This was an excellent run with a fine course (much of it on canal paths), water stops that were well spaced and enthusiastically staffed, a great finish, and lots of massage tables at the end. I highly recommend it, and will be back again next year. Great job, Rochester!

I ran the half marathon and I loved the course. It went fast and before I knew it I was on the last strech of the race.

Everything was great except the weather. Temperatures increased from 60 to 78 in three hours - 8 to 11 a.m. But after-finish care was great - an ice bath and a team of chiropractors instantly brought me back to life. Definitely will do it next year! Rochester, keep it running!

A perfect day in western New York for a marathon. This is a flat, pleasant course with a long section along the Erie Canal. Shade was very nice.
Ending at Frontier Field (baseball stadium) is a good idea, as it has plenty of space, seats and parking.
Downer: post-race party was pretty lame; check out the party after the Buffalo Marathon for some tips.

The race was well organized, the route fantastic, and while there were not a lot of spectators, Fleet Feet did an awesome job of putting together cheer crews. I'll echo the fact that traffic control was great and the water stops quite abundant.

My only gripe was despite three attempts to secure a late check-out from the host hotel, I encountered nothing but problems. The race director happened to be there the third time and jumped in the middle and just made things worse, and worse than that, was totally uncaring about it. I find it rather disappointing to say the least that absolutely zero arrangements were made with the host hotel to accommodate late check-outs when the marathon officially ends three hours after check-out. That certainly made for some unneeded stress - making arrangements to get a shower after before boarding a plane.

I'd do this one again, but would absolutely NOT stay at the host hotel.

For 2006 being only the 2nd annual Rochester Marathon, the directors and support staff really put on a top-notch event.

Race day organization was perfect, the course was clearly marked, police presence was great, Gatorade and Gu stops were abundant, and the volunteers were very friendly. Finishing in a baseball stadium was cool. The medals are very nice.The post-race party was filled with fresh food; I had to wait a mere 10 minutes for post-therapy. This is not a large race (yet), so my family was able to enjoy the party atmosphere and get lots of pictures on the ball field. They were not herded or pushed around, as there was only a small, friendly crowd.

A good portion of the race is on a bike path along the Erie Canal. With water on one side and woods on the other, crowd support is pretty minimal. There was decent support on the rest of the course.

My only complaint was the expo. I received a postcard stating it would be open until 4 p.m.; we arrived around 3 p.m. and many of the vendors were packed up.

This is a very fun, affordable race, and I intend to be back in 2007.

This marathon was well-organized and surprisingly well-supported. Great traffic control, loads of spectators, really lovely spots along the river, nice variety of surfaces, availability of shade, and great water stops. Volunteers were great, as was the pasta dinner. Nice town. Great finish. The temperature became a little too hot for me, and a little hilly, but nice overall experience.

Well organized and fairly flat, which allows for quick times. The run along the canal was great for the first few miles but became a little tedious towards the end - or maybe it was just me hitting the wall! Fantastic organization at both the start and at the end made this a great experience. I really hope this marathon continues to grow and I will be back in 2007. Finishing in the stadium was brilliant.

I ran this race last year and it had a lot of room for improvement. The organizers clearly took the comments to heart and made major improvements. I liked the course last year but this year's was even better. It was great that they split the full and half course and that they split the start times. Most of the full marathoners, even the slow ones, didn't have the half running over them. The canal was hot, but flat and fun. The team fixed the issues with water spots from last year and they were plentiful, well cared for by volunteers and frequent. The spectators were awesome and the course allowed spectators to cheer people on many times across the event without traffic issues. The police and volunteers were amazing, cheering us on throughout the race. This is a great first marathon course since it is mostly flat with just rolling hills. It was so well run; I can't wait to race it again next year. Congratulations to the organizers and keep it up next year.

Wow. I think every previous negative comment was corrected and turned into a positive for this year's run. The organizers obviously listened, cared, and made adjustments. How refreshing from events that just want your money. The Rochester Marathon is a 5-star event all the way around.