I enjoy smaller marathons more than the mega-events, so I thoroughly enjoyed this race. The course was mostly in the country, with rolling hills and was very scenic. The cold and very windy day made the course pretty difficult. The fans and volunteers were very supportive, and there was great camaraderie among the relatively small field of marathoners. Volunteers brought homemade soups and chili for post-race food, which was excellent.

Very hilly; my first marathon, but I also live in the Ozarks and trained on hills. Miles 22 or 23 to 25 or so were rough, essentially one long hill. But the support was great. Not many spectators, given the chilly, windy, sleety conditions and rural area. Not for those who need a lot of crowd support, but okay for those who train alone in rural areas and feel comfortable with this. Running on the state highway was interesting at times, to say the least, but I felt relatively safe. The aid station folks (towards the end) crossed the road for you if you were on the wrong side (thank you!!). Great, great food... both during the course (a huge selection of fruit, pretzels, multiple kinds of cookies, Hammer Gels, PowerAde, and water at each and every aid station, and there were LOTS of aid stations) and after (homemade chillies and soups, and bread sticks from a pizza place, etc.). Great massage too. Really friendly people. It's definitely a challenge, and even for my first marathon, it was a good kind of challenge. I enjoyed it (although I wasn't saying that during that long hill towards the end)!

This was a tough course, with hills and the wind. The race volunteers and local police support were exemplary. Food was available at most of the aids stations, and even for us slowpokes at the end: Chili, beans, cookies, fruit, etc. Everyone was very supportive and friendly.

This is an extremely small, but very well organized marathon. All pre/post-race activities, as well as race start/finish, are at the local high school, so access and available parking are not issues. Aid stations were plentiful, well manned and well stocked. Course was generally well marked and there were volunteers at turns to direct you on course, as well as many law enforcers directing traffic at intersections. Course scenery is engaging - heavily wooded rural areas for the most part, and the course itself is quite challenging, with rolling hills after the first 3 miles or so, with some significant hill climbing/downhills. There were 2 out-and-back sections on the course, allowing you the opportunity to see/talk to other runners on the course, but with less than 60 marathon finishers, people were pretty spread out over the course. Food at the finish was plentiful. Overall, a really well run race - I'm only wishing I would have run it in 2007 before the course was changed to add hills in the 2nd half of the course!

This race was an excellent way to see what Mountain Home, AR is all about. Getting to the race showed a lot of the back roads and terrain the race had to offer. The people in this town were some of the friendliest we've ever encountered. The red carpet was literally rolled out, as the race support and aid stations made you feel very special. Out on the course they would come to you offering every type of drink or supplement they could carry in their arms. They were full of smiles and thank yous for coming to their community and helping the cause. You never had to go more than 1 1/2 - 2 miles before another aid station and there were many port-a-potties if anyone needed one. The race director really put extra effort into the comforts of the runners. The police in the community were out driving the course the whole race making sure us runners were safe.

The first few miles were in the neighborhoods surrounding the high school and college then headed out into the rural area that tested your endurance in 25 mph winds and many rolling hills. The scenery out in the rural area was everything I hoped for and all the cattle were a bonus. It surely wasn't my fastest run, but it was by far one of the most enjoyable.

I like that the money goes to Kenya, a worthy cause. It was the primary reason I returned this year. But the change in course to a much hillier one from last year is a deal-breaker for me. One of the toughest courses I have ever run. Not for a first-timer or someone trying to qualify for Boston. Wasn't always sure which side of the highway to run on. If I ran on the left side, the water stations were on the right; if I switched, they were on the left. Not much of any shoulder to run on, so you had to run on the highway and keep an eye on traffic.

I ran this marathon in 2007 and had an amazingly wonderful time. The scenery was beautiful, the race was extremely well organized, and the people were very supportive. There was water, Gatorade, gel, and food at every station, and each one had a unique and fun theme. This marathon was definitely worth the trip. Thanks.

