First of all, the course was stunningly beautiful, showcasing all that makes Atlanta such a unique city. The hills were tough, but it's Atlanta and there are hills. Spectators were great and there were a lot of homeowners out on their lawns handing out water to the runners. That was awesome.

Last week it was winter with temperatures dipping into the low 30s. On race day, the temperature was already 65 at 7 a.m. and quickly climbed to a high of 87. Dangerous weather because no one expected it or trained for it.

There was clearly a deficit of volunteers at the water stops. Volunteers at the first two water stops were completely overwhelmed. At mile four, the table was surrounded by runners waiting in line for the four volunteers at the table to pour water into cups. I almost didn't stop, but it was a good thing I did because there were no more waters stops until mile 10. There were signs for water stops, but no actual water. One homeowner had a hose hanging from his mailbox and runners were drinking from that. On the course map there was shown a water stop every mile. There were fewer than half that number. PowerAde ran out pretty early, creating a dangerous situation for the slow runners drinking lots of water on this hot day.

Next year instead of running the race, I'm going to volunteer. This race has incredible potential... too bad for the rough inaugural run.

Starting line: no organization. Races were combined at the start (8,900+ half marathoners and 4,300+ marathoners). Too many WALKERS lined up in front, causing delays in the starting area. They ran out of water at the first aid station (4 miles - before the split), so the next water stop for the marathoners was at 8 miles. Thanks to the community that allowed runners to use water hoses and that provided cups of drink. Without them, a lot of runners wouldn't have finished the race - temps were in the mid 80's. There was very LITTLE PowerAde or Gatorade on the course. HEY ING, they have been forecasting upper 80's for the race all week. The shirt was nice but my medal was put together upside down... like the race.

I would expect a race organization as experienced with marathons as ING to have electrolyte replacement sports drinks such as PowerAde or Gatorade on the course. There were none. Repeat, none. I asked at every hydration station, and none of them had any. The high temperature on race day was approximately 80 degrees.

This was the first running of the ING GEORGIA MARATHON, and for a first-time event it was really good. The course is hilly and challenging, but you get a great tour of the Atlanta area.

The weather was 30 degrees warmer then normal, and there were problems with water stops (only on one side of road, and no PowerAde for the whole run for back-of-the-pack runners. This will probably be taken care of, since a lot of us are writing the race director.

All in ALL it was well run. At the expo on Saturday morning, they gave out free coffee to all waiting in line - really a great thing to do. UPS did its usual great job with baggage check, and being the home of Coke, lots to drink at the finish. I recommend this run highly.

I have lived in Atlanta area for more than 10 years and didn't know that it had so many beautiful neighborhoods, which dominated this course. The course was hilly, and combined with signature Georgia heat, it was a great challenge. I want to name the course "the roller coaster" because of the many twists and turns and ups and downs.

Great inaugaral marathon and great handling of more than 15,000 runners! I started up front and finished in 3:16, though I had problems with many half marathon walkers using the width of the road for the last few miles.

A few more water stations with PowerAde would have been nice, but many spectators were handing out water, which was great.

This is a scenic, hilly course, winding through some nice neighborhoods in the Atlanta area. Good fan support in different neighborhoods. Temperatures were warm, starting in the mid-60s at the start, and reaching the high 70s by the finish. The only relief from the heat came from the shady tree-lined streets most of the course covered. There was no relief at the water stations. Only 2 water stations in the marathon had PowerAde and they were both in the first half. At least one water station was missing. It was a real struggle in the last half with just water. Unseasonably high teperatures combined with sub-standard water stations made it a struggle for many in the second half.

I have run 20+ marathons but never a big one like this one. I figured ING would know how to organize a big race.

The course was scenic but definitely not an easy one. I give the course 3 stars only because it was more demanding that most thought. I was shooting for sub-3, but I'm satisfied with my 3:10 given the course and the conditions.

It was 48 degrees at the 7 a.m. start. When I finished in just after 3 hours, it was 64 degrees. Those finishing in 4 hours finished with a 75-degree temperature.

A race director cannot control the weather but can make sure the runners have adequate hydration.

With such a warm temp., the fluids would be vital. There were 17 planned aid stations advertised to have water and PowerAde at each. There were NOT 17 aid stations and by the time I got to them, there was PowerAde at only 2 of the aid stations.

It is difficult to run 26.2 miles without an energy replacement drink. With the tough course and the unseasonly warm temperature, many people wilted during the last 8 miles.

It's a shame for the runners that traveled to Atlanta, and especially for those who made this their first marathon, it was a shame that there weren't adequate fluids on the course.

I do not know if it was poor planning or poor distribution (although PowerAde is made by Coca-Cola, which is based in Atlanta) that resulted in the lack of PowerAde on the course, but I will stick to the smaller marathons in the future.

The most incompetently organized marathon imaginable. Website and printed materials stated PowerAde and water station would be found every 1-2 miles. There was NOT A DROP of PowerAde on the entire course. As to water, some stations were missing, others had run out of water (I finished about 300th of 4,300 marathoners). At the finish one small bottle of water was handed out, and only immediately after the finish line - runners could not obtain a second bottle once they passed, unless they pilfered it from the medical aid station. What shameful organizational malpractice. As a physician, I've treated both dehydrated and hyponatremic marathon runners in the past, and I'm sure there were plenty of both in this race. If you're one of them, call your lawyer.

I was very excited for Atlanta to get a major marathon and even more excited when it was announced that ING was the lead sponsor. It was all for nothing, as it turns out. From the bib pick-up to the finishing corral, this race was a complete mess.

Some water stations were not ready for the runners. Only two had PowerAde (how this happened in Coke's backyard is beyond me). There was a car parked about 50 meters after the start that you had to dodge. Absolutely no order of any kind in the staging area. Read this as a complete free-for-all as to where to line up. Honestly, there was not a water stop for 5 miles at one point. Combine all of this with a really hot day in Atlanta and there were good runners breaking down all over the place.

I live here and probably won't run it again. I like races where I can drink a sports drink when I want it and not have to stand in MASSIVE lines to pick up my bib. I should say, though, that while the course is very hilly, it was well laid out.

The course was run through beautiful neighborhoods and the fan support was terrific. More PowerAde stations would have been good. Once the sun was up the heat made the run much more difficult. Can't wait to try again next year!