Nice to have been part of this inaugural race with nice scenery and wonderful spectators. Problem is the start is straight into an ascent; very twisty and continuous hills (esp. Noelton Drive at Mile 7) the whole way, which took the wind out of my sails. If the hills could be toned down, I'd revisit. Also, neither rubdown tables at the finish nor medals, both of which were surprising.

There's a lot that could be done to make it special. The finish was awesome, Neyland Stadium - 50-yard line, absolutely awesome. But the course!!! Jeez Louise - yes, I know Knoxville is hilly, but there's plenty of flat around that I, an out-of-towner saw... the hill @ mile 25.5, really!?! The 3-mile out-and-back (mile 20 -23), blech! Yes, it showcased the city, but even a few natives felt better course planning was in order... the post-race was ehhh... good music, nice park, standard food... on a cold day it would have been awful, but this was a 'chamber of commerce' day. Expo pretty good... I enjoyed it as a training run for Boston, and I may do this again, someday. Good first effort, but I think room for improvement... especially with such a DYNAMIC track club as the KTC. Good luck with it.

This was a very well-organized marathon, particularly for an inaugural event. The Knoxville Track Club did everything right, including the little things, which, if neglected, detract unfairly from an otherwise successful event. The packet pickup, pasta dinner, and baggage area were all located conveniently at the convention center, and the start was right outside, a short walk from several downtown hotels (also, no standing around for an hour freezing while you wait for the race to begin). Everything was on time.

The course does indeed earn the description (or epithet) 'rolling,' as there are several hills, particularly in the first half of the race - no real killers, but certainly enough to get your attention. The water stops were well staffed (thank you, volunteers!) and there were plenty of them. I never found myself thinking 'when-oh-when do we get to the next cup of water?' The course also has some nice variety: a stretch along the river through attractive neighborhoods, a few miles in the park, the Old City, as well as some so-so areas that you are going to find in any urban marathon. There were not many spectators, mostly family and friends and some Knoxville residents in front of their homes, but those who came out were very friendly and supportive.

Traffic control compliments of the police and the National Guard was absolutely superb. Finishing inside Neyland Stadium is wonderful, one of the nicest finish lines I've experienced. There may not have been 50,000 screaming fans, but you could certainly imagine them, and seeing yourself on that gigantic screen crossing the finish line is a real hoot.

In terms of suggestions for improvements, I really cannot think of much besides perhaps making the mile markers a little more prominent. Also, the web site could be a tad better organized, and the last minute instructions should have been posted earlier - I almost missed them.

One final comment: As often happens during a marathon, I struck up conversations with several fellow runners along the way - always fun. At about mile 14 (when a marathon is starting to be un-fun) I started a conversation with a local runner, and it turns out that we stuck together through thick and thin for the next 12 miles. A special 'thank you' to Lindsay (a UT graduate) for helping this old out-of-towner finish marathon #29.

The organizers of this inaugural marathon deserve great credit for excellent work! Great location for packet pickup, start, finish, and post-race food area (required walk to last helped ease soreness). Course security was excellent; volunteers were ample and cheerful; water stops and portolets were ample and well distributed. Spectators were great in residential areas and market area but sparse elsewhere. A few streets had rough surfaces, but not nearly as bad as Las Vegas or Mardi Gras. The course is quite hilly but, as one sign said, 'Flat marathons are for wimps!' Come enjoy a great marathon, but train on hills before you get here!

For my first marathon, I thought the fan support was outstanding, extremely well organized, and great finish in the UT Stadium. Plenty of water stops along the way. It was a bit hard having to go away from the city around mile 18 for a final leg, but overall great experience. I thought the hills posed a good challenge, but there were plenty of good, flat stretches. Congrats to 'volunteers' on a wonderful first marathon for Knoxville! We loved it.

