I ran the half-marathon. The course is out and back along the same paved bike path. The course was very scenic. Parts of the course, you got a great view of the Potomac. There were lots of trees, so plenty of shade. We were lucky the temperature was cooler than expected. I did the early bird start and am glad there was that option. It did get warmer later in the day and there were a few spots unshaded, so I was glad I wore my running visor. The course had a bit of rolling hills, not bad at all (I train in San Francisco though:)).

Jay Jacob Wind was really helpful. I had some specific questions about the race and he was really prompt in getting back to me.

There were 5 water stations with water and Ultima. Since it was an out and back that really meant 10. There were few spectators, but they were very enthusiastic.

Some suggestions for next year:

There were a total of 4 places for bathrooms. The places that had only porta-potties there was only 1 porta-potty. I waited at least 5 minutes, which was really frustrating. I think adding 1 extra porta-potty at Alexandria Ave and Fort Hunt Park would be great.

The mile markers were really small and it was in red/orange color and off to the right side. I didn't see my first mile marker until mile 5. By that time, my splits were completely off. Since it was an out and back race, I know they had to label 2 sets of numbers each way. I'm sure the park would not appreciate huge chalked numbers all over the paved path. I think it would have been helpful to warn us ahead of time that the numbers were orange and off to the right side and small, so I would have been looking out for them. There were also laminated cards with numbers, but these numbers were not in the same location as the chalked numbers and were really different from the chalked numbers, so didn't know if I was suppose to go by them or not.

I didn't give the course a 5 because there were quite a few walkers and bikers that you had to dodge. I almost ran into a couple walking because I was trying to avoid some bikers.

Overall, it was a good race. If I'm ever in the area during that time of the year, I would run this race again.

What a great site for a marathon! This double out and back loop runs along the Potomac River from Alexandria to Mount Vernon on the paved bike path. It is NOT flat, but the hills are manageable, but frequent. Your legs will feel it by the end. Not many spectators, but the double loop allows for plenty of water stops. You can't beat the scenery, with the Potomac River and its denizens steps from the path. It's glorious! Don't expect to PR, although I did on an unseasonably cool day in May. Count on some shade as the path winds through the trees for some extended stretches. That helps, given the late season timing of this race. All in all, a lovely course, not overcrowded, plenty of race support, just not many fans. I'd run it again in a heartbeat...

I ran the half marathon. It's not as flat as advertised! (No worries, it's all part of the fun) However, the weather was perfect for race day. Would have preferred better signage notating 1/2 marathon and full marathon finish (other than a cardboard sign w/ black writing...hard to read when you're concentrated on finishing). I like the technical race shirt, but there were too many sponsors listed on it (perhaps list only MAJOR sponsors for next year's shirt?). Organization was great...shuttles from/to host hotel were great too. (A better PA system @ the start line is needed for race announcements (the RD was very hard to hear, and I was 4-5 rows back! (didn't directly speak into bullhorn)). I'll telling my running buddies about this one!

I found the mile markers hard to see (red paint on asphalt), and the course was too crowded with people out enjoying the nice day. Maybe a better race in lousier weather when the bike trail is less heavily used.

Everything was just perfect for a marathon. It had everything that anyone would need.

The course was scenic. But very poorly marked. Oftentimes, I had no idea how many miles I had to go. There were cards with mileage numbers on them at various places, but these were incorrect.

There also seemed to be too few refreshment stands. No gel was available.

Also, there was so much stuff going on at once (i.e. half-marathon, early bird starters), it was hard to tell what was going on in terms of the race.

And last but not least - the race director said the results would be posted "by nightfall." But night has fallen and has since past and still no results yet.

...not only did the weather cooperate, but the race managed to draw a fast pack of runners from Ethiopia and Kenya as well as Zupan and his friends ('Murderball'). I ran the 1/2 marathon; the race is a double loop for the full marathon.

If you can, train on the course. Trail markers are posted, but they do not match the race mile markers.

I actually ran the half-marathon, which is the first loop of the two-loop marathon course, so I hope my comments help people considering running either the marathon or the half.

The course was the same as 2004 and it has some really lovely views and it is entirely run along the Mount Vernon Bike Trail. I frankly enjoy the views and like to train there and have run numerous races there. The trail is mostly asphalt, with some wooden bridges and a couple small street crossings. There are a couple good hills - I tend to like hills and these are challenging. You run by a lot of historic 'stuff' and there is plenty of shade.

