This was my first God's Country, and hopefully not my last. I'm 54 and ran a 3:54 PR, in part because I knew I had to go slow and steady on the hills.

Simply put: I had a blast. The first 4 miles encircle Galeton, a neat little town surrounded by cloud-capped mountains at 8:00 a.m. The next 21 miles are through state forests and are run on the shoulder of Route 6, going against traffic. Sounds bad, but isn't because 1) traffic is intermittent, and 2) you forget you're tired and still going uphill when cars and trucks are coming at you.

The finish line is about 15 yards past the only traffic light in Coudersport, in the shadow of the town gazebo and Civil War Memorial. The refreshment area was under a big tent between the two (with a country rock band playing in the gazebo), with fruit trays and cheese/meat trays, sheet cakes, and the obligatory sliced oranges and bagels. With 149 finishers coming in over 3 hours after the start, the finish area had a very relaxed, come-and-go-as-you-want, neighborhood-backyard-BBQ feel to it.

Typical of the race's charm and friendliness was a volunteer at the registration table the night before the race who, in response to a question of mine, on her own initiative went online that night to find out where Star Wars was playing (part of my planned post-race celebration). Sure enough, the next morning, even in the midst of all the pre-race activity, the volunteer directed me to Olean, NY (about 45 minutes away). Don't find that kind of spontaneous help at every race.

To prepare for the race, just do your medium and long runs with as many long inclines as possible. Between mile 4 (end of Galeton/beginning of Route 6) and mile 17 or 18 (Denton Hill/Potato City) there are stretches where the road is flat or only slightly inclined. It's not all one big incline, although you definitely know which direction you are headed: up. Water and Gatorade were at every mile, and I even think they added an extra station around 25 1/2.

The only caution would be if the race day is hot and sunny. Despite passing a gazillion trees, there is no shade on Route 6. Weather was no problem as we had overcast 56/58 to start, rising to 65, with low humidity.

Met plenty of repeat runners, and I can see why people return. Don't let the talk of hills stop you from running this race.

Hey, 'the hill' is overrated...if you train on hills. Most of Denton seems almost flat (with the exception of the last mile or two before the peak.) The course is beautiful and the people (both runners and volunteers) are as nice as you will find. Although crowd support is week, the people manning the fluid stations where quite supportive and they were nearly every mile. Or you can do as I do and have your own support drive ahead on Rte 6. Lots of fun...hope to see you.

This is truly a runner's race. If you like cheering crowds, look elsewhere. If you enjoy running and a great challenge, head to God's Country. The course starts at 1300 feet and crosses the Eastern Continental Divide, 2424 feet, around Mile 18. I've never encountered a tougher road course.

And I love it, having run it a dozen times now. The course goes between the small towns of Galeton and Coudersport in northern Pennsylvania, rising from the start to 18. Then it's all downhill (almost) to the finish before dozens of cheering fans in downtown Coudersport.

In truth, this race has two finish lines - Denton Hill Summit at 18 and the actual finish line in Coudersport.

The scenery is spectacular, with green mountains and wildlife.

The course is ideal for mobile support crews. Runners travel on Route 6, the only major highway in the region, and support crews can drive along with the runners.

Compared to big cities, lodging costs are very low in Potter County.

My advice in two words - run it.

Before I ran this marathon, I read the comments on this Web site that said it is not for beginners. Well, I disagree. This was my first marathon and I finished it in 4:10. If this is your first marathon, go for it. My advice is to do your long runs on with many steep hills, follow a good training program, and on race day, take your time. The hill is not as bad as what others make of it if you are used to running hills. The first three-four miles of the course are flat, a slight but steady incline up to mile 13, then it gradually gets steeper until mile 17. Then it's all downhill. This is not a good race if you like a lot of excitement and crowds. There are more volunteers than runners! The course is beautiful and scenic, and a reasonable challenge!

