I was looking for a reasonably-sized marathon to run this year, and the Outer Banks Marathon fulfilled that goal quite nicely.

The first ten miles of the course were my absolute favorite; beautiful scenery along the water, through tree-filled residential neighborhoods, and around the Wright Brothers Monument. You can't ask for much better scenery than this (and I ran in Florence, Italy last year) and I've got nothing but great things to say about miles 1-10.

The infamous "through the woods and hills" portion (miles 11-13) was indeed a tiny bit challenging, but at the same time, perversely fun. It was very different from any sort of marathon I've run before, and I appreciated the challenge. There is about a mile stretch in there where the trail isn't more than two-people wide, but for a mid-pack, 4-hour marathoner, I had no problems with crowds or passing people.

I must admit that I was less than thrilled with the second half of the course, but not because of the infamous bridge to Roanoke Island at mile 23 (which is visually pretty daunting, but thankfully not actually that long). My complaint was the long stretch of highway that composes a lot of the second half of the course. I'd love to see in the future the marathon get shifted off of the highway a bit more; as fun as it was to see all the businesses having changed their signs to reflect the marathon (the funeral parlor telling runners "the end is near" had me laughing a great deal), it did get old pretty fast.

There aren't throngs of spectators like you'll get in New York, Marine Corps, or Chicago, but you know what? I liked the crowds at OBX much more. Everyone came out of their houses to cheer, they were warm and friendly, and lifted my spirits the whole way through. Hurrah for them!

I'd definitely recommend this race to others who are looking for a smaller, more intimate race in a nice location.

I didn't do it last year, so I can't comment on improvements made. A point to point race always creates problems, but everyone knew that coming into it. I was cold and not too happy about my performance. Would have liked to have gotten in my car and left. Instead had to find shuttle (no signs), wait for shuttle, figure out for myself which shuttle to take, and sit on bus for 45 minutes to get back. Instead of quick walk to car, took 90 minutes to get back. But again, I knew that could be a problem. Parts of course were scenic, parts were on a 5 lane road, but I didn't mind that. I wasn't out there to sightsee (though before & afterwards, there are great places to check out). There were 2-3 miles of hilly dirt/sand/mud roads and wood chip trails. I didn't mind, but not a PR course for that reason. Didn't mind bridge either, but be aware you have a pretty steep 90 second climb 23 miles into the race with a 2-3 minute gradual buildup. Don't think b/c it's on the coast it's an easy race. We lucked out on the 20 mph winds being at our backs most of the way, but there were sections of strong headwind & crosswind (bridge). Finish line was a little chaotic. I'm a 3:30 guy and more attention was being paid to 4:00 1/2 marathon walkers than marathoners. Lot of community support! Overall, I'd give it an OK rating, but know what you're getting into. Not blazing fast. Good place to take the family if you want to run a race and count it as a vacation.

I ran this two weeks after the Ridge to Bridge Marathon (another great race in NC) and ran with others who had just completed Marine Corps marathon. The level run with the tailwind helped me run about as quickly as I normally do. We all thought it was a great marathon. Everything was well organized, shuttles to the start from Wal Mart ran well as did the return shuttles after the race. The aid stations were more than adequate and well staffed by very enthusiastic volunteers. There were many supporters all along the course even on the trail portion. The course itself was beautiful, one of the best I've ever run. We passed through many attractive neighborhoods where the homeowners came out to cheer us along. Some have complained about the trail portion but I found it to be a joy to run. It added diversity to a great run and reminded me of the trail around the Duke University golf course. All of the volunteers were fantastic, they were energetic, helpful, understanding and all seemed to have a great sense of humor. I was concerned about the traffic congestion on Roanoke Island but it was not an issue when I finished. The wind was at our backs for all but about 1.5 miles. The Washington-Baum bridge provided a welcome break from the otherwise flat course. I thoroughly enjoyed this race and am planning on doing it again next year.

After reading some of the 2006 comments I wasn't quite sure what to expect from the 2007 marathon; but it was everything I have come to expect and hope for in a marathon. The course had varied scenery: the Wright Brothers memorial, Nags Head woods, beautiful views of the Sound, the bridge, etc. Nags Head woods was a very nice and unexpected twist in the course. Although it was hilly, I very much enjoyed the 'trail' experience. The OBX residents were more than hospitable. It seems like they actually understand what having a sense of community is all about while understanding that 'tourists' keep their economy going. The organization of the race was outstanding. Every town we ran through had it's own logo spray painted on the road along the entire course. Every mile marker was easily recognizable and the many turns were clearly marked with signs and volunteers directing the participants. The only 2 items that could be improved upon are the food at the end and the medal. These 2 things are very minor to me because they are not key motivating factors that influence my desire to run marathons; however, I have participated in 10k's that had a better spread of food than this. The medal was nice, just not very big. With all of that being said, the wristband for 6 beers at the end was more than generous, although I would have gladly exchanged 4 of the beers for a couple of slices of pizza!

OBX-awesome job in only your second year. It is obvious you learned a lot from your 1st year and made the appropriate improvements! Thanks for a great race!

I ran the half and had a great time. I can't say enough about the volunteers and the people along the route - if you couldn't find food at the aid stations, you could always join one of the parties on the course.

Unlike others, I found the bridge to be a nice change for my knees (plus the view was beautiful from the top). I didn't have to run in Nags Head Woods, but if you think there are hills there, try the half in Williamsburg - NH Woods has anthills compared to that race (it is a great race, too, by the way).

