I've run this a few times, in previous iterations there was a half that essentially took off in a different direction from the full. This year a second half was added, unfortunately they were sent out in the same direction as the full marathon (not a problem at first since people did a good job lining up according to pace), HOWEVER their turn around came before the turn around for the full. This meant that those running the full did a few more miles after the half marathon turn around, then made their turn around only to run smack into slower half marathon runners just before the point where the course narrows! Shortly thereafter, there was another short out-and-back for the full, but not the half, so we then re-entered the course with even slower half runners.
Other than that, it's still a great, reasonably-priced event, the weather's almost always perfect, the hooded sweatshirt and hot breakfast at the finish are if anything getting better, every year there are a few more spectators. All of the good comments below are true, this really is an excellent example of a friendly local race put on by runners for runners. In its current form, it would make an outstanding first marathon experience or a great alternative to big corporate events, but as a fast course for those looking to BQ or PR, I have reservations.

I like the new course and the organization much improved. I am ok running without too many spectators. i went to try to break 2:50 minutes but i got discourage after mile 4 when I come almost to a full stop on a wall of people running the half marathon. It takes too much energy to weave and go though hundreds of runners who are walking. on mile 8 or 9 i was tripped right entering the tunnel and stumble almost hitting my face on the ground. then after getting up and started to regain my balance , I was hit right on my face by a lady walking and waving to her friends and she got very upset. the bike path is too small to have so many people walk and run it is just unsafe and reduces the chances of improving better times. at least make a 3 feet lane for faster or elite runners. good luck

First off, organization of this race is top notch relative to other small marathons. The Aid stations were well stocked, goodies were excellent, and there was a very nice expo for the bib pickup area. The only gripe for the expo was that the baseball stadium where they had it was in a sketchy neighborhood, and there weren't clear signs for where to park.

The weather couldn't have been better. There was a threat of a rain storm the day before, but it was done before the start. Better yet, there wasn't any annoying wind to deal with.

The course was ok, but nothing exciting. Lot's of straightaways, which I actually like, but a significant section of the course is on a bike path that runs diagonal through town. This means there were several short tunnels under roads we had to run through with slight dips and inclines right before and after. They weren't as bad as some bike paths I've been on, but they did break up your pace. The bigger issue was the ~3 mile incline after the 20 mile turnaround point. It's not steep, and you really can't call it a hill, but right at the time your legs are getting really tired the last thing you want is a long steady incline for three miles. It probably slowed everyone's finishing time by at least a minute to deal with it. It might be a good idea for the race director to consider adjusting the course, like adding more distance in Clovis (it is called Two Cities) to avoid that long incline.

The Finish area food and goodies were great. There was a FULL breakfast waiting for us at the finish, which I've never seen before. The Finisher medal was nice, although they neglected to put the year directly on it (just on the ribbon part). I really liked getting the finisher sweatshirt at the end as well. Mine had a sewing issue on the shoulders, but that's easily fixable. It was neat going shopping and eating after the race in Fresno and seeing the sweatshirts everywhere. The Tech shirt given at the expo was also nice and unique looking.

The crowd support for the race was pretty good for a small marathon. The bike path section was pretty quiet, but because of the cross traffic of the marathon course, there was plenty of cheering going on. The marathon added your name on the bib, which meant complete strangers knew my name and cheered for me. Really nice to have that. The biggest crowds were actually on the last section from miles 17 to the finish.

Overall a well run race on a 'flattish' course. I'd like them to consider adjusting the route to avoid that incline (especially when they advertise flat and fast), but in reality it's a minor quibble.

We picked this race because of the great reviews on this site and because of the flat course. Because we live in a place that has absolutely no hills (inclines are even hard to find!) it is hard to train for hilly courses. The race lived up to its reputation for being well organized. Everything ran as expected: hotel shuttles were great, volunteers on the course were plentiful, and exuberantly friendly and encouraging, and as other have mentioned there were tons and tons of porta-lets. I also really liked the finish line and finish chute: lots of space to move around before encountering the rest of the finishers in the food area. We didn't mind the basic out-and-back structure of the course, nor the urban/suburban nature of the scenery. That was fine if not the most exciting thing to see (mind you, the mountains in the background were nice to see). The course is not completely flat, however; from miles 17-25 there is first a gradual decline and then a gradual incline, with a mid-sized hill thrown in. As flat-landers, this didn't in fact bother us, but it was noticeable. Overall, this is a marathon worth returning to from our perspective and we plan to be back in 2011. The volunteers and organizer really made us feel like stars, even though we finished well down the field. It is fun to run in such circumstances.

