This was my 22nd, and one of the most memorable.

Good organization. Very convenient for out-of-staters. No need for a rental car, and packet pickup is available late (8:00 PM) Saturday night and early on race day. Late checkout too, so you could do this one fairly cheaply. Boise is a nice, friendly city, so you might want to stay an extra night or two anyway, but then you might need a rental car after all.

Due to lack of volunteers, they changed the course from a single loop to two 1/2 M loops. All the aid stations were well-staffed, friendly and generous. Plenty of gu available.

Very scenic course, well-marked, adequate traffic control. Weather was a bit cold for me (mid 20's to start, mid-30's at finish), but that's part of the challenge. Nice downhill finish into downtown starting at mile 24.

I don't go to pre- and post-race parties, so I can't tell you about that. The medal is very solid and nice; shirt is OK too.

Minor negatives: (1) first two miles are direct east into the blinding sun, so make sure you wear shades or a cap with a visor. (2) Only split time is at the halfway point, so if you care about stuff like that, wear a watch!

If you like small (less than 400 marathoners), laid-back races, give this one a try!

Despite the unseasonably cool weather at the start, the City of Trees Marathon was a great race. The course was a two loop route with great views of the city, its historic neighborhood, and the capital building coming towards the finish. The volunteers were great and the T-shirts were long sleeve and cool looking. The medal was unique also. If you want an alternative to rainy Seattle, then this is your race!

Boise, Idaho is a great place for a marathon. This was the first running of The City of Trees Marathon, and the organizers did a terrific job of overcoming the logistical problems of a first time race. Having two loops of 13.1 miles actually was better psychologically (for me) than a 26.2 mile course. The weather was pretty cold for a marathon (record lows in the teens a couple of days prior to race), but this was unusual. The awards ceremony was a little disjointed, but overall a pleasurable experience. Good restaurants in downtown Boise, and a number of great wineries in the area to visit. Definitely check this one out in 2003!!

The down side to this marathon was; It was unseasonable cold. The marathon route was altered at the last minute due to lack of volunteers. We had to run the 1/2 route twice. This was Okay but those hills got a lot steeper the second time around.
There was a lot of good to this marathon; The organizers did a fine job pulling everything together. Loved the atmosphere of a small marathon. I could drive to the race start and sit in my warm car 25 yards from the start line. The volunteers and crowd were encouraging even though they had to be in the cold longer than I did. The police department did a great job with traffic. Nice graphics on the shirt. Next time they need to spring for coolmax. Cotton isn't used much by runners anymore. Great sponsorship (lots of goodies). I would run this one again. Hopefully it doesn't grow too big.

Running in Boise proved to be a lot of fun. Course, start and finish location, parking and water stops were perfect for the size of the crowd. The city made a great effort to keep runners motivated with cheering, music, and water/food stops. Weather was great, chilly, sunny, no wind! Way to go Boise Idaho