Course layout was interesting with the four causeways to cross. May for some interesting Florida hills. I know the organizers cannot control the weather but it would have been nice to start earlier than 7 to be able to beat some the heat.

Finish line was a little unorganized, I had to search for water and there was no sports drinks or food for the finishers. After a hot and humid marathon I am not ready to eat pizza and beer.

Would have like to had a few more people to run the full with because most of the pack I run the first lap with where only doing the half.

Several problems the organizers should fix: 1) Shirt size requests not honored for pre-registrants. Why didn't they set aside the shirts ordered for pre-registrants? 2) The food was gone before the >4.5-hour marathoners finished. Half marathoners, spectators, and homeless folks ate everything. Couldn't they control access and/or make sure there was enough for everyone? 3) Hand cyclists started behind runners on same course then pushed runners off the sometimes narrow course at up to 30mph. Why not start them first as other sensible organizers do? Disappointed in this one. Not recommended.

The half marathon was a simple course with few detours. However, it was very crowded at the start and for the first 1-2 miles. The initial left turn after the start jammed up the runners who were not properly staged (corralled for pace time) at the start, crazy mix of very fast and slow runners. The US1 (Harbor City) leg was narrow and the shoulder was crowned so you had to run on the cones (left edge near traffic). After 3 miles the packs of runners spread out and this was not an issue.

It was a warm morning with humidity and as a sports medicine specialist, I had concerns real and convenient:
1. too few medial aid stations they appeared under-staffed.
2. water/Gatorade stations had very helpful volunteers, who could not keep up with clusters of runners, you just had to stop and drink
3. Convenience: I can't imagine the port-o-pot problems for women; there were only 4-5 on the course. Guys just left the course for a bush. This is and should be remedied especially before the first causeway and on Riverside drive.

Overall, it's a flat and scenic course with many fast, competitive runners, it's not the Rock n' Roll series. So if you are a leisure runner, stay home as the temperature and humidity, if you haven't trained in that climate, are risk factors. Note the number of runners from FL to confirm this observation.

I'm not a serious, competitive runner, I run for my own goals and I love Melbourne Beach. I'm glad that I did this half marathon once, but I'm not in the league for this group and it wasn't fun (music sucked as did peeing outside), when you consider the registration fee.

As a medically educated, recreational runner, race organization, safety (medical and police), water/GU/Gatorade, and potties are essential. As such, the rating in this regard was a 1 or 2-star. Huge potential to improve, which I'm sure the organizers will do.

The 1st half is okay, but the 2nd time around I nearly got run over by the hand cycles, there was no Gatorade at the last few water stops, no food at the end, and the age group awards had been removed by then time I finished. Poor grades. It would be so much easier to start the hand cycles early.

My friend and I finished her first marathon sub 5:30. VERY DISAPPOINTED and will NOT return to this race and will urge all my running friends to avoid it all costs. We were ignored on the second lap, water stations empty, muscicians quit, had to dodge handcycles for 13 miles and forced on sidewalks and dodging locals on bikes. NO food, fanfare nor amenities other than water at the finish. The shuttle from the host hotel had multiple schedules floating around and several runners missed it to the start. We were stranded at the finish without a shuttle and no cash for a cab back to the host hotel. We are not all elite runners that will finish sub 3. The course was open 7 hours and RDs must plan as such.

For a smaller marathon, this is a very good marathon. I got a PR with a push at the end.

Overall - B+, but I expect it will keep improving. Please don't let the B+ fool you. Read on...

Before I give you my detailed assessment, I want to give the organizers their due....

Organizers - A+ - you can see the effort in everything they do, even if it is not "there" yet. If they keep improving this marathon (and I have no doubt they will), it will quickly become one of the best mid-size marathons in the USA.

Here is the breakdown...

Start - A+ - where else can you park and be at the start in a few minutes? A little confusing, but, a great recovery with megaphone lady!

Crowd - C - very sparse, but those who were out were fun.

Scenery - B+ - running around the water was great, but I couldn't help but think... gee, we are so close to the ocean. (I understand logistically that that may not be possible.)

