Thanks for letting us stay on the buses at the start! Nothing anyone can do about the weather, but had we been just dropped off, I'm afraid some hypothermia issues would have been very likely

If the race directors can maintain the new course this will become a destination marathon for PR and BQ seekers. The course loses 1500ft total with 1000ft in the first 10K. The map suggests a 7% grade but I don't think it exceeded 5. the winds were not favorable this year as the course runs SE and the winds were ESE. I suspect the winds are usually WNW which would make the course downhill and down wind. This is not a scenic course except for the start in the Franklin Mtns and there are few spectators and sparce enertainment. Nevertheless if you want a fast course this is the one.

Since I see a lot of the comments are on last year's course, I thought I'd point out that the 2012 marathon will be almost completely downhill and flat. The first six miles will be downhill (so start training on downhill runs), and the rest will be a very gradual slope down to finish in downtown. Very different course from prior years.

I liked the elevations of the course with hills in the beginning to challenge my race strategy and keep me thinking about pacing throughout the entire 26.2 miles. In my opinion there were many problems with the race. First: small expo, without much to buy (just a lot of advertising). No finisher shirt to purchase. I am not going to wear my medal when out running with my friends... I would like a shirt to say, "I'm a finisher." Starting the 1/2, full, and 5K at the same time causes a major road block. Styrofoam cups???? Really? I didn't know these were even made anymore - plus, when you attempt the squeeze and dump technique of the cup like many racers do, the cup simply breaks in half! And finally, the course was really boring after about mile 7, with very little support other than the water stops. (Also, these folks needed some training on handoff.) There were times I felt as though I was running through rural Nebraska. I was happy to have finished but I was not in a good mood when I did; I didn't even take the time to get my free beer, which might be my favorite part of being a runner. El Paso is a great town to visit and I have met new friends there, but I will most likely not run another marathon there.

This is a challenging course, and the police force did an impeccable job with road closures and traffic control. The medals and awards were great. But they need to ensure that the (admittedly ample) water stations have sports drink. None did. And they added about 30 seconds to the finishing times of at least the first third of the field. So, fix the timing, add the sports drink, and find someone else to sing the "Star Spangled Banner" (Worst. Rendition. Ever.), and they'll have a first-class race.

One Issue. One issue can adversely impact the reputation of a marathon. Regardless of how well everything is organized leading up to the race, or how good one's experience is up to the point that he or she crosses the finish line, it can all be adversely impacted by one issue. In the case of the El Paso Marathon, the one issue was the accuracy of the timing chips. Almost immediately after crossing the finish line, the issues were apparent. Several runners stated that their names were not listed in the results following the race. To make matters worse, their names were omitted from the age group awards list. As a result, runners who should have received awards did not receive them, and runners who should not have received awards did receive them. It should be noted, however, that the organizers did their best to address the issues as they arose. They were positive, friendly, helpful and genuinely felt bad for what had happened. Hopefully this issue will not prevent the El Paso Marathon from future growth because almost everything else about this event was great.

The entry fee was very reasonable. Having run several big marathons where entry fees tend to be $100-$150, it was refreshing to pay less than $75 for once. Like so many other marathons, the entry fee increases as the marathon date approaches, so be sure to register early.

I flew in from out of town and stayed at the Downtown Double Tree. The hotel staff was friendly and the room was reasonably priced at $75. The hotel offered free shuttle service to and from the airport. The hotel was located about a quarter of a mile from the expo and starting line. In addition, the marathon course went right by the hotel, located approximately 1-1.25 miles into the run.

The expo was organized and volunteers were friendly and helpful. The vendors were they standard type that you see at most expos.

There could have been more porta-potties near the starting area, but that always seems to be the case. I recall seeing single porta-potties periodically along the course.

The course was more challenging than I thought it would be. We climbed over 400 feet between miles 0.5 and 4.0. We descended the same 400 feet between miles 4.0 and 5.5. We ran on roads through neighborhoods, busy streets with proper traffic control, and along long stretches of closed roadways. I was surprised at the number of broken beer bottles that I had to avoid and the number of loose rocks on the road. It would have been easy to turn an ankle if one was not careful. There were a lot of 90-degree turns through neighborhoods. The course was pretty well marked and had volunteers stationed at most turns.

The elements are something that cannot be controlled. The temperatures at the start, throughout, and at the finish were very manageable - high 40's at the start to high 50's at the finish. We had a slight breeze at our backs on the way "out," but the breeze turned into a steady headwind on the way "back." Over the last 12 miles, we either had side winds or a headwind, and the winds increased in intensity as time progressed. We spent more time with a headwind than we did a side wind.

