I ran this marathon for Michigan as one of my 50 states. I read the reviews, and it was at a good time of year, so I looked forward to a fun themed race. I really didn't expect much at the expo, but what surprised me were two things. First, there was almost nothing you could buy with the martian logo on it. What a HUGE missed opportunity for the race to make some money. There were no cups, stickers, or shirts to be found. Second, what happened to the shirt?? The past few years were fantastic, with multiple colors, flying saucers, and martians. This year we got a plain white shirt with almost no flair.

There was no warning about the large amount of construction coming into Novi, so if we had not tried to find the start the day before, we would have been late getting there - and apparently many were. The course was nice and the volunteers were helpful. It was cold at the start, but it warmed up to be perfect running weather.

My biggest problem was the finish. I'm not a fast runner, as I finished in 4:08, but who on earth thought it was a good idea to run the kids' run at the same time and through the same finish line as the rest of the racers?? I see the finish line almost there and get that final shot of adrenaline to sprint through only to be overrun by 500 kids and their parents as they flooded onto the race course. I had to walk across the line so I didn't run anyone over. I think it was a great idea to get the kids involved in running, but it really took away from the accomplishment of the race. They even gave the kids the same finisher's medal that I got. I had to ask two different volunteers to make sure I got the right medal because I couldn't believe that they would give the same medal for both groups. There was no Mylar wrap, food, or direction after finishing the race. It was obvious that the focus was on the half runners and the kids, so if you're looking for a Michigan marathon, I would look elsewhere!!

The course is quite nice, mostly following a slightly hilly road through a very long park (Hines Dr.). There was also a little paved bike path through the woods.

Very little of the race is through populated areas, which I think is why there are not a lot of spectators cheering.

Parking was worse this year than previously. I think it's because they've scheduled all of the races on the same day instead of the 5K and 10K on Saturday with the marathons on Sunday. Unfortunately, the parking situation (and my abnormally fast time) made my family arrive too late to see me finish.

The course was flat with a couple of rollers (one small hill near the end). The Hines Drive out-and-back gave you a chance to see the leaders regardless of how far back you were. Water/Gatorade/GU were everywhere you need them. Starting with the halfers was not a bad as I expected. They set a good pace for me. The course was sparsely populated after the halfers turn around (until near the finish, where the merge with the 5/10K walkers created some congestion). The path through the woods and up to mile 25 had non-racers coming head-on. Perhaps a "race in progress" sign would be helpful.

I got there an hour before the start and parked about 20 yards from the start/finish line. Sweet. This is a "self bag drop" because I dropped my jacket and hat in my car minutes before the race.

This was a decent small race; the start area was nice with plenty of bathrooms and space to wait. The claims of plenty of parking were deceiving because we arrived early and the main lot was closed. We barely found a spot on the street - not as easy as advertised. The race shirts were disappointing since they were not as wild as in years past; additionally, that they're gender-specific should be advertised. For out-of-towners, it was a bit difficult to find directions from the expo to the race start as no maps were available at the expo.

Fans were few but were great and provided a nice boost on a LONG out-and-back course. Fans in the finish chute were excellent! One issue was a lack of Gatorade at the finish line - a warm bottle of water is not sufficient after running a marathon, and their Gatorade was not to be found.

I thought the race was very well organized. I was initially concerned about going out with the halfers, but truth be told, I was severely jammed up in traffic at the beginning, so I late started anyway. The course was at the perfect elevation, and food and beverages were handled well. The people were very nice, and I didn't have to worry about traffic where I have had to in some other smaller races. Going green with all the handouts was also very cool. Nice job, guys!!

I thought this year's Martian Marathon went really well. A cold start turned into a beautiful day to run. Most of the course is on Hines Drive, which is completely closed to traffic, and there are enough rolling hills to keep things interesting. The start went smoothly. Plenty of water, Gatorade, and GU stations. Better shirts this year- not as crazy as previous years. And the medals were also an improvement over last year. Only complaint I heard was from some who had trouble parking, but I got there an hour before race time and had no problem getting a spot. Overall, I had a very positive experience at this year's race.

