I'm going to echo most of what has already been said of this race. For a small race, it's very well run and the set up makes it a very convenient and pleasant experience. The course is simple, scenic yet a bit monotonous, but it's so flat and straight you can just run and run and run. Parking was easy, bathrooms and shelter available and friendly volunteers available for any questions. There was gel on the course, though I didn't use it. The volunteers were great about handing out fluids. I had no issues at road crossings, though some volunteers seemed more vigilant than others. The path itself is pretty pristine - good, flat asphalt. The medal was nothing special and there's not a lot of race swag, though the tech shirt was nice. Another small race element - the line for the post race massage was not too long and I was able to take care of that after eating some hot pizza. Most importantly to me, I was trying to run my first BQ at this race and ran a PR just under the Boston time threshold (though who knows if it will be enough to get into the race), so I'd definitely recommend it as a race to go for a BQ.

If you are looking for a great small race on a flat course, then look no farther. I was extremely impressed with everything associated with this race. Even though it is small, they do it all well. Packet pickup and even late registration can be done race morning, so I arrived a little early to pick up my packet. Everything was done in the school gymnasium, so there was plenty of room for the runners to spread out, and there were plenty of bathrooms. Also, we were able to stay warm inside until just a few minutes before the start when we all headed outside. Afterward, there was plenty of food (although I can't speak to it because I was only able to drink, not eat) available, and the locker room was open for us to change.

As for the race itself, the course is exactly as advertised. Other than about 2/3 mile at the beginning and end, a short stretch in the middle, and 1.5 miles at the turnaround, this out and back course is all on the paved trail. And it is FLAT and STRAIGHT. If you're looking for spectators or running companions, this is not the race for you, but if you want a fast course where you can concentrate on your own race, then this is it. The only things to watch for are the half marathoners (they do the back portion of the course and start at the same time) and others on the trail. There was a bike race at the same time, but I only encountered a handful of them near mile 7.

The water stops are pretty evenly spaced about every 2 miles, and the volunteers are great. They did a good job of calling out what they had and always split the water and Gatorade to opposite sides of the trail.

The other thing that I really liked is that they gave the age group medals immediately as you crossed the finish line, so there was no need to wait for an awards ceremony long after the race.

First the good. You get to stay warm til right before the marathon. Park right at the start. Great post race food and candy. Great volunteers. Flat, flat course.

Now the bad, no spectators and bathrooms too far apart. Runners know when you gotta go, u gotta go. I had to run 6.5 miles to first porta John.

Overall, this MARATHON GIVES THE HARD CORE RUNNERS EVERYTHING WE NEED-26.2 miles of road.

This was a nice, well-organized small race - if you like small marathons, this may be be your race. The majority of the course is on a flat, straight, paved bike trail that is wide enough to accommodate all the runners. The half marathon starts at the halfway point and runs back toward the marathon start, and the 5K starts 10 minutes after the marathon, so it doesn't feel crowded. The course is tree-lined and through countryside so is fairly scenic.

The race is mostly flat with some very small undulating hills between miles 12-14, I think I have only run one marathon that may have been flatter (in the Netherlands...) The weather was nice too, around 40 degrees and overcast. I was not going for a BQ but would definitely consider this one if I were. Being a smaller race, parking was a breeze. You can wait inside the school until the race start, so no worries about being too cold.

My only two dings for the marathons were that the mile markers were slightly off (according to my Garmin, so take it with a grain of salt). The halfway 13.1 and the finish 26.2 were spot on, it was the miles in between. They weren't that much off, maybe 0.1 in some cases, but if you are trying to time your miles, it might throw you off. The second thing was that at the last traffic crossing, it seemed the person that was supposed to be directing traffic was in her car, not sure if she just got cold or what. I know after 25 miles I didn't feel like waving off traffic on my own as I cross the road, but I had to. I also thought there was supposed to be GU at the 19 mile station, I didn't see any, but this wasn't a big deal to me as I brought a small backpack with my own supplies just in case.

Other than that things were well organized and the people were very nice too! The race T-shirt is a technical non-cotton material and colorful. The race hotel was the Ramada in Elyria - I would stay elsewhere if they use this hotel again - not bad but not necessarily set up for a marathon outside of the dinner, which was fine (no breakfast and I had some issues with the room).

Not enough porta pottys. No GU gels ... No first aid stations, no entertainments.
Not sure I liked running down one way, turning around a 13.1, and running back ...

Very nice race, small and I mean really small. However it is a really great race. Well organized and on and extremely flat course. If you are looking for spectators this is not a race for you. Although if you don't want to wait in line for the bathroom and fight your way through a crowd this is the race for you. Will be doing this again in the future. Thanks for putting on this well organized 26.2!!!!

It was nice to participate in a small marathon. The course is flat to a fault and the scenery is beautiful all the way. One draw-back is that it is an out and back, so the second half is nothing new. Few spectators, but that's OK with me.

If you want a race on flat terrain, I doubt you can find flatter than this. The course is beautiful and well paved. Race staff and participants were very friendly. T shirt was cotton, but very nice. My two bits of constructive criticism are: 1) the water stations were not that well spaced for the marathon, particularly around the mid part of the race (which I think contributed to some nausea that really slowed me down) and 2) the food selections at the end of the race were pretty unappealing (I ate a banana, had a bottle of water, and went home). There are very few specators on this race, which doesn't matter much to me, but if you need a cheering crowd to help you push, you won't find it here. Overall, though, this is a nice event.

This was the smallest marathon I had ever done but it was great. Beautiful, flat course; great organization; great weather; very quiet and serene overall. I jumped in at the last minute, which is also nice. My race was slow but I enjoyed every minute. Definitely would do this again.

This is the 2nd time I've run this marathon and 2nd time I'm commenting. This is a terrific small marathon. The course is flat and beautiful. The course is an old railroad trail that has been asphalted. It's tree-lined and farms and a golf course provide beautiful scenery. This is very well organized, friendly marathon. You can stay in the small school gym until the last minute. If you are lucky enough to place in your age group, you immediately receive a 2nd medal upon crossing the finish line. There is pizza, bagels, etc. in the gym after the race. It's also nice to have your car right outside the school. I will definitely return. If you are looking to qualify for Boston, I highly recommend this course. I also have to comment on the sweetest Cub Scout who took it upon himself to place a cup of water into my hand and lift my hand up to my mouth to help me drink. What a champ!