The 2006 Grand Rapids was my first marathon and it was everything I hoped it would be. Lets start with the course. Being from the area, I knew it would be nice, but it surpassed my expectations. Running through the woods on the paths - next to the river with all of the fall colors - was awesome. The fact that spectators couldn't get back here was not a negative thing at all - just take in the beauty.

About the spectators: They were great also. True, they did not have access to much (most) of the course. But, where they had access, they were great. Very supportive, just like I've come to expect from the people of West Michigan. Plus, my wife was able to see me and cheer me on a number of times. What more could I ask?

The event was very well organized and how many race directors have the sense of humor of Don? None. The pace groups were a good idea (as we were driving to the race, I finally figured out the Pi group), but didn't seem to work real well. My group was rather inconsistant with their splits and eventually seemed to break up. A friend of mine in a different group experience the same thing. No big deal, though.

As I finished my training, I though I would keep my future marathons to the spring, but having done GR, I'm sure that I will be back. Great job!

This was my second year running the race. After running the full last year, I only ran the half this year due to another race on the schedule. The half was great. I really enjoyed the race this year. I think I liked the half better because it was more of a true loop versus running the out-and-backs in the full marathon (due to necessity). The race itself is run very well and is a great smaller size race. I do not need crowd support (at least for a half), so this wasn't an issue for me. Although the crowds were few, they were spaced pretty nicely. Overall, I would definitely recommend this race if you are looking for a small, fast and well-run marathon. The only warning I would have is that, although the course is beautiful, it can be mentally taxing when you are on you third out-and-back section.

Don runs a great marathon. It was a pleasure having him greet all the runners at the finish line; talk about a guy who knows runners! The course was pretty flat and fast. I PR'ed by 16 minutes, even though the wind kept me off an even better pace. The lack of fans wasn't an issue for me because the water stops are so frequent (there must be one about every two miles) that you just run station to station and lap up all the cheers from the volunteers. My only complaints were the wind (out of Don's control), some out-and-backs that turned you back in to the wind and really sapped your energy (miles 16-19), and the camber on the road by the river. None of these would keep me from running it again in the future; it just helps to know they're out there. Thanks again Don; probably the best run race I've been in.

This was my first GR Marathon, although I ran the half two years ago. It was well organized and has a fun-loving staff. Aid stations were plentiful on the course. I actually kind of like the out-and-back sections because it gives you a chance to cross paths with the leaders. The shirt was great. It's by far the best race shirt I've received from a race so far. The course is generally flat without any difficult hills. The crowds were sparse but where they were present they were enthusiastic. If you like wooded, scenic courses, you would like this course.

I have two suggestions that I think would be worth considering.

1. I love the outdoors and the woods but after having run this marathon and multiple River Bank 25K runs which follow a similar course, the route is getting so-so. I would love to see this race move into some of the many cool neighborhoods in GR. I think it would attract more runners and get more citywide attention although I'm sure it isn't cheap to shut down city streets.

2. Look into moving the race to a Saturday. This is a heavy church-going town and I know there are a lot of people in this area that head up to the Bayshore Marathon in the spring because it is a Saturday run. I'm sure it costs more to shut down streets on Saturday then Sunday but if it stays on the same course, which uses minimal busy city streets, it might not make that big of a difference.

Enjoyable, informal, yet effective race organization. Beautiful scenery, great weather, fantastic volunteers and voluminous spectators! Free pictures online, a free DVD, and great treats during and after the race add up to a surprisingly fun marathon.

Pretty much park running; very little city running, more of which would have been nice.

Overall, I would recommend this marathon to someone who is looking for a Michigan marathon. It is small, but well organized. The porta-johns and water stops were great. There aren't a lot of spectators though, so if you need that, this may not be the race for you. The course was usually quite scenic, with fall colors, and it was not hilly. But there were some parts that I didn't like - a lot of out-and-backs and a run through an industrial area around mile 18, which was VERY windy. I thought it was strange that they didn't have a a chip timer at the half. If they could add some of the course to the actual downtown Grand Rapids area, that might be nice - and remove some of the odd out-and-backs. The technical t-shirts were Brooks, and VERY nice. I didn't like how the spectators crowded the course at the finish.

I thought that this was definitely a runner's marathon - it was flat and fast, although the weather (high around 45 and pretty windy) wasn't all that great this year. It was so windy that my eyes dried out and I lost a contact lens. There were some very pretty parts of the course that showed off the fall colors, but I didn't necessarily like the out-and-backs where you had to cross paths with the other runners. You never quite knew when you would finally be able to turn around. I thought that it was a bit strange that there was not a chip time at the half marathon mark either. Maybe in the future part of the course will run in the actual downtown of Grand Rapids, and skip some of the odd out-and-backs. The industrial park around mile 18 was very windy and not fun - not to mention it was sort of strange running past a sewage treatment plant.

Yet if anyone is looking for a marathon to do in Michigan, I would still recommend this one. The technical t-shirts were GREAT! The water stops and porta-potties were plentyiful. Another suggestion I would say would be to make sure the spectators STAY off the course at the finish line - I almost tripped over a toddler who ran in front of me. The medals were nice, and the hotels were very close to the start. Maybe the half marathoners could start at 7 in the future; it was sort of de-motivating to be running with them. I REALLY loved the celebrity pace groups (I almost managed to stick with the P-Diddy pacers, but ended up just beating Oprah).

I was severely disappointed by my race. Hoping for 3:30 and ran 3:37. Weather was absolutely perfect: 38 degrees, dry and not a cloud in the sky. It was windy, though. The one-mile loop in Millenium Park should be taken out. It got too crowded. A few too many hairpin turns. I am nit-picking, though. The course was beautiful, and organization superb. the best "small" marathon I have ever run. The race director, Don Kern, is great. He was giving hugs at the finish!

Overall, I enjoyed the race, but there were a few things I was less than wild about: The three out-and-back sections for the full marathon got a bit tedious, especially the middle one that went through a business park. It was a very windy section, and going by a sewage treatment plant twice didn't help. Most of the course was very enjoyable. Lots of trees, no traffic concerns at all, and the volunteers were fantastic. Few spectators along the course, but that never bothers me at any race. The organization was great and everyone involved was friendly. I'd come back.