I did the half marathon as a race walker so I don't know about the full; the full and half split off just before mile 12. The course through Iroquois Park was scenic with a few hills, rest of the course was well supported with lots of spectators, local radio stations, and bottles of water and orange slices. No line for packet pick-up, expo was very small, and the whole thing had kind of a small-town feel to it. Very friendly people for a race with this many participants.

My only complaint is that the buses dropped us off so early, we had over an hour and a half to spend in the damp, cold before the race. However, I realize logistically it's hard to get this many people to the starting line. Post-race food was a banana and water, but I believe there was tent with more for the participants doing the full. I would recommend this half and would enjoy doing it again myself.

Pros:
All good things to say about this race. Beautiful weather. Buses were well organized. 8 oz. bottled water was nice since it could be easily carried between water stops. Spectators on second half were sparse but enthusiastic. Well organized and lots of food at the end.

Cons:
Typical rudeness of people seeding themselves ahead of where they are supposed to be forcing people to pass them (not a con, just a statement).

This was my second marathon and I loved the course. This race will only get better as the participation increases. I must admit it was a shock when the full marathon split from the half - it was rather desolate, but after the shock wore off it turned out to be a wonderful course. The volunteers were outstanding and the spectators (although sparse in the second half) were great also. Louisville knows how to put on a race and I think they will continue to make this race better. It was nice to hear my name called out as I was finishing the race - that was a nice touch. I intend to run this race every year and I am confident that Louisville will continue to make this race better year after year. Louisville has made the half marathon one of the best in the country and no doubt they will on the full marathon as well.

This was my fifth marathon as a walker. This was the worst I've ever done. We were told to go to the sidewalks at mile 19 even though we kept a 13.5 minute mile pace. Downtown Louisville doesn't have sidewalks on every street. When we were put on the sidewalks the support left. There was no water, no police and no signs giving directions. Downtown Louisville is not a place to be lost. The overall course is good and the support in the first 13 miles is very nice but this is not a marathon for walkers. That might be why the Leukemia Society did not endorse this marathon.

I want to point out that the comments from VN from Ohio dated 5/12/03 were comments on the inaugural 2002 Marathon. Issues from 2002 were addressed and corrected for 2003. Please judge this marathon based upon others' 2003 comments.

Having lived in the Midwest for 7 years in the 1990's, I had never found a reason to spend time in Louisville. This race is a good excuse to visit Louisville. The course was scenic approximately half of the time, as it wound through flowery neighborhoods and parks, and was urban for the remainder. No significant hills to mention. Mile markers seemed accurate and there were plenty of drink stations. It appears that the organizers listened to some of the prior suggestions and streamlined the starting line shuttle and chip return station. Overall, logistics were very good. The sparse crowds in the second half did not bother me. Those that were there were enthusiastic. Medal and wind jacket quality showed good effort on the part of the organizers. The finish line was full of activity including musicians playing in the meeting area. Recommendations: use recyclable paper cups for drink stations instead of pet bottles and give massages to marathon runners.
Overall, it was an enjoyable experience.

We waited in line for a bus to take us to the start and when we got about 2 miles from it, the bus pulled over and we had to walk the rest of the way (actually, run because halfway there, the race started). By the time we got to the start, they were taking up the timer rug. There were a lot of unhappy people. Weather was good except for the rain at about 18-26 miles. Not a lot of anything at the end, probably because of the downpour. Other than that, I had a PR ? guess I was really warmed up. Support stations were good and the choir at the park was really inspiring.

As a veteran of 5 previous marathons (all under 3:30) in different cities, I found the second annual KDF Marathon well organized, but lacking some crowd support in the second half of the race. The first half is unmatchable as far as crowd support, with bands and friendly spectators. The second half could use a few bands and maybe some cheerleaders. But one must remember that this event has been only a half marathon for 30 years, and all the locals are running it. Hence, this is where the crowd support is. The second annual event only had some 750 runners while the mini, or half-marathon, had over 7000 entries. But I must admit that the full marathon was staffed as well or better than the half marathon after mile 12 (including medical stations, "porta-potties", and more Powerade stops). Also, they had timing clocks at every mile for the entire marathon (topnotch!!). The race course winds through this beautiful mid-sized city and takes the runner through many points of interest - including two large scenic parks between miles 4-6 and 17-19. The rest is flat. Traffic control was second to none, and the Louisville Metro Police allow the runners to rule the streets. They also help cheer on the runners during the latter stages of the race. Besides having plenty of food and fluids at the finish, the Race Photography Team (brightroom.com) does an excellent job of capturing the runner at the finish line with the KDF banner and time clock visible in the photo. This is something I had not seen in many years of running the mini-marathon. It will definitly make it to my desk at work. Also, the local TV station WAV3 had great TV coverage of the elite runners as well as the mid-packers throughout the half and full marathons. They had a TV camera crew setup on the back of a pickup truck and taped the entire front pack of the half marathon race, and then the entire full marathon. They also had good coverage of the start, where everyone waves to the bucket truck camera man at the start as they pass under. I saw myself and friends on TV at a couple of different places along the course.
Overall, I would classify this as a great regional marathon with some mega-sized marathon qualities. Any serious marathoners living in the midwest should run this race, and bring along their family or friends to run the mini for a fun filled event that has something for everyone.

This was my first ever marathon (first race over 3 miles and first race since high school CC for that matter). I thought the course was great. The fans kept me going, even though they got sparse in some places after the full and mini split. This is a wonderful place to run your first marathon; it's not too big yet and the course is fairly flat. Restrooms were the only problem. Will definitely make the trip and run this yearly.

I have run the full marathon both years it has been available. I like the course a lot, with the exception of one section with vacant buildings. Mini marathon crowds were wonderful. Few spectators on the back half, but they were very friendly and encouraging. Law enforcement/traffic control was excellent. Most officers offered encouragement on the back half. The Cherokee Park neighborhood families have the potential to make this stretch a big event for the runners. There simply need to be more spectators on the back half. Also, food needs to be available at finish for slower runners.
It was much better organized that the first year, especially the shirt pick up the day before. Friendly people, great volunteers, and topnotch traffic control make this a winner! I will return.