Running out of water was a sin - especially on a day hot enough to get a suntan! I also picked up a half-finished water bottle that had been thrown on the ground when I had gone past the 20-mile point. Some kind supporters near the end were hosing people down, which really helped me keep running. The end was quite shocking - the race course had been covered in plastic guards, which were extremely bouncy near the end. I had to lengthen my stride to avoid the additional impact they caused; compared to running on road it was quite painful. It was like running on a trampoline.

Edinburgh is a lovely city, but unfortunately the course was a bit average. You start from the city center, then go 18 miles out to the middle of nowhere, and then finish at some race course still 10 miles out from the city. I have to say, the crowd support was amazing; the Scots are lovely people, handing out lollies, providing water, and spraying water. Given that the day was hot, it would have helped if the water stations were more frequent i.e. every 2.5 to 3 KM from 30 KM onwards. I found myself and many others picking leftover water bottles up off of the ground. Well, my day was tough; I started cramping at 18 miles and just ran out of gas at mile 23 and had to walk-run-walk to the end. I was hoping for sub-3:10, but scraped through at 3:17 after posting a 40:20 for the 10K and 1:28:30 for the half. It was indeed a fast track, but it may have been a better day if the weather had been a bit cooler. Did anyone else find the mats on the ground quite difficult in the last 200 meters? It would have been much better running on grass; the mats had no give, and it felt like your legs were sinking into them. Well done to all of the runners who finished the day - we had very tough conditions, and bravo to you all. I am sure we all got a nice singlet tan out of the day!!

The Edinburgh Marathon may be the second largest marathon in the UK, but it is not the most organized race.

Due to the soaring heat, there were plenty of drink stations with water and Lucozade drinks, but there were no energy gels!!! The medal is probably the best medal I have received; I also loved the goody bag, the t-shirt and all of the drinks.

At the finish, the organization fell apart. The reunion area was too far. The gate to the park where the runners' luggage was stored, it was so narrow that it took more than 15 minutes to go through it. The shuttle bus was another 2 miles away. In fact, from the finish line to the shuttle bus, and from the shuttle bus to the town, it took over two hours. It should have taken under an hour.

All of this walking caused me and my husband to miss our train by 3 minutes, and consequently we had to fork out an extra 214 pounds in order to pay for train fare to get back to London!!!

Can the Edinburgh Marathon be improved next year???

I would just like to add that Edinburgh is a beautiful city, and I found everyone extremely kind and friendly. On that note, I will be back... some day!

This was my first Edinburgh Marathon, and I was a little worried, having read the previous years' comments about water; however, they seem to have listened, as there was plenty of water and Lucozade around the course. The spectators were great, with some getting hoses out to spray the runners if you asked. This was such a help on a very warm day. I finished the race suffering from heatstroke, but the medical team was very helpful and sympathetic to those who needed it, so it is one I may do again.

The bus ride and drive are just too far from the finish. I didn't feel too bad, but I remember back to my first marathon and I could hardly walk.
Signage directing us to key areas, like buses, could have been better. It would also help if the volunteers were briefed in these things so that they could direct people who enquired.

The organizers haven't improved the poor transportation and lack of shuttle buses despite criticisms made of previous years' races.

It's a real shame, as the race course itself is really nice; it's just letdown by poor organization.

Maybe it's time for another team to take over the organization.

It was my first half-marathon in Edinburgh. The course was beautiful and the organization was smooth and good. There were not many spectators in the half-marathon morning part. Overall, I can definitely recommend the race in this beautiful city.

I had a great time running the 2010 Edinburgh Marathon. I beat my time goal by 21 minutes, despite the heat and some lingering injuries. Lovely course and great crowd support. Organization was great and plenty of water stops. Looked like the shuttle buses were a bit of a hassle, but having done the Chris Hoy Half twice and ending at the Musselburgh race course, I just take public transport back to town. It's much easier and quicker. I will run this marathon again!

Given the heat of the day, to run out of drink at the 19-mile marker is unforgivable, leaving runners with a 6-mile stretch without liquid. It ruined my race, and 5 months of training. No directions were given at the end of the race - I didn't receive the collectibles bag, had to walk another mile or so to find the bus (they changed the bus stop location), and then stood waiting for a bus for over an hour (yes, still dehydrated). I will not be entering this event again.

I loved the course, the people and Edinburgh. When Saturday was a scorcher, the organizers should have realized to bring in more water facilities. The finish line was haphazard and the running surface awful. I'm not certain if they had an expo. It did look like a war zone. There were 3 lanes: runners, walkers and bodies on the verge. But the route was worth a return next year!