I've run this every year since it started up again in Rochester and love this race. The organization is flawless. The course is beautiful and mostly flat. My only criticism is the one I make every year. Please, please, please, please put the chips in the pickup packets like most races do. It saves time and confusion at the morning activities. If you are concerned about not getting them back, then just take a credit card number as a deposit. Also, the strap is not the most comfortable thing to wear for 26.2 miles.

I ran the Rochester 1/2 on Sunday, and it was well organized, on a very scenic course and with awesome spectators. This is the first major race I've run in my own home town, so it was great to see so many familiar faces. The only problem I had was the lack of port-o-potties throughout the race. I had to stop of at Walgreens to go in the middle of the race, which was not fun. Other than that, it was a great race.

This is the 3rd time I ran this marathon. It is well organized, but over half the course is on the boring Erie Canal path.

Love that in the packet there was about marathon etiquette. Everyone who runs needs to read it.

I ran the half-marathon here last year and my first full this year.

Overall: a well run, smallish, flat and fast marathon.

The course: thumbs up. It's flat and fast. OK, there are a couple easy rolling hills in the first 10 miles, but they are more like bumps in the road. Flat after mile 10.

Tip: the couple of miles of gravel on the canal path can hurt your quads (only a little) if you run only on roads. But no biggie.

Organization: thumbs up. After last year's heat wave and water station problems, everything was perfect. I confess to skipping the expo and picking up the packet on race morning. No problems. Port-a-potty lines a bit long, but no big complaints. No idea about the hotel - I'm local.

The weather: thumbs up. Great this year (50ish in the am, 72F by noon).

The scenery: thumbs down (though that really depends on what you like). If you are a city person, you'll hate it. If you love pretty parks and nature, you'll like it.

Volunteers and spectators: thumbs up! It's not the race where two million people cheer you on. You (probably) won't get free beer from spectators. But the people who make it onto the canal make themselves heard and stay around for slowpokes like me.

All around: way cool.

I ran this race in 2006 (its second year) and while I generally liked the race and the organization, I had a problem with the host hotel and the race director who inserted herself in the middle of a discussion about the accommodations.

Three years later, I think this race has really improved. The course is still fabulous (I may be biased - it's my hometown). While some find the canal towpath boring, I find it beautiful and serene. The race organization is improved.

The big pleasant surprise was the new (to me) host hotel! I simply cannot say enough about the Hyatt and how they accommodated the runners (my beef with the host hotel three years ago). When we asked for a late checkout we were informed that all participants already received a 3 p.m. check-out and they would supply us with extra towels on race day. After the race we found a card on the extra towels telling us if we needed more time to just call the front desk. I brought 8 friends from Houston and we were ALL impressed with the Hyatt. My coach has run over 60 marathons and ultras and he rated the Hyatt as number one in all the races he has run. Kudos to the Hyatt and the race organizers for making these arrangements!

I'll be back.

This was my first marathon, and it did not disappoint.

Plusses: While the course doesn't start out great, the long stretch along the Erie Canal was just beautiful; I found myself gazing off plenty of times. Crowd support, while scattered, was enthusiastic and the volunteers were fantastic. I liked the finish at Frontier Field.

Minuses: Too few port-a-johns! I had no chance at all to go before the race and had to duck into the woods when the call of nature hit - not cool. I didn't like that chip pick-up and bag drop-off were in different spots; that's stupid and a pain dragging an overnight bag. Also, the first part along a busy road stuck within cones was not really fun, but that's quibbling.

Overall, a great first 26.2 for me and I highly recommend it. While downtown Rochester is sort of dead, the city is surrounded by many fantastic areas and you should look around. Thanks to everyone for putting this on.

Great race. It's well organized and continues to improve. Canal is a little boring, but it works. Nice, fairly flat race so you can run a good time. I qualified for Boston. (This was my ninth marathon.)

I was not sure what to expect based on last year's comments. The course was beautiful and probably safer for those traveling in packs. Those of us alone for 2-3 miles as women were a little nervous. For those of us who don't finish in 3 or 4 hours, we were not fortunate enough to receive our medals; it has to be mailed to us, and that is VERY disappointing. The staff were very apologetic and I understand it was no fault of their own. It would have made the blow a little easier if I would have seen at least ONE photographer snapping a shot of me on the course!
Great support and encouragement from ALL of the kids who were serving the water and giving direction! They made the rough moments the best! This made the day less painful because of you. Thank you!

This event is a little-known gem, with great heart in a tired city. While the course may look as though it's flat and fast, my Garmin told me that for much of the 15 miles or so along the Erie Canal, there was an ever-so-slight incline. The male winner crossed the line in 2:36, which, to me, indicates it's nothing like CIM in Sacramento or Tucson. The expo is dinky, with nothing much to keep you there after you've picked up your race packet. Pre-race parking is excellent, as is timing chip pick-up, and there was good food at the end (pizza and hot dogs!!!). My only complaint, and I mean ONLY, is that the Erie Canal segment, which is most of the race, is deadly boring after 2-3 miles. I needed something else to look at. I am not one who needs cheering Chicago-style crowds, but there was practically no one out there saying stuff like, "Looking good" or "You're almost there." I made a five-day trip of it, including visits to Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and the jello museum. It was great fun. Here's hoping the event continues and helps revive a struggling city.