I had planned to run this race one year in advance, and found it to be a wonderful experience in a city known more for golf and tourism.

Number of runners was small, which provided for plenty of space to run throughout the entire course. Being the highest paved marathon in the world, its altitudes and hills present a mighty challenge for those who may be up for one. Hardly any spectators, but the natural beauty surrounding the course is amazing, and elk and deer abound along the course.

Nice medal after finishing on the track, and the post-race food - including breakfast burritos, popcorn, and Estes Park brews - was fantastic. My only concern was that there was only one working shower for the guys afterward, so I was unable to utilize this at the time. Kudos to the organizers and sponsors of this one!

I ran this marathon with my wife in 2008. It was my first marathon and her second. I did not train enough, which became apparent on one of the many long, steep grades. I recommend training hard for this race; it is very difficult. My wife ran cross-country in college for a major university and finished Big Sur in under 4 hours. I race in a lot of tri's and consider myself a good athlete, usually finishing in the top 10 percent. Needless to say, we finished in 5:47. I consider it one of my biggest accomplishments to date. The scenery is amazing and it keeps your mind preoccupied. I am really proud to say that I finished this marathon as my first. It's an amazing race for real athletes and runners. This is not a feel-good, rock-'n'-roll-type race. So be ready, train hard and come prepared.

Generally I would have given the organization 5 stars, but running out of food for the people who finished later forced a drop in the score.

That aside, this was one of the best marathons I've ever run in - and definitely one of the more challenging ones. Competitors were awesome, and very friendly. The course was EXTREMELY well marked. Any place that could potentially be complicated had a course marshal there to help guide you. Every aid station had food for refueling. Registration was very smooth.

I would've liked to have known that T-shirts weren't included in registration. I would've have brought money to buy one.

I'm from Louisiana. We do not have mountains, so this race was grueling for me. My breathing wasn't bad, but the hills just kept coming. I walked uphill from mile 17 on.

Now for the good stuff: if you want a challenge, this is your race. You can't beat the scenery, either; the sights were awesome. It was like running in a postcard. This race was organized, and everyone was great. I finished in 6 hours, and the patient organizers were still there, ready to give me my finishers medal.

Thanks to everyone associated with the race. I will try to do it again next year.

Packet pickup was easy, organization was solid, course support was fantastic, and the scenery was unbelievable. If you're training for an ultra or just looking for a really tough marathon, this race is for you. Maybe after the memories of pain fade, I'll consider doing this again; but you've got to see the views at least once!

This race was my 100th lifetime marathon. Coming from Manitou Springs, Colorado (6700') I didn't think the elevation would affect me that much. Well, it did. The course is challenging. There is about a two-mile-long, steep climb at mile eight. This makes the later gradual climbs on the last half that much harder. The scenery is spectacular and the support is first-class.

This is the toughest race I have ever participated in. It is either warm or hot in Estes Park when the race is run, so wear sunscreen. There are not a lot of spectators, except for the Cheley Camp water stations manned by Cheley staff, who provide much needed support near the start of the race! This is a tough race and you need to train for it. Do not expect lots of people standing along the route, so make new friends as you run/walk. Drink lots of fluids before race day and during the race. This race is about the mountains and nature, so enjoy your pace and the views. I ran my worst time except for the Goofy Challenge in FL, so just take your time and enjoy the view and Estes Park, CO.

I survived this race - that's about it in a nutshell. This is a beautiful course with snow-capped mountains from just about any angle you look. There were also some unique rock formations that I haven't seen anywhere else during my cross-country travels, and I've been to all 50 states.

For those of you from low altitude areas, be cautious of the high altitude and hills in this race. I knew it was going to be tough, but not this brutal. To be fare, this was my 3rd and last marathon in 3 weekends, so I was already feeling a bit "run-weary." That, coupled with driving 7,500 miles, didn't help my legs much either. Based on my times in the other 2 marathons and taking into consideration the toughness of Estes Park, I still should have run about a 4:45, but instead I set a new personal worst of 5:32. To put it into perspective, I ran the Steamboat Springs marathon 2 weeks earlier in 4:22, which also has a starting elevation of 8100 feet and ends at 7000 feet, with hills.

