The number 1 reason I ran this half-marathon is that it was on my birthday, number 2 being that it benefited the OKC memorial.

The pre-race 168 seconds of silence was very impressive. Everyone showed respect and went silent. Getting into the race shoot was a little difficult-- my group went through and over the fences that were set up, instead of walking the half-mile back then trying to fight our way through the crowds to our corral.

The aid stations were plentiful, well-stocked (pretzels at almost every one!), and well-manned. Medical tents were also frequent, which I'm sure was needed for the humid conditions this year. There were lots of DJs along the last half of the half-course, as well as misting stations. There were also decent crowds, given the early start and the weather. The course was a bit hilly for anyone to call this a "flat and fast course," but I never run hills either.

The biggest disappointment was the post-finish: Things like water, fruit, cookies, Powerade, orange juice, burgers etc were very plentiful, but they were SO FAR from the finish. At least move the liquids closer, then let the crowd thin out to find the other items. The medal stations were also in an odd place and quite a ways from the finish line. But that's my only complaint for the organization. No one could do much about the humidity or the 20mph winds (which thankfully held off for most of the morning).

This is a very special race. Even if you aren't raising money for a charity, you feel like you're running for a cause, to remember those who died in the 1995 bombing. The memorial "gardens" (outside) are open 24 hours, and I would highly recommended walking through there before the race, to set the mood. This one will always be special to me because of the reminder to cherish life, and that what is most important is how we respond to situations such as the bombing (as there will always be difficult situations to face).

Now, if you're interested in the logistics... the race hotel (Sheraton) was great and allowed for a 2 p.m. late checkout for runners! The expo is across the street, so it was convenient, but was poorly organized. On Saturday afternoon there was a line almost out the door. It took a good 30-40 minutes to even get into the door of the expo. The lines weren't managed at all either, and people just "cut in" when they realized that the line was the way into the expo. Very frustrating! Part of the reason for the line is that there was only one door open and you had to "fight" your way to the far end of the expo hall to pick up your bib. Then the chip check was along another wall, and the t-shirt pickup was in the far corner wall from there. So you had to zigzag around people and vendors to get the basics. I'm all for visiting the vendors, but I like to get the race basics being taken care of first, and then I can relax and fill my goody back with other purchases and samples. So, if I could rate the expo/packet pickup separately, it would get 1 star.

On race morning, they were rather restrictive on entering the starting area and I had to "back track" a couple of times to get to an entrance that wasn't blocked by fencing. The good news is that they started the 5K about 10 minutes after the marathon and half-marathon, so that alleviated some of the concerns about congestion expressed in prior comments here. The bad news is that you continue to find walkers or "joggers" who place themselves in the 7- or 8-minute-per-mile pace areas. Can't these people read??

The course was OK, and I would have probably enjoyed it more without the strong winds. There was a tornado, hail, and thunderstorm warning, and the starting temperature was 72 degrees. While I didn't see any tornadoes or hail, and the thunderstorms held off, it was very hot, humid, and windy. But what can you do about the weather? There was enough variety, and the banners reminding you of those who had died, so that helped the miles pass. There were also some stations with wet sponges and much appreciated "sprinklers" on the course. One water station had COLD (ice) water, and that was a delight! I wish more stations had thought of that.

The finish line was well organized, and the Carl's Jr cheeseburger was fantastic! It was a little confusing with the finisher's medals handed out a little ways down the finisher's chute (versus right after you cross the finish line), but in the end it worked. And, to be honest, one of the reasons I wanted to run this race was the really awesome finisher's shirt, waiting for you after you cross the finish line. The info tent could instantly print out your custom (by bib number) finish results (age group placement and all), so that was convenient.

I visited the memorial/museum after I cleaned up, using the free entry ticket in the goody bag. I would highly recommend doing that. Visiting the gardens again also allowed me to see all of the bib numbers and finisher's medals left on the "chairs," memorializing those who died by those who ran in remembrance of them.

While there were some areas for improvement, I would still recommend this race for its special meaning.

The wind gusted to 40 mph! But the course was great, and the appreciation of the locals was outstanding!

The wind was very rough. Over half of this race was run into the wind, so be ready for that.

When I made my reservations at one of the hotels on the OKC website, I specifically asked what time checkout was, and the hotel (Candlewood Suites) told me that for the marathon runners, they were allowing a late checkout time of 2pm. I asked the clerk to make a note on my reservation of the 2pm checkout time. I traveled from Arkansas to attend this run and adjusted my arrival and departure times somewhat based on this checkout time. On the night of my arrival, Candlewood Suites said checkout time was at noon. They told me they had a large group coming in and changed the time because of it. I threw a fit and not until I told the hotel that I was going to call the police did I get any help. They refused to refund my money and because they refused to honor what they originally agreed to, it was nothing but a form of deception and theft. Eventually, the hotel agreed to allow me to check out at 1pm instead of 2pm. However, I was supposed to agree not to tell any of the other marathon runners because they could not do it for everyone.

Other than the wind and the snag at Candlewood Suites, the run was great. The course was very nice and the people were very helpful. This race was well-organized. If you run this race, make sure you go to the OKC memorial museum.

The fan support in OKC is the best I have seen anywhere. This is a must-do race, the third time I have run it. It is a powerful experience with such a positive, life-affirming message. And by the way, whoever the pacing coach was for the 4:15 pacing team, THANK YOU! I joined your team at mile 8. You were a tremendous help and very professional. I wish I could have thanked you in person but I lost you near the finish line. You did your job well. I'll be back to OKC.

OKC is an awesome race and it's good to see so many great comments about the 2008 race. BUT, it was rare that the wind was out of the north. This time of year typically produces strong south winds, which will be in your face for the back half of the race. Check the forecast and be ready. Don't let this discourage you. It is a TERRIFIC event. I just thought a heads-up was in order.

This was a great marathon to run. I really enjoyed running around the lake on the bike trail after the halfway point.

I ran a PR and qualified for Boston, and this is the only marathon where I ran the second half of the race faster that the first half. I never even came close to getting tired. I think it was because the race started so early that I was not fully awake to go out to fast.

This was my first marathon and it was a wonderful experience! The course was great, with lots of restrooms and drink stations! The weather was perfect for the race; it started out a little cold and wet, but it cleared up halfway through and was a perfect temperature! I can't wait for next year's marathon!

I had never been to Oklahoma City. It is a very nice city with an excellent marathon! The course is interesting, well organized and the fans were very good. I would recommend this one.

I had a good time at this event. I enjoyed the loop course, with several miles along a lakefront and the start and finish in Bricktown.

The expo was a bit difficult to get to downtown, as there were a lot of events and things going on that weekend.

Pre-race was AWFUL. Even early, spectators were absolutely packing the roads surrounding the starting line, making it very difficult and taking A LOT of time for runners to get through to the road on which the starting line was. Then we were scolded by race representatives for jumping the barriers to get to the road on which the starting line was! Porta-potties were also scattered about in groups of about 5, which didn't seem too productive.

Once the race started, however, it was a good experience. The spectators were great, and aid stations were supportive and well-stocked. The finish line was right at the OKC Memorial, which was beautiful. There were race pacers available for those who like to take advantage of them, and they did a good job of not letting the relay areas or other distances get in the way of each other.

Downtown OKC also had a lot of options for pre- and post-race festivities.