This was the second year for this race, and I have done it both times. The course does have a few hills, but that just keeps things interesting! It is a scenic course through White Rock Lake and beautiful residential areas of Dallas. The course is nicely shaded and the water tables are non-profit agencies competing for money, so there are lots of yummy treats! I don't think this race has gotten the credit it deserves; there is food on the course, a technical shirt instead of cotton, a nice medal and a nice variety of post-race food. I know once the word gets out it will offer serious competition to other races in the Southwest!

Beautiful Dallas morning. Cool to start and warming up to finish. The bright sun was wonderful. Roads were a little rough, very few people on the course - kind of lonesome out there. Water and aid support were okay. Needs some music. NO photos at the 1/2 finish line. That was disappointing.

The course: Except for the first and last couple of miles, the course was very scenic (White Rock Lake, pleasant neighborhoods). The middle section was much hillier than I expected though, and the temps reached the low 70's with bright sunshine, but low humidity.

Organization: I would have preferred chip distribution before race day, but it went quickly. There were plenty of restrooms (male, at least), water stops were enthusiastically manned, and lots of food afterwards.

Spectators: I gave 2 stars for spectators, because there weren't really any other than volunteers and cops. That's fine with me, but I realize others might want more encouragement.

This was my first race altogether. I had to wait in traffic for 40 min. before getting to the starting line which was minutes before it started. My advice: have someone directing traffic in front of the Cotton Bowl instead of a five second turn light. The course markings for the 1/2 marathon were a little confusing between miles 9-11... I think my friend and I ended up running down some alleys we should not have been down, but there were no signs telling us where to go. There are some hills, but reading the previous reviews prepared us for the challenge. The race was pretty relaxed.

I enjoyed running the Big-D! The packet pick-up was quick and easy. The shuttle from the host hotel was very convenient. There were several port-a-pots at the start and on the course. The course was laid out well with the hills staged perfectly... in the middle of the course. I thought the water stops were well stocked and the volunteers made it a lot of fun! My only suggestion is to offer more sports drinks at the end. I could only find warm water. Overall, it was a very enjoyable marathon.

This was my first marathon and it was a great experience... location, start times, announcements, plenty of free parking, chip pick-up, post-race food, and activities were as planned... some of the aid/water stations could have been better positioned on the course but there were EMT's/aid staff on bicycles checking up on runners... this hilly marathon route will only improve my personal results for other runs.

Quite frankly, I was dumbfounded in the way the organization conducted this race based on the many racing events I have participated in over the years.

The race was totally disorganized, aid stations were lacking or frantically being put together as I was running by and keep in mind I am an average runner so the more elite runners ahead of me experienced even more chaos and lack of water. Food was scarce after I finished the ½ marathon and this was before the first runner had crossed the finish line for the full marathon. Okay, so the food and water was lacking and the rest stations were totally disorganized ? I can still turn my head, shrug and say ?oh well ? at least the event was for a good cause/charity? but I couldn?t even say that and move on because this race wasn?t for a charity or a good cause. This was an event that was for Mellow Productions. My registration ($45) along with about 2000 other runners was for Mellew Productions; not a charity.

Everything I love about attending these events was not only absent at the Big D Texas Marathon but the un-sportsmanship like conduct of the actual race director was appalling and inexcusable! Literally the race director stood at the marathon finish line and spouted off comments such as;

§ "We are officially the worst race in town. We have no water, no volunteers and no finisher's purse."
§ "Here comes our winning marathoner with a time of 2:48. This is probably the slowest winning marathon time ever but we are still very proud of him.?
§ ?I have just been informed that the last place marathoner is at the halfway point, folks. That means we will be here for another 3 hours. Let?s hope the course is still open.?
§ As 5 hour marathon finishers were coming across the finish line, the event coordinator continued with his rude and insensitive comments by saying, ?What did you do ? stop for a cheeseburger??

I will not participate in a race put on by Mellow Productions again and I apologize to all runners who ran their race for the first time and got a bad taste of what races are like because the way this race was conducted is not anything like most -- DON'T THROW IN THE TOWEL BUT DO TRY OUT ANOTHER RACE PUT ON BY A DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION.

It was a nice race to run overall but I had no idea the hills would be so numerous. I was hoping for a PB but the lack of hill training for a Florida boy like myself made that impossible.

The hills were gradual and incessant in the 2nd half of the race. Every time I turned the corner I expected a down slope only to be disappointed by more uphill grade. Coming from FL, I wasnt prepared for that kind of run. However, I finished, the water stations were great, organization was terrific, and the real bathrooms at the sign-up area is a plus. Another downside was very little spectator support on the course. Overall, I was pleased, and I am glad I ran a difficult marathon for my first, it can only be downhill from here! ;)

This was my first full marathon and it was well organized and had a beautiful course. The route goes by a huge lake and nice neighborhoods with flowering blooming. My only complaint would be the fans. Many people watched and did not cheer, which is frustrating for a runner. The city needs to be aware of the marathon and the effect their support can have on runners. The water stations were awesome - very supportive people! This will be an event I will remember my entire life!