I did the half marathon and enjoyed it so much I had to post my comments.
The drive to Mountain home was beautiful which was a real treat! Packet pickup was a breeze and all the race folks were very friendly! The course was flat...really folks! My Garmin showed very little elevation change. I liked the out and back course because even though there were no spectators, all the runners were encouraging each other and it was enough! Water stops were plentiful and they had powerade at all of them.It was cold that morning but the 'bag drop' was right up by the start line so we kept our jackets on right up till start time. The post race massage was great and the post race meal was delicious! The people of Mountain Home are warm and friendly and the race is for a very good cause. Our hotel gave us an outrageously late checkout time so we all got to have a nice hot shower!! I loved this race and plan to do it again!

Course description was right on. Small town easy to find your way around in. At the finish, they had four dessert tables. Much better than any bake sale you've ever been at.

Organization was good. Crews at each support station were encouraging and they made great spectators. Thank you for the water and sport drink. The gel was helpful beyond measure. Some places on the course felt a little lonely but every turn was manned and the police get my applause for their help. My family got lost trying to find the finish line and missed my entry so I wish there was a picture I could buy. This was my first marathon and loved it. Thank you for making the effort for a great cause. I am glad I participated.

I ran in this year's Mountain Home and it was a great experience. I ran in the marathon and my son was able to participate in the 5K. The course is hilly, however scenic. The strengths of this marathon are the volunteers and the cause - to support orphan children in Kenya. The pre-race dinner was an added bonus and the after-race homemade desserts would be hard to match.

My first, and the experience has made me want to do it again. Well placed and well manned aid stations with enthusiastic local supporters. The run can get a bit lonely at times with so few participants, but I commend the organizers for a race well done.

I ran the 5K in 2004 and I wanted to be up to a bigger challenge for 2005, which I was. I ran the marathon and trained most of the year for it. It was an experience I will never forget (instead of the old 3.1 miles, running 26.2 miles).

This is the 'down home comfort food of marathons.' A rural country marathon with enthusiastic town support. The course is challenging but not so difficult as to take away from the enjoyment of beautiful countryside. The post-race feed was a potluck provided by the local residents. The water stops were enthusiastically manned.

Even though this was the smallest number of participants I've ever run with, it was definitely one of the best run races I've ever had the pleasure of doing. Running with both first-timers and extreme marathon veterans was a real treat. The rolling hills in the first half were a great warm up... nowhere near as hilly as I was expecting. Of course, looking up at the bluffs towering over the White River, and at the little dripping springs adjacent to the course, was pleasantly distracting toward the second half of the run, which was very flat and fast.
The aid stations were fantastic. Nothing was missing. They were all well located manned with enthusiastic and efficient crews. This race support far out-performed the ironman-distance triathlon I did this fall. I also talked with friends who just got back from the Dublin, Ireland marathon. They had only water and some gatorade every 3 miles; no gels, no bananas, no grapes, pretzels, or cookies, which were available at nearly all the aid stations in the MHM (Mountain Home Marathon). They were really roughing it. It was fun bragging on the MHM support!
Since I get even more stupid when I'm exhausted, I left my drop bag (another 'big race' type treat) at the finish line, which is several miles from the start/post-race meal/parking location. It was brought back for me, but another runner unintentionally placed it where no one would find it for a while. Before I left, the race director had a whole team of assistants tracking it down. I got a call on my cellphone while driving home (Houston) only a few hours later saying the contents would be mailed to me Monday morning. Where else could one get such personal service rectifying one's own screw up?
These are just a few examples of the joys of a small but growing event such as this. I'm glad I was able to participate. I even PR'd over my San Diego time!!

-Rick Hood
8 marathons

The course was difficult because of the hills, but the scenery was beautiful and the people and aid stations were great! I would definitely recommend it for people wanting to run in Arkansas.

This is the perfect marathon for folks looking for a scenic country run with decent support, enthusiastic helpers, and just enough difficulty to let you know you earned your 26.2. The course begins to challenge early on with some rolling hills that require some smart running, but relents at the half-way point giving runners a flat last 11 miles or so.

A little town with fewer than 70 marathoners does not leave much for crowd support, but that's OK, I don't run marathons to be cheered on by strangers.

I plan on coming back to this gem every year.