I just wanted to share that I had a great experience at the Akron Marathon. This was my second marathon, and I really loved everything about it. I think that people's negative comments about the course, especially the hills, are a little unfair. While they certainly were challenging, they were more than reasonable. And I do believe that you can set a PR or a BQ at Akron, especially when the weather is perfect like it was on Saturday. My only complaint is that I didn't like having the marathon relay finish in the same place as the full marathon. It wasn't a great feeling to have relayers flying by me as I was struggling to finish (3:16). Other than that, I loved the race and I'm sure I'll run it again in the future.

This was my second marathon. My 1st was the Ridge Runner in Cairo, WV. This race was very well organized and had great fan support and workers. The hills were somewhat tough - at least everyone says they were - but like I said, my previous marathon was in WV and those hills were three times bigger. But I had a blast and loved how the course showed the highlights of Akron:downtown, Akron U, the towpath and the scenic parkway. Loved it and was able to cut 51 minutes off of my previous time!

Of the 19 marathons I have done, this is one of the top five. The course is beautiful, the organization could not be better, and the fan support is very good for a medium-sized town. I recommend the Quaker Inn, but they sell out two months before the race, so plan accordingly. The weather was perfect for the 2010 marathon and this allowed me to run about 10 minutes faster than I thought I would! There are hills, but they did not seem too bad to me. Kudos to the race director!

This race is run with military precision where not one detail is spared. I was very impressed by just about every aspect of this race for being just 8 years-old. I think that the tech jacket that you get is by far the best gift that I have ever received for running a marathon. This would probably retail for about 40-50 bucks all on its own. The course is a bit more challenging then other courses that I have run in the past mainly due to the gradual uphill climb about 3/4 of the way into the race. If you incorporate enough hills into your training this should not pose too much of a problem for you. I thought that the fact that Jim Barnett shakes every runner's hand at the end of the race really is a testament to how much he cares about this race, its participants, and its volunteers. If you want to run a fantastic medium-sized race, this is for you.

This is the best marathon I've done, ever. It beat them all, hands down. Jim Barnett (the race director) hosts a perfect race.

The hills were super mild. I beat my last marathon by 40 minutes! Anyway, the world is not flat; I trained on hills and delivered a fast finish.

Perks for the race include an awesome technical running jacket and my medal being engraved at the finish with my name and time. Wow!! The race director sends a personal e-mail to each person who enters and shakes each person's hand at the finish. He even works out the small details: the full marathon medal was large and gold, the half was smaller and silver, and the relay was smaller still and bronze. They were all so beautiful.

Logistics were awesome. I flew directly into the convenient and small Akron airport, and my hotel cost next to nothing.

I've been to over 30 countries and almost as many states, and can tell you this: from Mile 24, as I viewed downtown Akron (the finish), it was the most beautiful city in the world. The people of Akron are so proud of their marathon, and it made them glow; I loved being a part of that.

This was my 63rd marathon. Very well organized. Expo was great. They gave out Brooks running jackets (instead of shirts). Very nice. Also bought a couple of nice shirts, but would've loved to have gotten one with a large roadrunner on it. Course was scenic. Second half is much harder. A lot of uphill from 17-21. Then a great downhill from 24-25. Water stops were great, although, due to size of the race, the first few should be on both sides of the road. Marathoners also got a nice winter headband at the finish. Jim, the race director, congratulated everyone at the finish. Nice touch. Also finishing inside a baseball stadium was ideal for accommodating the runners and spectators. The food and free beer at the finish topped off the wonderful experience.

Yesterday was my 8th time running the Akron Marathon, and simply put, it is an A1 event - top-notch organization, attention to runner's details, and the most "bang for your buck." The second half of the course is tough, but finishing in Canal Park Stadium is magical. It's a great race for runners and family.

First, I am 2 for 2 on this course qualifying for Boston ('08 and '10); It is a tough course but it seems to give you a lot of downhill breaks and a lot of diversity. Beautiful views. The schwag Brooks Jacket is incredible, organization is incredible and JIM BARNETTE is the best hand-shaker. (The race director shakes every finisher's hand.) I can't tell you how many people called my number, cheering me on and pulling me through those last miles. Thanks, Jim. loved it. I'LL BE BACK!

I just ran the Akron race. Amazing organization, beautiful run. Didn't realize that there were SO many hills - this was definitely the most challenging marathon I've run (this was my 16th).

I would suggest that no one stay at the Quaker Square Inn in the future - this was listed as one of two hotels recommended, as it is close to the start/finish lines. The staff were rude and extremely unaccommodating for runners. They would not let us return to shower unless we paid $79 plus tax for another night (they charged $170 with tax for Friday night). No matter how nicely we asked (even called again from the finish line), they would not budge. This was absolutely the most unfriendly hotel I've ever stayed in for a marathon. After all the fabulous personal communications and details from the Akron Marathon staff, it is a shame that this hotel was such a negative part of the run.

It's a great race to run - just don't expect to run a PR. Lots of challenging hills but it's also scenic along the way. Pasta feed is one of the best, especially when some races are charging an arm and a leg for pasta dinners now. Lots of water stations and gels available. Pace teams are a great service also.