Course - A- - I liked the bridges as a nice way to breakup the run. Some of the roads do have strong curve/bank to them, but if you pick your path carefully, you will be okay.

Water Stations - C- - I always appreciate the folks who volunteer, but weneeded more of them and needed 2-3 more stations and it would have been an A!

Bib - D - I have never scored a bib before, but this one was not made of the usual material, so it ripped early. (No photos for me. :( )

Finishing area - A - it was great. Very loud (in a good way). Strong fan support here.

Internet feed of finish - A+++ - smile; you are on TV (or at least the internet)! My family saw me finish - and they were in NC. That was cool.

Food (post-race) - A+ - the pizza was so good. And then they offered breakfast to boot. It was great. (Sorry to hear about the later finishers who did not experience the food.)

Additional thoughts...

Having run several marathons recently, the cotton shirt was a nice change, but I can see why people might object.

Word of caution: the hand bikes come through around 10 a.m. In one turn, the guy just missed it and crossed all lanes - had you been running at that time, yikes. That being said, it was a nice distraction and it was uplifting - ("What am I complaining about?").

This was a very special race with the presence of runners like Zola Budd and Bill Rodgers. Got to meet them at the pasta party on Friday and it was a great experience. In general, the race seemed well-organized and there were plenty of water stops and entertainment along the course. Having pizza, beer, and live music at the finish was a nice touch. Small expo, but nice goody bag with a beautiful (cotton) t-shirt and hat. The shuttle from the host hotel was convenient. There are plenty of restaurants and shops nearby. It would have been nice for the hotel to offer a pasta dinner (Saturday) or early breakfast for the runners (Sunday).

I've done tons of marathons but this was my first Melbourne Marathon and overall I thought it was a great race! The course was super flat except for the 4 bridges, but I personally like the mix up of terrain and you could see them in the distance as incentive. The only negative comment as far as course is concerned is that the road is banked on the flat sections enough that I could feel it in my ankles, hips, and knees. Luckily the road is wide enough and the runners sparse enough that I could position myself as strategically as possible, but it still wasn't enough to avoid the angles.

The aid stations were great in that they were well stocked with water, Gatorade, and Clif Gel (at most of the stations!). The volunteers were super supportive but they needed more as sometimes they simply didn't have enough people to both fill cups and hand them out. It wouldn't have been a big deal if the tables had been long enough to grab and go but the card tables they were using just cause bottlenecks. The second loop wasn't an issue since the majority of the runners did 1 loop (half marathon).

The medal is awesome and they gave you a shirt and a hat, so a nice amount of schwag. Although I'm not a fan of cotton T-shirts, the design was nice and the cotton was a good quality.

Expo was decent for such a small venue.

Crowd support was on the sparse side, but for such a small race I actually thought it was pretty good. It's all about perspective here. If you're used to the Rock 'n' Roll marathons you'll think there's no one out there, but everyone that was out there was cheering and got really excited when you acknowledged them.

I love that you can literally be dropped off AT the start line within minutes of the start and that your family/friends can easily follow you along the course. Very low-stress. Awesome!

I would definitely recommend this race for everyone!

I did the full marathon, so by the fourth bridge, I was hurting - in a dementedly good way. :)

PROS: Scenic course, plenty of pre-race updates, few but very enthusiastic fans (if you really need thousands of cheering fans, pick a different sport), nice hat, beautiful medal, good support staff at finish area, and plenty of food IF YOU ARE FAST ENOUGH TO GET THERE BEFORE IT'S GONE.

CONS: Cotton shirt instead of tech shirt, a bit disorganized at the start until the lady with the mike showed up, first couple of water stations too short for the throngs of people to get to, and I felt really bad for the folks finishing after four and a half hours as booths started packing up and the promised food was going fast. Marathoners deserve the same post-race fuel that the half marathoners get.

I have run this marathon twice and absolutely loved it. I was registered to run again this year but will be unable to due to doctor's orders. I have run over 20 marathons, never having to ask for a deferral. I emailed Ashley requesting a deferral of my entrance fees until next year, and within minutes Ashley responded with an approval. Thanks, Ashley; you have a fan of this marathon for life!