The 1st Durango Marathon in 2002 was the most beautiful I have run.

I hope to run it again at sometime in the future. This was the first small scale marathon I have run and enjoyed it immensely. The spectators made up for their few numbers with great enthusiasm and repeated sightings as they moved along the course with the runners. The street party following the marathon was also a real treat. The folks in Durango know how to have a good time.

Durango at this time of year is a great place to run a marathon. If you are looking for a Boston qualifier, this run is probably not the best choice. I live at altitude and am used to running hills and it was still a good challenge. Well worth it. The volunteers were amazingly friendly and the whole tone of the race was laid-back and fun. The pasta dinner included beer, who can beat that? The course was beautiful and might be hard for those who need a lot of people on the sidelines. There were some quiet miles. However, friends and family are able to drive almost the whole course. My only suggestion is more free food at the finish! I would definitely recommend this marathon for those who enjoy a smaller, more friendly marathon in a cool town.

I can't imagine what those huge races with thousands of runners are like. This is a great small race, with a pleasant, scenic course (except for one highway section) and lots of enthusiastic support. The perfect Colorado weather didn't hurt one bit, either.

I cannot believe anybody would write a negative comment about this race. It is so much better than Breckenridge and blows away St. George. The ultimate in friendly. Family and friends can run or ride along with you. Traffic control? Who cares? You can run single-file the whole way. There are no crowds. The fans were great--both of them. The race organizers give out their cell phone numbers and their mothers answer if they are out. You've got to be kidding me. This is so nice it is unbelievable. As for the course, it is beautiful. The altitude? No whining, you aren't going to win anyway. So what if you're a little slow? Run, have fun, enjoy.

Nice Race - The day was beautiful and, although it was a bit cold at the start, it warmed up nicely.

Well organized start and finish. The festival and massage at the end were great. Traffic wasn't all that bad except for the back stretch, but it was manageable.

Only negative was the course description. Organizers should give a written description of the course and have the mile markers up the day before so you can preview the course. It was hard to read the map.

The hills on the back side aren't that bad and it is a nice downhill to the finish after 23.5.

T-shirt could be upgraded for sure.

Altitude is a relative thing.

Overall great with a few minor improvements needed.

Thanks for a great race

I enjoyed the marathon and commend the race committee in organizing the 2nd Durango Marathon. Just wanted to point out a couple of items that may be of interest to those planning to run in Durango in the future. After running the Top of Utah a few weeks ago, this flat-lander thought the alitude would not be a problem. It was definitely more of a factor than anticipated. Lesson learned! Also, there was little to no traffic control anywhere on the course. I realize traffic control can be expensive, but I definitely felt sorry for the 1/2 and 10K folks passing the marathoners since they had to run into on-coming traffic, particularly near the start of the race. There was a water stop around mile 18 or so where I turned to open a Gu packet and almost ended up on the hood of a car. Actually, that little jolt of adrenaline may have propelled me over some of the hills that popped up along the last portion of the course. However, in general, the volunteers were great and you cannot discount the natural beauty of the course. And Durango was a perfect town to shop and eat in before/after the marathon. The festival was a nice surprise and the finish up Main Street was delightful. Thank you!

OK, I was dreaming that I could do well in this marathon, arriving from the LA area less than 24 hours before the start. Hey, it's only about 6,500 feet higher than where I live ...so what? After the 15th mile, I found my answer. Zero energy! I would like to thank a fellow 'low-lander', Dan, for keeping me on course and finishing the race under 5 hours. The 'runner friendly' hills weren't so friendly after the 17th mile.

However, I knew the job was dangerous before I took it, and I was more than satisfied with the beautiful scenery and the great staff and crowds. It definitely wasn't my best course time, but I still managed to have a very good time. Go for the people and scenery, not for a PR... especially if you're a 'low-lander'.

The only thing that stops me from giving the course a 5-star rating is the traffic encountered between mile 6 and 13. The road is not blocked down to one lane and the fumes can get fairly intense. Also, the Accelerade was gaggingly thick!

But like I mentioned above, go for the locale, the beauty of Durango, and the enthusiastic crowds. Plus the finish line events are great.

One other mention: My wife ran the half-marathon and loved it. She didn't feel the effects of the higher altitude.

Durango Marathon is a great run and it's in a great city!

The race course begins at the scenic Fort Lewis College campus. One loop around the homey campus is followed by a gentle one-mile downhill section. The run goes through historic downtown Durango with appreciative crowd support. Heading into the lush Animas Valley, the Hermosa Cliffs and Missionary Ridge envelope the runner. Returning to town along the quiet, lightly trafficked East Animas Rd. allows the runner a different point of view of the Animas Valley.

Water stops are plentiful and volunteers are happy and eager to help. The finish line of the marathon is again in downtown Durango and the runner is treated to a festive street carnival with ample food and entertainment.

Besides the marathon, Endurance Week has films, speakers, fun runs and a marathon expo. With Mesa Verde National Park and the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad as regional attractions, there is much to do for the entire family.

Runners looking for a PR will probably not appreciate Durango's 6000' elevation but anybody looking for a well-organized race will be thankful for chip timing, a well-marked course and a great pre-race pasta feed.

I have run 26 marathons all over the United States and Durango has a pleasant home-style atmosphere that will keep me coming back for several years to come. 400 hundred runners participated in the inaugural event in 2001 and I fully expect this marathon to grow.

This marathon was one of the best organized inaugural marathons we have participated in. The volunteers were enthusiastic and proud of their community. The post race activities in the middle of downtown demonstrated how a community can work together to make runners and their families want to return. The autumn colors were sensational and the scenery easily matched Big Sur. This is a marathon that should not be missed.

It was exciting to be apart of Durango's first official marathon. The course is stunningly beautiful with the aspens changing. The organizers and volunteers were excellent. I felt supported in every way, plenty of aid stations, cheering, etc. The course itself is not super fast, but it does have constant rolling hills from 16-23, not to mention the 6600 ft altitude. If you take a look at the results, you'll find the average finishing time is higher the many other marathons. All in all, I highly recommend to challenge yourself with the Durango Marathon. It was a well organized, challenging race.