Mount Desert Island has to be one of the most scenic places in the US.

It seems like every mile of this race has an incline of some sort. Despite that, the hills are not all that steep. This was my fifth marathon, and my first time running MDI, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone considering it.

There were 600 marathon finishers in 2009, making it a very enjoyable small marathon. The other runners were very friendly. The race is very well organized from information on the website, to packet pickup, to the start in Bar Harbor, and throughout the course to the finish line in Southwest Harbor. The course is mostly open to traffic, making for a tight squeeze in some areas where the shoulder is narrow or non-existent. There were water stops every two miles, and GU was available somewhere around halfway. The GU wasn't near a water stop, though, so it might be better to station it just before a water stop to help with digestion. The spectators were kind of sparse, but those that did show up were very enthusiastic and encouraging. The jacket and race medal were nice. Personally my own race went very well; I somehow managed to knock over five minutes off of my PR. I'm still at a loss to explain why that was on a course such as this.

One gripe is that the course description on the website says, "The final 1.2 miles to the finish line in charming Southwest Harbor descends; yes, that last 2,000 meters will be all down." But there is an uphill in the last 1.2 miles. It's not all downhill. You can even see the uphill on the course profile. It might not be a big hill, but after 26 miles, the slightest ripple in the road feels like Cadillac Mountain.

This was my first marathon and I wanted it to be a destination marathon, a beautiful course, and an experience to remember. It lived up to all of my expectations. The course was hard, but not unfair. If you are from the Midwest, go in with the attitude that there are no flat spots and you will be fine. The town was welcoming and very supportive throughout the days we were there. It is not a major marathon like Chicago, New York, etc., so if that is what you like regarding spectators, this is not the race for you. I thought that the spectators and volunteers were more than adequate, extremely enthusiastic, and very supportive. The race was well organized. There was a great post-race party. The course is fantastic. I highly recommend it.

This was my first marathon, which may have been a tough way to start, but it was well WORTH it. The course was hilly as advertised, with rolling hills and some long gradual ones in the middle and near the end, but the scenery helped distract you from them.

It is so true what all of the other runners say - that this race is a gem. Definitely put this one on your list, as it has given me the marathon bug to keep running. The course was beautiful and well organized from the water stops to finish line. The fans were spaced out along the course but were great - people playing instruments and blasting music, encouraging you at every water stop and screaming for you at the finish. It was just awesome! The host hotel the The Acadia was great as well, with nice, clean rooms and very helpful staff.

I will be signing up for this marathon again in 2010 and recruiting some others to join me on this unique and fantastic run. Nice job, MDI Marathon and Bar Harbor - and thank you!

If you run the MDI Marathon, don't be surprised if you run a bit slower, because the scenery will take your breath away. This marathon takes place in the fall, so the weather is nice and chilly (if you're into that sort of thing) and it's not too hard to get a hotel room in Bar Harbor.

The race organizers do a fantastic job with overall logistics. I was pretty impressed with the amount of swag at the end, even though the race is relatively small.

The fans are very nice, but there aren't a lot of them. At the finish, it was quieter than one may have expected, but all is forgiven when they give you ice cream (!!!) in the finisher's tent.

(For the record, I have run the race once and spectated once, so the N here is 2.)

This race is small, hard-core and well-organized - just like me. (Well, I'm small anyway.) I have run Philly and Boston, and have context for glowing about MDI. Stress-free number pick up? Check. Three safety pins attached to a fourth which is attached to your bib packet? Check. A free beer and coupon for two free souvenir glasses in your goody bag? Check. Astounding scenery, with all of the turns well-marked? Check. Perfect aid stations? Check. Insanely good hospitality tent food? Check. A chunk of granite for those who place in their age groups? Check. Great for spectators? Check. Instant baggage pick up? Check. Knowing you placed in your age group before heading for a hot shower and massage (with no lines)? Priceless.

RUN MDI.

Also, nice jacket (yes, a $65 entry fee gets you not just a tech shirt but a jacket), lovely medal, accordion players on the course, photographers all along the way, and other things I am probably forgetting.

I vowed never to do "repeats" of marathons, but I've run this beautiful and challenging course 3 times. I just can't explain the feeling and the almost out-of-body experience I get from participating in this marathon. And, I can say this after having run Big Sur, possibly the most awesome marathon there is. Add this, the Sugarloaf Marathon (and hiking up Mt. Kathadin), to your "bucket lists."

I'm drawn to this race like a moth to a flame, and come to think of it, by mile 25 of this tough but beautiful point-to-point, I feel like a torched moth! Kidding. Yes, it's hilly; yes, the last 10K are diabolically uphill, but you get payback by mile 25, which sweeps waaay downhill into quaint Southwest Harbor. I have run MDI in the wind and raw rain, heat, and scintillating, blue sky cold. This race provides the loveliest coastal New England scenery, the race director (the funny and talented Gary Allen) is a committed marathoner, the volunteers are great, the spectators are sparse sometimes but fun, and did I mention this is a point-to-point (I did, but let me say it again - it's the best course layout). Aah... I love this race. And you will too. In a nuttyshell: Patience, hills, be a bit conservative at least to mile 15, hills, smile, laugh, give it all you've got in the last 8K, and oh, yeah, hills. Mount Desert Island is remote, rugged, beautiful, and its people are super. MDI forever! See you in 2009....

The fall colors were unbelievable and the views were just picture perfect throughout the course. There are a lot of long hills, but I took them easy and my finishing time was not much slower than an easier course. I live in the flat-lands and try to avoid hilly races, so this was the most hills I've done other than at Big Sur. But both of those are incredibly scenic and make the hills worth while. The race is described as "challenging," but it is more the number of hills rather than it being over mountains. The last hill from 21 to 25 (with a few breaks in it) was tough, but then you have a nice downhill, pretty views, and flat finish into town.

The porta-cans could have been a little more frequent. I needed one about halfway, and I wished I had stopped at 12 because the next one wasn't until 18.

Very well run race in a beautiful setting. I wish I had planned to stay for a few more days in the area.

This has been my favorite marathon to date. When I arrived the day before, I drove the course and was immediately struck by the many hills. At that time I gave up the idea of running for a PR and planned to just enjoy the scenery and be satisfied with finishing. On race day, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself well into the race and still on track for a PR. As it was, I finished with a personal best by better than 11 minutes. So, as others have mentioned here, a PR on this course is definitely not out of the question, especially if training on hills has been part of the plan. I have to say, though, that the last 5 miles are a real challenge and I had "used it all" by the time I arrived at the finish. The whole experience was great and I would recommend MDI to anyone. The fans roll from place to place along the course and I especially loved their enthusiasm and friendliness. What a great race!

I had a blast running this race! They weren't kidding about those hills, but the course is so beautiful and the other runners so friendly that you won't dwell on the them. Just take it easy and enjoy the ride. The organization was excellent, with plenty of Gatorade and water every few miles. Since it's a small race, the water stops are not crowded. Bring you own energy gels. Expo was nice with helpful staff. Great finisher's medal, technical shirt, and jacket. I stayed at the host hotel (The Acadia Inn) in an ocean-side room, which was reasonably priced and located close to the starting line as well as Acadia National Park. The participants, volunteers and spectators were all so nice and encouraging. The whole atmosphere of this marathon is amazing. I had a ball running with a Frenchman named Pepe, an Irishman named Mark and a barefoot runner named Preston.

I highly recommend this race!