This was my second marathon in two days so a slower pace than normal let me take in the sights. However, there wasn't much to see. The course was boring and hilly for Florida. Fortunately I had a running partner to pass the time. Also you better bring your own Gatorade. The drink they were providing was just terrible.

My goal was to go fast (for me); qualify for Boston 2014. I did both.

EASY: I parked quickly, walked a couple blocks to packet pickup, ran back to the car and prepared, then walked to the start line. Pensacola was fantastically easy.

FAST: The elevation profile made for a fast course... not perfectly flat (several rolling hills) but fast anyway. The profile encourages a negative split because it's mostly gently uphill for the first half, and mostly gently downhill for the 2nd half. The wind in the last three miles was strong and head-on. Other than that, it was usually not too bad.

AWARDS: They had awards for MANY age groups, including masters, grand masters and senior grand masters (men and women). It's nice for people who are doing well for their age to be rewarded. They were very nice too!

VIEWS: They were nice for parts of the course. Other parts were normal neighborhoods. This didn't bother me... I actually liked the roads with less traffic.

SPECTATORS: The ones that were there were great. The signs were creative. But if someone needs large crowds, they would be disappointed. I don't, so this was great.

=== NEGATIVES ===
MERGES: There is a spot where the full marathon merges with the half marathoners. My mile 17 was their mile 7.5 (at 2:05). They were less than half of my speed and often walking side-by-side. Not their fault.. just not a good design. The speed difference was too great to have together. To go around, I was either fighting with the curb or swinging wide into the road.

SIGNS: The wind was the likely culprit, yet more durable signs is a need. Three times I had to really study (and ask) which way for the full marathon. Some signs were affected/moved by the wind. I never got lost though.

=== THANKS ===
Thanks much to the workers and volunteers who made it great! All were willing to help, and sometimes went beyond the call of duty.

=== RESULTS ===
Really enjoyed it! Will likely run next year. Fastest marathon I've had, by over 8 minutes. Boston qualified by 14 minutes.

Pros:
* Great volunteers at water stops
* Great traffic control w/ cops, Marines and sailors
* Nice medal
* Easy parking

Cons
* Considering that Pensacola is a coastal town, I would have expected more oceanside running.
* The energy drink was terrible. It was too weak, tasted terrible, and had a fizz to it (like it had started fermenting). Was it Nuun?
* Considering that historical data shows a high likelihood of winds from the east, should the last two miles of the course really be routed so that runners are heading straight east, most likely straight into the wind?
* Sag wagon was too aggressive, not taking account that the race started late and not everyone could pass the start line immediately. Although I was running 1 minute per mile faster than the pace needed to finish within the maximum time, the sag wagon driver wanted to take me off the course at mile 8-9 since I was too slow according to his chart (based on an ontime 6:30 start)
* Weird shirt sizes. My shirt was really wide, but short.

Would I do the race again? Probably not.

The Pensacola marathon keeps growing and is better every year. It sold out at 600 full marathoners this year coupled w 1300 half marathon people. Parking was good. Race is well organized. Spectator turnout has most certainly increased. The course is a fast one w some hills with a negative incline topography (the course goes downhill mostly from mile 11 on). Temperatures were cooler this year to make it a much faster race than last year. Pensacola is a great town to spend some time in: rest, relax with your toes in the sand before and after the race. I am very pleased w this run.

The prerace send off was good, lots of good music, good sized crowd. The course is a great improvement in that it is a full loop whereas in the past it used to be doing the half twice. The last several miles are downhill. Very fun race! Good opportunity to BQ

