My wife and I stayed at the host hotel, which was adjacent to the expo and the start was right outside the lobby doors. Like many races now, it seems, the half-marathon field dwarfed that of the full. There is a dramatic change at around 13 miles when the field splits and you suddenly wonder why the road seems so empty, but after a short adjustment period it was nice for the marathoners to have the aid stations to ourselves.

The live music was very good, but if you need continuous entertainment and large cheering crowds, you will be disappointed. Don't worry that the 5K and half runners will eat all of the food, as the marathoners have their own private refreshment room at the post-race "party" and are very well treated.

My wife ran the 5K, a friend ran the half, and I ran the full marathon - and all of us had an enjoyable experience. There is also a one-mile kid's race, so I would recommend this as a great place to bring the whole family to run their favorite distance; just don't expect to PR in any of them, as the courses are hilly.

The first half of this race is as pretty as anything I've run. Knoxville is full of attractive, historic neighborhoods. A 2-3 mile section is run through a peaceful green-way (a feat that could not be managed for a larger race, given the narrowness of the path). Hills are a moderate issue, but I managed to post a pretty good time despite training in the Hoosier flatlands, so they can't be that bad. The organization can't be beat - the whole thing runs like clockwork, and the enthusiasm of the volunteers is wonderful. Most people run the half, so it gets a little lonely after the split - but the great thing is that the relatively few spectators there are after the split seem to put forth an extra effort for the marathoners.

I loved this race. The medal was nice and the finisher's hat was sweet. The course was tough but the weather was perfect. The locals were the very polite and helpful. The aid stations seemed to be perfectly spaced. Live music as promised (not the case in Cleveland). If you love to run, then run this race. It's not flat, and it's not fast; if you're not after a PR, you'll have a blast.

This marathon was different. I have run 18 before, and this was the first at which I used a Velcro strap/timing chip around the ankle. Odd, but it worked okay. The expo was small, but it got the job done. I remembered how much I hate one-way streets while trying to find a place to park. The start was on time and efficient. The course was great for the first half. The second half felt like an afterthought. I was laughing as we ran past highway construction and across highway entrance ramps and absolutely dead city streets. The fans were excellent and always cheering you on. Neighborhoods were proud of who they were and the musicians were a nice touch. I didn't like the end. Super steep downhill with a long, painful uphill finish in a stadium - and then have to walk a quarter mile to be able to sit down with food and drink. annoying. The awards ceremony and results posting were soooooooooooooo slow that I got tired of waiting for 3+ hours and left. I thought that is what computers were for. The amount and quality of food at the post-race was great.

Overall, the charm of the city and the challenge of the course made this run. They just have some details to iron out.

So they have some hills in Knoxville. They come early and often. I was o.k. with the climbs but there were a couples of steep downhills where I was putting the brakes on. Great organization, and I stayed at the 4 Points 200 yards from the start for a very easy morning. Thanks to the volunteers, very polite Knoxville P.D. and KTC. Knoxville Marathon, may you grow and prosper.

The first half of the race is quite pretty, as you go out along the river and through neighborhoods with lots of people watching and cheering. There were maybe 10 or so musicians set up along the way, which was nice. The finish in the stadium is fun.

There were only about 600 marathoners and spectators thinned out a bit after the halfway mark and there are some lonely stretches in the second half.

The terrain is hilly but not extremely so. Logistics were excellent. Water stops and toilets were plentiful. Traffic was well controlled.

Overall, I would recommend this race to anyone who wants to do a friendly race and doesn't mind a few hills.

Very hilly, but Knoxville is very hospitable and fun! You can still run a pretty good time and it's good for the legs, I think.

I ran the half marathon and overall, it is a great race. As has been said many times before, it is quite hilly in sections, some very steep, so be prepared. Otherwise, this is one race to add to your list. The organization is second to none, the expo is the perfect size (not too large, not too small), and the goody bag contains some nice treats that I didn't expect. The location of the start and finish is ideal and convenient to all the downtown hotels. The food at the post-race party was a bit sparse, but I didn't come to Knoxville for the food. Hats off to Jason for being one great race director and putting together one of the best race events out there!

I liked this marathon a lot. But make no mistake about it, it's hilly. Also, it's a small marathon; most people run the half, so at mile 12 you're pretty much on your own.

Pros:
-Expo was the perfect size, and packet pickup was easy.
-Parking was easy at the start and finish.
-Ample water stops.
-Terrific post-race party, and they take care of the full marathoners here.
-I liked the short-sleeve, green, cotton shirt. I don't need another technical shirt, and I don't need another long-sleeve shirt. I wear the green shirt around with pride.

Cons:
-It's hilly; most are short hills, but it is hilly.
-The weather can be unpredictable. In 2007, it was warm with on-and-off light rain. The rain actually felt good.
-If you're borderline about qualifying for Boston, then this race isn't for you - it's hard to PR here.

It's a great, fun race.

Knoxville is a nice city... very clean, which is surprising for a college town. Course was fine. I really liked running some of the neighborhoods, but why not run more through the city? I loved running over the bridge - very pretty. It's really beautiful downtown; they should show it off more and loop through the historic district. Some of the course was run through a construction zone, which was not a lot of fun. Should have more porta-potties along the course, and more food along the way too. Luckily I took food and some guy offered me a lot of money for my banana... but I didn't take the $50. Yes, my banana was worth more to me at that point. The hills were fine. I'm used to it being hilly from the Magic City. What I didn't appreciate was folks yelling "last hill" when it wasn't. Nice finish... running into the stadium was neat. It rained at the start, and was very humid by the end of the race.