Awesome scenery, and great organization. Don't be afraid of the hills; people were talking about how much slower their times would be and their worries about not setting any personal records. But I did shave over 11 minutes off of my personal best, finishing in 3:34.28. Don't be afraid.... My quads were sore for 2 days, but I am ready for NYC on Sunday.

Boy, I still feel my quads! Some advice: don't take your watch with you, and fill up your memory! Just have fun. This race is cool because most runners go here for the scenery. There are no record-breakers here, except for the zygomatic muscles (the ones that make you smile).

Peace.

This course is as advertised... tough but well worth the effort. Gary Allen designed this event to address every detail. From the pasta dinner to the strong volunteer support as well as the fine welcome at the finish, all was great. The natural scenery of MDI made a stunning backdrop to a first rate event. MDI should be on every runner's calendar as a must-do marathon.

This race is beautiful and the time of year is just right. The race runs on the last weekend of the "season" for Bar Harbor, and therefore you can still get lobsters and enjoy some of the other local treats. The real beauty of the timing of the race is the changing season. The leaves were vibrant oranges, reds, and yellows for 26.2 miles. The weather was fantastic, ranging from mid 30s at start to low 50s at the finish. A little more cloud cover and there would have been nothing left to be desired in terms of weather. The course is gorgeous and a bit challenging. Nothing to be terrified of, though, in terms of hills; they're out there and you just have to get up them. A nice downhill finish in the last mile. This was a really enjoyable race and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to run in Maine, or anywhere for that matter.

The MDI Marathon staff makes no apology for the hills on this course, and there were many. But the colors of the turning leaves mixed in with the evergreens were stunning. A package deal! This marathon was recommended by another 50-Stater/Marathon Maniac who had run it, and I was not disappointed.

There were several of us who ran The Breakers Marathon in Newport, RI on Saturday, then came to MDI to run Sunday morning - a six-hour drive. This meant special arrangements to get our bib and timing chip Sunday morning. The MDI Marathon staff graciously accommodated us, as most of us arrived late Saturday evening.

The weather was cold. Overnight it was 32 degrees F, and it was a cold start. Temperatures rose with the rising Sun, but the first couple of hours were cold. It was probably in the 50's by noontime. Coffee was available to runners/walkers near the starting line. The walkers started at 7:00 a.m. (official marathon started at 8:00). Yet MDI officials let slower runners (like me) start at 7:00 with the walkers. This was a good deal for the runners.

The course started in Bar Harbor heading south. Approaching the south end of the Island, the course went through Acadia N.P. and looped to the west, following the shoreline part of the time. After reaching Northeast Harbor, the route turned north and went up the east side of Somes Sound - where the stiff wind was a killer. Reaching the north end of the Sound, the course joined the highway headed to Southwest Harbor - where the finish line was.

The course was a series of hills - up and down, one after the other. But taken in stride with the autumn colors, the ocean/sound views, and the rural homes, it was awe-inspiring. Even with the hills, my time was consistent with flatter marathons I had run. I tried the Jeff Galloway method of alternating between run and walk from the start, and it paid off big-time.

The course was very well marked, with arrows painted on the road. I don't think any solo runner could have possibly got lost. There were aid stations every two miles with water and Gatorade. The station volunteers were very pleasant as they passed out drinks and encouraged the runners along. Gel was available at one station early in the second half of the race. Fans were sparse, but there were a few groups, mainly at the quaint towns along the course.

Post-race food items were bananas, apples, smoothie fruit drinks, ice cream, bagels, and oatmeal bars. By the time I finished, it was warm enough that I was not craving hot food, which was good, because there wasn't any. Buses transported runners back to Bar Harbor. And Bar Harbor Brewing Company gave free mugs to the runners, although they were plastic mugs.

This was the most scenic marathon I have run (#34 for me) and I would not trade the experience for a flatter marathon instead. There is no time limit for this race, so don't let the hills scare you off. It sounded much worse than I actually found it to be. I highly recommend this race.

MDI is a small marathon (fewer than 1,000 runners) that is run like a big-city one. Excellent and friendly staff, plus a beautiful and scenic course through Mount Desert Island. The course is scenic beyond belief, running through five villages, with ocean and harbor views, plus Somes Sound (the only fjord in US). But, to be honest, it is hilly and a challenging course. Not one for a PR, but one for a tough challenge and a beautiful run. A must-do marathon.

I walked this marathon because of a knee injury, so I started early and finished late. There was still plenty of food at the finish and the massage therapists were still available to late finishers. The course was beautiful (although hilly, and would have been a tough run), and the spectators were so friendly and supportive. There were not that many spectators, but they were all so nice and helpful. The runners were also very friendly. I really wish I could have stayed that night and celebrated, but I had to drive back to RI. It would be nice to have more food on the course. My only complaint is that they wouldn't allow me to defer my race entry or transfer it to someone else. I would have waited until next year so I could run injury-free, but instead I walked on my injury (which is a bad idea, but I didn't want to just lose the money I had paid for registration).

The course is every bit as hilly - and as stunningly beautiful - as advertised. The hospitality of the local community was wonderful as well. My one disappointment was being forced to the far left of the road (not just the left lane) to accommodate road traffic in some places. Nevertheless, I would come back in a second just to soak in the gorgeous scenery.

I completed the 2008 MDI yesterday. As a fairly fast race-walker, I fell in between the early and regular start times. Starting with the runners worked out. The finish was still manned at 5:51:03 when I came in. The water stops were self-service by then, and there were still a lot of people on the course. I loved the race; it was very tough but worth the extra hill training. But it is very discouraging to reach a water stop that is abandoned or see volunteers leaving posts before the end of regular course support (6 hours). If you don't want fully to support the slowpokes, then shorten the time for course support and send them on to other races.

I ran this race in '07 as my first marathon. The hills are as advertised, but doable if you train right. The scenery was breathtaking; I wish I had brought a camera with me. The crowds are small, but rather than see this as a drawback, I saw it as what made the race nice for your personal support team; it was extremely easy for spectators to get around, and my family got to see me at several spots along the course as well as having a front-row seat at the finish. My only regret is not spending more time in beautiful Bar Harbor, as we had to leave the day after the race.