This is a gorgeous course which highlights the picturesque rural and island character of Whidbey I. There are hills which preclude any PR so it's a good course to run just for the enjoyment of running. As a first marathon, the organizers deserve an extra star just for the enormous effort it must take to pull this off. Spectators were few but friendly.

This was a great run. The weather was perfect, cool and dry. The course was a bit hilly. There were many views of the water. The spectators were enthusiastic. The entire course was marked by cones every 100 feet. There was no way to get lost. At every intersection there were volunteers to direct traffic. I hope to do the event next year. The mile markers for the marathon got a bit off at mile 17 due to the Half-Marathon race. Overall an excellent race.

This was an inaugural event, was well run and received good community support. The course takes you over the Deception Pass Bridge, along the east side of Whidbey Island where views of the snow covered Cascade Mountain range are plentiful, through the town of Oak Harbor, and along the water around Penn Cove into Coupeville. The rolling hills were challenging but there were also long flat stretches to recover.

All in all it was a great race and I'll be back in 2003.

This was the inaguaral race for the Wings of Gold Marathon. I ran the 1/2 that started in Oak Harbor. I could pick apart the race, since it was the first one, but I'll cut it some slack for just that reason. Instead, I'll focus on the course itself.

The course was beautiful, starting in Oak Harbor and then following the coast line down to Coupeville. There were numerous large hills, but none too difficult for the seasoned runner. The portion of the race along Scenic Heights is fantastic, with great views of the San Juan Islands, the Olympics and quite a few Whidbey Island farms. Running through Oak Harbor was sketchy, as we were stuck on the sidewalks, running through busy intersections while the locals in huge pickups angrily gunned their engines. The race finish was in picturesque Coupeville, with a .2 mile downhill finish. The race finish was set up in a way that as you round the final corner, you have a full head of steam and all the spectators get to see you come screaming into the finish chutes...I'm sure it made for many great finish line photos.

All in all, if the organization for the race improves and the sections of the course on Hwy 20 can be shut down for the runners, I'd run it again.