I really enjoyed this race since most marathons are larger. It was peaceful, the course, though a little bit on the road with traffic, was scenic. The volunteers were very friendly and appreciative of the runners.

I would recommend that the results get posted quicker. It's been over a week and still no results.

Give this race a shot.

I think it was the loneliest marathon I have ever run, especially in the last 10K. At times, I could see no/one in front or behind me. The traffic was a bit scary, especially in the last five miles. There is practically no shoulder on the road. The pluses were the good food after the race, the nice t-shirt and the trophies and medals that all participants received.

Gently rolling on small, rural roads in good condition. A bit less traffic would be better. Well organized by nice folks, plenty of food, nice medal/trophy. Water stops could be a little better manned and located on inside of turns. Lots of 'MarathonManiacs' in attendance. Less than 1 1/2 hrs drive from Seattle. A good choice if you like small events.

The Valentine Marathon is essentially a well supported training run suitable for more experienced runners. If you're looking for a scenic course, large crowd or a PR this is probably not your race. If you're looking for a long training run to clock out some miles this is your race. This marathon is relatively inexpensive and well organized. There was plenty of good food available before and after the race. As mentioned by other runners there is some vehicular traffic but the shoulders on the various roads are reasonably generous.

The race was quite enjoyable with a good course along rural roads. The organization was very low key but still covered all the basics. If you like running in a crowd, this is not the race for you. I ran most of the race by myself after the half-marathon competitors reached their turn-around. The course is basically flat with a number of long inclines and a few rolly hills. I was not expecting such a small marathon with less than 100 registered in the marathon. However the size also contributed to its unique feel. In addition, since I'm from Canada, it was relatively accessible by car during the cold of February. There was lots of garbage along the roads which did detract from the aesthetics during the race.

The race course was very well marked. The aid stations were well stocked and the volunteers were nice. Runners had to deal with a lot of traffic on the main road at the beginning and end -- a few more signs warning drivers would have been nice. I loved the location of the race, so that made the traffic issue unavoidable. Also the community needs to do something about all the trash along the roads. I thought Washington did a better job with keeping trash picked up! Most importantly, for race organization, there was no food left by the time most of the marathon runners were coming in! I was disappointed with that. The medals and trophies were a nice touch for such a small race.