This was my third marathon, and overall it was a great experience. Parking was easy, there was no problem getting to the the starting line, the spectators were great, and, of course, the scenery can't be beat. BUT 3 of the aid stations prior to the half-way mark were out of cups before I got there, and the 7-mile GU station had no GU. Over 500 hundred people finished behind me so I'm sure I'm not alone in being upset at having to try to drink from one-gallon water bottles. Luckily, my running partner was smart enough to bring some Shot Bloks with him, which he shared with me. I can see no excuse for the organizers not providing sufficient supplies. This is a major safety issue. When you pay for a race, support is supposed to be part of the deal. It's not like the number of runners was a secret.

Spectacular event. Kudos to the volunteers and spectators. Metro Police did a super job. This was my 40th marathon. This definitely rates high on my list. Lots of energy in D.C. Local politicians' enthusiasm for running was noteworthy. Beautiful medal. Impressive news conference. Would loved to have met Dominique at the expo. Running out of cups two hours into the event was unacceptable. Runners were forced to drink out of one-gallon water bottles. That was okay, but sharing containers with other runners was not cool. Barehanded volunteers passing one-gallon water bottles between sweaty-handed runners was not cool either. What if the temperature had been 20 or 30 degrees warmer? If it were a few degrees warmer, the water stops would have been disastrous. How soon we forget last year's Chicago Marathon. I'll be back in 2010 with water bottle in hand.

This was my first local marathon, which made for easy logistics and a fun time. The parking was ample and close to the start/finish, so it was a breeze arriving and departing. I didn't mind running with the half-marathoners because it was nice (and distracting) to have so much company for the first half before having to settle down and concentrate for the second. One comment for the race organizers was that the majority of the water stops for the first half were out of cups by the time we back-of-the-packers rolled through. I always wear my fuel belt and figured there wouldn't be problems with cups for the second half (which was the case), but I did hear a lot of other runners not happy about the situation. Most of the course was good, but I was not crazy about the tunnels and the open-grid bridge we crossed. It was not as flat as I anticipated, but there was nothing that would require more than normal hill training prep work. Overall, it was pretty fun, and I'd definitely recommend this race for both newbies and experienced marathoners.

THE EVENT: This is an exceptionally well run, well-organized early spring marathon that should certainly grow in popularity in the coming years. For out-of-town participants, transportation to and from the start/expo is a snap via the DC Metro (from virtually any location in DC).

THE COURSE: Make no mistake, this is not an easy marathon course, but neither is it impossible if you're looking for a BQ. The elevation chart is accurate and will give you a very good idea of what to expect. Aesthetically, it's great for about 18-19 miles. The federal buildings certainly glisten in the early morning light. The last 10K are not as inspiring or memorable, but the people and volunteers are great along the way!

THE FOLKS: The volunteers at this race are simply outstanding and genuinely enthusiastic as are the spectators. They will certainly give you a lift along with your PowerAde.

If you're looking for a memorable, first-class, challenging, yet hassle-free early spring marathon, definitely give the National a try.

Course is fantastic, with constant views of national landmarks, and just enough hills to make things interesting. Great crowd support; great volunteers. Also excellent was that they let us into the armory in the morning, so we didn't have to stand around freezing before the start. The Metro system is hard to beat, and is great for your cheering section since the course runs by so many stations. Areas to improve on: 1) Make the water stops longer. During the 1/2, walkers basically blocked any chance to pick up fluids. 2) Have some music. There was no on-course entertainment. They did allow headphones though. 3) Food at the end needs work. While oranges are nice, please cut them up. The Beer Tent was open to everyone though. I think it's great that the DC mayor runs this event, but maybe they could get some other celebs out in the crowd?

After running the Philly Marathon a couple of times, I went to DC hoping for a route that would be at least as scenic and historic. Here's what I got:

The Lows:
- Metal detectors at the the expo
- No winter gear, gels or nutrition bars at the expo
- PowerAde (read: corn syrup) on the course.
- Race starts and finishes at a parking lot!!!
- Route goes through a long tunnel around mile 17
- Last mile is on the highway
- At mile 19, route goes on a nasty bridge, forcing you to run on metal

The Highs:
- Nice first half of the route
- Water station every mile after mile 20
- Spectators were few but nice

The Verdict:
I would not run it again, unless they change the route.

This was a great experience for my first marathon. The course was interesting throughout, taking me throughout parts of DC I had been to and many I had never seen. The volunteers were amazing, keeping us going during the entire race, especially towards the end. Every aid station was well set up. Special thanks for the guy with a "GIT-R DONE" sign, which helped me out when my leg cramped up. Overall, thanks, DC!

Awesome course. T-shirt was better than average. Medal was very good. Water stops were great. Port-o-potties were great. Fans were there for the first 13 miles; but there were few fans for the last 13 miles.

The course was great!
The starting line was quite congested.
The bag check is in much needed improvement... long lines and no organization.
The course itself made up for the start area logistics. I don't think it would take too much to make a few needed improvements.

I absolutely loved the course. It was nice and flat, and went through very scenic areas of DC. There was lots of room for spectators and runners. BUT, because of sharing with the half marathoners, they were completely out of cups at the first half of the water stations. They just provided jugs to drink out of and share with other runners - VERY UNSANITARY. Not to mention the fact that they were out of GU as well. After the half marathoners dropped off, it was fine, but it really sucked worrying about nutrients during the first half. Plus, there was very little food at the end compared to other races - just bananas, oranges and plain bagels (although, based on how the aid stations were stocked, they probably just ran out of good stuff). But because the course was so great and the start and finish went pretty smoothly, it was an overall good experience.