It has been 5 years since I last ran this and the 2009 race reminded me why I like it so much. There is no hassle to it, and it runs through some really varied urban scenery.

There are not many marathons that you'd run just to get the medal, but this is one of them. It is a heavy 63MM by 7MM chrome plated disk with the Mercedes-Benz marque. The ribbon is also beautifully woven in several different and very brilliant thread colors to spell out the race name and date. Trust me on this; if you see the medal, you'll run the race.

Start line logistics are a snap. You can stay at any of the downtown hotels and walk two blocks to the starting line. Temps were nice - 38 to 50. Had the weather been ugly, it is possible to just stand inside the Boutwell Center until the race starts and literally walk out the front door and start running.

Organization is superb. All water stops were staffed and ready, and the PowerAde was uniformly mixed and chilled. Plenty of aid stations too - I think almost every mile if not more. All intersections were blocked by the local police and most roads were well coned or completely closed to traffic. I never once felt I had to worry about traffic. The route did go through some residential areas with driveways but the word musty have gotten out because no one budged their cars.

Porta-potties were a bit sparse, but I'm a guy so that wasn't a problem. Lots of trees. :)

Spectators. There weren't many, but I gave it a 5 anyway because those who were out cheered enthusiastically. I do not need cheering masses, so this is not important to me.

The course: What an improvement! I didn't think I'd like a double loop, but it was so varied that it never bothered me or bored me. It is NOT flat, but it isn't something that tears you up either. The hills are not steep. You do make your way up a hill, but it is in several stages that didn't bother me; however, I do run some hills in my training. If you are a total flat-lander, you need some hill work first. This is probably not a PR course for most.

Jim (Dallas, TX)

This was a new course meant to be easier than the old course. I never ran the old course but this two=looper was very tough. I enjoyed it a lot, but doing the uphills and downhills TWICE was brutal.

Mercedes has the best swag! Cotton, long-sleeve shirt, technical long-sleeve shirt, gloves, and the coolest medal you'll ever get.

I really enjoyed the relay going on at the same time. There had to be 200 relay teams! Every exchange had lots of people cheering for you. It was wonderful.

I can't wait until next year to do it again.

This is a marathon where most of the runners only do the half. The course could be a little crowded in spots on the first loop but the second loop provides plenty of space to stride it out. I like the double-loop course because I had a great idea of where I could stride it out and make up time on the second lap. It helped me so much that I ran the second half faster than the first.

- Needs more bathrooms at the start. The poor women had to wait in very long lines. Also, I would like to see some water available near the start.

- More pace groups would be nice. The fastest one I saw was 4:00.

+ Plenty of aid stations with water, sports drink, GU, and oranges.

+ Great crowd support at the areas that had spectators. A few desolate spots on the course, especially for the second loop but it was in areas you would expect (i.e. industrial/non-residential areas).

+ Nice finish where they fence off the last .2 miles and call off your name as you cross. No problem getting my shirt and medal, which are both awesome quality.

+ I love having a clock at every mile marker.

+ Post-race party was good; just don't get your hopes up for more than one free sandwich. I didn't mind having to pay for another one, and the free beer was plentiful.

+ Very nice, medium-size marathon. I would run this again!

The course was very hilly, maybe the hilliest (up and down) of the 55 total marathons I've run. But, as runner-up Michael Wardian stated, these are gradual hills, verses the very steep hills from last year's race.

Very nice marathon t-shirt and finisher's shirt. The two shirts combined are about as good as any I've seen. Nice tote bag too.

This was state number 20 on my planned goal of all 50 states. It was well worth the trip. Weather was ideal from start to finish.

I enjoyed this race so much. I am 57 years-old. I started running with Danny Harleson's group 2 years ago and YEA! I completed my half-marathon in under 3 hours. The race was well organized and they made it fun. Great food at the end of the race. I will do this race next year at the age of 58.

The course had the most fantastic support from frequent water and PowerAde stops to a variety of food offered - donuts, cookies, GU, gummy bears, oranges, bananas, beer (all offered more than once). I thought I might actually gain weight running the marathon. Plenty of port-a-johns throughout.

The locals really support this race - lots of folks on course cheering. I prefer to run with someone to help pass the time. I did not really do that this time and still found the miles flew by with things to see and spectators. Beautiful homes, churches, historic sites, smell of an industrial bakery, fans with signs, Elvis impersonator, band, accordion players, music playing in several places, man with portable PA system - you were all super!

Hills were much easier than in previous years, but not flat - which kept it interesting.

Nice registrant shirt and even nicer finisher shirt and medal. Other goodies such as gloves, string bag, and can cozy were a bonus. Another bonus was free entry to McWane Science Center on Sat. or Sun. gave us something for whole family to do. Other inexpensive, interesting things to do near start area.

Packet pickup was swift and smooth-sailing. BBQ afterward was quite tasty. I could have done without the band - not bad, just too loud.

Downside: the host hotel was a big splurge for me, but it was extremely convenient for the start, finish and packet pickup. I would have liked a pasta dinner option.

Results for marathon seemed slow in posting. We left an hour after I had finished 3:57 and still only top 7 men and one woman had had their results posted. I hoped they would be on the website, but not yet - same night though.

Weather was perfect - not that anyone can take credit for that, but it was great, optimal for running and nice enough by the finish for a comfortable temperature for the spectators.
Thanks, Birmingham. I had a PR even with the hills!

I lived in Birmingham for 4 years (didn't take up running until after I moved) so I knew it was hilly, but that hill at mile 21 or so is just sadistic. Having said that, I appreciated this course because it is so challenging and that's why I signed up for it. Okay, you caught me, the medal also had something to do with my participation. Yeah, it's a must if you're a Mercedes driver. Post-race food was excellent. Spectators were lively. Drink stations were plentiful. This was a great experience top to bottom.

I ran the half marathon and as many have stated before, it is a very hilly course, but one you'll be glad you completed. The organization is top-notch and everything is so conveniently located downtown. The goody bag is one of the best I've seen, as well as a great shirt, gloves, and very nice medal with the Mercedes emblem. If you are looking for something extra to do while in town, I highly recommend taking in the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, which is only about 4 blocks from the expo and start area. Also, I would recommend the Hampton Inn and Suites downtown, which is a hop, skip and a jump from the expo and start/finish area. Overall, this one rates right up there at the top! Thanks Birmingham!

I loved this course; it was very good (well, except for that "hill" at mile 23).

Run this if you are a serious marathoner.

The 2008 Mercedes Marathon was my 7th marathon, and it was certainly the most difficult one I have run. Still, I somehow managed to get a new PR (by 45 seconds). I'm sure that's due to my continued improved conditioning, not the course.

There was a fairly large hill in Mile 6, and then a really nasty one in Mile 23. But I knew this going in, so I was prepared for it. I have no complaints about the course.

The organization is what sets this marathon apart. We got a long-sleeve cotton T upon packet pickup, and then a long-sleeve tech shirt after completing the race. The finisher's medal looks like a Mercedes hood ornament - very cool. Aid stations were plentiful. The post-race party was fun; the only complaint being that we were only allowed one trip through the food line for a BBQ sandwich. But water, Gatorade, soda and beer were plentiful. The 5K race the day before (run as a warm-up) even gave out a nice long-sleeve tech shirt. It also helped that the weather was perfect for running a marathon.

All in all, a very fun race that I would highly recommend. And while I did manage to get a PR, I would imagine that not many people get theirs here. So come to Birmingham if you want a fun race, but not necessarily a new PR....