THIS IS THE FRIENDLIEST EVENT (of ALL events, not just running) I HAVE EVER PARTICIPATED IN!!! Kudos, Jackson!! Which is good because the hills were relentless. The weather was beautiful, and the views were beautiful. The food was ok at the end, but the GOODY BAG was great. I may be the only runner in North America who likes cotton shirts - and these were high-quality! The course layout wasn't bad. The road slant was rough on my knees. I probably could have done without a long uphill finish. But again the support was so amazing that it was all worth it!!

My husband and I ran this course as our first marathon. It was definitely a challenging course with LOTS of hills. Sections of the run were through neighborhoods with huge old houses but the last couple of miles aren't in the greatest part of town. There were places where you had to watch where you stepped because the roads had potholes.

Things I liked: The volunteers!!! They were amazing! Very friendly and supportive. The course gave a nice tour of Jackson and was well marked. There was more than enough water and Gatorade along the course.

Things I did not like: The preferred hotels had arranged special rates but were very inflexible regarding late checkout. We stayed at the Marriott and the latest they could check us out was noon. If you plan on taking longer than 3.5 hours, stay somewhere else because by the time you get done, have something to eat and drink, and then walk back down, you don't have time for a shower. The Old Country Inn was the same way.

Things I would change: Not enough port-o-lets! I saw three the whole time (granted, I was slow and they may have been picked up before I got there, but my husband finished two hours before me and he didn't see many either). The middle few miles had very little volunteer support. I felt it was a point in the race where I needed it and there were very few around.

Overall, we had a great time and would recommend the race. The finisher's medals were awesome!

This race is a good one considering it's only in its 4th year.

There can be some improvements:
Pasta dinner
More food and vendor options at the expo
I know the RD can't help this, but there were many bad parts to the roads
Place total elevation information on the website; I knew there would be hills however they were relentless
Add pace teams for half marathoners
The neighborhoods were ran through were pretty quiet; it'd be nice to have more community involvement

Positives:
Course was very challenging; however, keep it! If people want flat, they should go to Houston or Chicago
Nice touch with the bag, shirt and large medal
Cool shirt; so what that it was cotton?
Great pace teams
Start and finish are within walking distance of several hotels
The people who were on the course were kind, helpful, and thanked us for coming to their city!

Overall this is a good race. It's worth the cost, and downtown Jackson should only continue to improve.

Good job, Jackson. GRADE: B+.

I agree that maybe they fibbed a little on the course. The rolling hills did get old after awhile but there were none that would break your heart. The road surfaces were a little rough, but this country may have to get used to that. Keeps you on your toes.

The police were the best I have ever seen. At one intersection the woman police officer was dancing to keep warm and singing encouragement to the runners. The packet pick up was easy. The host hotel was the best - very helpful and an easy walk to the start and finish line. The hotel had free water and fruit when you came. Last but not least were the bands. The music on the course was a lot of fun but the "Elvis" band at the finish had everyone dancing. The harmonica and Elvis glasses in the goody bag were a lot of fun too! If you want to do a "back to back," this and Mobile are the way to do it. Only a 230[mile ride between the two cities. A lot of Fifty Staters and Marathon Manics did them back to back.

So, I had read the comments from years past about the hills, but was totally unprepared for them. It was a great race to run. There were good spectators, and the police were pretty good. Some of the roads were pretty beat up. But again, the hills KILLED ME!!! If you are planning on running this race, make sure 2 of your training days involve hills. Also, the organizers could have had more info on the locations of the miles so that friends/family could meet the runners there for support. Overall, I recommend this race. JUST BE PREPARED FOR THE HILLS!!! (Have I made myself clear?)

Congratulations on another successful race! I love the cotton t-shirt and finisher's medal. The expo is small but very nice. The music was great! The whole race is very well organized and the volunteers are terrific. The Blues Crawl was a big hit. I did not see the Blues Crawl schedule on the website; this would have been helpful. The post-race party was terrific, with plenty of food, music and beer! If you're going to run a race in MS, I strongly recommend the Blues Marathon. Seems like it keeps getting better each year! Great job!!!

Not too big, and not too small. Lots of out-of-towners, which made it interesting. Weather was perfect. Medal was awesome. Entertainment post-race was excellent, as were the refreshments (including beer). Roads were not all that great and the hills were very challenging. The engraved harmonica and Blues CD in the goody bag were a nice touch. At the finish I would have segregated the lanes much earlier and a little more entertainment on the course would have been nice. All in all, great experience.

Great job by the organizers of the race. Terrific race swag, including a nice harmonica, Elvis glasses (complete with sideburns) and a great medal. I would have preferred a technical shirt rather than cotton. The course is a hilly challenge. The fans and volunteers were excellent. I will definitely be back.

I've run all four of the MS Blues Marathons. It's grown into a great race. Not too big; not too small. Starts and ends downtown, with a handful of rolling hills. Nothing too steep, but Mississippi is pretty flat. I think they found every hill in the area, and put the course over them. Overall, a very nice race.

Yes, it's hilly; yes, it's challenging; and YES, IT'S WORTH IT!

I did this race as the first part of the double in conjunction with the First Light Marathon in Mobile. I loved every minute of it.

Extremely well organized. Easy parking. Great atmosphere. Well manned and supplied aid stations. TONS of volunteers at every turn. And talk about a MEDAL! Holy moly, the medal is awesome - plus we got a t-shirt, bag and CD.

Can't thank the City and people of Jackson enough. GREAT JOB! If you need MS, this is a must do!