Although it was my slowest time, I still enjoyed the scenery of the mountain vistas and the lake where the elk were camping out. The long continuous 3.5-mile hill from about mile 2 to 5.5 was an unexpected surprise at such an early stage of the race. Even though that hill saps some energy from you, it's nothing like the other long continuous 3-mile hill from about mile 16 to 19!!! The 3-mile hill is at a lesser slope, but since it happens later in the race, it really killed my lungs and legs. Runners from high altitude areas may not have much problem with it though. After that 2nd hill, my left knee and Achilles were re-aggravated from the previous week's marathon in which I initially injured it, so I must have walked about 3 miles out of the last 8. I enjoyed passing through the driveway of the Stanley Hotel toward the end of mile 23 - it's such a beautiful hotel. I slowly jogged the last 2.5 miles to the finish and was glad the pain ended.

Wear sunscreen since the sun was beating down with not a cloud in the sky the day of the race. The race is clearly marked on the pavement, so if you find yourself running alone (which I did the last 8 miles) don't worry about getting lost or off the course. The race staff was friendly and aid stations had plenty of liquids and energy "stuff." Someone commented on lack of aid stations, which I didn't understand and he mentioned about lack of planning and 2nd rate shirts.

This race didn't charge $120.00 like a lot of races do to give everyone high-tech microfiber shirts or allow for chip timing. Keep it in perspective - this was a race to enjoy the scenery and they provided decent necessities such as liquids and solid energy "stuff" at aid stations along with race staff along the course to ensure safety of runners - all with a decent entry fee. I was in much pain during this race, but I still enjoyed the beauty of what the course had to offer. If you're looking to be pampered beyond necessities, then pay the $120.00 to $140.00 in some big-city race (or smaller races for that matter) where they have the funds to supply chip timing, high-tech shirts, and gourmet sandwiches and goodies after the race. Until then, enjoy the scenery!!!

If you want to run an absolutely stunning course in the mountains, this is likely one of the best choices you could make. Having read many of the other commentaries on the race this year, it appears most of them came to that same conclusion. The setting is one-of-a-kind. Although the organization may have not been world-class, I found the volunteers friendly and helpful, the aid stations were generally well-placed and stocked, and I found the post-race food actually pretty good and quite plentiful. If anyone had trouble finding it, I can't see how they made it around a 26.2 or even 13.1-mile course. It is true this is a pretty high course, but training normally at about 5000 feet, I didn't find that all that challenging. There are a couple of sustained grades, but even those were offset by the scenery. How can you not be motivated and inspired by the backdrop against which you were running. Although I'm shooting for 50 States (with 33 still to go) - and my wife and I have pretty much said we won't run a second race in a state until we have all 50 - this just might be the one exception I would make; the course is that spectacular and more than compensates for a limited number of spectators and a few organizational improvements that could be made. Rocky Mountain High - this is Colorado!

This marathon reminds me of the Avenue of the Giants Marathon (through the North California giant redwoods) that I ran a couple of times. The scenery is breathtaking, with a relatively small field. Being a cornfield flat-lander, I arrived in the area a few days early to get used to the altitude. I think it helped some, but the hills and sun also took a toll. Not my worst time (second worst), but I soon realized that this one wasn't about PRs. It was about snow-capped peaks, mountain streams, and a different kind of challenge. If it was easy, everyone would do it!! The aid stations were the best I've seen: plenty of orange slices and bananas at just about every stop. Race volunteers were friendly and encouraging, and the scenery, unforgettable. One race official asked for on-the-spot feedback just after I finished. They do a great job. No bright lights/big city; no rock band on every corner. I think they let nature handle the show.

P.S. This marathon shouldn't be your first or second.