I never got tired of looking at the scenery. Lots of water and potties. Volunteers were great!! The only negative is the sports drink. No one had ever heard of it much less trained with it. Please, race directors, stick with Gatorade or PowerAde. These are what runners train with.

Over all, this was a wonderful small race and I would recommend it!

This was a well-organized, delightful marathon. The course is interesting and quite beautiful, traversing many interesting, old, Southern neighborhoods parks, boulevards and college campuses. There are a few rolling hills in the middle, but it's mostly flat. The weather was perfect for a January marathon - in the cool 40s. There was a free pasta-load dinner in the city hall atrium and a welcome BBQ feed at the end. The shirts were good. The "unique wooden medals" - hand-decorated by the challenged children whom the race sponsors - were memorable (though they might disappoint some). Mobile is an interesting town with good food and a surprising amount to see. (I brought my son, and we had fun exploring nearby parts of Mississippi and Florida, as well as Alabama.)

I really enjoyed Mobile. Nice town with very friendly people and a very well organized race. The course has just enough hills in the middle of the race but nothing too bad. The first half and the last 6 miles are very flat. The host hotel was awesome, allowing for an early check-in and a late check-out. The race starts just a few yards down the street from the hotel. The temperature was almost perfect throughout the race, but the wind did make for some cold hands. That was my fault, as I should have worn gloves. The spectators were few but very supportive. I would highly recommend this marathon. Thanks, Mobile, for a good time.

Great small-town race. Good weather, beautiful course and it is all for a wonderful cause. Volunteers were great. Water stops were frequent and well staffed/stocked. Port-o-let at every water station! Start and finish are close to hotel. Homemade wooden medal is unique. Finish at the park with live band, free massage and food/beer. If you are looking for a "big race" feel, this is not the race for you. But if prefer a small, well-run race, good organization and a beautiful course, seriously consider this one. I'll be back. Chip timing would be nice.

This was a race I almost didn't run. Boy, am I glad I did. This is a scenic route through a beautiful little, oak tree-lined Southern town. There are a few hills that make this a fair challenge to anyone. The organization was pretty good except that no one knew exactly where the starting line was (no big deal). The volunteers were fantastic!!! There were ample port-o-potties (always a concern for runners), the mile markers were good, and there were more than enough water stops. Did I say the volunteers were great?!!! At the finish line there is a picnic-like atmosphere in a park, complete with a live band. Oh, and the medal. If you just look at it, you think it is a cheap wooden circle. But when you find out who made it with their own bare hands and their hearts and souls, it is a medal that I am honored and humbled to have been able to earn. L'Arche of Mobile, Alabama ROCKS!!!

This is a race I didn't sign up for until two weeks prior to race day and I'm glad I ran it (BQ/PR). This is a great race for a great cause.

For me a race comes down to organization and this race did not disappoint.

Fans? If you need fan support then you need to find a bigger race or maybe running is not for you (if you need fan support to run). But the fans that were out were awesome.

Medals? The medal is unique and while it doesn't have the "bling" of other races it is still a special moment when you are presented the medal at the finish line. It will go next to my other unique medals.

Thanks!

This was my 13th marathon and I specifically target small events. It was incredibly well organized for a small marathon. The course was well marked, and there were ample course volunteers who gave good directions. Nearly every intersection had a volunteer/police stopping traffic. The water stops were well staffed and helpful. I loved the scenic course that wove through historic parts of the community and 2 college campuses. The race director and race committee have obviously put a lot of time and effort into this event. It is a first-class event. I highly recommend this race if you enjoy small, well organized, and scenic.

Most of all, I appreciate the purpose of this marathon. The mission behind supporting individuals with disabilities is commendable. I was moved by the beautiful handmade medals and being handed my medal by a person with a disability. What a phenomenal way to connect with the community. Excellent work!

This was a marathon with a great cause. The "medal" was actually a handmade, wooden medallion, and was very appropriate. The host hotel was accommodating. There was no banner at the start line, nor was there an electronic chip-type timing system. Not a big deal though. And the timing official did a great job at the finish line. The course was very well marked, and turns were appropriately staffed. The aid/water stations were appropriately spaced and stocked with an abundance of fluids and carb food items, and staffed with very friendly volunteers. There was a small hill westbound, crossing over I-65, and then a few more hills, ending around mile 18. The last hill looked worse than it was.

At one point, the course traversed the University of Southern Alabama, where Calvin and Hobbes are contending for a basketball!

The pre-competition pasta dinner had great food, and it was free. The food at the finish line was also well received - sloppy joe/BBQ sandwiches and hot soup, coffee and other beverages. And the finish was close to the host hotel, which was great.

Thanks for a great event!

This was my 13th marathon and I specifically target small events. It was incredibly well organized for a small marathon. The course was well marked, and there were ample course volunteers who gave good directions. Nearly every intersection had a volunteer/police stopping traffic. The water stops were well staffed and helpful. I loved the scenic course that wove through historic parts of the community and 2 college campuses. The race director and race committee have obviously put a lot of time and effort into this event. It is a first-class event. I highly recommend this race if you enjoy small, well organized, and scenic.

Most of all, I appreciate the purpose of this marathon. The mission behind supporting individuals with disabilities is commendable. I was moved by the beautiful handmade medals and being handed my medal by a person with a disability. What a phenomenal way to connect with the community. Excellent work!

I had low expectations for this marathon. I usually run much larger races in big cities, so I expected a small race in a smaller city to be a bit spartan. I was very pleasantly surprised:

1. Very well organized.
2. Lots of water/aid stations, and each was well manned.
3. Port-o-potties at EVERY water stop!! (I've never seen that before!)
4. Beautiful course through lovely old neighborhoods and two college campuses.
5. Not many fans, but the ones that were out were enthusiastic!! I was handed bananas, M&Ms, and a Twix bar, all by families out in their front yards cheering.
6. All crossings and turns were well manned by police and volunteers.
7. Excellent post-race meal and music on beautiful Bienville Square.
8. L'Arche Mobile is the most worthy of causes.

CONS? Can't think of many:
1. Why was there a huge Auburn flag flying over the finish line?
2. There was no speech or pep talk before the race. As a result, the starting gun went off and startled everyone and there was a few seconds of hesitation before we started running. LOL!!
3. Get rid of the Auburn flag flying over the finish line.
4. The course is lonely and deserted on the USA campus.
5. They really need to get rid of the Auburn flag at the finish line.
6. Skip the Radisson and stay at the Riverview or the Battle House.
7. GET RID OF THE BARN FLAG AT THE FINISH LINE!!

I will be back next year!! And if the Auburn flag is flying at the finish line, I'm gonna tear it down!!