Parking was close to the start/finish line. The course had good variations of elevation and some nice scenery, but it was a double loop course and there wasn't anything so great worth seeing twice. Also, the north end of Palafox was grim and desolate. With a little planning this could have been an awesome place to have some entertainment set up. The aid stations were plentiful the first loop, but a few more during the last 6 of the 26.2 miles would have been perfect. The temperatures were warmer then and the extra hydration would have been greatly appreciated. A few more porta-johns along the course would have been nice for those few souls waiting. Law enforcement and our Navy personnel did a great job directing traffic. I would have liked it better though if our Navy were dressed in full uniform instead of jeans and t-shirts. That would have ensued a nice reflection for the city of Pensacola. The fans were just okay along the race, but top-notch at the finish. The announcement of your name at the finish was a very nice touch. Pictures were taken along the course as well at the finish line. Perfect nourishments of Subway sandwiches, trail mix, and beverages were handed out at the completion of the race. Running Wild store did a fantastic job of keeping me informed about the race and picking up the race packet was easy. The tech shirts were really nice. The medal was nice, but it said, "13.1 and 26.2." This may sound petty but, after running 26.2 miles I would like the medal I receive to ONLY reflect the 26.2. The temperatures for this race were a little warmer than I like, but I still plan on doing it again. Overall a very nice race.

This was my third marathon, and first below the Mason-Dixon line. Coming from Michigan, Florida is a welcomed change in the middle of November. Having said that, it got HOT during the race. Probably not so much for those use to it, but it was a bit on the hot side for me.

The Race: This was the best organized race I've been a part of by far. Packet pickup was easy at the "Running Wild" store, and it looked very easy the morning of the race as well. There was plenty of parking and everything was well marked at the start/finish. Everyone was super friendly.

The run started with a simply beautiful view of the bay at sunrise. The first part of the race is along a scenic overlook, and is also beautiful. The first time around you forget that it is a 2-mile, steady incline during this section. On the second lap you know you are going uphill. It seemed like we saw a lot of the city, and besides that steady climb there was really only one other hill of note, and it wasn't horrible.

The streets were well marked, well staffed, and you couldn't have gotten lost if you tried. There were police at all major intersections, and military personnel at all smaller ones to keep us safe. The aid stations were well stocked with water/Gatorade and friendliness. The crowd support was the best I've ever seen, and so enthusiastic.

The finish was nice with them announcing your name to the crowd as you crossed. The medal was big and I thought pretty cool.

The course was pretty grueling for me. About 75% of the roads we ran were slanted either in or out towards the center of the road, and I was not used to that at all. That combined with the heat made for a less-than-pleasant last lap. There seemed to be a lot of people who were having problems, but the medical staff were right there to help.

All in all, it was a good race and one I would recommend.

This was my first full road marathon, but I've run many races and have seen what works and what doesn't. This was a really well set up and executed event. The weather was a tad warmer than is typical for the season, but that's been the case all over this year and the RD has no control in that department.

I loved the course. There were enough hills to keep it honest without becoming a real burden. The scenery was mostly great with the exception of the trip down Palafax once we turned back into town. The double loop was not too bad and at least you knew what to expect on the second time around.

Support on course was good and it was really well marked with accurate signs and fantastic support at every intersection either from the Pensacola PD or military volunteers.

I'll definitely be back!

Before doing this race I had read some mixed reviews. I'm typically easy to please when I run marathons so I decided to give it a shot - and I'm glad I did! It was an easy course with few hills, great views, and good markings. I never questioned where I was going even when the race thinned out. Spectators were here and there along the course, but were very enthusiastic! As a runner who does not need spectators to enjoy this sport, I thought it was definitely sufficient! Overall, a great race that I would recommend to anyone!

This was my 4th marathon. Here are some of my thoughts about this one. The course was very scenic, with a good mixture of elevations, but for us full marathoners a double loop gives us nothing to look forward to seeing the second time around. Also, with a little extra planning and organization the north end of Palafox, with its grim and desolate buildings, could be much improved if there were some form of entertainment present. The aid stations were plentiful the first 13.1 miles while the temperatures were cooler, but it would have better if they were spaced every mile over the last 6 of the 26.2. It was much warmer then and fluids were needed. A few more porta-johns along the course would have been nice. Parking was a breeze and close to the start/finish line. The fans were just okay along the course, but top-notch at the finish line. Your name and where you were from being announced as you crossed the finish line was a nice touch. Subway sandwiches, trail mix, and bottled water were handed out at the finish line - along with your picture being taken. I liked tech shirt and finishing medal. I also liked the emails sent out to keep me up to date on the event. I will run this race again.