I decided to do this race rather than one originally planned and nearby because of the 50-stater friends who would be there. I needed to see them! So happy I did.

I didn't have any of the problems mentioned in last year's comments, so it seems the RD's read them and took care of those concerns. Volunteers, water, Gatorade and GU were plentiful. Those "hills" were nonexistent for me.

My memorable experiences follow: At the turnaround I was offered the usual and banana. I requested an orange. The volunteer said he had a tangelo in his car and ran and got it for me. Since I was in a race and am naturally slow, I continued moving, so he had to run to get it to me. We laughed. Later, after I had passed mile 16, a yellow car pulled alongside and someone was speaking to me. During a race, I never look behind me as I told the speaker, so he came closer. It was the volunteer from the turnaround who was now off duty, bringing me another orange! What a pleasant surprise. I mentioned the need for caffeine as I was nearing mile 17 or so and he informed me he had a warm diet soda, which I turned down. I requested a regular Coke instead, saying I needed the sugar, caffeine and all of that other stuff. Guess what? Bobo the clown and his friends drove off and brought a cold Coke back to me, again pulling alongside quietly. That's when I noticed the writing on the car and who he was. BoBo was headed to do a party and wouldn't be at the finish when I arrived. That Coke lasted till mile 24!

I was one of the last few finishers and other volunteers kept checking on me. As they were picking up the water tables, they informed me they'd leave some at each place - and they did. I had my Coke, but there were a couple others behind me who might need it. Near the finish, one volunteer who had checked on me earlier was there to ensure that I made the short transition alongside the highway safely. As I came through the finish line, a young man asked me about my Coke and was surprised to learn that it lasted till mile 24. I guess he was in BoBo's car.

My friend Bettie was there along with others who were cheering me in and I was just a few minutes before the cutoff time. There was food, water and an age group award waiting for me also. OK. So what more do you want? Food, friends, good weather, great volunteers, well marked course and a peaceful race through the parks... (all right, so someone forgot to get most of the park bathrooms open, but there were woods nearby). That is what a great race is all about. Thanks to everyone. You made my day. So, perhaps next year and there'll be a 70+ age group award waiting for me at the finish line along with the "usual."

Ran my first Martian today and enjoyed it, despite not running so well.

Pros:
- very affordable registration fees
- relatively flat course (there are some not-so-fun rollers)
- easy packet pick-up at the expo
- nice volunteers
- nice race shirt and medal

Cons:
- the weather is a toss-up; it was pretty cold at the start; that's a spring marathon though
- starting with the halfers is a drag for the first 6 miles, but I actually missed them afterward because it gets pretty lonely on the marathon course
- the starting area was kind of chaotic; runners from the later races and spectators were just wandering in the street, so I spent the first half-mile or so wondering if I was on the course
- aid stations were adequate, but a few qualms; 1. since the same cups were used for water and iso, the volunteers need to be clearer on who is handing out what or at least have it consistently in the same order; 2. with the out-and-back, aid stations are attending to both sides of the course, so one time and nearly a second, I was about to grab a drink when the volunteer turned to the other side and handed it off, so I missed the stop - super demoralizing;
3. it would be great if the GU could be distributed a little bit before the hydration stops - that way you can take the GU, wash it down and throw it all away.

Overall, a really enjoyable event with a very enthusiastic group of volunteers and runners. I'll try to run the half next year.

I loved the course, which was rolling with some flats. Fans, while far between, are GREAT! Traffic routing, with local construction, was HORRIBLE! I was more than 15 minutes late for the start when I planned for being more than 30 minutes early.

My first small marathon was a pleasure. There was easy parking close to the start; an easy, open course; and no congestion. There were more hills than I expected, but besides the few short uphills at the end, they were not much of an issue. Aid stations were small, but volunteers were friendly and they had GU at many of them. (I picked one up at four different stations.) I heard a few complaints about the wood bridge near the end, but it didn't bother me at all. Marathon medals ran out before the 4:30 finishers got there, but I ran it for the shirt. BEST SHIRTS EVER!!! This race will become a yearly tradition for me.