The start at the seamen's school was ideal, as we could stay warm inside (with nice bathrooms) until the start of the race. Wonderful, hot meal in a pretty dining room after the marathon included an awards presentation and fun trivia questions. I recommend the host hotel.

This is a marathon for marathoner... which is not common! This was a fabulous step for my 50 States Marathon Quest. Thanks a lot to Liza for the great job: everything was perfect.

The race couldn't have been much better. The course was particularly nice during the first half of the race - along the water for parts of it.

Registration was quick and efficient. The t-shirt, the finisher's medal, the ability to take a shower afterwards, and the post-race meal were all excellent perks. I emailed the race director, Liza, and her response was prompt and informative. Thank you to Liza for putting on such a great little race!

For those folks looking to do 50 states, add this one to your list.

It was cool seeing a new world record in person. The winner of the race ran a 2:36 with a Spider Man outfit on... mask and all. For a race this small, there was a good mix of racing abilities. This one is not to be missed.

A special thanks to the folks at the Paul Hall Center and Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship for their hospitality to all the runners and spectators.

Months before this marathon, I ran the 10-mile race that CBRC hosts. Based on that event, I knew this would be a well-organized race with little fanfare. I've done enough larger marathons, and after the winter we had (plus the little training I was able to get in) there is nothing like a small-town event.

I live in Maryland and never knew how different life is down in southern Maryland away from DC. This one will definitely be on my race calendar for sure.

Good points: Easy parking at the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship. Small size (no elbow-to-elbow start here) but the course doubles back three times - no lonely sections. No half-marathoners, relayers, walkers, 10k, early start, etc - this is a Marathon for real marathoners. Nice scenery next to the Potomac River (over it on a small bridge in the first mile). USATF certified accurate course.

Beautiful course: 15 miles flat along the River and across island; rest is rural, much of it forest
Traffic control to cross the road where needed once was well done. Race starts at dawn for coolest possible temp. Clearly visible mile markers, ample water/energy stops, special supplies pickup table at mile 16 and 23. 8 to 10 foot asphalt shoulders on State Route is plenty of room from light, but fast, traffic.

Post race: Nice finisher medal and shirt; hot clean showers after the race at the School; great before-award buffet lunch at the School's restaurant-style dining room; super volunteers help make up for few spectators -they were well trained, helpful and enthusiastic.

Hills after mile 15, but web site has an honest, accurate elevation chart

Could be improved:
Better if the hill and fast traffic portion of the course could be first, saving the easier flat portion for later

Special thanks to great volunteers and the exceptional race director - who made a wee-hour-of-the-morning minor (less than half mile) shift of most of the 2010 course because part of the island course suffered from high tide debris and water, and who in all other aspects made a small-sized marathon a big pleasure to participate in.

Sometimes it's hard to be honest. I give kudos to the race organizers for putting the event together and everything that goes into it, but I can't say the course was anything to write home about. Sorry. Up to mile 12 the course was nice, but after that... too boring. Thanks to the staff at the school for great food and the permission to use the showers post-race!!! I can't say I'll be back for this one.

The course has a lot of waterfront scenery for the first 10 miles before it goes inland up some noticeable hills. The layout allows you to see faster and slower runners multiple times. I gave it 4 stars because I would have preferred getting the hills out of the way first and to enjoy the scenic portion for the end. It had rained a few days prior to the race, so I was a little concerned when I saw some of the roads flooded on St. George Island the day before the race. The fog was bad the day before the race as well, so I wasn't sure how much of the surrounding country I would get to see.

Amazingly, the weather cooperated race day, and there was no rain. The sun even came out and I got some nice pictures overlooking a bay. The road that was flooded the day before didn't have any puddles on it (it's a low-tide/high-tide thing). There was one giant puddle on the other side of the island, so the race director put the turnaround short there, but added the difference on the inland leg.

Spectators were basically the water stop people, who cheered or rang bells and were generally upbeat. They served Accelerade or water (nice to have something different from Gatorade for a change).

Medal is a nice design. Post-race meal was excellent (pasta, jambalaya, salad, cookies - I really enjoyed the sweet tea and went back for several refills). And the ability to take a post-race shower was heavenly, with plenty of hot water. Soap and towels were available.

The setting is ideal for a small race. There was plenty of scenery to enjoy. Although spectators were sparse, the volunteers made up for it. The facilities were awesome; plenty of parking, and they had a great post-race buffet and post-race showers. I recommend staying at the River Creek Lodge: it was very close; it offered a great room/rate, great scenery, and a great restaurant; and they had LATE checkout fot showers/brunch with live music. All in all, a very relaxed, enjoyable race.

I gave this race 5 stars because there weren't many spectators, so if you need a lot of yelling to keep you going, this isn't the race for you. On the other hand, the volunteers were the best and the other runners were great as well. I found the friendliest people to chat with, the finisher's medal was nice, the awards were great, and the sit-down dinner was delicious. Way to go, race director and volunteers. :-)

This race is a bit out of the way, but well worth the drive.

The course is mostly flat and has some views of the Potomac River. It's a small race, so the runners get spread out quickly, but the out-and-back segments give you several extra opportunities to see the other runners.

The weather was great (50s - 60s with a light breeze). A week earlier, they had a major showstorm, so obviously the weather at this time of the year is hit-and-miss.

The race organization is excellent. The facilities at the Harry Lundeberg School of Seamanship provide the following amenities:
1) Ample parking at start/finish.
2) Real bathrooms before the race.
3) A chance to get indoors before the race starts.
4) Showers after the race.
5) A nice buffet lunch after the race.

They also made arrangements for runners to see the nearby lighthouse and museum the day before the race.

I would recommend this race to anyone looking for a marathon in Maryland.