I have run 15+ marathons and I love the way that this marathon is organized. The food is great, and Race Directors Steve and Paula Boone really know what they are doing. Love the fact that there is no time limit. If it takes until dusk for you to finish, then there are numerous volunteers that will be there to encourage you. Even the race directors will wait for you. The food is excellent. Just wish there were adult beverages served for the runners.

Great race; the weather was good.

The course is beautiful. The goody bag was great and the finisher's medal was the biggest I'd ever seen. My wife and kids enjoyed the experience as well (as spectators). They were offered all of the finisher benefits (food and even massage). I didn't expect may spectators on a trail; but, the ones I saw were very enthusiastic even as 5- and 6-hour finishers were coming in.

The Texas Marathon is the closest marathon to me. It takes me 25 minutes to drive there. This is one of the best goody bags I've ever got. The long-sleeve shirt, hat, and gloves were fantastic.

I thought 4 loops would get boring. Not so. The last 3 miles got more difficult, but with passing runners and spectators offering much appreciated encouragement, it was bearable..

After the marathon, they had hot pizza, soft drinks, and cookies. Loved it.

This marathon was great! I had only run one previous marathon (Chevron) last year. It was much bigger but I wanted to try and qualify for Boston. This course consist of four loops around trees, water, wooden bridges, and very supportive fans and staff. Water and PowerAde every 1 1/2 miles, and snacks every 6 1/2 miles. Passionate runners are running with you, with many cheering you on. Great medal with an extra animal medal (I had a cute bat this year) and all-you-can-eat pizza and drinks at the end. I was even able to contact Steve and Paula directly, with any questions always answered with friendly response. I had a PB time and would strongly recommend it to all.

I could not have asked for a better marathon to cut my teeth on. I have to say I'm spoiled now and the other marathons I run have a pretty high bar set for them. Steve and Paula and all of their friends were so kind and so interested in everyone! What an awesome couple. Their faithful followers were fun to meet, and I look forward to seeing them at my next marathon in February. Thanks, Steve. Thanks, Paula.

I had a great weekend in Houston to start 2009. My wife and I went to the Houston zoo, we caught a show at the Toyota Center, and, oh yeah, I completed the Houston Marathon on the first.

This marathon has a lot of charm and is very well run. I guess you could do a PR here, but the course is not conducive to a fast time, due to the out-and-back format and a somewhat congested path some of the time. The path is only a little wider than a sidewalk and can accommodate only two or three runners abreast. This caused a lot of congestion at the beginning of the race, and some congestion with walkers on the course, especially with runners going in both directions. This was not a big problem, but if you were looking for a really good time, I could see where it could hinder you.

The volunteers were great and very enthusiastic. No way you could complain about the support. The weather also cooperated with a start temp in the upper 30's.

I had some problems with my knees and was forced to walk the last two miles. I'm not sure if running the entire race on concrete was the main factor or if my conditioning was lacking.

It was all worth it at the end when I was presented with a one-pound, 5-inch-diameter finisher's medal. It was so big that the volunteers dared not put it around your neck for fear that you would topple over. I was concerned I would have to pay extra to bring my luggage back to Florida.

This is a great race that I highly recommend, and after I quit hurting and can walk again, I will probably do it again.

This was a great experience for me and my wife. This was our first marathon to complete together, and it was better then expected. The course was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Steve and Paula did an outstanding job of making everybody feel special; we loved the personalized signs that were hung from the trees. We are slow runners, and even with that being said, there were still volunteers at the water stops waiting for the last of us to come in. There was EVEN food left when we made it in. WE ENJOYED THIS MARATHON SO MUCH. Thank you for doing such a wonderful job!

- Katherine and Jesse

This is the second year in a row that I've run the Texas Marathon. It's a great way to start the new year, and I agree that Steve and Paula and their team of volunteers do a fantastic job of organizing the race. There's a great spirit at this race that isn't present at the big-time marathons. However, I'd say that the race is better suited to runners/walkers who aren't looking for a really fast race. I also feel that adding an additional hundred (?) runners this year made the course uncomfortably crowded (I'm not sure adding the half-marathon was a great idea). The running surface is basically a glorified sidewalk, and since there are often packs of two or three runners/walkers going along together in both directions, that mean that for the faster runners, there's a lot of passing involved, which makes it hard to get into a good, regular rhythm. I also had to stop twice for cars to go across the road, which is something I doubt would happen at a big road race.

So if you're trying for a really fast time or a PR, this might not be the best race for you, but if you want great support from other runners, a race close to home, or a well-organized race with a down-home feel, it's great.

WOW, what a fun race this was! This was my fifth marathon and Steve and Paula put on a first-class marathon in every category. The course is a very flat 6.55-mile loop on a concrete jogging path through a picturesque forest, and alongside a beautiful lake something or other. It was great to see your friends on the course as we all rounded the loops at different paces. It was also a great opportunity to pass by our waiting family members four times. All of the competitors' names were posted on the trees throughout the course, what a great touch. The goody bag had two ceramic mugs, an awesome runner's hat, and a great long-sleeve t-shirt. Then, to add to the goodies, you received a toy bat with your finisher's number hanging from its neck when you crossed the finish line. And the crowning event was also receiving a two-and-a-half pound finisher's medal that is almost the size of a dinner plate. Yes, two-and-a-half pounds. Everything's bigger in Texas!

Even the running gods must have been interested in seeing us run a perfect race by endowing us with perfect weather conditions. We also received hot pizza at the finish line. Yum!

I'm a race-walker, and to add to the fun of the race, I wore a silly "muscleman" apron to get a few laughs on the course. Um... mission accomplished. I think the "ripped abs" apron helped me PR the course at 4:57. LOL!

A special thanks to the many volunteers who made sure we were well taken-care of on the course. Kudos to Steve and Paula for putting on an outstanding marathon! This is my favorite marathon to date. I hope to return to this race every year. If you've never done this race, it's a must-do! Registration closed this year at 400 competitors, so sign up early to enjoy this perfect marathon.