All in all this was a great race.
Two negatives for me. I registered very early and requested a small shirt. At pick up on Saturday they were out of smalls and they gave me a medium. I help organize a marathon every year and this should never happen. My shirt is WAY too big to wear and its a shame because it is very cute. Second, I could not find the food at the finish and two people I asked could not tell me where it was. No biggie, I got a pizza on the way back to the hotel.

The positives are many! The volunteers were fabulous, water was plentiful, and the military and police traffic control was superb. I parked 50 yards from the start less than 30 minutes before the start. The lack of starting mat didn't bother me, I just got toward the front and only lost 5 seconds. I loved running under the gigantic American flag, nice touch!! The course and roads were well maintained and the area along the water was very pretty. It's a fast mostly flat course, in fact it was my second fastest time ever.In my opinion, gels are the runner's responsibility so I didn't notice a lack of them. The football finish was the best part and super fun!

Watching 'We Are Marshall' before the race is a must. It makes the experience so much better. The medal and the jacket were both really nice and a big bang for the buck. If my shirt had been a small I would have rated this 5 stars. Really bummed about the shirt.
I do think I was one of the few that stuck around Sunday night, I like to celebrate a great run. This town pretty much shuts down on Sundays, it was a bummer not to be able to find anything open that had a good steak and martini.

I would definately recommend this race to 50 state members for West Virginia. It really was a great little race with great people!

Kudos to the people of Huntington WV and the Marshall University Marathon team. You've got a hidden gem here that will continue to grow as people catch on to the secret.

The good: Amazing swag. Early entry netted a real nice Brooks jacket, a race shirt, and a finisher medal when you're done. The expo was miniscule but packet pickup was easy (race day pickup available too). The pasta dinner was included in entry and the lines were nonexistent. Multiple restroom options pre-race (athletic center, porta-johns, stadium bathrooms) and the ability to warm up inside the athletic center made for a comfortable pre-race experience. The support from the police, the US Army and the other course marshals was first rate. Finishing on the football field and carrying a football across the goal line was a highlight. My best finisher photo to date in any race...spiking a football! You made this Veteran's Day extra special for this veteran who dedicated each mile to a fellow warrior.

The bad: The course wasn't exciting although the double loop was nice as you knew what you were getting into for the second half of the race. Crowd support could have been better on a gorgeous day. Really minor issues when it comes down to it.

The ugly: No timing mat at the start and no organization. I don't mind gun time if I know it's going to be gun time but why have timing bibs and mats on the course? I was catching up with some friends at back of the start area when all of a sudden the race took off...I never heard a starter. Likely 2 minutes added to my time according to my Garmin. Put a timing mat at the start line, please!

This race is a treasure and has the potential to be even better! I highly recommend it to anyone who needs to knock WV off their 50-states list or just wants to do a marathon.

I've run three of these marathons and have enjoyed each one, especially this year's as I ran with Mike Fremont, the 90-year-old, as he set a new American age record for the marathon. Fans and fellow runners showed respect for him and cheered him on from the chilly start to the warm finish at half past one. Kudos to the race directors for keeping police on the streets all that time to protect us. Very kind. You don't see a marathon record being set very often. Especially by a 90-year-old.

In my 50+ marathons, I would rank the swag here in the top five: beautiful Brooks running jacket, green short-sleeved Brooks shirt with appealing design, and a first class medal. For the early registration fee of $55, this was the marathon bargain of the year! Oh, and don't forget the included pasta dinner with only a small charge for non-runners.

The hills, if there are any, are imperceptible. It is the flattest marathon course Ive run and the double loop is great since you know whats in store in the last five miles. If you can't PR on this course, theres something wrong.

Last year the Ramada hotel where I stayed offered a late check-out but it did not offer it this year. Maybe new ownership?

I wish more Huntington residents would get involved and come out and cheer - or run. Maybe they will for the 10th running of this wonderful race - next year.

This was a well-run marathon that has potential to become great. First the negatives. There was some confusion with entry fee. HealthyHuntington advertised one price, but active.com showed a higher price. One had to dig further into registration to see the original, lower price. Also they had to bump the race date back a week, which might have caused headaches for some people. Some confusion where the start was located, and we couldn't hear the announcer (was there an announcer? starting mat?). Race course was fairly ugly - then again not much can be done about that without moving to another town, or climbing some grueling mountains. No gels offered. Very little crowd support, not even Marshall students.

