First, the weather was a bit warm - sunny with little humidity - but that cannot be helped. Perhaps a 7:00 a.m. start would be better. Anyway, these are comments for the "full marathon." Probably the best organized marathon of any marathon that I've run (10 now). It is a medium-sized marathon, which makes things easier (parking, etc.). I love the "loop" course, which prevents bus rides. Great place to start/finish in the middle of Crown Center with plenty of restrooms, food choices (even pre-race), and places to stay inside to keep warm (it was chilly in the morning but warmed up very quickly). We arrived early about 6:15 a.m. to get a parking spot in the Crown Center (shopping center) parking garage, which was very convenient - just a short walk from the finish to the car. The course was well patrolled by the police. No complaints about any facet of the organization (and I'm normally VERY critical of this in most cases). My only complaint would be the long (seemed like 3 miles) hill between 20 and 23. Tough place for such a long hill. The course was pretty urban and had lots to see. KC (contrary to what many might think) is a hilly city and would be difficult to avoid hills in planning a race. Spectator support was decent for a small/medium-sized race. Great job, KC!

As a 50-state marathon wannabe, I came to Kansas City to run its marathon and then drove to Wichita, KS to run its marathon the next day (a 3-hour drive). Although I enjoyed both runs, I regretted not giving myself more time in Kansas City. What a beautiful place (at least what the marathon course shows you!) This was my favorite urban marathon so far. The downtown is very historical and has interesting architecture. Running through neighborhoods of spectacular older homes under a full canopy of fall colors was amazing! And we ran past some great fountains. The hills were fun and the weather was great. I highly recommend this one!

I liked this race and wanted to like it a whole lot more. Great fans, great runners, good vibes, nice scenery, good aid stations, good fan support.

However, I will give a BIG wag-of-the-finger to any race that features an out-and-back section. Who wants to see all of those people a couple of miles ahead of you? Doesn't it make you a glutton for punishment for actually seeing those folks who are kicking your butt?

Any city one tenth the size of KC can lay out a decent course without this big mistake. Here's to hoping you correct this bogusness, and I'll certainly be back, and recommend your beautiful city and its marathon with gusto!

I grew up in KC, so I fly back for this one to see my family and hit the roads. Best improvement this year: ladies finisher shirts for the full marathoners! Last year we all got finisher's shirts, which I loved, but the ladies sizes and cut this year were an extra cool surprise! The medal rocks too! Course designer Valdez was out the course again this year - always great to see him out there around mile 22. The course is hilly - but some little tweaks to the design change this year were well done! They've tweaked the course each year I've run it, and it just keeps getting better - great KC tour for natives and visitors. I'll be back next year too!

The hilly course was very challenging. The start/finish area was very convenient to the parking at the Crowne Center. Everything was well organized. Kudos to the race organizers and volunteers!!!

This was my first marathon, and what a great experience. The course was great - a great way to see the city. Water stations were well stocked. There were some hills in the beginning, but otherwise it was a great course. I highly recommend this marathon. It's well organized, and Kansas City is a great city. Can't wait until next year!!!

This was my first time running the KC Marathon. It was a great experience! The course was beautiful, there were plenty of well-stocked waters stops, and best of all, the weather was perfect! There were a couple of demanding hills, but they were early in the race and didn't present a problem. Not a huge number of fans along the course, but enough to keep you going. If you are from out of town like me, stay at the Hyatt or the Westin; they are both a two-minute walk from the start/finish area. The expo was good, not huge. One note for the organizers: make sure ALL of your expo volunteers know details like when the race starts, and where the start line is located. Thanks, KC; I will be back for a future event!

There was a pace runner team of two for every five-minute interval, so there is no need to look at your watch or Garmin. You get a cotton T-shirt at the packet pickup and a technical shirt at the finish line. I incorrectly thought I had to register online by the Tuesday before the race, but found out I could have registered at the expo the day before. A first-class marathon, but if you are looking for a PR (personal record), you might want to look elsewhere.

Absolutely wonderful experience. I've run around 10 half-marathons and I enjoyed this the most. The course was perfect - several challenging (but fun) hills, but the majority of the race (including the last three miles) was downhill. Volunteers, on-course bands and spectators were all wonderful. While the start was understandably crowded, the wide streets near the beginning allowed the group to spread out fairly easily in the first miles. The location of the start/finish line is perfect since Crown Center provided a great place for runners to keep warm and relax before and after the race. Very convenient parking. I will definitely be back to do this again.

This was my second KC Marathon, and I have to say that I love the course - very scenic. The only downside is the organization of the race. Sometimes they didn't have volunteers positioned and ready to assist you in telling you which direction to go in when coming to an intersection. And sometimes they were not prepared for faster runners at the water/Gatorade stations. There where a couple of times when I wanted Gatorade and they did not have any in cups to serve. This is probably attributed to having a full and half marathon converging around Mile 20 or 21 of the marathon and Mile 8 of the half. I wish the half marathon were on a different course, but understand I that it is virtually impossible. All in all, this is a great marathon event that is growing; and I hope someday it is a 20,000 strong event. Great finisher medal and age-group awards trophy. Also, all marathon finishers receive a tech finisher's t-shirt.