This was my fourth marathon but first in Grand Rapids. Without a doubt this was the best organized, and best overall marathon experience I've had. And it starts months before race day with entertaining and motivational emails from the race director to all registrants.

The course is often scenic, almost entirely flat, and very well supported with aid stations stocked with plenty of water, sports drink and goodies.

Only criticism would be a couple narrow spots on an out-and-back portion get a bit congested, but not so much that runners are bumping or having to walk. I'd run it again and hope I do!

First off, my hat goes off to Don and his crew. It is an excellent organized race down to the very last detail. I did PR and qualify for Boston, which is just amazing! As far as the course goes, it is a nice course with some great scenery, but I wasn't really focused on that. It is not as flat as I thought it would be, but I would not describe it as especially hilly. But if you want to run it, it is not flat. For the most part there is plenty of room considering the number of participants; however, running through the bike trails (I think that is what they were) was VERY crowded. I know that depends on your pace and where you were, but for me it was not pleasant. I did almost run into a couple of posts because I couldn't see past the person in front of me. My GPS didn't work very well in the trees (not the race's fault). The crowds were AWESOME! I wished there were a few more aid stations towards the end... but if there would have been one more, I might have stopped and not qualified for Boston. Who knows?

My husband and I ran the half-marathon associated with this race. We both commented on the good organization, the personal commitment of the RD, Don Kern, the good expo (considering the size of the marathon) and the excellent course. Every volunteer knew their job and did it well, from water stops, to course direction, to cheering in less populated areas of the course and in the food tent. The course had a few hills that are minor in comparison to most marathons I have run. I liked the fact that this is a small marathon/half-marathon, making it less crowded and easy to navigate the course. The course itself is without traffic and run mainly on asphalt trails. There's added beauty because it occurs near the peak of the fall foliage change, with orange, yellow, red and crimson canopy throughout the course. There are many wonderful Italian restaurants for pasta loading, many hotel/motel accommodations and access to ample parking across the street from the start and finish of the race. You just can't get that in big-city races. You won't be disappointed with this race and have a good chance at coming away with a nice PR.

The Grand Rapids Marathon is a great fall marathon. The size is just right; not too big, not too small. The course is very nice, scenic and great for running. The course takes you from the city, through a few parks, along the Grand River for most of the race and then back into the city for the finish. A lot of the race is run where runners are going past other racers, so words of encouragement and support are always present. The course is flat and fast too.

This race is very well run by Marathon Don. He will keep you motivated with weekly newsletters and will shake your hand at the finish too! Don Kern knows what it takes to put together a solid race for runners.

The finisher medals have gotten better each year. Parking for the race is very easy and the YMCA provides a great venue for the expo and pre/post-race activities. Course support is awesome; aid stations are well stocked and the perfect distance apart (about 1.5 miles). All volunteers are fantastic and very supportive.

Overall, a great fall marathon to run. If you are looking for a well put-on, medium-sized race, this is it. Try it out and you will be back, I am sure.

I ran the Grand Rapids (GR) Marathon last year as well. Both years' marathons were very similar. So, with that being said, I won't repeat what I wrote last year concerning this race.

The only suggestion I have is to schedule the GR Marathon and the Detroit Marathon on differnt dates. I'm guessing the race director scheduled the GR Marathon the same date as the Detroit Marathon because the GR Marathon course couldn't handle all the extra people that it would attract if both races were on different dates. True, last year both marathons were one week apart, but word is out that the GR Marathon is simply awesome, and it grows in popularity (more people) each and every year. I hear next year that the course will be modified in hopes of reducing bottle-necking.

This is a really fun race; the race director and his team do a wonderful job of organizing this race, from the pre-race e-mails to the post-race food. The spectators are very supportive, although this is not the easiest course for viewing the runners. The course winds through bike paths, littered with falling leaves as you run along side the Grand River. There are some not-so-pretty parts of the course, but I thought that the majority was interesting. I also felt that the field of runners were very nice and supportive as well, which really helped at mile 22! This is a mostly flat course - "gently rolling" is probably the best way to describe it. Grand Rapids is a great city, with Midwest charm in an urban setting. We had beautiful weather: cool and breezy, but very sunny. The showers available at the YMCA were wonderful post-race. There were lots of goodies along the race trail from the standard gels to pretzels and cookies. I loved the orange slices and bananas. Lots of water stops too! Try this race - you will not be disappointed.

I posted a report yesterday, but just wanted to add a few things. This medal is, hands down, the best I've ever received from a race (and I've run LOTS of races!). And the Flickr photo group is a really interesting addition to the normal race photographs.... I've been looking at the posted pics so far and they're amazing! So much artistry and thought were involved in the details captured - more photo-journalistic.

I really enjoyed Don's sense of humor in his e-mails leading up to the race. I ran this race last year and had a lot of fun. It is a great size and a pretty fast course. I finally reached my goal of a Boston qualifier. It is so cool that Don shakes everyone's hand at the finish. Also, the advertising and art work for this race are amazing.

The course can be a challenge mentally when there are so many short out-and-backs, but the run along the river is beautiful. I especially enjoyed the foliage.

My cheering section was able to see me four times along the course, which was nice.

Aid stations were well-stocked, well-organized, and well-spaced. It worked perfectly for me to take my Accel-Gels every five miles.

Thanks for a great race!

This is a top-notch marathon. The organization is fabulous. Everything from packet pickup to the aid stations was flawless. The volunteers are amazingly helpful and very enthusiastic about their race. Aid stations popped up every 1.5 miles, were well stocked, and were marked so that you could easily see which table you needed to go to for water, Gatorade, etc.. They also had lots of extras, from gummy bears to GU. The course was flat by my standards, and takes you through some of the prettiest tree-lined streets you will ever see. And, the fall colors were to die for. There is only one stretch of a few miles that goes through an industrial park that is a bit of a drag, but those things can't always be helped when laying out a course. We also lucked out and had a perfect weather day. Lastly, great medal and technical, long-sleeve race t-shirt. If you like friendly, mid-size marathons, this is a must!

I just completed the 2008 GRM and it exceeded my expectations (which were high based on the comments I had read leading up to the race)! I find it hard to believe that anyone would complain about a course so serene, flat, and FAST! To those who feel that the water treatment plants are an eyesore, I suggest running 105 laps around your local track for your next marathon experience! No eyesores there! After 5 marathons in 4 cities, I can honestly say that this has been my favorite.