I'm the kind of runner who loves the training and hates race day. The course on the beach is absolutely gorgeous, and since I knew the sand would slow me down a little bit, I didn't feel the pressure for a PR, so I took my time and had fun! The race organizers and volunteers were also superb - very friendly and helpful. I'll definitely be back in the future.

It was my first time running the Surfside 1/2 Marathon and the experience was a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. I want to start off by saying that course and food were good! The HORRIBLE thing was they lost my time! There is no record of me doing the race in the 2007 results! I wrote the organizers a couple of times complaining about this and even sent my pictures and bib number from the race confirming that I did it and received no response! They still have not updated the results so all I have are pictures, the finisher's shirt, finisher's medal, and the coaster to prove that I ran and completed the half marathon. I will try again in 2008 but if the same thing happens again, I will NEVER run this race again and I will tell everyone I know not to either.

My family has been coming to Surfside during the summer since the early 60s, so I already love the location. The run is great. While the sand and wind present some challenge, the course is flat. I had undertrained due to the cold/ice in OKC this winter, and almost decided not to come. I am glad I decided to run as I had no problem finishing, and will return to run again. The run is well organized, and the barbeque at the end was fantastic. This is a great event.

This was my second year to run the half, and what brought me back was the beauty of running on the beach. Sand is definitely not a PR surface, but I noticed that the marathon winners were only a few minutes off their Houston Marathon times. You can tell that this race is organized by runners - there's a lot of thought evident in the unique goodies like the coaster/paperweight and free downloadable photos.

I flew in from Oregon to experience the only all-beach marathon in the United States....

My tenth marathon... have done everything from the big extravaganzas (Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland) to the very very small (Leavenworth, Bend). This is my favorite.

This featured 26.2 miles on the beach in the quirky little Texas Gulf Coast town of Surfside. Hard-packed sand most of the way, and it was great cruising right next to the water. A bit cold and windy. I was 18 minutes off my PR.

Great organization, incredible support and volunteers, food galore at registration and before the race (donuts, muffins, fresh fruit, PowerBars)... and what a BBQ at the end! Pulled pork, beef brisket, BBQ chicken, Texas fried cabbage, beans... and all you could eat!!!

Great shirt, cool towel, sharp paperweight, and a classy medal - all freebies.

Great small marathon. You will love it. But don't tell anyone - let's keep it small and fun!

I was concerned about doing a marathon on the sand, but it wasn't too bad because it is firm enough to drive on. You park on the beach and at about 4.5 miles you pass your car, which is nice if you need to drop some clothes. The sand does take a little more energy (like a marathon doesn't already take enough!) but it is easier on the body and my recovery was faster.

A bigger issue was the strong headwind for half the route. I was about to die by the time I got to the turn-around at about 15.5 miles, and the woman running with me drafted behind me for the last couple of miles before the turn. But the return trip with the wind was easier.

The race organization is very relaxed but everything was well done. There were a lot of water stops with enthusiastic high schoolers, and you pass them twice so there were effectively more than most big races. Each one had water and Gatorade and most had Gu packets. Some had bananas and orange wedges. The finisher medals were nice, the t-shirt had a bright, unique design, and the barbeque afterwards was great. I didn't win a age group award but a pretty high percentage of people did.

If you like small races and want to give running on the beach a try, this is the one for you.

There aren't many places to stay in Surfside but there are more in Clute, Lake Jackson, and Freeport (all just a few miles away).

OK, I gave the course 5 stars. I mean it was pretty simple; no worries about making a wrong turn - you're on a beach. Water on one side, sand on the other! Running on hard-packed sand beats concrete and ashphalt anyday! Plus afterwards you have the world's largest ice bath to soak in... the Gulf of Mexico! PERFECT!

Organization: I gave 4 stars (4.5 would be more accurate). Daryl and his crew were well organized and the start went great and on time. Only advice add a few more water stations in the last 5 miles or even the last 4 miles. It was a cool day, but I was getting a bit thirsty and one of the aid stations was not manned and no water as I went by!

Pre-race meal at the Red Snapper was AWESOME. One downside: They do not accept any form of plastic and the ATM they have on the premise charges a hefty transaction fee on your debit card! So have cash if you decide to eat there!

Post-Race: OMG - KUDOS to the chef! Texas pit BBQ beef brisket, BBQ chicken, Texas coleslaw and BEANS! Now this is by far the BEST post-race meal I have ever eaten! I think next year I will come for the food and skip the run!!!!

Overall: Listen this course has no frills/thrills/music (bands or DJ's)/no cheering crowds, etc.... This is running at its PUREST! Nothing to look at except water and sand and maybe the isolated beach house here and there. So, if you TRULY like to run and do not need the excitement... then this is the PERFECT small marathon! If you need hundreds/thousands cheering you on then go to Chicago or any other major marathon and do not run this one! As I said, running at its purest form, and I left happy and satisfied! Even though I did not set a PR, I ran WELL and enjoyed every minute of it!!!!

This marathon was definitely worth doing. I loved the uniqueness of it. From parking on the beach, to running on the beach... and the finisher's medals and age-group awards were beautiful. Organizers were very easygoing and helpful. The HARD-PACKED sand wasn't that bad and I wasn't very sore after the race. The wind was brutal... 13.1 miles of it in your face. I would do this one again.

Pre-race: Plenty of parking right on the beach. Packet pickup was quick and easy. I didn't like the t-shirt very much; too big and too loud.

The race: The temperature was in the low 40s with no sun; perfect for a long run. Running on the sand is fun and easy on the body. It will, however, add about 10-15 minutes to your overall time, which means this is not the race to break your personal record. It was also quite windy, which means a tough headwind through mile 16 and a helpful tailwind for the last 10 miles. The water stations were very well stocked with Gatorade, gel and... water. The volunteers manning the stations were very nice and eager to help. But other than the support personnel and friends/relatives of the runners; there were no spectators. If you need crowd support, then this is NOT the race for you.

Post-race: Plenty of good food and an OUTSTANDING, courtesy chiropractic session.

Summary: This is the opposite of a big-city race. GREAT for 1st-timers. I enjoyed it immensely and DEFINITELY plan to be back!!!

This was my first full marathon to walk. It was a very welcoming marathon for walkers, which is soooooo much different than Houston! I would definitely recommend it to walkers and runners. This is the best course support I've seen when compared to Houston, Nashville, and Virginia Beach. Thank you, thank you for making it a memorable experience for my first full marathon.