The 2004 MDI marathon was a spectacular event. An hour before the race there was a crackling lightning storm, and the last drops of rain fell as the gun went off. The sun broke through the clouds as the runners tackled the first of many low angle but long hills with great views of rock cliffs and the pounding ocean. Through the middle of the race the course flattened a bit and curved around the huge fjord of Somes Sound. Then miles 20-24 were the crux of the course, with unrelenting hills, followed by a much needed downhill finish. Cresting the last hill and knowing I could make my goal was a sweet moment. Hats off to Gary Allen, Dick Beardsley, all the volunteers, and Crow Athletics.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 2004 MDI Marathon in Bar Harbor. This was my 14th state and 22nd Marathon. Hopefully in the years to come the number of entrants will grow into the thousands. My negatives with this race were few. I am a 57 year young runner and a lot slower than most of the field (4:44:47). The last time I ran a decent time (3:20:45) was 1985. When we slower runners are out there pushing 5 hours for completion time, the aid stations start, in some cases, to begin to deteriorate. The water and sports drinks have gotten almost unpalatably warm by this stage. There were some instances where we competitors found ourselves in oncoming traffic, without warning. However, the course was excellently well marked and there were signs for traffic to beware of runners in the MDI Marathon. These are merely my comments on the race and I plan to be back next year. I?ll work on hills a little more in my training. The Bar Harbor/MDI scenery for this Marathon was awesome to say the least. Thanks for a GREAT MDI Marathon.

The race website stated the truth, this was one tough race course. Run on beautiful Mount Desert Island, beginning in downtown Bar Harbor, and working its way past mountians and coves in Acadia National Park, this was one tough course. The volunteers at the packet pickup were friendly and helpful, one providing me with an excellent dinner suggestion with accompanying reservation phone number, and another remembering me the next day and cheering for me multiple times throughout the race course. But those hills made this one tough course. Bar Harbor was a delightful town to spend the day prior to the race, as well as to revisit after the race; the shops made shopping for my family a pleasure, the restaurants made eating a luscious experience, and the people were just down-home friendly. But those hills, over and over again, made for one tough race. Race morning was beautiful, more so after a thunderstorm passed by 30 minutes before the start, but as one local told me 'if you don't like the weather in Maine just wait a few minutes and it'll change'; change it did with a beautiful crisp day, full of sunshine and a clear blue sky. Then we were off, running hill after hill after hill. I know there had to be as many downhills as ups, but it sure seemed as if we gained hundreds/thousands of feet in elevation. Being from middle TN I'm accustomed to running hills and thought I was prepared; but I was mistaken. When the Virtual Running Partner on my Forerunner told me I should be finishing the race, I'd just passed the 23 mile marker. One tough race course. I was able to run the last mile continuously, and after having walked so many uphills in the second part of the race, I was thrilled to run one continuous mile. I was told after the race that the finish line announcer had given our names and hometowns as we approached the finish line; I never heard my name since I was yelling at myself 'KEEP GOING' through the finish line. The volunteers were helpful and cheerful throughout the race and at the finish line, one lady even peeled bananas for me to eat since I was so beat. Wonderfully hot showers and a bus ride back to the start line were greatly appreciated, and I got to see those long, tough hills once again.

Although you may get the idea that I thought this was a tough race, it was a great race and I highly recommend it. This was my 18th marathon in 14 different states, and by far the most difficult course I've run so far. But the reward of the race is crossing the finish line, and it's never felt so good before.

The race directors and volunteers were superb, the website continues to be top notch, the long sleeve shirts and finisher medals were great, and Bar Harbor was a wonderful little town in which to relax both before and after the race.

The event was wonderfully run. Even with the limited spectators I never felt alone - the ones that were there were wonderful.

Volunteers - great at every point. My only issue was with coming into Southwest Harbour - very busy, uneven road surface with the pylons not really helping. It was in the last kilometer, so did not take from the event. The organizers and volunteers were excellent at this spot.

