The finish area was too small. The family reunion area was just one big mess. And the lines for the shuttle buses back to the parking lot were beyond stupid and ridiculous. Other than that, it's a great race.

The traffic situation going to the race was dreadfull. Thank goodness the race itself was so great. The bands, volunteers, the course itself, weather, and all of the (water, snack) stations were exceptional! Post race transportation made no sense. The busing from the finish line to the parking lot, which was only 1/4 mile away made no sense. The prize money to the winners could have been increased if all that wasted fuel spent on buses was given to them. On the whole, pre/post race organization aside, a cool experience.

If you want a cool marathon run in Jan or another cool month. If you don't want hills, check out the marathon course before signing up.
I mean come on folks, do your homework.
This marathon is great!! Great support, no complaints.
Yes, it could be sunny, but you should be smart enough to be training and doing your long runs in the weather your marathon might have.
NOT indoors on the treadmills,okay?
You'll also avoid sunburn if you put on sunblock. I was out there for over 5 hours and the sunblock worked okay for me.
The Rock and Roll will one day be one of the most popular marathons around. It's still San Diego's best kept secret, but not for long.

This was my first Marathon and I found the course, weather, fans and organization to be very good. I didn't find it to be too hot, and the aid stations were well stocked and well staffed. The food at the finish was perfect. Liked the bands and the fans. It is true that the course could be improved to be more scenic. All in all, very fun first-time experiance.

Everyone knows about San Diego weather... they don't have seasons in San Diego, only night and day. Mornings in SD are generally foggy and cool. In 2000, the sun came out at the crack of dawn and a bright blue sky followed me through a hot, hilly course. I ended up walking the last 4 miles, which is unusual. And I got a miserable sunburn. I love San Diego, and this race is one of the best organized and best run large marathons I have ever run. However, for a city of such beauty and scenery, the race runs through some dull territory. When you are out near the ocean, it's an excellent run. You run on the wrong side of an interstate highway, which shows that the organizers had some clout in getting the city to go along with them. I plan to run this one again, though, because I love San Diego that much.

I have run this marathon for the last 2 years. San Diego is a wonderful respite from my job as a teacher and I will run it again this year. However, as many others have put it, the TNT can get annoying as they tend to ignore those without a purple jersey. Also, I frown upon the bands from miles 18-26. There is nothing worse than struggling to run and pass a speaker blaring in your ear. A good marathon for fun, I wouldn't try it for a PR though.

I've run this race in 99 and 2000, and will probably run it in 2001. The 1999 edition had perfect weather, it was overcast the entire day; the 2000 edition was brutal. The sun was out even before the race started. Scenery is unspectacular. The bands and cheerleaders are a nice touch. Those looking for a PR should consider another race. The Hiway 163 portion of the race (miles 5-8) is difficult. Not only is it a steady incline, but the road slants upward to the right. Also, there is a lot of Team in Training folks out here. I don't mind the TIT folks. I applaud their effort to raise money for charity. But their support groups (family and friends cheering them on) can be annoying, especially when they come out on the course with bicycles to ride beside their favorite runner, or cameras to take pictures. They seem oblivious to other runners. I've seen many runners fall down trying to avoid these people. So, be forewarned.

I thought the uphill portion of the freeway was the worst stretch of a marathon course I have run. (I have run a total of 8)

I have run 2 out of 3 of them and would say overall it's a fun race to do. Don't expect to run a fast time because it will be hot on race day. They could have picked a better time than June to hold it in my opinion. San Diego is a great city to visit and that makes it worth it to me. The race starts out well in Balboa Park and then heads downtown. These parts of the course have many specators but then they disappear for most of the race. The race does have excellent support and the bands are good but they don't really make up for the lack of spectators and hot weather.

I really enjoyed the marathon, especially since a group (18) came down from Ottawa, Ontario. There were three areas that I see room for improvement. First, off the freeways - the pavement was incredibly hot and the cambered roads made running tough. Second, though there were lots of water stations, a sponge station before mile 24 or 25 is an idea for the future (especially since there was a wet towel station at the end). Finally, it would have been nice to have the recovery area out of the sun. Waiting for all 18 of us made for potential sunstroke victims. All in all, the best marathon I have run in. Thanks to all.