The course finishes miles away from the post-race activities, requiring a shuttle to get back to the start line, which is primarily why I gave it 4 stars. It's almost like running two courses, since the second half of the course is flat (running along a river), though the pavement is rough (like compressed gravel). First half is hilly, with the decline after mile 14 being the most extreme road downhill I've ever encountered - my heels felt like they were going to burn off. Lots of scenery and variety.

Race is very well organized and the post-race massage was the best I've ever received - the therapist is not a clock-watcher and really takes time with each runner. Delicious post-race food, and the Friday night feed was excellent (bow tie pasta was very delicious).

Spectators were sparse, but enthusiastic.

Very worthy cause if you are looking to participate in a marathon to help others. Funds raised by this marathon have helped to install 20 fresh water wells for a village in Kenya. Fresh water is something we take for granted, but these people used to have to spend all day just gathering dirty water for their needs. Certainly help put things in perspective with every water stop.

This race was so much fun and so well organized that I am sure to do it again. The course featured rolling hills of beautiful scenery all the way until mile 15 where it flattened out in the White River flats. The number of spectators was low but they were so enthusiastic that they really gave runners a lift. The race support was excellent and the free massage at the end was a treat. Speaking of treats, they had home-made chili and soups, plus awesome deserts for the runners at the end. This is a marathon worth getting to and it is for a really worthwhile cause. Thanks to Race Director Laura Kassinger and the volunteers. Y'all are awesome.

I went to Mountain Home, Arkansas this past weekend to run in the marathon there. It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision on my part. You meet really interesting people at every race. A group of guys I met in Mt. Home were going to run this marathon on Saturday and then drive to Tulsa, OK, for that marathon on Sunday (and my wife thinks I am nuts!). We ran in Arkansas on a beautiful day. Shortly after the run I saw them off to Tulsa and I went home.

The Mountain Home Marathon is a charity event started just a couple of years ago to help a village in Kenya. As part of this event, they have a 5K, half-marathon and full marathon for adults - and a young children's "marathon" for 5 and under kids. I won't bore you with the details of how it all got started, but there was a short presentation at the pre-race pasta dinner to inform people why they hold this event. It is a small event, with no more than 150 participants in the 4 races. Even so, in the short time they have been doing it they have managed to raise over $56,000.00, with virtually all of this money going to the village they have adopted. World Vision administers the funds, and at least 87% of all money raised gets to the target village. Knowing this did not make the marathon any easier, but it gave me a good feeling to know where my entry fee went and to know that it was going to help somebody's life a little bit.

A key point of emphasis is that the organization and support for this race was excellent.

The weather on Saturday was perfect; it was about 45 degrees F at the start of the race and slightly overcast, and by the end of the race it was clear and sunny and over 70 degrees F. There were not many participants in the marathon - I estimate about 50 or fewer. The marathon, half-marathon and 5K all starting at 8 a.m. The kids event was at 11 a.m., before the post-race lunch began. The marathon and the 5K started together ran a loop through the Arkansas State University, Mt Home, campus. The marathoners continued past the 5K finish and out into the country. The half-marathon started at the halfway point for the marathon and finished at the same place as the marathon. The race was very well organized with good support at the many aid stations throughout the course. The race was a point-to-point course and was kind of a two-part race; the first 14 miles were very hilly, with some very steep downhill sections, and the last 12 miles as flat as a table top. In the first part of the race, the uphill sections were not as steep as the downhill sections, but were longer. The scenery was very interesting and pleasant fall colors were abundant throughout the race, but particularly in this part of the run. The first part of the race, particularly the downhill sections, was very hard on the legs. The last 12 miles were out-and-back section run on a very flat road along a river in a valley and was without much shade or breeze. The temperatures did not get "hot," but it did get warm enough to affect the runners. This part of the race was hard on your mind, but that is not unusual for a marathon. The last 6 miles or so is always a test of the mental fitness of the runner as much as it is the physical fitness. Overall I give this event high ratings in most categories with the exception of ease of access. There is no easy way to get to Mountain Home, but the drive up from Memphis was very pretty. Other than this, it was a fun event with very nice people and excellent hospitality. I will do it again!