This was my first God's Country, and I have gained huge respect for Denton "Hill" - I'm pretty sure it was a mountain, not a hill. Even so, I loved it - it was the most difficult marathon I have ever done, and really gave me a new appreciation for what heat and sun can do. It really took it out of me, but I finished it, and it was a real personal challenge - just purely stubbornness and determination to finish it took me to the line. I loved the way my husband could support me easily and be there with me throughout the race - as much as he wanted. It was very spectator-friendly. The people were great - could't be nicer and more supportive. But we could have used a little more enthusiasm from the townspeople - a lot of times you would never know there was an event going on. Most people seemed unaware and appeared not to care especially. The spectators and volunteers that were out were wonderful. This was the first marathon I was ever in that I could not feel pleasure at passing a fellow runner - I just felt bad for them, and I knew how hard they had fought to get there. Tough run. I hope to go back next year and conquer that "hill" - actually most of it is hills. But the last bit of the run is a nice decline - I really loved that! Next year I'll pray for a little less heat and sun! A great B&B to stay in is Frosty Hollow - wonderful and cheap!

If there's a list of "hidden gem" marathons somewhere, this one should be on it - if it isn't already. Forget a PB; concentrate instead on challenging the course and enjoying the surroundings, the small-town hospitality, and the little touches this race offers. I love a point-to-point course. I love this marathon.

This was my 2nd God's Country Marathon and this one was every bit as good as last year! The only bummer was the heat. This race is all on pavement and it was easily 95 degrees on the pavement for the last half of this race. I ran this last year and I don't think it got into the 70's. Nonetheless, a first-rate effort by all the volunteers (thank you) and the locals who came out to cheer us on (thank you). See you next year!!!

This was my 8th marathon, and I've run some really good ones. God's Country might be the best of all of them so far.

Downsides:
- Early June can be hot (and it was this year).
- US-6 (22+ miles of the course) is kind of busy, and there were long stretches without a good shoulder, so I was running along the fog line and then hopping into the gravel when the next 18-wheeler came along.

Upsides:
- It was amazing (and truly touching) how much the town of Coudersport cared about the race. It was a big deal for them, and I felt like a star. Banners across the road, signs up at local businesses, LOTS of people out cheering. Awesome.
- The race organization was superb. Lots of nice touches, and done in a friendly, small-town, small-race way. Great water stops.
- Pre-race and post-race meals were both very nice. The pre-race was at the fire hall, only cost $6, with homemade desserts. The post-race was at the Hotel Crittenden (very cool old-timey place), and included in the race fee.
- Lots of interesting gift baskets given out as overall and age group awards. Small field, so lots of people came away with something.
- Friendly shuttle service out to a nice post-race shower.
- They put on a great race, they know they do, and they still ask for suggestions on how to improve things.

Thank you Kim for putting on a wonderful event. You rock!

This was my very first marathon and I absolutely loved it. It's a nice quiet race and even though there aren't thousands of spectators, there were plenty to help motivate you.

Denton Hill wasn't as bad as I had imagined but the next 6 miles after (18-24) were really tough.

Everyone is so nice and after the race everyone wanted to know if everything went well and what they could do to improve.

And to top it off, I hear it's been ranked in the top 10 for hardest marathons... so if you want to feel really accomplished, run this!

The temps reached into the 90's, and I ran through a (cooling) thunderstorm at mile 21. I kept moving backward through the field because a lot of those behind me kept dropping out from the heat. I had a great time. See you next year.

Great people running this race. Great local people who support the runners. Great water stations. Long open road. Hot sun until the end. Big hill. Really big hill. However, the greatest part was seeing families come out to be pit crews for their runner. My husband rocked by being there for me. I haven't been in a marathon before where my family could be such a part of it. I also met really great people along the way (Charlie and Tim). It was a tough day for me, I didn't feel well, but it made finishing it, that much sweeter. And, where else can I say I placed in the top 5 in my age group? No one needs to know there were only 5 in the category, right? Oh yeah... so cool. Thanks, Potter County - beautiful scenery, beautiful people.

Thank you for "running" a great marathon! Such a good time!

This marathon will test your inner drive. Denton "Hill" presents an effective calf destroyer and the weather was the hottest marathon I've run in. The locale is very scenic; take some time to explore some of the surrounding area. Restaurants and accommodations are courteous and provide great food and service (Mill Stream). The course is open but felt safe throughout. Surface is 100% tar shoulder but level crushed rock in most of route as well. Aid stations were well staffed and the specators are sparse but the majority came with a runner and generously convey their enthusiasm toward the entire field. You will get the perks of a small event (home-cooked pre-race meal, 1-to-1 service at aid stations, no jockeying at start, name read at finish, friendly shuttle to showers...) and organization of a larger event (seamless logistics, knowledgable staff, no surprises...). Did not even come close to a PR but overall experience was well worth the sacrifice of transit time and entry fee.

My first trip to Coudersport was well worth the 5+ hour drive. Very well organized, friendly people, and great support along the course. The "hill" was as tough as advertised, but the decline was harder than I thought it would be (after going mostly uphill for 14 miles). Water stations were plentiful, and the hose spray somewhere around mile 24 was much appreciated. The attention to the runners' well being was tremendous, even down to the 2-way radio at mile 25 - "number 8 approaching...." I would highly recommend this race to anyone seeking a challenging, personalized marathon experience. I hope to do it again.