This was my 68th marathon start, and with a sunny, hot marathon like this, there need to be more aid stations. The race director said it was hard to get aid set up on the dike. BOOOO! A table, supplies, and volunteers who care is all you need. And ICE is critical to cool the water and the body. It's a known fact that cold water is more quickly absorbed by the body. The medical personnel need to be visible. I didn't see any on the course. Because I felt unsafe on the course because of that lack of support I dropped out at mile 17, rather than risk a heat injury.

I ran the marathon and enjoyed the experience.

I would encourage the director to have more water stops in future years. Having only 10 stops for a marathon is a bit low. I would think 13 would be a minimum? Once every 2 miles for sure.

The medals are a very thin... but they are ok.

I would just offer the technical shirts for everyone. I was glad I paid the extra $10 for the tech shirt. The cotton one seemed pretty lame in comparison. Just set the price so that everyone has to get the same type of shirt.

The course was nice and flat.

Once I finished the out-and-back, I found myself catching up to a lot of the half-marathoners. I'm not sure it helps my pace when you are constantly going around walkers and slower runners.

The post-race treat of strawberry shortcake and hot dogs was a unique treat. It would be nice to have sports drink/soda for the finishers in addition to the water and HEED.

Overall, this was a very nice small marathon. There were no age groups awards - just prizes for the top 10 - but that is ok.

Nice 4th of July tradition for the people who live close by.

Just a few tweaks and it can be even better.

I should know better than to run a marathon in the summer. The course needed a few more aid stations with it being so warm. They seemed so far apart at times. There were no timing mats on the course to prevent cutting the course. I think that would have been good, and it's always nice to have an official split of some sort. The medals are pretty cheap as well. I won't do this marathon again, nor will I do another one in the summer.

I ran this marathon back in '04 and the parking, traffic, and finish area are MUCH improved even though the number of runners are way up. It's come a long way. Not many spectators but I didn't expect or plan on many. The aid stations were excellent and filled with motivated personnel. The course is certainly flat but had a nice, rural feel to it. The strawberry shortcake was just as good as I remembered it. I think I drooled for 26 miles in anticipation. If I had a complaint it would be that I couldn't pick up my race packet after 4:00 p.m. the day before. However, after an early arrival on race day the pick-up went smoothly and without any congestion. They also had plenty of porta-potties, which for some small races seems to get overlooked. I think it's a great little marathon and I'd do it again if I'm in the area over the 4th!!

Very rustic and pleasant course through farmland and vineyards and along the river. It could hardly have been any more FLAT, which I liked. Cloud cover kept the temperatures comfortable, though humidity was a factor. The start and finish area was very charming, with plenty to entertain us as we walked off the post-marathon stiffness (a farmers produce store, bounce house, gift shop, vendors). This is not a glamorous or showy marathon; it's just down-home and comfortable. Anyone who wants spectators and glitz may not like it. This would be like the polar opposite of the Tiffany-medal-type marathon, which I found relaxing and fun. No crowding and whatever the parking problems of the past have been; they appear to have been solved. The shirts were very nice - Dri-Fit, technical.

This was such a flat course, but it had very pretty scenery on the sidelines. And that is pretty much all there is - you, the road, the pretty flowers, water, and occasional homes. It seems the island that the race is run on is closed for the race, so the only cars are those of other racers who are coming to or leaving the race. There are aid stations with nice people and restrooms every few miles, and good mile markers.

I think the flat and scenic course more than made up for it being a double loop. Whatever I missed on the first go around I was able to see on the second.

The aid stations were filled with wonderful volunteers. There was plenty to drink, as well as lots of encouragement.

The start/finish area was nice and I particularly enjoyed the strawberry short cake at the finish.

I hope this race doesn't grow too big too soon, and lose the charm and character that makes it so great.

Thanks for a fantastic race!

2007 may have been disappointing based on previous comments, but what a great marathon race in 2008! In summary:
- Fast/flat 2-loop marathon course on a beautiful scenic island
- Small number of marathoners
- Excellent, friendly organization; water and electrolytes were plentiful during the race
- Easy parking (get there early), plenty of medals/shirts
- Post-race hot dogs, strawberry shortcake, and local iced coffee

The faster half marathon runners do catch up (they start 15 minutes later) and are co-mingled with the marathoners for the 1st loop; however, once they are finished, the 2nd loop is like a training run. I like the solitude as opposed to the congestion of bigger marathons, but runners looking for loud fan support may be disappointed.

I highly recommend this race! Great way to celebrate the 4th of July.

This is my 14th marathon. The water stations are too far apart, especially the last quarter of the marathon. The reason I like running marathons is that the organizers provide drinks so that I don't have to. They were out of sports drink at the second-to-last aid station, when I really needed it. You might add an aid station or two at the very end. I think I was saved by the cloudy weather. Beautiful course.

This race was a blast. My first half marathon and I'm for sure coming back to do it again. For the size of the race, it was handled well. You can't expect everything, so be warned if you're going to be towards the back to bring your own liquid. If not receiving a medal or t-shirt defines the race for you, then I guess you do have a right to complain. For the money, however, it is unfortunate because the shirts are very nice quality. The gravel at the end was nice because it gave the course a little bit of variety and really made you earn the last mile. Great race, if you weren't too busy listening to your iPod to realize it.