There's no place like home. There's no place like home. This was my 20th, and one of my favorites ever. I am biased. Great job by the race director and committee. A few tweaks, and it will be perfect. Add a couple of more vendors at the expo, a more obvious separation when the half splits (though it was obvious to me), and keep the same volunteers but give them better instructions at the water stops. Oh. And that hill in the middle.... I will be back.

Thank you so much to all of those who worked so hard to bring the marathon back to Pittsburgh. The new start and finish was ideal. I've run the race starting at the zoo, on Grant Street; and starting at the strip was ideal, given the parking and space. The volunteers were spectacular. Thank you to all who made it possible.

My 4th. Usually I ask why. This time, I asked why not next year. Crowd support was very good. Weather, including rain, was perfect. Climb into Oakland was reasonable. Parking was easy. Pork barbecue at Mile 15 was tempting. Scenery was great. Folks, do this marathon.

Wow! I loved this marathon. The organization was superb. I have run 12 marathons to date and have never seen so many friendly, supportive fans in a marathon of this size. The water stations were well stocked, and the volunteers were numerous. The course was entertaining, taking you through numerous neighborhoods, all with a unique character. You could see the civic pride in the people of Pittsburgh who turned out to support the runners. I was amazed at the quality of support runners received from fans along the route. I cannot give the race organizers and the City of Pittsburgh enough superlatives. I loved everything about this marathon - it was the perfect medium-sized marathon. Gels and food were available along the course route. It is hard to believe that this was the first year back for PGH after a hiatus. The organization was just perfect.

I'm noting all of the great reviews and wonder where all the bands and festivities were! I ran leg 2 of the relay - across the West End Bridge, through the Southside, and up into Oakland. The crowd support was OK, much like Columbus, but maybe I was too focused as I only noticed one high school band ensemble at the end of the bridge. Oakland had a nice crowd despite the rain at that time. Hopefully the rest of the course was more exciting for the full marathon runners than for leg 2. Overall, the organization was good and the expo was nice, though this is Pittsburgh, so parking and finding your way around are both challenging. Thanks to the volunteers - you did a wonderful job. My only negative comment on the organization itself was the finish line setup. That had to be the worst finish area I have ever seen, though Philadelphia is close. There's no "open area" to move around. Every sidewalk or street I took to get to the finish area was either blocked off or had a security guard turning people away. I saw many folks looking for a path to get to the finish area after watching for their runners along Penn Ave. They definitely need to remedy that in future marathons. Why not end in a park area, or some other wide open space?

The crowds were great in some areas, but lacking in others. Some news articles commented that the crowds for 2009 were not as big as in years past (maybe due to bad weather?). The course was mostly flat, which is good for speed but not so challenging. Having said that, I'd run it again. It's a well organized race that gives runners a nice technical shirt.

This was a really great marathon in every respect. The organization was great: Tons of information on the website, and an excellent race expo. Great goody bag full of stuff, and a nice technical tee.

On race-day the weather was perfect, the start was very smooth and there was minimal congestion considering the number of runners. The course was set with an abundance of porta-toilets (the snazzy ones that flush!), plenty of water and PowerAde, and enough gels, oranges, etc. Also, there were several stops with Vaseline. And the crowd support was awesome! In every area we ran through, people - young, old and in between - were out on the streets to cheer us on with a great deal of pep and humor. At one point a man walking along the course was calling out to let the runners know there was an aid station ahead, and when I looked over, the man was Bill Rogers! Kind of a thrill! I loved the variety of entertainment, especially the school band and the cheerleaders toward the end.

The finish area was well stocked with food and liquids to replenish ourselves (I loved the smiley cookies).
The only thing I didn't like was the fact that the cups at the water stations were Styrofoam. Paper would have been more ecologically friendly.

Now, about the level of difficulty of the course. It was HARD. I train on hills and have done San Francisco and the Poconos, and Pittsburgh was harder than either of those. It was hilly! Be prepared and pace yourself accordingly. All in all, this was a great event. Thank you, organizers, and thank you, Pittsburgh!!

Organized as well as any marathon I've been involved in. Very well done; that's all there is to say. This race takes a 26-mile loop around the city and surrounding areas. A little bit of everything, from bridges to mansions to college campuses and neighborhoods of every variety. I thought the course was excellent and the hills were very doable. I wouldn't consider this a hilly course by any stretch. A couple of negatives, though: Maybe use different-colored cups for PowerAde and water just to help tell the difference. I'm from out of state and stayed the night of the race at the Westin. I was really disappointed that many of the bars and restaurants in the downtown area were closed on Sundays. It was kind of a ghost town, which I didn't expect from this city. But all in all, I really enjoyed Pittsburgh and thought that the race was top-notch.

The Pittsburgh Marathon was canceled the year I moved to Pittsburgh, so I was eager to run it on its return. The organizers, city, spectators, and volunteers really put on a great show. And the weather even cooperated. Even though I train in and around Pittsburgh, I thought the course was tough - but a good tough. The journey through the different neighborhoods was very stimulating and kept one's interest. And all credit to the spectators. It was cold for them standing around, but they stuck it out and cheered us on. As we ran up through Oakland, I had visions of loads of students cheering us on (as in another famous marathon that took place two weeks ago). But then I remembered that graduation was last week; still, it has great potential. The organizers did a great job of keeping the finish area free of congestion while allowing us to pick our own food and drink. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, newbies and veterans alike.

Pittsburgh was my fourth marathon and by far my favorite. The organization was great, the media coverage was over the top. The volunteers were excellent and the crowds were incredible! I was super impressed with the number of people out cheering the runners on. Not only were there lots of people, but they were very enthusiastic. Pittsburgh will always stand out in my memory, especially since I got my first BQ on this course. Thanks to the city of Pittsburgh, the people of Pittsburgh, and Dick's Sporting Goods for sponsoring this great event. I hope this race is back to stay.

Other thoughts: The last 2-3 miles are either downhill or on the level. This is a big help for tired runners.