If you are looking for a well organized and executed marathon, you should consider another race. The expo was poorly marked for where the runner or walkers should go, with long lines and poorly informed volunteers. They ran out of my shirt size and course maps, and it had no energy. The start did not have enough porta-potties. We waited in long lines behind many runners starting later than us and spectators. Also, at the start there was no water to be found, especially on a hot day. The water stations on the course were poorly staffed and marked. I do appreciate the volunteers time, but when the cups are only 1/3 full and filled with warm water it gets frustrating. The ice at the later stations was appreciated, especially when the official race was stopped. Many marathons I've done is have an official from the race calling times at each mile. The Milwaukee Marathon does this well. This was not present at this marathon, nor was there any type of official race clock on the course. Typically there is a clock at least at the half, but not here. The later mile markers were gone for the full marathon. One runner told me they had blown down, but there was no wind, and no race volunteer to put them back up. It was frustrating from miles 20-26 that there were only a few miles marked. Thanks to the spectators that stayed out and sprayed water, provided ice, and support on such a hot day.

I was so surprised that a beautiful city like Madison could put together such a poor race. I think one problem is that there were too many races: full marathon, half marathon, half marathon walk, and quarter marathon. Really? They had the marathoners dodging the walkers on a path that only one lane of a two lane road was available for the run. The comments posted from past years were accurate and I should have listened.

This was my first full marathon. I ran the half marathon in Madison the previous year. While this is a beautiful and challenging race, there are things that could be improved. I'll start with those so I can finish on a positive note.

As some others mentioned, the water stations were not as plentiful or well-stocked toward the end. There was actually one that I couldn't get water at and the bananas had run out long before I got there. At about mile 23, along John Nolen Nolen Drive, there are about 3 narrow bridges over the water. No organizers were there to assure that pedestrians stayed out of the way of runners. Consequently, there was a logjam of people on the bridges. Pedestrians with strollers were blocking the way and runners literally had to stop and wait for people to slowly amble their way across the bridge. It was unforgivable! The finish line was unsightly; coming in on a dirt path that isn't particularly spectator friendly is an inauspicious way to finish such an epic event. Finally, there was almost NO food for finishers. In 2008, there were sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, chips, pasta salad and beverages. This year we got small pretzels and string cheese! It was ridiculous!

But there were great things about the race too. The spectators were awesome! They were as excited if not MORE excited about the race than the runners. Streets were lined with fans shouting words of encouragement and calling runners by name because the bibs had our names on them. That was a nice touch.

And Madison is gorgeous. The course was diverse with segments running through the arboretum, Maple Bluff and along Observatory Drive. It was amazing, though for me it was far too hilly. That hill at mile 17 was a killer! Despite the difficulty (which I heard several people say would keep them from running this race again), I finished a full 25 minutes ahead of my anticipated time, and I completed the first half 14 minutes faster than I completed the half marathon in 2008, so that made me very happy!

I'm doing the half marathon again here this year, since it's my hometown, but hopefully some of the unfortunate aspects will have been corrected. In the end, this is a great race for great people with amazing people cheering us on!

Very uneventful race. The expo was small, and the course and race had no excitement to it. Good town, but not a good race.

Poor course and poor support all around. Race started and finished in a poor spot. Not a good experience.

The race was fine, but it just wasn't the same. The expo was small. A few water stops were missing. The start and finish were boring. There are better races, but it's close, so that helps.

The race was ok. We started and ended in a parking lot. This race has had issues in the past, but for what you get, it's OK. I may run other races if I have a choice.

The course was very pretty and showed you the whole city - the hill at mile 17 was very challenging. My main complaint was that the water stations were limited after mile 20. It was getting warm, and having water every mile after mile 20 is something they should have covered. It was a bit confusing at the start, but I found my way in plenty of time.

This was my first marathon, and I would definitely go back, but like others have said, there is certainly room for improvement. The fans were great, as were the water stations, and the course was absolutely beautiful. Just be sure you train with plenty of hills in your route because this town has a lot of them and it definitely impacted my time.

My only two complaints are that there were too few bathrooms at the start line and water stations, and there was a lack of crowd control along the Monona Terrace. Having to run in and around pedestrians and people on bikes was rather bothersome. While I don't terribly mind waiting for the bathroom, the 30-minute line at the start was too long, as I didn't even have a chance to go before the race started. Also, when I did stop, there was only one port-a-potty at each rest stop.

As a Madison lifer, I've seen the rain, the heat and everything in between for this race. Even though I understand why the course was reversed and the start changed, it was always special to start at the Capitol. That being said, there actually were more porta-potties this year. Unfortunately, they were spread out across the two starting areas.

The course itself is all Madison - three lakes, campus, isthmus, and Maple Bluff all provide beauty and challenge.

The finish could use a little shade; large tents would be fine. Also, not using Quann Park for the last two miles would be for a more memorable finish. I always enjoy race day and the enthusiasm of the city. Keep it going, Madison.

I thought that, with a new director and new course, this year would be better than last year, but I was wrong. Reversing the course did nothing really for the hills. They still had some major ones in the 16-19-mile range. The end of the course is awful. It feels like we are sneaking in the back door rather than finishing a marathon. Lots of twists and turns in the last 2 miles, and not much crowd support at the end. The finish area had nothing. No chairs, no shade and only pretzels and cheese sticks for food. Last year they had tons of good stuff, like yogurt and granola bars, etc. The shirt this year was good but they gave the same one to all participants. I think they should give different colors to the 3 different races. Overall, it is an ok event. I do it every year because I live there, which makes it really easy to run it. I think they went really cheap this year and I hope in the future that the finish area is better.