There were a fair number of spectators along the course, especially as we ran through neighborhoods. They cheered with quite a lot of enthusiasm.

There were just the right number of water stops along the way. The water stops were organized and well staffed.

The finish line was exciting. Our names were called over the loudspeaker as we approached the finish. Crowds lined the fences for 100 or so yards leading up to the finish line. The recovery area was away from the finish line and family and friends were allowed to co-mingle with the runners, something I am not used to seeing.

Overall, my experience at the El Paso Marathon was memorable. It had a nice, hometown feel to it and should be on your list of marathons to run at some point in the future.

The weather was perfect, and the course was beautiful - wow! It was really cool being at the "edge" of the United States and singing "The Star Spangled Banner" on a beautiful March morning (might I add, beautifully sung by the race director!!!!), and hearing the gun go off on yet another marathon. But this one was different. I had just run a different marathon, and had been sick for a week leading up to this one, so I knew I would not be in top form, but I was enjoying the dash through town, and the immediate run up the side of the hills north of downtown. We ran through some of the more beautiful, older homes in El Paso, and I thought they were decent hills if I had been 100% in this race. Then, we got on Paisano, and the course really flattened out. I loved the run through the upper valley, and around the racetrack into Sunland Park, NM. (I figured the road closures for this race must have been a pain since you had two different jurisdictions for police, in two different states!) When we got back on Paisano, we could run and look into Mexico! I loved gazing at the Franklin Mountains as I ran, and the all-over feeling was great! The soldiers who volunteered brought a tear to my eye for all they have done for us, and the crowds along the way were extremely supportive, but they sometimes were sparse (oh well - can't have it all). I would like to give a shout out to the water station at mile 13, where two guys were dressed like football officials (I work as one too, so we had a bonding experience) and also to the stop at mile 17, because I told them I would; they had a lot of energy, and I appreciated it!! I loved the band at the end, and everyone seemed to be in a good mood at the end. It was almost surreal!

My only suggestion: Make sure there are more signs showing where the turn-offs were for each of the races. Apparently there was a lot of confusion for some of the half-marathoners, and I might say I was confused, even though I didn't even have to turn.

The weather was nice for the race - it's sunny 300-plus days a year in El Paso! For the first three miles (which were largely uphill), we got a view of a rainbow resting on the Juarez mountains. The route takes runners through two states (TX and NM) and alongside another state (Chihuahua, Mex.), which was cool.

Although the first part of the marathon was challenging, most of the route was remarkably flat. I really appreciated the soldiers from Fort Bliss directing our route and shouting their encouragement. I enjoyed the pasta dinner, the water stops, and the nice shirt. I was glad they had a separate shirt for marathoners, half marathoners, and 5Kers.

Two quick suggestions: Have enough refreshments for everyone at the end of the race, and please give safety pins to all runners at the packet pickup. I didn't realize they didn't give me any safety pins until the night before the race, and they didn't have any extras the morning of the race. And after I finished in 4:37, all the beer was gone - even though it's called the Michelob Ultra Marathon!

Despite these two minor inconveniences, I really enjoyed my time and would recommend this race to others.

PROS: Expo was small but had a little of everything you would find at bigger events. Scenic vista views; a challenging course that requires thoughtful race strategy; enthusiastic and frequent water stops; excellent traffic control; you run literally on the Mexico border (pro for those not from El Paso); there's lots of route support; it's in a surprisingly friendly town; and it had the nicest and most supportive fellow race participants I have ever run with.

CONS: The room too small for the expo. Challenging course - not for those who want to find their "happy pace" and go on autopilot. There were confusing directional signs; they used styrofoam cups (NOT cool or eco-friendly); starting corrals need to be segregated by estimated finish time; the width of starting corral needs to match chip detector line; and the finish corral (including water being available) needed to be open and available to those who finish in over five hours.

In summary, this race has lots of potential. It just needs more organizational polishing and input from experienced marathoners. And please, don't ever start your marathon again with 5Kers in the starting corral! They need to start after the marathoners are gone.

Great job, El Paso! This was my 16th half. The weather was fantastic and the course a challenge. With improvements, this race could be a tremendous draw for the city.

*Improve the website with more info.

*Organize the start by separating running/walking categories.

*The expo was in a small area and a bit unorganized. The inclusion of Ft. Bliss soldiers is a great idea!

I would run again. THANKS!