For the second year in a row my friend and I put ourselves through the torture of this great marathon. This race is truly a wonderful experience. Very nice people, beautiful course, the best t-shirts!

Two problems with the race this year that if ironed out would make it the perfect running experience. First, please have the course marked correctly. I never really knew where I was on the course in regards to miles. About 4 minutes after I thought I passed the 11-mile mark I was greeted by a water stop that claimed to be the halfway point of the race with a big 13.1 spray painted in front of the table. Very confusing and frustrating.

Also at this point in the race I saw the funniest thing I've ever seen at any marathon. A dead deer just off the side of the road had an arrow spray painted towards it with the words, 'he hit the wall'. Very sick humor but it cracked me up.

The other problem is the departure time of the bus that takes the runners from Coudersport to the starting line in Galeton. It left at 7:15 for a 35-minute drive. That leaves 10 minutes for stretching, peeing, taking care of your valuables, etc. The bus should leave at about 6:30. This will allow time for the police to pull us over when someone throws a bag with a can of Red Bull or Amp out the window. This actually happened this year causing the race to start a half hour late. Things like this just don't happen at the big races, Chicago, Boston, etc.

All in all this run is fantastic! We will be back next year.

The scenery is beautiful although be warned, for most of the course you are running on the shoulder of a two-lane country road. Support is adequate, although if the weather were hot, I would like to see a few more water stations. Overall, it was a well organized and fun race. The bottom line is: don't do this race if you are looking for tons of entertainment, refreshments, and spectators. This is not about the 'extras'; it's about running a tough race and feeling good about it.

I first ran this race when I was 33 in 1979, and it was a hot and humid day. I have run it every 4 years since, including this year. This was an easy one, for the temperature stayed down due to the rain. Still, as in previous years, I felt like I accomplished something merely making it to the top of Denton Hill at the Potato City Inn (go to www.harrc.org for a picture). I always liked the finish on the track in previous years, however, the downtown finish and the festivities were a significant improvement. Good job Potter County! I can't wait to run it again.

The course is tough, as noted in the past years. Weather was good this year: constant rain and a high of about 65. Miles 13-18 are tough uphill. Mile markers are sprayed on the ground, which was good on the mountain, as you were not focussing on trying to see where the next mile was. I live in southern Delaware, which is FLAT... so no hill work (but lots of long miles helped). This would be a real hard marathon on a hot day. I hope to be back next year...

This marathon is for the veteran.The scenery in potter county is breathtaking especially from the top of Denton hill (2500 ft.).If you like to challenge your limits then you will enjoy this race.The hardest segment is miles 13 thru 18 (up hill) and then a quad burning downhill.This race is not for fast times but for marathoners pure enjoyment. Organization and volunteers were great and a nice place to shower after. I liked the track finish and good traffic support from state police even though the trucks passing by was annoying.I am looking forward to running this again now that I've been away for a couple of years. Also my family enjoyed the camping in the area. It was overall a great experience.

Although it's been 6 years since I ran my first and only marathon, 'God's Country' surely left a lifelong impression on me. I had no idea how much 17 miles up a 'foothill of the Alleghany Mountains' would take out of me--because I knew nothing about the race but the cute name. I basically picked it because it was a few hours from my western NY home. I have to agree with most of the other comments here--it's a solitary run for the most part. Take one novice marathoner, add to that a temperature hitting nearly 80 degrees that June 1st day and you've got the ingredients of mild halucinations. If I hadn't had my father following me in his car the last 5 miles, I would have been one of those people seen laying on the side of the race course. Difficult and draining don't describe that race. I had run over 400 hilly miles during my training, but could have used 400 more! Having to run around the tennis courts and through the park at the finish was also a bit annoying after such a grueling course. I thought the race would never end. I would recommend this race for someone with previous marathon experience only! If you still want to make this your first 26 miler without heeding my comments, then you too can nearly 'see God' for yourself between Coudersport and Galeton Pennsylvania right on Route 6! I've can guarantee that!