Hi all. I ran this race for the first time. I know there was a half-hour delay last year that I read about and this year was no different. I am not sure how the streets cannot be properly cleared, since some of the streets were closed on the day prior to the race. There were only 15 bathrooms supplied for the 1000 runners, which ended up being adequate because of the delay. My wait was about 35 minutes. The race course is certainly more interesting in the second half. The first half is just city streets, whereas the second half runs through a park, and has an ocean view for the last two miles. Be ready for the only meaningful hill at mile 23, and the corresponding downhill finish. The finish line at the stadium was great, with loud tunes rocking you to the finish line.

The oranges, bananas and bagel did not seem like enough at the finish. The shirt and medal were great. I rate this a fast course but I would not want to run this again because of the of the late starts they've had in each of the past two years. That is unbelievable to me. I hope in the future that they incorporate more of the interesting parts of Santa Barbara - and no more of Goleta, which looks like Anytown, USA. I did PR on the course as the clouds hung in for the majority of the race for me - although I would have enjoyed running in the dark instead of the daylight.

Most important:
Do NOT fall for the course profile on the website - it's accurate, but it's displayed in a way to make it seem flatter than reality.

Pros:
- Santa Barbara, so it's a beautiful, fun city to visit.
- Finished on the track at Santa Barbara City College.
- Nice Adidas shirt with only a few, small logos on it.
- Great, enthusiastic crowds and volunteers.
- GU Brew drink and GU gels.

Cons:
- Must catch a bus at 4:30 a.m. to get to the start line.
- Not enough porta-potties at the start line: around 15 (really!) or so for 1000+ starters.
- Race start is at 6:30 before daylight savings, meaning the race is scheduled for a pre-sunrise start on dark city streets.
- Race started 30 minutes late (two 15-minute announced delays).
- Course is very hilly, with lots of constant uphill grades and very steep hills late.
- Waters stops were too far apart (2-3 miles), and got farther apart in the last six miles.
- Finish line food was lacking: orange and banana slices - nothing warm, not even coffee, for a race that costs $95-130.

Final thoughts:
Why start with a big loop in Goleta (forcing the early bus to the start and ugly first half) if not to avoid hills? The worst part is that race management did not seem to learn from mistakes in the inaugural race.

Bottom line: I will not run this race again.

My friends and I ran the inaugural SBIM (2009). It's been about a year now, and my lack of enthusiasm for the event hasn't changed.

* Considering that it's Santa Barbara, the course wasn't very scenic. Only at the end did you break out and see the coast. There's also a long hill after mile 20 that caused most people to walk.

* Short-sleeve, cotton t-shirt with a huge Adidas logo? Please, that's not marathon-class schwag; it's more like a local 10K's.

* I don't think all the miles were marked. At least I missed a few.

Hopefully the organizers learned from the inaugural event and will improve the course, support and amenities.

As a local, I'm aware of the difficulty that the race directors face in pulling off an event such as this. Multiple jurisdictions (two cities plus unincorporated county areas plus state highway ramp closures) and a few vocal NIMBY residents make Santa Barbara a challenge for any kind of special event.

Course changes from last year eliminated some freeway closings. The course was varied, including areas of orchards, a taste of the University, and a beautiful beachfront finish.

This is my second year running this marathon and it keeps getting better. Huge, indoor, heated gymnasium to wait for the start; well-marked course; awesome finish.

Yes, there's a hill at mile 23, but it comes in between two nice, long downhills.

Lots of volunteers, fan support, music, and enthusiasm. Run this race; you'll love it.

This race has a lot of positives about it: great weather, beautiful course, awesome finish, great fans/volunteers and a warm place to stay pre-race (high school gym). The end of the race is the best ever. Views of the ocean, and a downhill finish running into a stadium. You can't ask for much more.

Some things the organizers can work on: 1. Aid stations (only 8) and the first was only half-a-mile into the race, which is not really a useful aid station. 2. Delayed start (again). 3. Lack of Santa Barbara scenery. Running down State Street, by the mission and the zoo area would be great. 4. There needs to be more porta-potties. I was fortunate that the race was late, or I would have been out of luck. 5. Pacers??? The race packet said they would be there but there was only one.

This is the 2nd time I've run the race. I will give it one more try for them to iron out the issues.

The course was well laid out... a hilly challenge at times (mile 23.5 is tough!). There was a lack of bathrooms/porta-potties at the start, about a dozen stalls and over a 100-yard line to use them. It was a good thing the race start was delayed until 7, because most runners were in the lines anyway. GU/water/aid were all spread out nicely and the fans were good for a small race too.

