This was the second time we traveled to Pocono Mountain (going against our "no repeat" policy), largely because of the great work of the organizers. Very nice small race with challenging hills (both up and down). The organizers are helpful and personable, working hard to make it a great event. An earlier start would have been nice. Minor glitches included having no cups at several water stations for slower runners, but this was not a really big deal. Police support and the number of volunteers on the course was very good. I didn't have a good run, but had a great time. Many thanks to all who work so hard to put on this race!

I entered this marathon after reading all the previous posts. It sounded challenging and fast. It ended up being challenging and slow. After about mile 18, I gave up on a PR and just wanted to finish. If you don't live in a hilly area, this is not going to be a fast race. The incline/decline treadmill will not be enough for a PR. I'm sticking to flat courses for a fast time. I learned this lesson the hard way.

Great small-town event that for the most part is downhill. Great volunteers, plenty of water stops and a nice finisher's medal at the end. Also, what was much appreciated was waiting inside the school and not outside on a cold May day to begin the race. Make sure you bring your own food, as there wasn't any GU (etc.) on the course.

The wind came from the front this year, unlike last year. The 8 a.m. start led to heat at the end; they should start the race earlier next year. They needed food/GU along way; they only had water and Gatorade. The course was not fast like I expected - though there were mostly downhill slopes, there were a lot of uphills too.

This was my second marathon, and my first "small town" marathon. I loved the support of the volunteers and the gorgeous course. While I was on pace for Boston for the first 17 miles, the hills at the end killed me. Make sure you taper and rest your legs before this one!

Really great post-race food. Some guy even came up to me (I have no idea who he is) and gave me some ice in a bag, since I was clearly in pain.

My only suggestion: tech shirt, rather than cotton.

One of the best things about this race is that you can stay inside a school just yards from the starting line and use real bathrooms with almost no lines! I was a little afraid that the weather might be a bit warm this late in May, but we had a cold front pass through and the weather was 43 and windy to start. This was my first marathon, but I've done 21 races in the last 5 years (mostly triathlons), so I feel reasonably confident in my ability to comment. The first mile was uphill and into the wind. The course circles around until the turnaround at mile 3, at which point we immediately got the benefit of a tailwind and some downhill. My pace began to speed up a little, but it wasn't really noticeable until mile 8, when the elevation really dropped precipitously for 3 miles. All of the downhill running in the first half of the course really does a number on your quads. I should note that, although it is a downhill course, it is almost all rolling hills with comparatively very little flat running. At mile 21, I began to feel my quads and hamstrings quiver. Fortunately, I remained incredibly lucid. I knew I had a decent cushion to run a BQ, and I throttled back. Miles 22-25 take your through the outskirts of town, and you run the final quarter mile on the high school cinder track, which is fun.

So my takeaways are: 1) very downhill course; if your legs can handle it, you'll go fast; 2) prevailing wind is at your back - noticeably so from miles 3 - 8; 3) water and Gatorade every two miles; 4) enthusiastic, if sporadic, fan support; 5) superior pre-race facilities. I really had a good time, and best of all, I did qualify for Boston.

The cold and windy conditions really made the start tough. I skipped the warm-up and stayed in the school until 5 minutes before the start.

I struggled through the first few miles and then picked up the pace when I headed down Mt. Pocono.

However, I paid the price. My quads and hamstrings were total cooked during the last 10K.

But I still made it home, and got an easy BQ for my age group.

...you want a race with the most gracious, supportive volunteers. At every water stop, I thanked them; but in turn, they thanked ME for running!! Pasta party: awesome; course: perfect (a BQ, finally!!). Don't change a thing - you even managed to arrange for perfect weather. A huge "thank you" for an amazing experience.

This is a fast course, some uphills near the end, but overall a PR course. I PR'ed by 12 minutes but missed my BQ by 21 seconds!!! I'll be back for sure to try again.
Very well organized, great volunteers, great food at the end.
Just some very minor negative comments: A nicer shirt and medal would be good. Also, the race bibs had the wrong year on them (at least mine did). But that's certainly not anything to keep anyone from running this race.

It was too easy to go out fast in this marathon. So much of the downhill running came in the first half, particularly between miles 8 and 12. I ran the downhills a bit recklessly and suffered when I didn't have the quads left to work hills in the second half. The result was that I didn't come near to running the BQ time I was dreaming of after getting a taste of the downhills from the first few times. Very windy and cold to start, but the wind was out of the north, so it was a tailwind for much of the time. By the second half, the wind wasn't a factor and the temperature was just right. I didn't see gel packets until mile 20. By then it's getting too late to help. Put the gel at mile 17 or 18. The brownies and sub sandwiches at the end were awesome.