This is definitely not a course that was designed for a 'hill hating' marathoner. The hills went on for a long long long time and the downhill was not reached until very late in the race. Many of the neighborhoods (not all but many) were quite scenic and the people along the route were very very nice.

The gatorade supplies were limited until late in the race and the lack of fruit or other food items was noticeable. Some runners that I was with for a while were really looking for Gatorade and were hurt by its absence at early stops. I am sure these are problems that can be worked out before next year.

Also, I am sure that more spectators and medical assistance will be available next year. There was only one bit of organized entertainment (a high school band) that I saw. Some additional entertainment like that would help some people keep moving along and any entertainment breaks up the agony of these runs.

In all, I enjoyed the course and the organization was very good for an innaugural run. The police officers and staff along the course were very supportive (I only had to stop twice for traffic issues and that was because an ambulance needed to move through an intersection). Also, the weather was beautiful with clear skies and low 70s. However, if the course remains the same next year, the organizers should talk more about the nature and extent of the hills. There are plenty of runners who want to see a difficult course like this one and honesty is the best policy on course difficulty. My guess is that the course will likely change dramatically for next year.

My thanks to the organizers. Baltimore is a great city and I enjoyed being there in the first of these marathons.

Great marathon on a very hilly course. Fans cheered the entire route and the organization was excellent. We could have used bananas on the course and a searchable database of pre-race confirmations would be nice touches but otherwise well done.

I was the only official wheelchair racer (there was one handcrank chair) and now that the event is over, I understand why. Everyone, from the other runners to the crowd, tried to inspire me up those hills. On the occassional downhill, it was very difficult to manuever around the cones and runners. I crashed once and several times almost ran into runners who were not paying attention to my warnings 'On your left'. Some streets were too narrow, plus having traffic right next to you was rather scary at times. If the event grows in popularity - you will need to map a different course or close the streets to make it safer!

The Baltimore Marathon seemed to be a well-organized effort, particularly for an inaugural marathon. There was plenty of water and gatorade and the logistics were generally good. For future races, I would suggest that the organizers improve the pre-race traffic flow, widen the course in places where there were bottlenecks and send the straggler buses on a different route for the last mile so that they do not crowd runners so severely (this was scary!). As the course is VERY hilly, I would not recommend this for anyone with a time goal. It might be good for first time runners, particularly if there is increased medical support and if more spectators come out. It is also good to have another race in the DC area, especially because the Marine Corps Marathon has filled up so quickly in the past couple of years.

Scenic course that starts and finishes in the city and the bulk of the race is through neighborhoods. Race temp at start was mid 50's and sunny, but it warmed up quickly. Not much shade. Hills were a mixture of long and slow and long and steeper. Crowds were lined every mile. Volunteers were friendly and helpful. Small race expo. Worth the trip, will do again!

This was my fifth marathon and by far the toughest course I've ever run thanks to all the hills. But, the course was scenic in parts and gave a good tour of Baltimore. It was very well run for a first time event.

Generally the event was well organized. However, more porta-potties are needed at different distances. The spectators were absolutely wonderful. Special thanks to those spraying the street with lawn hoses!!!!

Well done, Baltimore! This is a hilly course that will challenge runners for 16 miles, but then the course mercifully heads downhill for 10 miles to the finish. The course is a loop, starting and finishing at the Baltimore Ravens? stadium. The course was spotlessly clean, the landscaping was fresh, all the intersections were staffed with police, and the water-stations were almost every mile. The residents of each neighborhood were out in mass, cheering on the runners and seeming to have great fun showing off their city. The best fan, to me, was the attractive lady who stood in her yard and sang ?America the Beautiful? loudly and beautifully. Parking, facilities, T-shirt, registration, chutes, etc. were excellent.

The pasta party the night before-top shelf. Race about 8,000 strong-support all the way. Course..challenging-hills, beautiful views. 5K for those who want to run short race then come out and cheer for marathoners. We had the best time. Course open for eigth full hours. Mylar blanket and medal available to slow runner/ walkers. Clean pair of white socks given to each at the finish line. Mayor O'Malley your wife did a great job. Thank You

Support staff, medical, and traffic control was great, but the course itself was very challenging due to the hills starting at mile 9 through mile 16, mile 20, and then some smaller rollers near the end. The finish is net downhill, but if you've worked the hills hard, you have no quads left by mile 24 and every incline from then on adds insult to injury. The final insult was being able to see the finish line, but having to run 3/4ths of the way around PSINet stadium to get there. Fan support was good in many places, but sparse on Northern Parkway.