The course is a bit boring, but such is the look of Phoenix, being such a new city that's spread out to such an extent.

Expo was particularly great with respect to the number of vendors, samples, and speakers!!

And the organizers have done a great job separating out the halfers from the full participants so that the effects of such a large number of people in each event does not affect the other group.

In all other respects the organization was flawless, even in one's final steps into the grand stage area post-race!

VERY impressed with this event.

Where else can any runner, regardless of experience, have the absolute best time of his or her life? Thank you to P.F. Chang's and all of those who make this terrific event possible.

Very well orgainized! Aid stations were superb! Expo also excellent. Weather was perfect. As always I am baffled by some of the negative comments. You know it is a big marathon in advance and you know the price in advance; instead of complaining afterward, don't sign up! As always you get what you pay for and you get a lot (bands, cheering squads, tons of porta-potties, well manned aid stations, etc.).

I had a wonderful experience and set a PR that blew me away. Thank you for a great experience and a huge thanks to all of the volunteers; you guys rocked!

I ran the half marathon, and for me, this race lived up to everything the website and advertisements claimed. The course is indeed flat and very fast, and with the tiered start, it never bottlenecked, not even at the beginning. The expo is excellent, full of vendors and lots of samples to take home with you. If there is any area of complaint, they would be the logistics of the race, the lack of scenery along the course, and the poor showing by the bands. The light rail makes it easy to get to and from the race; however, at the start, you must walk a full mile to get to the in line. Moreover, the gear check trucks are all the way at the end near the last corral so you then have to walk all the way back up to get in your proper corral. The finish is not much better and in a way, even worse since you are already tired by then. Another area of improvement would be the post race food, or lack thereof. Not bad, but for a rock-n-roll event, you'd expect a little more. And finally, what is the deal with the bands? The played the slowest, least exciting music I've ever heard at a race. There sure wasn't much rock 'n' roll going on. My advice to the race director is to replace the live bands with DJs. The spots where DJs controlled the music were great and lively. That is what you need when you are running out of gas and seeking a boost from somewhere.

The last comment is in regard to the scenery. I've never been to Phoenix before so I was hoping to see some of the more scenic things unique to Arizona, but that was not the case with this race. It is primarily run through commercial districts that aren't much to look at. However, from an overall standpoint, this is a fine race and one I would endorse.

I get somewhat torn about Rock 'n' Roll races. On the one hand, they are big, professionally run races. BUT... they are so corporate. It is easy to see that they are run by people who are trying to make a profit. Once you sign up for the race (which is premium priced) you start to get emails about buying executive porta-potty access, or gear, or whatever....

But the thing that really gets me is that they CHARGE for runner tracking - I've never seen any race where there is an extra charge to provide text updates to your supporters' phones. Personally, I hate being nickeled and dimed, but maybe others don't care.

On the positive side, the water stops are always reliable, and the Arizona course is PR-worthy. I do wish they'd have more porta-potties, though.

This was my first full marathon. The course was nice and flat, and the spectators were loud and very supportive. I can't wait to run it again next year, where I hope to qualify for the Boston Marathon.

This was my 2nd PF Chang's Marathon and 16th overall. I swore after the 2006 race I'd never run it again, but a last minute change of plans had me here at the start!

Pluses:

-Expo was great and easy to navigate
-Getting to the start with the buses were a breeze
-Separate start lines and times between the half and full were VERY much appreciated!
-Bagels, bananas and fluids before the start were much appreciated!
-Water stations were plentiful and well stocked

Minuses:

-The race feels like a half marathon with a full thrown in there rather than the opposite. Running a half is a HUGE accomplishment, but I think there should be something a little more for the full!
-As others have said, the course is pretty boring. I'm not sure how you could make it better but I'd be interested to know how many strip malls we ran by.
-The fan support wasn't bad but could be better. I don't think the city supports this race as much as some of the other non-marathon major races I've done.
-In addition to the course being a bit on the boring side, it's also VERY exposed. I don't remember much shade for the last 15 or more miles. Good thing there were overcast skies for the first 90 or so minutes!

With all of that said, it is a unique experience and I did set a PR, so it definitely was worth it! I doubt I'll be back, but then again, I've said that before.... :D

Good luck!

I read some negative reviews about this, but since it's a near-flat (no elevation) marathon and I like the view of the camelback hills, I decided to run this. As usual, elite racing has this down to perfection. The course was good; running next to the power plants was less interesting but still offered a nice view of some huge solar panels. Contrary to reviews from previous years, I think there were enough fans out there (and I do not run fast!).

Organized finish and family area were great. All of the bands were fantastic. The beer was cold! Could have used more "timed" recordings: 10K, 20K, 30K, half, etc., since you had the distance marked with signs. My brother-in-law said there was trouble getting into the area so that could be worked on some. Thanks for a great marathon experience.

This was my first half-marathon ever, and the experience was incredible. I have lived in Phoenix for 3 years now and have been trying to run it since I moved here. Two years ago my sister competed and the traffic, crowds, etc. were horrible. A real nightmare actually! This year? WOW! It was a whole new "ball game." Everything was done SO well. The traffic, the crowds, the hydration stations, the VIP tents, and even the expo were nothing short of the best! Next year I plan to run the full. Thanks for an unforgettable experience!