This year there were more spectators, since the race management team had put out a spectators' guide and encouraged them out.

This year had a 'laughter' warm up, which I thought was a nice touch. Even though, as I said, I was running the half-marathon, I remember all the times I have stood at marathon start lines feeling some jitters and I could see a couple runners who seemed to have them. The laughter leader really helped anyone with that issue get over it - everyone did their real warm-up and then came to the start for the laughter warm-up and the recorded anthem.

Finisher medals are given to all finishers of either the marathon or the half. The t-shirt is one you would actually want to wear, as it is a Sports Science shirt (not cotton) and has reflective ink.

Btw, if for any reason you set out to run the full marathon but feel it is not a good day for you, you can bag at the half marathon finish line and decide on the fly. In such a small race, the finish line people are going to be very savvy about who finished what race.

My only criticism of the race is that with various people finishing at different times it is a little difficult to ferry finishers back to their hotel 'right now.' If you don't bring your own wheels, you may have to wait a little long for a ride. To me, the park is nice and it is worth it.

You should carpool to this race, or, if you are a local and have a good friend who is willing to get up early, you should get dropped off or picked up. There are not a lot of parking spaces. I carpooled to the start and it was fine - no problem getting a parking space - but people who can should do that to make sure there are spaces for all.

Btw, I think a 200-person race is a nice switch. It's fun to chat. It's very homey and small enough to be friendly.

First of all, in the interest of full disclosure, I've volunteered at this race the past two years. [That was me by the clock at the Riverside Park turn-around in 2004, and this year, I used my truck to drop off all non-H2O supplies at the water station.] So I *may* be biased.

But this year, I also did the full 26.2, and I'm glad I did. It was my 9th race, and not my best marathon (&$%@#& orthotics!), but the race is a gem, and one day will be famous as *the* spring marathon in the DC area.

As folks have mentioned, the course is a double-out-and-back along the Mount Vernon Trail, a paved bike path leading South from Alexandria to Mount Vernon. Unlike many riverside bike paths (and unlike sections of the MVT further north), this part has small, rolling hills over 2/3 of its length.

In my opinion, this can be worse than a few larger hills, because folks respect larger hills. With small hills (which you hit 4 times each on this course), you tend to tear up them, and race down them, both tiring yourself out and tearing up your quads. The course is beautiful, but it is not easy - nor flat.

The MVT parallels a 4-lane parkway to Mount Vernon, but there are not that many places for spectators to turn off and find parking. So there aren't throngs of cheering fans. But instead, where the trail veers away from the parkway, you run through nature preserves, and lots of shade from the May sun. Very scenic, expecially some of the AM views over the Tidal Potomac River.

Moreover, the trail is not closed during the race, and especially later in the morning, there are casual joggers and cyclists sharing the trail with you. But not as many as I would have thought.

However, where this race shines is in runner support (and not just because I had a hand in providing it). There are six water stations along the 6.5 mile course, meaning for the full, double-out-and-back you hit a water station 24 times in 26.2 miles. In addition to Drinkmore water and Ultima, there was Honest-T Tea, XS energy drink, Fig Newtons, and probably a lot of other things that I didn't even pay attention too. The race volunteers are runners, too, and they supplement the official race supplies with things *they* would want to have in the middle of a marathon.

Finally, for all the penguins out there, that support continues until the end. There is an early start, 30 minutes before the main start. But thanks to a late (for me) start after getting all the supplies out to the water stations, and also to an injury (&*%$^&#@ orthotics!) that had me walking the last 5 miles of the race, I was the last person to cross the finish line. Still, the organizers knew *exactly* who was still out on the course late into the race, and followed my progress through the last few water stations. At the end, the course marshal and the race director came out to walk in with me the last half mile, and the medical team was there at the end, to make sure it really was the &*$^&% orthotics, and not something more serious.

I hope that this race grows in size, as DC needs a quality *local* spring marathon on its calendar. But I hope that it doesn't lose its support of runners and quality organization in the process of growing.

Despite my own personal circumstances leading to a sub-par performance, a great little marathon. Thanks, Jay!