The course of this race was brutal for my first marathon. However, I was banking on what the website told me about the aid stations in way of goods and the distance between each one. Their website says they will have gels at 2 aid stations which was not true, they were no where to be found. The water was luke warm along with the gatorade and the snacks were just not doing it for me the type of terrain and the beating the body is taking. Also the rules cleary state in BOLD letters that no headphones are authorized and a great number of people had them on. Rules are rules. If they put out in the race packets what will be at each aid station then that's what they should have, at least some. Luckily we were smart to bring our own water bottles because there is no way the aid stations were close enough to supply the body enough fluid for the duration and distance. Great course though and am happy I completed it but seriously, Scott the race director should have a better handle on it. Oh..one more thing, there was no water point at the pre race area to get water before leaving.

I did come in last with my time 6:34...however, since I do not consider myself a runner, this was HUGE. I am so happy to finish my first marathon...coming across the finish line hearing my incredible husband cheering me on was the BEST! I trained on some trails but mostly streets/bike paths so my time was slower than I thought. This course will keep your attention on the up & up or you will fall. I saw 8 other runners (3 of them were the 40 milers passing me (very sad) 'oh well'. If you are thinking about running this one watch your feet, have fun and trust me, if I can finish this, you can too! During this race, I thought of many people that have touched me and are very sick right now with Cancer and other diseases and all of them pulled me through this run...I just keep thinking, 'don't quit on them them, because if they could be running this right now they would.'

This was a nice early autumn trail run. You start on the road but other than some short biketrail segments and bridge crossings, the rest is trail. I would guess that the majority of the trail system is actually single track. You are mostly in the shade and you travel through marsh, pines, oaks and even a section with bamboo! The weather was nice this year, a slight chill at sunrise, an occasional breeze but probably not more than 70 degrees or so. I must admit though that of all my trail runs, this was not the most difficult technically, but it was certainly the most prolific in toe-stubbing roots that I've ever seen. There are some portions of the trail that were like running over bridge grating they were so dense. Minimalist trail shoes are probably not advised. There was at least one runner with a broken toe. Mine were pretty sore.
The water/aid stations were well stocked and there was plenty of post race food/drink. The course (road and trail) are not closed and it was a little annoying later in the race bumping into mountain bikers. I think overall the course was well marked but there was some confusion on the distance markers. All race events shared the same finisher medal which was a little disappointing.

Pros:
Nice course
Good time of year
Peaceful
Good food and drinks at finish
Awesome volunteers (I ran with a water bottle and was able to pop the top and have two volunteers fill my bottle up with Gatorade at the same time)
Nice start and finish area (my wife and little boy hung out at the park while I ran)

Cons:
I had to leave before the awards ceremony
Aid stations are really far apart
Minimal spectators (understandable; where are they going to access the trail from?)
Lots of roots (I fell three times, but I still liked the trail)
Not very many runners (I was lucky to have another runner with me for the last half, but if it weren't for him, I would have been really lonely)

I would like to run this race again. You just need to be aware that the aid stations are far apart and you won't hear very many cheers. Bring your own fluids and gel and have at it.

I enjoyed the race, but it seems like the half-marathon is treated like a second cousin. Why are there no mile markers for the half? We should know how far we are down the course as well just like the marathoners.

I loved the blanket as well; they gave nice prizes, and the course is on lovely (if difficult) trails.

Get high! And I'm not just talking about elevation here, but about a real sense of accomplishment - even more so mentally than physically. Organizing such a race is impressive; thank you, Scott. Although, it's worth mentioning that we could always use more signage; I got lost the path three times. But who cares about the clock time here? I loved this race again this year, and will run it again!

My comments refer to the 40-mile race and not the marathon specifically. The trails were great - mostly rolling to flat with a couple of steeper ones thrown in. The ground was very rooty, but it only had a limited number of rocks so my feet appreciated that. The 3-star rating for organization was due to the aid stations later in the day. By mile 34 it was very hot out and there was nothing but hot drinks left. And at the finish area, all of the water coolers were empty and the bottled water and canned Cokes were sitting in bins of warm water. And all of the pans of food were left out and covered with thousands of bees. There weren't a lot of spectators, but the ones that showed up were awesome. And the volunteers were awesome as well. The shirt and blanket were really nice, so I won't knock the quarter-sized finisher's medal. I'd do this race again if they take in to account the slower runners that need food and drink also.

The trail is really nice - not too hilly - though the roots are definitely not to be taken lightly. Based on my experience, you should expect to add about 20% to your road marathon time.

My only negative was the sufficient but minimal organization. We never received ANY emails at all from the organizers. My husband could have used a tad more signage to prevent him from accidentally running one mile down the 40-mile turn off. The food was fine, but nothing special. I guess the small races I've done where the food was homemade and we got to meet and talk with the race director have spoiled me a bit.

Overall, a lot of fun on a great trail with a cool shirt, but not much in the way of personal touches.

This was my very first half-marathon. The trail was scenic, yet very challenging. I enjoyed the run and plan to train harder to run again in this race next year!

Entering this trail marathon, I looked at the map of the race course circling the lakes and thought that the scenery combined with a long run in the woods would make for a pleasant day. This was my 21st marathon and it was easily the toughest course I have ever run... and I have done other "mountain and trail" marathons.

A good 75% of the trail is covered with large roots and rocks. Be advised that this is a tough track. I spent most of the race studying the ground immediately in front of me and choosing places for my footsteps. The lakes were right there, but I seldom saw them. I tripped and fell four times - all on the second half. No big elevation changes, but nearly constant turns, dips and climbs.

I hope this doesn't sound like a list of complaints. At the end of the day, I felt a real sense of accomplishment and even placed first in my division.

My point is that before you enter this event, make sure you are wearing a good pair of trail running shoes, have strong ankles, and are prepared to be as worn out mentally as you are physically.

My sincere congratulations to the race organizers and to everyone who completed this race. It was an experience I won't soon forget.