My buddies and I heard good things about the Two Cities Marathon in Fresno and signed up for the 2010 edition, last Sunday.

* the amenities are the best: long-sleeve tech shirt, running cap, and a sweatshirt at the finish. Full hot breakfast at the finish!

* very well organized.

* always important: plenty of port-a-potties! Never a line.

* I can't say enough good about the volunteers. The people were genuinely kind and friendly. They waited until the very last runner was in, and presented him with his medal and all amenities. This was even though he came in after the "cut-off time."

* the course was OK but not great. I enjoyed the trail to Clovis, and running around downtown Clovis itself. But the out-and-back miles at the end were taxing, especially since they held the only hills on the course.

* although we didn't run the half, we heard there was a SNAFU at the start and it went off too early. I'm sure this mistake won't be repeated.

I ran the 2010 marathon and was quite pleased with the whole experience. I have never gone back and run a race that I have done before since I like to sample different races, but I will return to this one. The second time I will run Fresno and consider the ultra and then take the week after on vacation to spend the week at Sequoia and Yosemite Parks. They are fabulous. Now back to the race.

This is a small marathon but I much prefer these to a Rock 'n' Roll disaster. The race coordinators were excellent and their hard work was evident. This is a very flat course except for a somewhat hard hill on mile 22, but nothing real big. Other that that it is flat and a great course for a PR and/or BQ. The course scenery was pretty good as well. The traffic control was excellent.

You get a nice medal, a long-sleeved tech t-shirt and a hooded sweatshirt. To get all that for a very reasonable entry fee (I think it was $75) is a real bargain. The expo was very modest but I haven't been real impressed with any expo. What made this expo different was the speakers. Dean Karnazes was a very good speaker and was very entertaining. Other presenters were good as well.

There was one major screw up, though. There was plenty of water and Gatorade support. That was great. GU was supposed to be at mile 13 and 20. No problem at 13 but I ran a 3:35 and I got the LAST GU at 20. The rest of the marathoners and ultra marathoners did not get GU at 20. That was a major mistake. They told me that they had given all the GU to the walkers and half marathoners. That needs to be addressed for next year.

All in all, this is a great race and I would recommend it to anyone. I will definitely be returning.

I ran the Ultra in 2010 and had a great time. Race hotels, shuttles, pasta dinner, and race were all excellent. Ultra participants received an extra medal and group photo shoot with Dean. Very organized race. Course received a 4.0 because it has two out-and-backs rather than being point-to-point. Spectators were sparse in sections, but were enthusiastic when they were present.

This year's running of the Two Cities Marathon was better than I imagined it would be! The addition of the 50K ultra was just what the race needed. The weather was beautiful and the crowd support has increasingly improved. The change in course was okay. I'm not too excited about out-and-back courses, but it was nice seeing other runners along the way and cheering for the leaders. It also allowed me to see my friends and cheer for them as they were running (some ahead of me, some behind me!). The goodies you get for entering this race are second to NONE - the hooded sweatshirt this year is my favorite! The tanktop for finishing the ultramarathon was a nice touch, too. I feel so lucky to have such an amazing race in my hometown. Special thanks to Eye-Q and Sierra Challenge Express for all they do to make this an amazing experience! I'll be back for the fourth running next year. :)

This is my second time running this one, and it was as good as ever, with some improvement.

Great: the price is right, and the perks are fantastic. You get an attractive, long-sleeved tech tee (in men's and women's sizes), a mesh cap that matches the tee, and at the finish a hooded sweatshirt. The medal is attractive, and there's a hot breakfast (scrambled eggs, potatoes, link sausage, rolls, fruit). Seating for breakfast is busy, but you can always find a spot. Free hot fudge sundaes and one free beer per person.

This year they did a MUCH better job separating the full from the half runners, so that the fast full finishers weren't weaving around slow half participants at the finish.

Good: The expo is small but they usually seem to get a decent guest (last three years: Switzer, Beardsley, Karnazes). The course is pretty darn flat (a couple underpasses and one easy hill around mile 20) and nicely uncrowded (less than 1,500 for the full). Plenty of aid stations, 2 with GU, weather almost always perfect. Moderately fast people have a chance to do well (there's a small cash purse).

The bad: I read that the half started around 10 min. early! Ouch! The contenders were unhappy, and I don't blame them.

Fresno itself doesn't offer too much, but there's cool stuff nearby, three national parks being the highlight.

Well-planned course  it was nice to run along the trail system. The spectator presence was much better than I expected. That was a nice surprise. The finish area was a bit chaotic, but that's not unusual. Overall, the support was top-notch, the people were friendly and helpful, and the weather was great. I'd do this one again.

Mike (and crew) really go above and beyond to put this race together. The love of the sport and the desire to never stop improving is the backbone, heart, and soul of this race! Most races are held for profit. This race is held for the love of the sport... seriously! Think I'm full of it? Come and see for yourself. There is a reason people are flocking to Fresno to this sell-out event.

I ran the inaugural marathon last year and I thought it was great. This was was even better. It was very well organized. The food was great. Many of my co-workers ran either the relay, the half or the full. They all thought it was great. I have run the SF and Sacramento Marathons, and the energy at this year's marathon matched that of SF and Sacramento. I am looking forward to next year's run on November 14th. You folks will have a hard time topping this one. Maybe not!

I only did the half marathon, having switched over from the full after getting into the Nike women's marathon (which is held only three weeks earlier). What a fantastic, well-planned event. The race start/finish venue is at beautiful Woodward Park. Porta-potties were plentiful and had no lines, and the trucks for the sweats bags were conveniently located adjacent to the corral area.

The half marathon course is mostly flat, with one good hill between miles 9-10. The course was more scenic than I had expected, with views of palm trees against a backdrop of mountains in the distance.

The post-race festivities were great - after receiving their medals, finishers received a hooded, zippered sweatshirt (perfect for the post-race chilly conditions), a hot breakfast (eggs, sausage, and hash browns), an ice cream sundae, a free massage, and two free beers. Although many of the tables/chairs that were set up for eating breakfast were already taken when I finished, there was ample room on the dry lawn for enjoying the meal. The beer was available at the amphitheater, where a live band played.

I would highly recommend this race to anyone - it was that good. The only problem is that the experience could spoil you for future races.

Want to feel like an Olympian? Then run the Two Cities Marathon!

This was a very well organized race. I didn't have to wait for a porta-potty at the start because they had plenty of them. The organizers treated the athletes so well that they made us feel like professional athletes. They gave us a nice technical shirt, medallion, and finisher sweatshirt. I loved the Runner's Village - it had plenty of tables and chairs for us to sit down at to eat the ice cream sundae with brownie; plenty of fruit; and hot breakfast (although I couldn't eat much post-race). Also, they provided free massages and beer. The volunteers were very helpful and accommodating, cleaning up trash and bussing tables. I felt like a queen. The course was relatively flat, with small hills, and plenty of volunteers at aid stations. The spectators and entertainers were enthusiastic. This was a relatively small marathon (683 marathon finishers), but I predict that it will grow. I recommend it to everyone, especially the newbies.

Go Fresno/Clovis! Thank you, Two Cities Marathon organizers and supporters.