Really a nice race. Well organized from Expo/Packet Pick Up to start to post race activities.
Be prepared at start as the human traffic jam is pretty big, but if you have looked at the maps for the corrals you can make your way around. Race is fun with a nice scenic course and really great volunteer/spectator support. I must say thank you to the volunteers and spectators as they kept us going. Course is advertised as hilly and it is so. The one I remember was just after mile 22 coming out of the park and up (and I mean up) into downtown. But elevation charts don't lie nor does the Facebook post that had a picture of a highway of hills with the caption 'Do Them' as a friendly training reminder. Don't be scared just prepared. Swag was fine. Overall Really good Race.

Georgia Publix 2013 was a typically good race, maybe more like average, I guess. I volunteered on Saturday prior to race; that experience was so-so and I probably won't repeat it. What stands out for me about Georgia Publix were the expo and the VIP package. The expo was a worthy event with a lot of opportunity to sample products and talk with promoters and organizers of other race events. I liked the Georgia Publix expo and signed up for another race during this expo. Additionally, I had purchased the VIP package which was good value due to the convenience of parking in a designated garage and the post-race victuals. Many new, but friendly faces at the post-race VIP area. I flew in for the event. I recommend Georgia Publix and I may repeat it next year.

This was my 5th time running the full here, and the course this year was the best yet. There were just a few small changes, but very fluid, and appropriate. Even the out and back in Piedmont Park was shorter than in years past, and that was very much appreciated. This is a hilly course, but the difference here is that cumulatively, the downhills hurt you more than the uphills. My advice would be to train the downhills as much as you do the up when preparing for this one.

Organization and Expo was excellent. No complaints. Pre and post race was great, and this may be the first time I have ever said this, but this event actually had well more than enough porta potties, both on the course, and at the start finish.

Aid stations were spaced perfectly, well stocked, and run by amazing volunteers. I was never once left wanting for anything.

Spectators. Minimal at best, but this is not a race problem, it's a city of Atlanta problem.

Race T-shirt.. It was St. Patrick's day, so I feel this was a missed opportunity at a really cool shirt. The one we got was standard white with a couple small shamrocks on it.

Race medal.. this was fantastic. Very well done, and very appropriate for the day. The Full medal was bigger than the half medal, which was incorrectly reported on a comment below. The medals did look very similar though, which I have no problem with since they were very cool.

Overall, highly recommended and is pretty much a must do.

I have completed the Half for this course twice before and decided to go for the full. The race is sponsored by PUBLIX and they do a great job. They started a new process by adding food stations along the course. Also there was a GU STOP towards the end. I can not emphasize more, but you need hill training for this race, but overall a great race. Atlanta really supports the race and getting to the race is a breeze if you use one of the downtown hotels.

The 2013 race was terrific. Fantastic weather, great course and the coincidence of the race being on St. Patrick's Day added to the festive atmosphere throughout the race.

PROS:
- It's Atlanta! (I'm biased, I live here, in fact, the course ran by my house)

- Start / Finish area at Centennial Park (directly across from CNN Center) was very well-organized. Corral process for start was great. I was in corral E, and crossed the start only 2 minutes behind the gun. Compared to other races I've run, Miles 1-2 weren't quite the cattle call as other races. Crowded, but after we made the first left turn on Piedmont Road (.75 miles), you were able to maneuver.

- Very scenic course, especially the first 23 miles. You run through some of the great historic in-town neighborhoods (Old 4th Ward, Inman Park, Decatur, Emory University, Druid Hills, Virginia-Highland and Piedmont Park).

- Food/Water stations were spaced right and the well-organized.

- Volunteers were tremendous. From the cops holding up traffic at cross-streets to the amazing support workers at the drink stations. A+ in this regard.

- Chances are the third week of March in Atlanta will be perfect running weather.

- Pro (or con?). I think they had about 13,000 runners for the half + full, and I think only 1,800 did the full. So once the race split off at mile 7, it was smooth sailing.

