A great, friendly race in another beautiful part of the country. One at which to relax and take in the breathtaking scenes of streams and mountains of Connemara. It also passes through the setting of one of my favorite films (Leenaun). The field is one of the best, and the first one I look for on the calendar. Long may it continue to be successful and enjoyable.

I have run 11 marathons to date, including New York, Berlin, London and Dublin. In my opinion Connemara is the ultimate race, especially if you wish to enjoy spectacular, breathtaking scenery. Granted the course is testing and support from spectators is very sparse. I was most fortunate to run the Ultra (39.3 miles) and I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you wish to escape into the open countryside for a memorable running experience, this is a must on your running calendar. Ray O'Connor and the organizing team offer a choice of races: half marathon, marathon and ultra. Avoid disappointment and enter early. Enjoy your run!

The first half of the 2006 Connemara Marathon was great. With only 500 in the marathon I found my stride quickly. It seemed to be rolling hills, great temperature for running, and had a tailwind off and on. This allowed me to get my hopes up before hitting the hills and weather elements of the second half.

The course was challenging, but not too difficult. The hardest part was the wind and the rain. I won't fault Ray (race director) for the weather though, especially not in Ireland. I do think there should have been less automobile traffic on the course even though I realize you can't shut down all the county for the race, but still there was too much traffic on the course. The other problem was the lack of food on the course. Water points were good, but there needed to be more energy drinks and much more food on the course. Fortunately Dublin 2004 taught me to carry my own food, but runners shouldn't have to carry all their own food.

In summary I would do this marathon again and I would recommend it to others, but there is definitely room for improvement here too.

It's difficult to describe the Connemara experience. It's just so different from any big-city event. Instead of running past spectators along the road, you are in splendid isolation, with hardly anyone here to see you apart from the volunteers at the watering stations. The organization is relaxed but it worked well. This year the hotel at the finishing area was closed, and the organizers had to erect some tents instead. They were dark and smelly, and a poor substitute to the facilities that the hotel would have provided - but what can you do! Most runners just take those kind of things in stride. The bus transfer to the starting line, and to and from Galway City, worked perfectly for me. The scenery is spectacular and the volunteers are enthusiastic - now, if someone could raze that hell of a hill between miles 22 and 24, I'd be perfectly happy!

This was my favorite marathon so far, and I'll definitely be back for more.

Having read the comments from others, we all agree it's a great, wonderful race - very scenic. And then, when you reach mile 21/22 (approximately), it's like the last scene in The Perfect Storm. George Clooney thinks the worst is over until he sees this mother of all waves facing him - or in my case, that bloody hill. All I can say is: Count me in this year, again.

This is a run in the country, and if you like to look around and see where you are and think about things outside of running, then you will have a happy day here. The gentle climb away from Lough Inagh at the start leads you up onto a low-level plateau where the splendour and majesty of the Connemara hills sweeping up and away from you on all sides will leave you with little doubt that you did the right thing by entering this race. If solitude is your thing (and you run anywhere near 3 hours) and you have no fear of being alone with your thoughts, then keep on running. You will be on your own. If you have been disappointed by the scenery in the opening few miles, then the descent along the fjiord side of Killary Harbour to Leenane at halfway should rid you of any doubts you harbour about what's the most spectacular marathon course you've ever run (I'm planning to give Big Sur a review in 2006). There are some hills, but when you go for a run in Connemara, you'd be disappointed if there wasn't. Sheep won't bother you, so long as you don't bother them. Its difficult to see where you get out of the valley you're running in after mile 20, but the high pass soon becomes apparent. Savour this last decent hill, 'cause it's all downhill to copious pints of Guinness after that. And you will see people again at the finish.

I ran this marathon three times. It's worth doing for its amazing scenery, and great support from the spectators. It's quite tough, with gruelling 1.5 mile climb near the end, so may not be the place to get a PB. Only negative points would be the traffic on the roads while running, and last year, some poor organization at the end during post-race refreshments and finish area congested with cars and spectators. These gripes aside, I'm sure the Connemarathon will improve and gain in popularity year-on-year. I recommend it as a refreshing alternative to big-city marathons.

This race will grow as the scenery is stunning and the route provides a fairly balanced challenge. Probably not one for those who hate hills! But it is not a toughie, although the last hill is a bit of a slog, particularly at the 22-mile point, but the finish is downhill from that. Could do with closing off that last section of road to the traffic as it is a narrow finish area. The organization was fairly laidback but functional and the facilities at the end were good, if you could beat the rush and get past the doormen. How many races have bouncers to the post-race bash? All the same, I'll be there next year.

I ran the Connemarathon for the first time a few weeks ago. It has all the makings of a marathon that is going to become huge. The scenery is fantastic, the course is hilly and tough, but well worth running it.

The only drawback was the roads didn't seem to be closed off, as cars were passing us out on a fairly regular basis.

I gave spectators 3 stars because spectators were encouraged not to go onto the route.

Overall, the Connemarathon is a race that is challenging, yet rewarding. Come and run it and see for yourself.

I ran the half marathon this year and can't recommend it highly enough. The experience of running through the peace and beauty of Connmara is wonderful. The organization was great, and the isolation of the event created a lovely atmosphere among the runners.