Everyone involved in this race worked incredibly hard to make it a success and it shows. Yes, there are some small issues to work on, but I am sure that by November '07, the race organizers will have had a chat with Mother Nature about the rain. By the way, don't let the bad weather from last year scare you away - we could just as easily have a sunny warm day this year.

Also, I loved the medal.

My wife and I ran the half marathon. The whole morning was a great experience for us. We were on our shuttle and at the start without a hitch. We ran into dozens of people we knew, which added an unexpected bonus. All along the course, which took us through a wide range of places - like by Jockey's Ridge sand dune, through a golf course, over the Roanoke Sound and through the maritime village of Manteo - we were cheered on by what sometimes felt almost like more volunteers and supporters than runners. For about half the run the weather was beautiful, but then the rain started and we ran in a gully washer for about an hour. It was actually nice, except my shoes got heavy towards the end.

I understand that the 2008 race ends in downtown Manteo, which will be a big improvement since it is connected to the location of the closing ceremony.

We loved this run and will certainly do it again.

This is a great place for a race and in the future it should be one of the most sought-after experiences on this coast. There are just some things about island running that the organizer did not understand.

First, we have prevailing SW winds, so any year, it is likely the runners will face a headwind from mile 1 to mile 22. And a stiff headwind of 20 mph is very common in Nov. - even 25. All that air comes right off a 30-mile open stretch of water; it blows cars off the road, let alone skinny runners. Point it in the other direction.

The second thing is finishing ON Roanoke Island. That is crazy. It took 2 hours, due to the traffic and buses, just to get off Roanoke Island and back to the main island. Why not have a beach finish, as it is a beach marathon? I'd gladly run again but the thought of sitting in traffic, cramping up, smelling like a swamp for several hours after I finish just turns me off. The finish must have an exit strategy and there is only one road off RI. At least over at the beach there are a lot of ways to move around.

I must say great job to the community for their support - there were tons of people during the first few miles while we were winding through the streets. That definitely got the marathon off to a great start, which was then dampened (literally) by the rain that started setting in, and then our discovery that the flat and fast course on a dirt-packed path was actually a very uneven, hilly, narrow trail. (Talk about a suprise - especially to this first-time marathoner, who lives on the VERY FLAT east coast of GA. I for one did not train for that.) And, of course, the bridge at the end didn't help. (In all fairness, we were warned about that.) Just be fair in the description of the course for future reference, with that stretch of trail in the beginning of the race. It made for an extremely long second half of the race since I didn't know I was training for a hilly portion of a trail run.

Personally, I can't complain about the port-a-johns at the start (I was in line early enough, I guess). Also, we didn't have to suffer through the extremely long lines for bag pick-up or shuttle (I guess that's a bonus for being in the last half of the finishers). A lot of the traffic had started to thin out, so the wait for a shuttle wasn't bad. It was a little disappointing, however, to watch the shuttle drive right by my hotel and have to sit and wait to get all the way back to one of the community parking areas only to turn around and drive the same stretch of road back to the hotel.

And for those who have commented (both good and bad) regarding the post-race food, consider yourselves lucky! I NEVER saw ANY FOOD at the end of the race - must have been long gone before I got there. I was very glad I had packed a few granola bars in my bag. Also, it was disappointing that everything was so scattered at the finish with the awards ceremony - I have no idea where it was or how I was supposed to get there, had no desire to go wandering around looking for it at that point, and basically the finish seemed like it was a few runners like myself and a bunch of volunteers who were looking forward to being able to get out of the rain. (Don't get me wrong; many thanks for their time - they were great!) But I was looking forward to being amongst other runners and their families to enjoy the fact that we had made it to the finish line!

I'm sure there will be many changes for next year, and maybe I'll be back after I find some hills to train on so I can be better prepared!

Cons:
I missed running with my buddies because I was in the porta-potty when the race started. I was in line for 25 minutes.
Tough bridge late in the race. We caused a huge traffic jam for a long time.
Running in the soft sand, twisting, steep up and down, narrow single track trail. It was taxing. Why did they keep it a secret?
Medal, t-shirt and expo were a big disappointment.

Pros:
Enthusiastic spectators and volunteers.
Cool poster.
Lots of choices to stay at a reasonable price through AAA.
Suggestions:
Reverse the course so the bridge is at the beginning when we are fresh and not cramping up. Plus we won't block traffic because we will all be past it so early in the morning. Good for everyone. Jazz up the medal and shirt.

The fans were amazing! The weather ended up being very harsh - driving rain and strong winds - and the fans just stayed right out there and cheered us on. I was inspired!

For an inaugural marathon, I thought it was very good. However, here are some points that might be taken into account:

1) Every race organizer should know that one can never have too many port-o-potties. Unfortunately, at the start the lines ended up what seemed to be 20-30 deep. I was worried about runners making it to the start line on time (yes, it was that bad).

2) I didn't know that we would be trail running on hills for miles 8-12 or so. That was not a fun surprise.

3) It was very tough to run fast to the finish line when you are trying to dodge huge mud puddles.

4) I don't know where the awards ceremony was, but it didn't seem to be anywhere close to the finish line. I think you had to take a shuttle to get there.

5) I was so excited to win my first age group award but I had to practically beg in e-mails for it since I missed the ceremony. They finally e-mailed us about a month after the race and told us to send a self-addressed, stamped package to receive the award(cost $0.96... they can't pick up the tab on that??).

6) Mile markers were sort of hard to find if you didn't know what to look for.

I think the race logistics and planning will improve with time. I don't think I will be running it again though.