What I liked:
Beautiful scenery
Very helpful and friendly volunteers
Spirited spectators

What I didn't:
Early on, splits were not marked or were unclear when you hit the mile marker.
Needed more frequent water early on... warm weather contributed.
Although it was pretty, portions that were off-road were on pretty soft ground at times. I pulled a muscle and I think running on the sandy ground 10 miles into the race, using different muscles, is probably why.

What they could improve:
The "Booty Bags" are nice but didn't really contain any freebies.
The runners food after the race was almost non-existent. I saw Gatorade, sliced apples and pieces of bagels. The $85 entry fee is higher than the other races I entered (Indianapolis, Air Force and Columbus), but all of those races had better post-race food and a free beer. Outer Banks had other options but you had to buy that stuff and my wallet was in my car five blocks away.

I loved this marathon! The start was woodsy and set the stage for a scenic run. This marathon didn't have any pacers and I wondered if that contributed to everyone running extremely fast from the get-go. I was in the 9-11 minute/mile wave and people were going quite a bit faster than that, which meant that everyone passed me right away. I think pacers must really help slow down the urge to go all-out at first. Anyway, the first half of the marathon was incredibly scenic and interesting. I loved running through the woods on the nature paths. I had no previous trail running experience, but found that the dirt and sand provided relief to my knees. During the 2nd half of the marathon, runners did spend several miles running next to cars stuck in traffic alongside the main road. There are so many beautiful parts of the Outer Banks and I wondered why we didn't get to run on the less busy street near the ocean. The hill at mile 23 wasn't that horrible... it just looks daunting. But anticipating it helped to break things up. The finish line was really cool; you feel so close, but can't see the end until you turn the corner... and then there it is!

My first OBX Marathon. The course is beautiful. Running along the highway wasn't so bad. The first 10 miles are very flat, with pretty views of the sound. I welcomed the hills and terrain when we ran through the woods. Going over the bridge was fun. The traffic was so backed up that the people in the cars were cheering for the runners the entire time. I thought the spectators were extremely enthusiastic! I read some comments that it's not a course for a PR. I did have a PR and I qualified for Boston. This is one of the prettiest marathon courses.

Pretty course - scenic and varied - and great organization. I loved the pirate theme; all of the volunteers were dressed as pirates, and lots of runners were in pirate costumes. :) It was my 8th marathon, so I have a few to compare it to. WELL DONE!!

The best part of this course is definitely the first half. It covers some very nice coastal neighborhoods and woods, and it goes by the Wright Memorial. The second half is mostly spent running alongside a road with cars very nearby and no shade, so it got to be pretty hot those last 10 miles. The start line is in an odd area, on a remote road next to a lumber yard I think, but getting dropped off at the start was easy enough. The finish in Manteo was very nice. The course is super flat except for some hills on the trails around mile 13 and the big bridge into Manteo, which wasn't so bad. The cool breeze and the coastal views were enough to take my mind off of the hill. Lots of great scenery overall. If you need a lot of crowd support, this isn't your race, but when we did have spectators they were great. The expo was pretty packed, a larger space would be nice, but there were a good number of exhibitors. The technical shirt and medal were pretty low-quality compared to every other marathon I've run. I liked the visor we received at the finish line. All in all, though, a nice, small, flat, scenic race.

My husband and I are marathon directors, so we really marveled at the outstanding organization and community support for this event. BRAVO to the communities of the Outer Banks on such an outstanding event!

If you are looking for a PR course, this is not the "fast and flat" type. The first half is very nice, but it has many curves and corners (try to run the tangents). And it's NOT flat, although there's nothing big; it's definitely hilly in the trail portion especially. The second half is largely out on the highway and completely in full sun (HOT), which I am not a big fan of. If you are looking for a destination marathon & well put on event, this is your place to come. If you want to train and run your best time possible, this is not your race. Everything we received was great except for the vastly oversized, cheaply done shirts; and the food at the finish was pretty poor. I was one of the faster runners, so I was not getting leftovers. All things aside, the event is well put on and in a great venue, so it is worth going to and I would do this marathon again.

This was my 10th marathon and probably my 4th favorite. This is saying a lot because I try to run them in interesting areas. I thought the weather was fabulous. Even when it heated up, the breeze was always there and there was hardly any humidity! Course support is top-notch. Don't bother bringing gels. They have PLENTY for you! This course is so pretty! I really feel like I saw some beautiful areas I wouldn't have otherwise gotten to! I didn't think the bridge was that bad, and I am from the flats! It kind of broke things up a bit and the view was just great! I didn't love the trail portion as much as some others did. I had thought it was shorter, but it seemed to go on and on. My friend and I tried to power through the little hills and turns and SAND, and we just never seemed to get anywhere. Word of advice: take that part easy so you don't put out all of your energy before you even reach the halfway point. Otherwise, the course was excellent. The food provided at the end was not adequate, though: Apple slices, bananas, wheat bread, and peanut butter. No free beer either! Still, I'm so glad that I chose this one! Nice job, OBX!

What a friendly, supportive town! Thank you to all of the residents and businesses. The weather was perfect. Shuttle service to the start was great. I liked the wave start! I was never bunched up in a pack. The course was as flat as a course can get, and therefore I was able to set a PR. Yes, the bridge at mile 23 seemed cruel at the time, but every race has to have some "trademark." This was my first marathon that I did not have ANY soreness the following week. I loved looking at the neighborhoods. I saw the cutest pink house. The pirate theme is super. Never a line at the port-o-pots. I don't know how that happened. Don't change a thing!

The pros:
- Organization (shuttles) was excellent
- Fan support was great
- Very nice cloth bag, tech shirt, visor, medal
- First half (especially the woods road) was beautiful and diverse
- Vacation in the Outer Banks!

The cons:
- The second half is HOT with NO SHADE
- I was so thirsty at mile #21, and the cups had barely one gulp in them. Could they be running out of water???
- They give cool washcloths at the finish line, but they take them back before you can leave the chute

Overall:
Personally, I won't be running OBX again because the hot sun really wears me out (two years in a row). But if you're okay with hot weather, it's a great race. While it's completely flat, it's not quite as easy as you'd think. But the organization and fans were beyond expectations.

This marked the third year in a row of running the OBX marathon. I agree with most comments already posted - scenic, challenging course; great spectator support; nice area. However, it's apparent that this race is growing in popularity and the organizers are stepping it up. The best one so far. The medals were excellent for all the various races. There was just a sense of class about this event. The Outer Banks really embraces this weekend.