I did the 1/2 marathon and it wasn't just one, but two out-and-back courses! I prefer loops or point-to-point running, but the promise of shirt, medal, sweatshirt and sundae swayed me to enter. We stayed at the Spring Hill Marriott: very nice hotel, wonderful service, great marathon rate. The shuttle service ran like Swiss clockwork and our driver was very enthusiastic. The music on the course made for a great pick-me-up. I couldn't vote because I enjoyed so many. My one complaint on the finish area: I was going to go to the beer garden and asked if I could return to the food/finish area. I had a friend running the marathon and I wanted to return to see her finish. I was told that I could return, as I had a finisher's medal around my neck. However, when I tried to reenter, I was stopped as I didn't have a VIP pass! Perhaps a miscommunication with volunteers?

In looking for a fall marathon, I saw all of the great comments here at MarathonGuide about this race, so I decided to try it. I was not disappointed. Well organized, and the shuttle buses between the hotels and the start/finish area were great. Not big buses that they waited until full before moving, but rather vans that once one or two people were on them would take you! And with about a dozen vans, there was never a wait. One big problem with most marathon is the long wait at the porta-potty before the start. Not here. There were more porta-potties at the start line than I could really count (at least a 150 - minimum). Nice-looking, long-sleeve tech shirt; running hat; finisher's hooded sweaty; and a nice-looking medal. Full breakfast, ice cream sundae, beer. Lots of water/Gatorade stations. VIP treatment. All of this without an overpriced entry fee. Seems like a race that was put on by runners for runners. The only negative was probably the long out-and-back on Friant Road at the end of the run (miles 17-25). A boring stretch of tilted road with an incline on the way back. But other than that, a great event. Definitely would recommend it.

The race organizers don't miss much. There was even an option to pick up my race packet the morning of - an extreme rarity in a marathon. I am hard-pressed to remember one of my 126 marathons that offered more "swag": Long-sleeve technical shirt, a hat and a hooded finisher's sweater. A full breakfast, ice cream sundae and a beer garden. Plenty of electrolyte replacement and water every mile. A relative flat course with only one significant hill around mile 21. The contained starting and finishing corrals and chutes really "spotlight" the runners. Though it's run in fall, the course is not particularly scenic: typical, urban, big-city surroundings.

I have been with this race since it was a small point-to-point and have watched it grow into a world-class event. The directors make ALL of the participants feel like world-class athletes. They make you feel like you are an Olympic gold medalist even if you are a back-of-the-packer... like me. At the Eye-Q Two Cities Marathon you don't need to be an elite Kenyan to be treated like one.

I've never run a marathon that's as well organized as the Two Cities Marathon and of equal value. Half marathon and full marathon shared course, but were completed separated for the entirety of the overlap by cones. Didn't have to run around walkers/half marathoners. Swag was top-notch, with a tech running hat, a long-sleeve tech shirt and a hooded sweater. The hot breakfast and coffee post-race were just on a different level. I've never seen a race organizer provide hot food at a marathon. Best of all, the volunteers/organizers were the most patient/encouraging I've seen at any race. One of our friends came in last in the marathon; they waited at the finish with us with the finisher's medal and food until he came in. We were just blown away by the dedication these folks had in putting on a top-notch event. This group of 6 of us run a marathon together every year in various places. Never in a million years did we think the marathon in Fresno/Clovis would be the number one marathon in our book. My most sincere thanks to the event organizer for the great experience.

Fantastic. Course support was great (Gatorade and water every mile, and two GU stations - although the 2nd station ran out), expo surprisingly good, and free stuff couldn't be better (very nice, long-sleeved, tech tee; tech hat; sweatshirt; ice cream, etc. - just like they advertise), and all with low entry fee ($70 for full). Shuttles from hotels to start made it easy to get there and back. ZERO lines at porta-potties and bag check! Course is mostly flat with some hills at the end. Time is called out by volunteers at each mile (no clocks). I was worried about bottlenecks along the bike path and tunnels, but there were only 741 full marathon runners! The "thousands" stick to the half, so it's really nice for the full runners to get the support without the crowds, and they did a good job with the course and timing to make sure there wasn't a ton of overlap between the halfers and full runners.

Would suggest 2 changes: 1. The water and Gatorade should be offered in different-colored cups, so you don't have to ask every volunteer what they're offering (all cups were handed to runners - not picked up off tables). Also, the medal for the full and the half was the same - would have liked different medal for us.

Overall, VERY nice atmosphere (it felt like the runners were all in it together, and while most long-distance runners are nice, this race seemed to attract more than its share of friendly people), the few spectators along the course (more than I expected) were great, and overall it was very well organized. Would recommend to anyone.