionally run. The course was beautiful and flat and the one thing that I questioned was why there weren't more people running it. There was a rather ferocious wind coming west on the river for about 7 miles, and it might have been fun to have had a kite. The volunteers were all very friendly and it was an enjoyable experience. I would recommend this marathon to anyone.

This was my first marathon so I don't have much to compare it to.

The weather was cool, calm, clear. I think when the race started it was somewhere in the mid 50's, then warmed up to about the mid 70's by the time I finished. This is unusually warm for the Tri-Cities in late October.

Probaby 90% of the course is totally flat. There are 4 bridge crossings that aren't too bad other than taking a couple rather steep switch backs to climb up to and get down from the bridge's footpath. (That was particularly brutal on mile 24 and 25).

The aid stations were every 2 miles and the workers were awesome. The course was very well marked and there were police officers stopping traffic at every intersection. Most of the course is run on footpaths along the Columbia River.

Crossing the finish line with the clock overhead and your name being announced was very cool. They also gave me a very nice medal and a gift certificate because it was my first marathon.

There was a massage booth set-up so if you wanted a massage when you were done you could have one. There was also a goodies table set-up with lots of snacks and drinks.

An awesome experience. I will definitely be back (gotta get that time down!).

If runners are still trying to qualify for the Boston Marathon at this late date, Tri-Cities could be one of the best courses in the Northwest for this. It is very flat with the bridges as the only elevation. All of this run is on bike trails or pavement.

It may also be the perfect run for someone who wants to do the relay as a team of two, three or four. Maybe you are not ready for a full marathon but could run 3/4 and another friend run the last 1/4.

If you don't mind the limited number of fans, this is a great marathon. It is a fast course and very scenic. A great course to run a PR or qualify for Boston. Also well-organized, great volunteers and a family feel. A very good awards ceremony for such a small marathon (about 120 runners). We also had perfect weather and no wind. It was a beautiful day and a beautiful marathon.

I had a great time running my second marathon at the Tri-Cities Marathon in Richland/Kennewick/Pasco Washington. The organization was terrific at the start, on the course and at the end. This is a small race (~125), so if you're accustomed to getting lost in the crowd, this race is not for you. They call out your name as you finish, Miss Tri-Cities gives you your finisher's medal and they treat you as individual. The aid stations are well stocked, and there was plenty of stuff at the finish.

The course is beautiful, most of it is along the Columbia River (cross it 4 times on 3 different bridges) and in Columbia Park. The only down section was the short ramble in downtown Kennewick pass the corporate sponsor's location (Welch's)...

Not a lot of people on the course as fans, but the aid station workers tried valiantly to make up for that with their enthusiasm.... then again, I have never done one of the 'large' marathons (previous was Avenue of the Giants ~600 marathoners) so it seemed normal to me.

Next year the race is on Halloween, so wear a costume and try it out.