What an AWESOME race! I've known Gary Allen for a few years and like myself he loves the marathon! I knew this would be a runners race and very well organized but it went beyond my expectations! It is a breathtaking course! It is not easy and flat by any means; it has numerous hills but no matter what level of runner you are the scenery seems to take your mind off the hills! The aid stations were great! The small expo was excellent, the host hotel, outstanding, the pasta feed put on by the local high school was wonderful and the people of Bar Harbor could not have been more friendly! I would recommend this race to anyone that wants to run a small town race with with big time fun!!

For the marathon runner who makes breathtaking scenery a top priority for a marathon, MDI Marathon is where you want to be in 2004. Even a cloudy day and 40-degree temperatures could not disguise the peak fall foliage, the gorges, the beautiful homes, and a frequent view of the Atlantic Ocean. I ran Big Sur in 1997, and I'll admit I never thought I would run a race that could compare with the beautiful scenery of Big Sur. I was wrong!
Like Big Sur, there is no hiding the hills that challenge the runner that has only prepared on flat terrain. But the race directors coach you to save your legs for the latter part of the race when the hills really kick in, and they were dead on. With that knowledge I was able to run almost an even split. Although they admit that this is not the course to choose for a PR, I ran my third fastest time here (out of 12).
The race is kept small by design. Having run Chicago with 29,000 of my closest friends in 2000, I was anxiously looking forward to a cozy, personal, almost neighborhood feel to a race and I got it at MDI. The race director is very visible throughout the weekend, personally making sure you are enjoying yourself.
Give yourself a gift of running a true intimate and rewarding marathon and come to Maine in 2004!

This is a great throwback marathon, offering a tough course, amenities that are modest in scope but of excellent quality, gorgeous scenery, and easy logistics. The course will find your weak points, but I was surprised at how many fast times it yielded in ideal conditions, including mine. I had no desire to go after my flat-course PR, but I came within seconds of my second-best time despite battling a foot problem.

My favorite parts of the course were the side roads around 10k, then just past halfway. I struggled most with the crowned road and broken pavement between 17-20, a stretch made more challenging by a couple of big hills and my aching foot. Overall, the course wears on you, but if you're well prepared and like hills, you'll love it and be able to run a respectable time. The hills in the last 10k made it tougher than Boston, but otherwise I thought it was in the same ballpark.

The amenities were first-rate. I waited a total of about a minute in line for two pre-race visits to the Port-a-Potties. The start area was plenty big enough with no crowding. The on-course spectator and aid-station support was sparse but good. The long-sleeve t-shirt and finisher's medal are beautiful. Best of all may have been the free massage at the finish -wonderful!

My one hope for the future: some more traffic control. The last 9 miles would be greatly improved by road or lane closures on those busy roads. I don't know if it's possible to do, but I hope so. A lot of drivers seemed aggressive and impatient out there, and by the end of the race I had no patience for them either - not the safest of situations!

Scenic, hilly and a lot of fun. Great organization by Gary and Randy Allen. Do some hill work before coming here but be prepared for a fun, challenging course. A must do for every marthoner.

I love small marathons & I couldn't wait to go back to run this one in my hometown. The temperature was perfect, the scenery is so distracting that you don't notice the miles flying by, and the volunteers cheering you on... a great time! I broke my previous PR (set at Tampa, FL) by 21 minutes on this course! It is VERY hilly and challenging, but worth every effort! As time goes by, this marathon will only get better. Thanks Gary for finally giving us a race in Mount Desert Island!!!!

This was my 6th marathon and my first really hilly one. After driving the route the day before I was thoroughly intimidated. It is a very scenic and beautiful course; however, it also has an abundance of hills. Bottom line is it is a challenging course but fair, the people are very friendly and the organization was great. I would recommend to anyone, but make sure you do your hill training before you try it.