Great race. Well organized. There was a solid three miles of 'forest road' on the way up...it was made up of large gravel and small rocks that were hard on the feet. But, it was a small section sandwiched between narrow one track through the pine trees. AWESOME RACE. GREAT POST RACE EVENT TOO!

A few things you need to know before running this marathon:
1) Pay attention to the number of aid stations. It gets hot and you'll want fluid. Bring your own. You'll be glad you did. 2) You're not running this for the medal (very small, very cheap), the shirt (you get a very nice running hat, instead), the mile markers which are non-existent (C'MON MAN!), or the spectators (very few). 3) You are running this because it is challenging and beautiful. 4) Bend is a great town and Central Oregon was very pleasant to visit.

You really have to pick your poison and decide what you value in a marathon. If I had run this in a town other than Bend I may give an overall lower rating, but the town and Pisano's Pizza made-up for the marathon's shortcomings. Not sure I'd run it again, but I'd definitely visit the area.

This was my first trail marathon. The course was challenging but well laid-out. The race directors do a good job of organizing this one. I highly recommend it!

An excellent race! Footing was soft dirt and some gravel. "The hill" was a fire road, straight up in one go; view from the top is magnificent.

The rest of the race was pretty easy. Lots of pine trees providing shade through most of the course. Weather was awesome - dry, with some clouds, and while the sun felt hot, there were cooling breezes.

Post-race pasta and goodies went far beyond my expectations.

Spectators were few and far between - very enthusiastic!

I ran the 1/2 marathon and I thought that this race was a blast and the course was perfect. I generally run on mountain bike trails and wilderness trails around Klamath Falls, OR and this was my first time on any of the trails around Bend. My conclusion is that the Bend trails are much more broken in and better maintained. What I mean is that the surface was super smooth and much easier and safer than the rocky trails I am used to (I love our trails - don't get me wrong).

The trees along the course seemed to be exquisitely trimmed with trees adjacent to the trail for a fast feel but no branches to whack my head on. Some of the corners even had banked turns - I've never been on a trail like this! The course was almost too well marked - there were little orange flags everywhere. I don't understand how anybody could say it wasn't well marked.

There were a few very technical climbs and descents that seem like they would be very challenging on a mountain bike but not bad at all on foot.

Be advised, though, that this is real trail running and plenty of people ended up taking unexpected soil samples (with their knees, for example).

The 1/2 marathon course consisted of moderate uphill for the first half of the course and similar descent for the second half. This isn't a fast course and I was 10 minutes slower than my last 1/2 in spite of having lost significant weight and being in better shape - so don't expect a PR. Do it because it is a fun race.

There was no water (just beer) when I finished but thankfully more water showed up after awhile. The food was excellent.

If you run the 1/2 marathon and are a (big) slow runner (like me), expect to be passed by a lot of the marathoners on the descent - the two races share the same course for the last six miles or so and the marathoners have an hour and a half head start. But as usual in a trail run, people were polite and friendly - no problems.

I brought my camera and took photos during the race. This site doesn't allow me to post a URL in my review but if you go to Flickr and search for "Haulin Aspen," you'll see the seven mediocre photos I posted.

I ran this race in my quest for the 50 states and loved it. I had heard about Bend in all of the various outdoorsy magazines and finally talked my wife into going. Bend is a great place for a race. From the surrounding volcanoes, to the High Desert Museum, lava tube, Deschutes River float trips, great restaurants and golf courses, Bend has it all. Not to mention the weather - mid 40's to low 70's with no humidity. Being from the South, I loved it.

Ah, to the race. The race was very well done. Great organization all the way through, from packet pick-up, to race shuttles. Everything went off on time, and there were plenty of water stops, with more GU and similar products than I have seen at races 5 times as big. Almost every stop had some there. Each stop was well stocked with fluids, volunteers. The post-race spread was great, and in a fantastic park.

The race course itself was tough, but not unbearably so, even for a flat-lander like me. The first half is straight up, gradually so for the first 10 miles, and then it really turns up. About the halfway point, though, you turn into the woods and run back downhill on fun, soft, single track until almost mile 25. You finish with a little loop around the park.

Overall, this is an extremely well organized, great destination race, surrounded by gorgeous scenery, with fun for the entire family.

I love the new half-marathon course. Plenty of parking, very well organized race, and a challenging course. I loved all of the markers and all of the mileage signs. Perfect! Thank you to everybody who organized and volunteered to make it so enjoyable for all of the runners.

Great community; great views; challenging course. This a real quad killer for those not prepared for the downhills.

A great race overall!! It really is a two-part race - uphill and then downhill. The last 11 miles of the race were by far the most fun of the course with the technical single track. The only thing that could have made this race any better would have been a river/creek crossing!

Only suggestions: stock the aid stations for a trial marathon, not a road marathon; inform the 1/2 marathoners not to blare their music to where they can't hear people behind/around them; increase packet pick-up hours (2-6 cuts right into the middle of the day).

Post-race food, drinks, etc. were the best/second best I've seen (tied with Flying Monkey).

Worth every penny - one to do again, definitely.

I ran this one because there aren't many August marathons to choose from. I was not disappointed!

During the first 16 miles of jeep trails, there is some modest climbing and a few steep areas. You also go by a crystal-clear stream, and get to enjoy a view of snowy Mt. Bachelor. Then, hold onto your hat as you cruise down 10 miles of well-surfaced single track. Be careful while you have fun; I saw quite a few people with trail rash from falls. The as-promised 9 aid stations were all well stocked with water and sports drink, and most had goo shots and sports chews. They were staffed buy fun, outdoor enthusiasts (most were parents/students associated with local cross country team). After the race we were all served a full lunch of roast pork, mixed green salad, bow-tie pasta salad, bread and brownies. Flying to Bend (Redmond RDM airport) isn't that tough, with flights from SEA, Portland, LA, SF, DEN, SLC, Los Vegas and the Phoenix area.