With regard to the L/R Marathon, there really is so much one can say, as a runner who has been around quite a few years and run races all over the world both competitive and for fun, the one big issue on the L/R Marathon is quite simple, it is 26 miles of fun and love, I really have never encountered so much good feeling and total warmth as in the last two years running in your city.

The organizers and all the staff on this project are without a doubt a credit, not only to the race, but also to the City of Little Rock, I assure you. You can only go from strength to strength - do not change to much, you have winning formula.

Yours in sport,
The Ancient Brit.

This course is tough. It features a good climb from mile 9 to 11 and then a fairly windy out-and-back stretch from 13 to 23 miles.

The first part of the course is ordinary; the scenic part (miles 9-24) is very pretty.

I was surprised that the lines at the port-o-pots were minimal. There were plenty of aid stations on the course.

Unfortunately I didn't finish the race; I saw the medical tent at Mile 23 instead. The medical staff was outstanding! I was well taken care of and transferred to the finish line.

I would definitely recommend this race. If you like a challenge this course is for you. The climb begins at around mile 2 and then continues through about the next 10 miles. The hill between mile 9 and 10 seems to last forever. Just be prepared. Running along the river was scenic and a nice break from running the hills. It?s not over yet. There are a couple more nice hills at mile 25. The finish at the Capitol makes it all worth it.

A well organized race. The expo was sufficient for the size of the race. Packet pick up went smooth. Two t-shirts are nice but you might want to consider only one shirt (maybe a duofold shirt) for a finisher shirt. Just a thought. The medal is awesome and your neck can get sore wearing it around. But don?t be afraid to wear it, you earned it!! Remember it is your legs that are sore, not your neck. The post race party was one of the best I have seen. The food and beverages were great!! There was a nice turn out of runners and lots of conversation, which leads to the award ceremony. I noticed a lot of award recipients did not come up for their award. Maybe the award ceremony could be right after the race?? The overall awards for the marathon were very unique. Someone put a lot of work in to the design. However they are very heavy and there is no place on the front to identify the win place. A nice personalized Lucite award would be great with some Little Rock significance (logo) on the front, the capitol or something with the place, gender and age group. The medals for the relay winners were great. The coasters for the place awards for the half marathons lack the personalization of the place, gender, and age group.

If they offer the PERKS tent in future marathons do take advantage of it. It is worth the extra fee. It is ?outrageous service?. Massage was wonderful and the food was great before and after. Friend photos are a must!! Everyone was cheerful and the volunteers went overboard to assist and make us welcome and comfortable. It was true ?Southern hospitality?.

I stayed at the Comfort Inn and I want to thank the Comfort Inn for your excellent shuttle service, very clean rooms, and great overall service. Breakfast was out for the marathoners on Sunday morning before 6am and all of us runners can appreciate that.

Thank you for an awesome race weekend experience. Thank you to all the spectators and volunteers. It is evident Little Rock shows their support for the marathon and it is a wonderful weekend event!!!

Ya gotta do this one!!!! Great marathon!! This course includes just about everything - historic sites, great scenery, challenging hills and if you?re lucky...some wind on the river bank. ;) The hill at mile 25 is definitely a character builder ? save some energy for this one!! The volunteers were wonderful. The marathon course water stations were at just the right spots (especially the one just before the last hill at mile 25), and well organized. The spectators were awesome...hard to believe this is ONLY the second year for this marathon. Thanks to Geneva Hampton, Gina Marchese, Bill Torrey, and ALL the VOLUNTEERS for a great marathon! Also, make sure you purchase a ticket to ?The Perks? tent...a nice touch to any marathon! Don't miss this marathon!

The first half had several rolling hills which weren't too bad, but about mile 13 there is a pretty rough uphill/downhill stretch. Fairly flat after that except for mile 25. Very nice course, although the out-and-back part is mentally challenging as previously commented. (Although having Bill Rodgers give encouragement while running the opposite direction was awesome!) Crowd was scattered in pockets, but those who showed up were very enthusiastic and having names printed on bibs is a great idea. Water stations situated just right, overall a very well organized event. Police did an excellent job blocking traffic and all volunteers were very supportive.

Certainly one to remember! A great group of organizers; very proud of their race and should be. The hills were a nice 'mind-variance', actually added to the experience. Wonderful consistency of aid stations and a course that covered a lot of the city. Put it right up there on the list of marathons I've done, and I'll be back. Key to a marathon is how welcome you feel; it was topnotch. Don't fear the hills; added immensely to the experience. My thanks to everyone. See you in OKC.

This is the second time I have run the LR marathon. I am looking forward to next year. Great course. Very scenic. Very challening. Rolling hills from mile 1 to 14, flat and boring from 14 to the turn-around at 18.5. Flat again until about 23, then it rolls to the finish with a killer climb in the last mile. Oddly, enough, I set a PR at 3:58:41. (previous best at WDW 4:02.)

Organization is topnotch. The race started off without a hitch and on time. Corals were nicely organized. Course was well marked and traffic was well controlled. Only part that I did not like was finishing and looking at the clock. It was just showing a bunch of garbled yellow lines instead of the actual time.

The crowds could have used some crowd support. The marathon literally went by hundreds of residents' front doors. A lot of them looked at us like we were stupid. One guy was drinking a Bloody Mary at 8:30 am!

Can't wait to run it for a third time next year.

The course is gorgeous but hilly. But if you train for the hills it shouldn't be too bad. The headwind from 14-18 miles was a real drag, as was the uphill near the end of the course. That was cruel. It was real nice to finish near the Capitol building. The weather was otherwise great. The fans and volunteers were very enthusiastic and encouraging.

If you do this race, stay at the Comfort Inn. They have late check-out and provided transportation to and from the airport, the expo, and the race (plus it's cheap!). They were uncommonly friendly and helpful.

This is a great marathon to take care of Arkansas (for all you 50-staters). I would recommend this one - it was a fun experience.

I was very impressed with the organization of this race. The course was interesting and well monitored. More than enough aid stations with Powerade and water - and lots of gel. The course is challenging, but very doable. If I didn't live so far away, I would do it again.

Little Rock has spoiled me because I will expect such great treatment from all other marathons from now on. The course was beautiful and the run past historic Central High School and the Capitol is always fascinating. The organization was perfect and the post race festivities were terrific.