Will remember this as one of the coldest races I have ever run (and I'm from CT! But the organization was excellent and I was so impressed by how many spectators and volunteers were out there cheering us on while braving temps in the teens. Would love to run this one again under more 'balmy' conditions to hear all the bands that understandably were not there.

First time to run 26.2 in Mississippi (2012) and I was pleasantly surprised by the superb organization of everybody involved in the entire city. The car rental company reps at the airport were well aware of the race event and provided me with instructions on how best to drive to the expo on Saturday. The expo was pretty good and featured a generous shoe sale. Volunteers were heavily involved at the expo making sure people knew where to go first for packets and shirts, etc. The race winds through nice-looking neighborhoods, gels were provided on the course (thank you), and the finisher medal was one of the best two I've collected. It's hard to beat the Little Rock medal. The race shirt is so unique that I resist wearing it for fear of splotching it in the laundry. I'd rather only look at the shirt from time to time to remind me of a fine day on the running course. Yay Jackson!

The swag is A+. Great medal, a Blues CD and a Harmonica. Organization is A+. Great job all around. It is hilly and I could have used some more crowd support on those hills toward the end, but overall a great experience. Post-race was A+ also

This is my second time to run the Blues. I will keep coming back. It is a small city race and very well organized.

Great swag to go with the theme of the race. Blues CD and harmonica.
Expo was a smooth process.
No traffic or parking issues. You can park right by the start with no problems.

GREAT volunteer support. Very friendly and welcoming. Plenty of aid stops that had plenty of Gatorade and water. 3 stops were giving out GU/Hammerhead Gels.

Roads are rough, so watch your footing.

Definitely a up and down course. I will remember the course for the hills. But it was fun and challenge.

Loved running past the JSU drummers. A few other bands were scattered throughout the course and were playing the whole time. I ran past a duo playing early on in the race and there were still there when I ran back through near the end a good 4 hours later.

Finish was great, was handed my huge medal and water. Plenty of food and drinks left(I came in at 4:57). Great after race show. They had chairs/tables set up so you could relax and listen to the band/singers.

Absolutely loved this race, the hospitality, and the swag. The course was much hillier than I was prepared for, but hey...no biggie!

Crowd and volunteers were super. Volunteers were extremely friendly and encouraging. The after-race festivities were the best yet of my 11 marathon starts.

I'd definitely do the Blues again, and you should give it a try too.

I chose this race for my Mississippi run (50 states) and I am glad I did. Well organized with great race premiums: shirt, swag, and finisher medals are awesome. The race packet even included a blues CD, harmonica and discounts at local restaurants. The course was a little hilly but not impossible for this 67 year-old grammy. Everyone in Jackson went out of their way to make us feel welcome. Our race hotel featured events for the runners, the local historical sites and museums catered to us and the restaurants were excellent. Nice, family-friendly atmosphere and great entertainment at the race expo. Definitely recommend this race!

Record heat hit the Midwest this year, making times slower in the marathon. A warm 55 at the start and by 10:30, it was close to 70. Could have been a cold rain; weather is relative.
Outstanding support with GU, fans, and aid stops.

However, you had to be careful in several sections not to trip in pavement cracks. One area, around mile 18-19 was signposted since there were a lot of holes there. Will probably be repaired by next year.

Course was ideal: rolling hills, none severe  just the right amount to work out quads and hams.

Nice swag: a harmonica. All I need now are lessons to play it. Got to love the blues.

I chose to do this race, and the First Light Marathon in Mobile, AL the next day, because they partnered with each other and offered a 20% race discount. I really thought this was a nice race, although quite hilly with very few flat sections. The course offered a nice blend of urban and residential settings. Started downtown near the capital building, headed north into some residential and college campuses, with a lot of tree cover. Headed back south to loop around downtown, for a slight uphill finish. Every volunteer was superb on the course, and I tried to thank every one of them. And every one of them thanked me in return for coming to their city to run. Plentiful aid stations, 3 GU stops, and overall, a great race. The medal was biggest medal I've received, about the size of a CD, with a guitar across the front in full color. Very classy. The shirt was a full-color shirt as well. Seems a little heavier than a standard tech shirt. Wonderful post race party with sandwiches, pizza, drinks, and Blues Music. If you can put up with the hills, this is a great race. Not a ton of crowd support, but everything else was great. Heat, hills, humidity, and hospitality!

This was my 14th marathon and I've never ever had volunteers thank ME for coming to run their course. At EVERY SINGLE water stop I was thanked for coming to Jackson and running their race. EVERY SINGLE volunteer was filled with joy and wore big smiles the entire race. Their encouragement in those last few miles was so appreciated. Kudos to all the volunteers! YOU make this race awesome! And thank you also to the police officers who kept us all safe throughout the miles.

I was not expecting continuous hills. I knew the course would be hilly but seriously, there wasn't a single flat spot on the course!

The weather was also unexpected55 starting temp; 70 finishing. That's too warm for me! Made the last few miles very tough as the heat wore me out/slowed me down more than the actual mileage. I was very grateful for the at least 13 miles that were in the shady neighborhoods of Jackson. Also enjoyed looking at the beautiful houses in those neighborhoods. (Many home owners were sitting out in front of their homes cheering all of us on!)

The road was only rough from about mile 18-22 and that's when many marathoners start getting tired/foggy brained. So would it be possible to flip the course backwards? Then the road is smoother (fewer holes) in those final six miles when marathoners are not as clear minded.

LOOOVED the food after the racepizza! deeeelish soup! rice and beans! sandwiches! Nom nom nom!!! Great choices!

This is probably my favorite medal! So fun! Seriously huge!

The Marriott provided awesome support to the marathonerslate (2pm!) checkout so you could shower before heading home and snacks/drinks before the race started and after the race. It was also about 3-4 blocks from the start of the race.

Definitely do this race! You too, will no doubt, be wowed by the friendliness of Jacksonians!! Woo Woo!!!!

I have run 108 marathons & this is 1 of the top 5. City is very friendly & spectators were very supportive. Post-race party food & drinks were some of the best & the music was awesome! This is the Marathon to run in Mississippi!

RR- Aurora, Colorado