I'm from Knoxville and this was also my first marathon. I'm used to running the hills here so that really didn't bother me at all. The course was great and really showed off Knoxville very well. I can't say enough good things about the organization and how everything was handled. They did a first-class job for their first one. The best part was finishing on the 50-yard line in Neyland Stadium!!! Go VOLS!!!!

I thought the Inaugural Knoxville Marathon was a smashing success in every respect. Great expo in the very spacious Convention Center. Bib number, T-shirt and goodie bag pickup couldn't have been easier. Beautiful, scenic course that threads through some of Knoxville's prettiest neighborhoods. Terrific finish inside Neyland Stadium. Great post-race festivities with amazing food (everything from strawberry-banana smoothies to dried cranberries). I think organizers should be really proud of what they have accomplished in only their first year. When I compare this race to the dreadfully organized Country Music Marathon in Nashville (which is twice as expensive), which I ran last year, the Knoxville Marathon comes out miles on top.

I believe this race will in the near future earn the cachet of being one of the must-do marathons in the United States, taking its spot along such perennial favorites as the Marine Corps, Grandma's and Twin Cities to name but a few.

Kudos! I'll be back.

I have run many inaugural marathon events in the past and this one surpasses them all. From the course volunteers that took great pride in their marathon thanking everyone for running in their town to the Cytomax drinks at almost every water stop, Knoxville represented the best. A bit hilly at first but picturesque and scenic. The weather was perfect and if it were a bit nippy at first, the starting line was adjacent to the new Knoxville Convention Center and could have huddled there until the start. The finish was classy, at the 50-yard line in Neyland Stadium at the University of Tennnessee.

This is a definite event to participate in and one for which I will return next year and many thereafter.

Marathons, like wine, get better with time. Often, the inaugural version of a 26.2 mile race is not only far from an ultimate event, it?s far from an enjoyable event. Such was not the case with the inaugural Knoxville Marathon ? a spectacularly organized, well supported, yet very grueling race.

Start with the good parts ? the organization of the Knoxville Marathon beat the socks off races 20 times its age. From the website to packet pickup to quick e-mail responses from the race organizers, the people behind this race clearly are on their toes. The downtown location (near the hotels), adequate restrooms, and well-stocked after-race treats already put this race above many others. In fact, the Knoxville Marathon was so on the ball that the race actually started two minutes early!

While the crowds weren?t New York-esque, Knoxville isn?t New York. That said, there was an incredible amount of crowd support, from people on sidewalks to people on porches, cheering on the runners at almost every turn. The water stops were more than plentiful, staffed by enthusiastic volunteers and a far cry from the usual problems experienced at most first- and second-time races. Even the weather gods shined down upon this race.

Now for the few not-so-perfect parts. The water alternative ? a substance called Cytomax, which was more like dish soap than Gatorade ? was a poor substitute for the normal race options. But the main demerit of the Knoxville Marathon was the course.

The layout of the race is beautiful. It is scenic. It shows you some of the prettiest areas in Knoxville. It also shows you practically every hill the city has to offer. The online course profile is no joke ? this race takes you up and down at a frenetic pace, including an opening hill, a challenging hill at the mile 7 mark, and a disheartening hill (as you re-cross the starting line) at mile 26. Flat sections are few and far between, excluding a out-and-back loop from mile 21 through 23, and a demoralizing trip down a highway on-ramp, across a lane of traffic, and across a highway bridge at mile 20. Again, the course is beautiful, and perhaps the least hilly one could expect given the city?s proximity to the mountains... however, it does not make for a p.r. by any stretch of the imagination.

Still, all in all, Knoxville is a five-star inaugural and a four-star race. With such a dedicated and thoughtful effort behind it, there is little doubt this race will only continue to improve.

Knoxville- you should be very happy with yourselves! Great marathon. Course is challenging but it is Knoxville. It would be hard to take the hills out of this one. Beautiful city and great organization. You don't need to change a thing. Awesome finish line, medal and finisher shirt!