This was my third marathon and first Big-D, but it has been the most challenging so far. The course has lots of hills. Running by White Rock Lake was nice, but wind was terrible. There were few spectators along the course. Water stations were fine, with the exception of one around mile 21, when it was needed most. I finished few minutes after 4 hours with a new PR. When I arrived, all of the food was gone. I saw people without bibs eating food. My major complain was the last loop, when the finish line is in sight. That's simply wrong and easy to fix. I have read same complaints from last year. I would run it again but I do not recommend this marathon for a first-timer.

Last thing: No goodies in the running package and the running shirt was not technical.

I ran the Big-D because I missed the 2009 Houston Marathon. I had enough time to train properly, and it was "close" to home (Houston), with family that I could stay with.

Pros: Spectator spots were easier to get to, so my family could see me running at several points in the race.
Scant spectators, but boy were they really supportive!
Very nice course (though hilly by my standards).

Cons: Poorly organized start and finish lines. The signs seem to just stop after the 25-mile marker and I got confused and lost running through crowds of people at the park, asking people, "Which way?!!!" in a desperate attempt to find the finish line.

If you need big crowds, bands and music at every turn, and tons of other marathon accessories... this is not the event for you.

But if you like low-key, low-pressure, low-frills, laid back atmosphere, then you've found a winner.

I would recommend The Big-D Texas Marathon to people who want to just enjoy a marathon run.

The hills and the wind combined to make this a brutal race. Also, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't a finisher's shirt. The hat didn't do it for me. Otherwise, I had no complaints. I may do it again next year just because I know I can do better.

I was a bit skeptical about running this race after reading some of the prior years' comments, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was organized, and very easy for me to register that morning. The people were friendly. Free parking. Nice to have a building to wait in and indoor plumbing to use before race time. Scenic course for a big city. Both Dallas marathons circle White Rock Lake, and the downside is that if the wind is up, like today, you get the full effect. Well marked course, with personnel to make sure you went the right way, too. Good law enforcement and medical support. Plenty of water stops, although I will say the spacing seemed like they were bunched closer in the beginning, rather than the latter part of the race, when you need them most. I would have liked a finisher's shirts. My thanks to all of the volunteers. Your contribution is really appreciated. I'll definitely give this race a thumbs-up and would run it again.

The mission of Big-D might be to prove that Dallas has hills. This combined with the wind thrown off of White Rock Lake made it a challenging course. The frequent water stations helped offset this. I don't know if I would run a marathon again if this were my first.

Uphill both ways? It sure felt like it. I was continually stunned time after time of climbing a hill, turning a corner, and seeing yet another hill. Again and again. It seemed like 3/4 of the course was uphill.

Much of the race is through upscale neighborhoods, but the start/finish is in a seedy part of town and, due to the sparsity of marathoners, I was little nervous during the last couple of miles (though too tired to care too much).

And for anyone looking at the times for 2009, there was a consistent 25 mph wind from the north, gusting up to 40 mph. Since the first half of the course is ran practically straight north, and then back, the first half of the race left its toll on the last half (at least for me).

For such a small marathon it seemed well organized, though the starting line seemed a little understated in the maze of buildings in Fair Park.

Personally, I don't like a continuous throng of spectators, but this course could have used some more. But it is a small race.

The volunteers were great with aid stations about every 1.5 to 3 miles.

My personal experience is that I ran a great first 20, but the hills and the wind had done their damage. The long hill that lasts from about 19.5 miles to about 20.8 miles took the last of my energy and my average pace increased by about 2 minutes for the last 10K. I doubt that's everyone's experience, but I was sad to see my final time increase 30 minutes beyond my goal.

It was a windy day, but I really enjoy the staging of the race at Fair Park, with a warm place with food and tables and bathrooms to wait inside!

I don't deny that to organize any race is very difficult, especially a marathon. I have run almost 50 marathons and I think this one was very challenging - a lot of hills. I have heard and read many complaints about this race, but I think they have tried to improve. I admit the rewards are very simple (free beer, pizzas and a medal), but I think if they improve the rewards (which means some money or some gift certificates), it would bring the attention of more runners. The water stops were fine and the volunteers did a good job. After all, it is worthwhile. I will do it again.

JVM
2008 marathon, second overall (again!!!)

This was my second Big D marathon and I enjoyed it a whole lot more than I did last year. I learned from my first marathon a few things: first, arrive at the race in advance, otherwise, you will be stuck forever in line, trying to get into the park; and know where the split of the half and full marathons are - last year I simply missed it and, as a result, I ran half marathon instead of a full one that I signed up for. And this year again the split point was not that obvious, so I can see how a lot of runners got misdirected.

The organization, water stations, food supply and support were definitely an improvement. The weather was just fine and the marathon route was pleasant. I will run it again next year.

Before running this marathon I had read some negative comments left by previous runners and was a little apprehensive about signing up. But since it was close to home I decided to do it anyway, and I'm glad that I did! No, this wasn't a big-frills race like NYC or Chicago, but it was very enjoyable and you couldn't ask for better weather in April. The course wasn't extremely challenging, but had enough rolling hills and turns to keep it interesting. The aid stations were fully stocked and had some very enthusiastic volunteers working there (although what was the deal with the guy in the bunny suit?). I do wish there were more spectators, but then again we're there to run, not be showered with compliments every step of the way. Overall I thought Big D was very enjoyable and I will be back next year to run!