CONS:
- This is not a course to set your PR on. It's hilly. Very hilly. At Miles 16-19 you go through the Druid Hills neighborhood on a net-uphill, and then keep climbing from there. Mile 22, when you exit Piedmont Park has the hardest hill, four blocks straight up 12th street that really made people suffer.

- Sadly, the least scenic and fewest spectators are on the final mile. The way the course loops back into the finish area takes it out to a part of town that has almost no fans. Mile 25 is tough.

- No one will mistake this for Boston, with fans cheering every step of the way. The fans who did come out were amazing, but I don't think this race has the same amount of fan support as the Fall marathon in Atlanta which is sponsored by the Atlanta Track Club. This race is not sponsored by the ATC.

- All in all, I give the Race Directors a solid 'A' but my one gripe was the parking situation for the Expo. It was a joke to charge $10 to park in order to spend three minutes grabbing your race bib.

- My one suggestion is that going forward, the course really needs to incorporate the Atlanta Beltine, which is one of the premier inner-city rails/trails projects in America. Would be great if the full marathon ran on it. And as mentioned above, they need to re-work the run-in to the finish. Mile 25 needs fixed.

Otherwise, I'd give the race a solid 8.5 out of 10.

The expo was AWEOME! Probably one of the best that I have been to (THANK YOU PUBLIX!!!).

Everything about this race was SO WELL ORGANIZED! I never thought at any time, 'Wow, this is a total cluster...'. The corrals were perfect, there was no jockeying for position like most races. The finish line was perfectly executed.

The volunteers were so friendly and helpful! The aid stations were awesome- plus the 'goodies' stations were a pleasant suprise! (oreos, jellybeans, M&Ms, etc...)

There wasn't a whole lot of spectator support, but the ones that did come out were so inspiring!

And then there's the HILLS...... OH, BOY! They were ever rolling and never ending. This was one of the HARDEST races for hills.

I have completed this race all seven times it has been run and it get better each year. The weather was outstanding and Atlanta never better in its spring colors. There was a small tweak to the course in Emory University and I believe it was for the better. Fan support is improving, volunteers are great and organization is excellent.

This was a very well run race. I have nothing to comment on, flaw wise. Weather is a non-issue, because you get what you get, and it doesn't change the comments of the race as a whole.
The start corrals worked well. I thought I was bit far from the start (H corral), and expecting a ton of walkers in front of me, but the course was open, and the walkers in front of me, didn't go 4 wide.
Running with the half marathoners for 6 miles kept me from going out hard, which saved me... until 21
The water stops were plentiful with everything from jelly beans, gels, oranges, cookies, peanut butter pretzels, depending on what water stop you were at.
Well trained, enthusiastic volunteers. Port-o-lets everywhere.
The expo. was nice and opened, with lots of stuff to be had.
This was my 28th marathon, and as course beauty goes, one of the prettiest urban and neighborhood, running wise.
I must warn you this is a hilly course. I don't mean a few hills. I mean from start to finish hills. I was good with them till 21 miles, but from there on, the hills just broke me.
For me it was a training issue. None of the hills were thigh burners, or that long, but they were forever rolling.
The Georgia Marathon in Atlanta has it all together, and is worth running it. I'd do it again, but there are so many to do. Hopefully I can make it back ?
Keep up the great job Atlanta !!!!!

The course is approx. 18-20 miles uphill. I basically used the race as a prep for the flat and fast Fargo Marathon 2 months later. Other than the hills the race is above average in scenery, expo and organization. Spectator support for first time marathoners is below average for a big city. The medal is nice although the marathon and half-marathon medals are the same size. The 3:45 pacers basically only talked to each other and weren't friendly. Overall, I give the race a B-

Pros: This city knows how to put on a race. The expo, the marathon, and the volunteers are WONDERFUL.

Cons: I can't think of any off the top of my head, other than not a lot of crowd support for a race this large. Volunteers more than made up for it, and the course is VERY well marked.

PLEASE NOTE: The course is BEAUTIFUL. But it is also BRUTAL. I got a 10:00 min PR, and was running great until the last 8-10 miles, when the uphills got me. It is well worth signing up for this race. Just be aware that this is NOT a PR course, unless you are used to hills. I PRed only because I was spot on with training.