The race itself is a gradual downhill and mostly flat all the way up to mile 18. Then there are some rolling hills that will almost guarantee a pretty big positive split. There is no traffic at all until mile 25 where you have to run along the shoulder of main street, where the road is bit bumpy. The pasta dinner was the worst I've been to (nothing but water to drink) and unappealing pasta. My shirt ran small, but they wouldn't exchange it for a larger one at the expo. That's a little bush. I ran my PR on my 17th marathon, so overall, if you want to run fast (of course you have to train running downhill), then this is a great race to run!

This was my 5th marathon. Many runners like to compare this race to Steamtown but at least Steamtown had spectators out rooting you on in every town. Due to the course, you are in a pretty secluded area and you don't get much cheering until you get to Stroudsburg. The general decline is nice. The weather was threatening all day but my partner and I were able to finish without any rain.

My only issue with the race is the training of the volunteers. At the expo, I asked about gear check and the volunteer said there was none available (which there was). When we finished the race, we asked a volunteer about showers and he said there was none (but there were). Since this race is a fundraiser for the Red Cross, remember you are there for a good run and to help support a great cause so don't be expecting the amenities you get at a bigger race. I am happy to have run the race but don't plan on running in the future. I like the support of the crowds.

This is a smaller race that has a massive downhill section in it; if you're willing to open up on it, you'll bank a lot of time that you will need later on, as there are serious rolling hills in the second half of the race. Knowing this going in, I was able to PR by several minutes, so I was very happy with the results. The course was beautiful, closed off, and well supported. The groups of fans along the course all cheered loudly when you passed them by, which always helps. All in all, it was very well run, and if you can handle hills, you'll do great on this course, but don't mistake it as being an easy, downhill course. It's not!

This was a very well organized race. It is a small-town marathon (724 finishers); therefore don't expect large crowds or a huge expo. Although small, they have great pacers and a beautiful, rolling course. There is certainly a lot of downhill running over the first few miles, but beyond mile 16 there are certainly some challenging inclines. I loved the rolling course lined with trees. I had an amazing race (BQ'd and PR'd). The 3:30 pacer was great and very encouraging - I heard great things about all of the others as well. I highly recommend running this race.

This marathon is my fastest in 2009 and 2010. The course has a substantial net elevation drop but there are some inclines in the second half. Bottom line: you still have to train like you would for any marathon. There are no "free rides" in any marathon, even those listed as "fast" or "downhill." This race is very well organized; and crowds are thin but enthusiastic. The finish on the stadium track is fantastic for runners and fans. I'll run this marathon every year as long as I can still run.

I'd like to run this race again in the very near future.

I have run several small-town races, but several of them have had too many flaws that serious runners would dislike. This race is done with a serious runner in mind. My favorite part is that the road is completely closed to traffic. I recently ran another PA marathon where we were herded to the shoulder single-file - a little tight.

There is a river next to the road for miles 11-19 or 20; it's so quiet, and you have the place to yourself.

If you need crowd support, you won't find much here at all, but the people who do come out are really nice and cheer for each runner individually.

I enjoyed the race as my personal best, and I will definitely run it again - soon: before this gem gets discovered.

I have run 3 marathons, the other two in New York (2009/10), which is a tough course. I trained well for all three. My times in NYC were 3:53:50 and 3:55:33. Poconos: 3:59:xx. That is telling.

I signed up for this course with the aim of getting a good PR, but I am angry at being misled by the organizers and particularly commenters here because I expect the former to be biased but not the latter.

This course is filled with tough, rolling hills, which seemed to be roughly net flat with the exception of one very steep decline around mile 9 that contributes to most of the net negative elevation. This stretch is too steep and too short to take advantage of. The rest of the course was a hilly nightmare.

Organization was good, and spectator support better than I expected.

The only course profile I saw was the one posted on the official marathon website. There is a net drop in elevation of almost 1,500 feet!!! This course has to be one of the fastest in North America. My friends all ran a PB here. If you look at the first few hundred results, its like 50% qualifying for Boston! Want to run a PB or Boston qualifier? Pick Pocono!!! It's like getting a few kilometers free!

Usually the words "fast" and "hard" are not found in the same sentence while describing marathon courses. However, in this case that's appropriate. I loved the course, but there are many uphills to go with the downhills. Miles 18-24 are pretty tough. I loved the small-town nature of it. It's so nice not to stand in line for bathrooms, to have a nice warm gym to stretch in beforehand, and not have to worry about zig-zagging around runners for the first several miles. Plenty of water and Gatorade along the way. Sparse but supportive crowds. Nice, quiet roads, which I found very enjoyable. Good sub sandwiches afterward. I highly recommend this marathon, but don't run it if you don't know how to run hills.