This is a great race to run, if you are a seasoned runner. It is challenging and has great scenery. Probably not ideal for the novice runner. The hills in this course are very challenging, beginning early in the race all the way to mile 21. That is probably why there are so many negative remarks about this race - it is not an easy course... it is really quite challenging. You are rewarded for all of your hard hill work during the last 5 miles - for it is mostly flat the rest of the way. The race is very small, but very organized. It needs a few more water stations incorporated so that they are not so far apart. Overall, a great and challenging race.

After reading the previous year's comments, I didn't expect much from this marathon - and I was right. Even though this was my first marathon, I was very disappointed. The beginning of the course was nasty, but not as nasty as the last 3 miles. The water stations and the city views were the best parts of the race. Those volunteers were awesome. I was really looking for water by the last few miles. Very weird and unclear about all of the dogs - the course on the fairgrounds was not clear. VERY disappointed with the LACK of food (nothing left - literally!). Will not do this race again.

It was a nice course, especially winding its way by the lake. Aid station volunteers were energetic, which always helps. Aid stations didn't have any energy gels. Post-race food was really nonexistent. Bag drop was ok, but the pick-up was tucked away in a room in the back. Host hotel was just ok. They where supposed to have food out at 6 a.m., but it wasn't open until 6:15 a.m. Not a big deal unless the shuttle is supposed to leave at 6 a.m.

Good for a small event. About 85% of the course is great - generally rolling hills with one monster at about mile 20. Not sure if the finish could even be changed, but a significant lack of water over the last 5 miles added to the pain.

Before the race, I heard a loud roar of thunder, looked up at an overcast sky and thought a storm was brewing. Well, I completely forgot they were imploding TX Stadium that morning. LOL!

This was my first marathon. I read the reviews before I ran so I knew what to expect. I train out at White Rock, so I know how those winds a'blow out there. Luckily, it was very mild... so we had almost no wind off of the lake. Weather was perfect, in the 70's. True, there were not too many spectators for this race, but I felt the support from the water/aid stations was sufficient enough for me. Plenty of bathrooms along the way too. There were several hills throughout... but nothing overly challenging, except for the one right around mile 20. I finished in about 5 hours and I was surprised to find some keg beer left! I'll run this one again.

I think the race organizers read the previous comments about the race and really tried to improve the race from last year. I wasn't expecting very many spectators since this is a small race, but the support from the water stations were amazing. A lot of the water stations had different themes. It was fun to come up to one with signs and decorations for their themes, such as the Skittles station or the Red, White, & Blue station. The volunteers would be dressed up and handing out different food that went with their theme, along with water and Gatorade. The water stations on this course were the best I have ever experienced at a race. There were also cheering sections along the route that were fun to run through. The start and finish area could have been better organized. Maybe signs to where the food is located once you cross the finish would help. The weather was really nice, considering it was April in Dallas: Overcast with a slight cool breeze in the 60s-70s. The course is pretty hilly. Isn't there a neighborhood around the lake that isn't hilly that we could have run through instead? If the course were flatter, this would be a really nice race.

For a small marathon, it was well organized and the part of the marathon course around the lake was nice. Unfortunately, the negatives outweigh the positives. Here is a summary of both.

Pros
-Well organized and small (if you like small)
-Showers at the finish
-Lots of food and drinks at finish (although I was not feeling the baked potato)

Cons
-Bad cotton shirt
-Hills and more hills followed by a torture hill from mile 19 through 21
-Finisher medal was small and seemed cheap
-No prizes even though entry fee was expensive
-Marathon is in April so weather will be just below average at best (like it was this year, in 2010)
-When the marathon rejoins half, it is a mess. There were half marathon walkers that were walking 8-wide (more than one group) so it was hard to navigate around them when the roads were not closed.
-In addition to the hills, there were so many turns and directions were confusing. I actually turned the wrong way once before someone yelled at me. (Thank you to that person and to all of the volunteers.)
-Near the end there were people all over the course. I had to dodge spectators and I ran into one while I was entering the final tenth of a mile. I was actually stopped. Imagine how it feels to stop at mile 26.1 and start again to run the final .1 mile.
-Finally, according to people I talked to who had Garmins, the course was at least a quarter of a mile long.

In conclusion, I will not run this one again and I would only recommend it to those of you who are looking for a tough, challenging course.

The Good:
1) The water stops were very easy to get to, were placed about where the website said they would be placed, and had plentiful, friendly volunteers.
2) I've run some of the bigger marathons and fought the crowds. The craziest thing happened in this marathon. I stood in a long line for the porta-potty. I thought I would never make it through. The line moved incredibly quickly. I stepped out of the porta-potty about 3 minutes before the gun went off to start the race. I walked probably 10 feet to the start line and lined up 3 feet from the start line. Didn't have to push my way up there. Just walked up to the start. Very nice not having to fight my to get to the front of a corral.
3) Tons of food and drink after the marathon.
4) Lots of nice people.

The Bad:
1) A lot hillier course than it needed to be. I know it is impossible but it seems like you do more climbing then descending. The hill around Tokalon is a killer. If you are gunning for a certain time, skip this race.
2) Sparse crowd support (but very cheerful people).
3) No technical shirt.
4) Mile 24-26... not very attractive.
5) The elevation map on the Big D website is a little off. Hillier in real life. They have the elevation of Dallas around 100 feet above sea level and the hills rising a little from there. Compare that to the White Rock elevation chart.

I ran the half. Had some issues with the hotel. We reserved at the host hotel at least 6 weeks in advance but got switched to another. Not a huge deal, but had some problems with making sure we had the right number of rooms. Not a bad course. Didn't care for the quick u-turn before the split. Race shirt was lame. Medal was small and pretty unremarkable. The race director was very nice and worked hard for us. If you're experienced, this isn't a bad race to do. Wouldn't want this to be my first.

The race was ok... a bit hilly toward the end (I did the half marathon). The t-shirts were horribly ugly and there is no gift bag. For $65, I expect some goodies! That's not why I run, but it definitely makes it more fun! Terribly disappointing for the first-timers. :(