The positives included a no-frills, intimate expo that featured a couple inspiring speakers, including 90-year-old Mike Fremont, who set an American record next day. Free hearty pasta dinner. Rec area that held the expo looked brand-new. Ease of parking - a local cop told me they don't enforce university parking permits on weekends. Race course was two loops along the river, so it was flat almost the whole way. Volunteers were friendly, with liquid stops every two miles. The course included the campus, as well as a crushed gravel path part of the way. Really cool finish inside the Marshall stadium (probably the only time I'll carry a football downfield with crowd cheering). Grilled hamburgers/hot dogs, cookies - and green bananas! Nice tech T-shirt and medal.

I ran this race for my 50 states. The negatives weren't enough to prevent me from coming back, since they obviously wanted everyone to have a good experience. I'll definitely return - if I ever finish my other states.

I was really impressed with this race. I was registered for NYC and was left scrambling for another race when it was cancelled. Was delighted to find this one and was even more impressed that they offered a discounted entry for NYC runners.

Huntington was easy to get to and we found a hotel across the river in OH. Packet pickup was easy and straightforward. Nice tech race T. I wish they had women's sizes but oh well. Found a nice restaurant downtown for dinner.

Race morning was very easily logistically. Easy parking, nice warm Rec center with indoor bathrooms (!!) one downside: there was no timing mat at the start so gun time only.

Course was very fast and flat. I actually liked the double loop course, was helpful in the late miles to know where I was going! I also liked that portions of the course had runners going in both directions (1st loop in and 2nd loop out). Being able to see and cheer for other is a nice boost.

Everyone was very nice. Great volunteers. I even had one chase me down and hand me watch after I botched a waterstop handoff.

Finish was really fun, even if I was far to tired to take the football handoff. Nice to hang out in the stadium afterwards.

Wish they had a small awards ceremony instead of just going to pick it up at the table...BUT...I was very impressed that instead of giving out trinkets the awards were donations made in your name to the Wounded Warrior Project. Very fitting for a Veteran's Day race.

Overall a great small race. Limited spectator support in parts, but I expect that in a small race. Great volunteers, fast course, really glad I found this one

This is a marathon that has been transformed into an artform. Easy packet pick-up, plenty of parking, many aid stations, no-line porta-potties, friendly staff..etc. My 1st race with 2 loops and I liked it. It was motivating to see other runners. Plus, you get to know exact locations of aid stations and can fine-tune your fluid intake. Fans was ample for a race of this size, and those who were there were very supportive. There were many aid stations and the volunteers provided plenty of support. Loved the football at the end. One input to organizers: some of the food were gone for later runners. I saw many non-runners enjoying them as well. The burgers and dogs were plentiful!
Highly recommended!!

THE GOOD. Great swag including the jacket, race shirt and medal. Park right next to the start line and the course. Finish on the famed football field in the endzone with a football. Flat course. Great course support. The finish line hamburgers were awesome.

THE CHALLENGES. The starting line seemed to lack organization. There were no starting mats. The course could use gu, and the finish line could use gatorade, bananas and bagels?

Great little no-hassle marathon. Everything goes smoothly. Easy packet pickup, short line for the free pasta dinner, easy to park near the start. The entry fee is amazing and you get so much for it. The water tables are frequent and well-staffed. The spectators are few but enthusiastic. Its what marathoning used to be - all about the running, not the bands and cheerleaders and the picnics along the way. Take a few gels in your pocket and enjoy the run. If you need a 26-mile party or bananas along the way, this isn't the race for you but if you like a well-organized, friendly, simple race, give Marshall a try.

If you don't need the circus atmosphere of the big races, this one is for you. The course is well laid out and flat. Organization is a real plus here and the atmosphere is warm. Swag is first rate. Would change nothing.

This was first-class all the way. Easy packet pickup, free pasta dinner, nice course, frequent aid stations, the best traffic control anywhere, and enough food at the end for the very last runner. Friendly support from everyone!