Although the marathon rules say that all runners HAVE to take the shuttle to the start, they were not checking numbers or names there and it would have been possible to avoid standing in the long shuttle line at 4:45 a.m.

Other than those suggestions, the race was great! Perfect weather- couldn't ask for better running conditions. The last 1.5 miles are the best part... downhill and a view!

I would recommend this race to other runners.

The race started at Los Pueblos H.S., and did an 11-mile loop around the bucolic splendor of Goleta before heading for West Santa Barbara.

Unfortunately, the majority of the race was rolling hills, often steep. After 23 miles, we hit Cliff Drive, a 170-foot climb up Mile 24.

After you tackled the Cliff Drive climb, if you survived, it was downhill to the finish and a spectacular view of the Harbor, the Pacific and the coastal mountains.

My 5:54:00 was 6 minutes ahead of the 6 hour cut-off. Even still, they had run out of water at the finish  Not good.

The race was twice delayed, with no explanation given. The unintended consequence from the delays was as follows: The cut-off was listed at 6.5 hours, ending at 1:00 p.m. However, the 30-minute delayed start only allowed us 6 hours until 1:00 p.m., and not 6.5 hours.

Only the last 2 miles are what you would expect from Santa Barbara. That was the only time that we ran along the coast. I have to admit that inland Santa Barbara and Goleta are pastorally scenic. But I don't need 24 miles of it.

The best part about the SBIM is the last 2 miles, which are downhill and along the ocean and a dazzling finish on the track of La Playa Stadium at S.B. City College.

There were 998 full marathoners. There were also about 2,300 half marathoners and about 80 marathon relay teams.

If Santa Barbara wants to become one of the pillars of marathoning in Southern California, then they must change the current marathon course - 24 miles of running inland from Goletta to West Santa Barbara just won't keep attracting the runners.

The first 10-13 miles can still be inland. But the last 13-16 miles have to be along the coast. Also, I wouldn't mind running onto Stearn's Wharf and possibly taking a slight detour up State Street.

I agree with a lot of what I read from the comments about last year's inaugural race.

It was well-organized for a new, smaller race. But some of the organization was noticeable because it pertained to details that made the race unncecessarily complicated to begin with. The course should stay more in Santa Barbara. Regardless of how it's marketed, it's NOT flat. Go ahead and give runners a few hills, but let us see more of Santa Barbara, which is so much prettier than Goleta.

The spectators were sparse, but the ones that were out there more than made up for it with their enthusiasm. There were some of the most engaged race spectators I've ever seen in eight marathons.

Once again, the race start was delayed by 30 minutes. They never said why. That's a little bit of a psych-out when you're there and expecting a 6:30 start. Maybe there was nothing they could do, but if it was course related, there's another reason to change the course.

I also agree that the food offerings at the end of the race were pretty puny. Bananas, oranges, and stale bagels. That's it. For what we paid I'd expect a little better.

I'll end on a good note. The last couple of miles were among the prettiest of any race I've run. Coming down Shoreline Dr. to the Pacific Ocean was a beautiful sight, no matter how crappy I felt! :)

I agree with alot of the others, and not so much with some others!! :) (But STAY OPTIMISTIC when you run this, as with any other time we get up and run!). I'm from flat, middle America, and the course was challenging for me (everyday that we get up and run is a challenge though, isn't it?). Yet it really sets you up for a "great opportunity." A PR possible, IF you are fit according to YOUR "true standards" for yourself. It's not flat - (believe me, I know flat-land running), but can be fast if you run it properly. Course is downhill more than uphill, and has flats in between.

Weather was cool and nice. Aid stations had more GU than I've had anywhere (great!). I would truly say that we had excellent spectators and support. There were pace groups, if you wish to try to control yourself, and I personally really liked the T-shirts at pick-up! (Sure, tech T's would have been an upgrade, but I got compliments on it when it when I got back to my hotel, as well as the "Wow, nice medal" compliments I received also. We stayed at the FS-Biltmore, and when I came back and they saw the medal, they actually thought I had won the race or something!!

Great inaugural marathon. I've done 42 marathons and run in the 3:30s.

Here are my thoughts:

Pros:
1) Well organized
2) Outstanding official program
3) Great volunteers

Cons:
1) Add more hot food/drinks at the finish
2) Start near the finish area without the transportation issue and the extra early wake-up (an out-and-back, parallel loop course without running same path might work)
3) Add outdoor heaters at the start area (maybe have a large tent)
4) More restrooms at the start.

The rest of the race is very good. Hope you read this and make the adjustment for next year.

Thanks,

NewtonMarathoner