+ Weather was great.
+ It was clear enough that you could see Mt. Rainer! It was beautiful while we were running down the highway/bridge thing toward Bellevue.
+ Rock 'n' roll! I enjoyed listening to the music, especially the cute kid who set up his own little amp outside his parents' house and was rockin' out.
+ Good water/hydration stops.
+ Awesome t-shirt/expo, with all kinds of free stuff (who doesn't like free stuff?).

- Lots of out-and-back running, where you see everyone on the highway. I prefer loop courses because I like to feel like I'm going somewhere new instead of seeing the same thing.
- Not too many people cheering you on, especially on the highway sections, which there are a lot of (perhaps more people will be out to cheer on runners in future years since this was the inaugural race?).
- No music during much of the first 10 miles, because it's through a residential area.
- It was hard to coordinate where to get picked up at the end, and there was lots of traffic (I had a wedding I needed to get to at 1 p.m. after the marathon).

Overall, it was quite enjoyable. I love running and talking with fellow runners, but I love running in general. I made it to the wedding on time (I got ready with 5-minute shower, a quick change, and a jump back into the car). I'd recommend it.

Summertime marathons are hard to find, but Rock 'n' Roll Seattle is a great one. I think it was the anticipation of a new marathon, the natural beauty of Seattle, and the flawless organization that combined to produce one of the best running experiences I've ever had. This race left me with such a genuinely good feeling that I can't wait to come back.

As other reviews have noted, the race isn't perfect. The last 10 miles of the marathon essentially constitute a giant out-and-back on a highway. The concrete road surface will leave your feet very sore. The number of bands and cheerleaders were sparse after you left downtown.

However, I am tired of complaints from people who enter a big race and expect small-race conveniences. For example, anytime there is a shuttle to the start in a mega-marathon, don't wait until the last hour to board or else you will get stuck in a long line or a traffic jam. This point was repeatedly emphasized in the pre-race instructions and newsletters. We arrived early enough (4:45 a.m.), rode right to the start, found a comfortable place to sit, used the porta-potties and waited for the race to begin. Less than an hour later, a huge traffic jam developed, created by all of the cars dropping people off. Also, when you arrive at the start, do not go to the first porta-potties you see. There will be huge lines. If people walked around to the corrals, they would have seen a couple of hundred porta-potties with much shorter lines.

The expo and race were fairly well organized for an inaugural event. Two areas for improvement: !. Running the half and full together made the course very crowded, despite the wave start. As a "full" runner, I was dodging around the "half" runners, who were rather large and tended to run together in a line across the width of the street. The other area for improvement was the proportion of the course on the freeway. And please, please, change the last 1-2 miles so that runners don't have to face the psychological factor of running past the freeway exit to the finish area and having to run an extra mile before actually being able to exit to the finish, and running mile 25 uphill.

On the positive side, Seattle is a beautiful city.

Every once in awhile, a race comes together so perfectly that you feel luck to have been there. Rock 'n Roll Seattle had one of those days.

There was so much energy on race-day. The bands were great. The cheerleaders were especially enthusiastic. The fans in downtown were raucous. The weather was perfect, and the course was beautiful. I would have been perfectly satisfied with the gorgeous view of Mt. Rainier and Lake Washington, but to see a bald eagle on the course was over the top.

This event was very well organized. Course support was outstanding; thank you, volunteers! I've been running the Rock 'n Roll races for nearly 10 years, and Seattle ranks as the best.

I have not run a Rock N' Roll marathon before and thought I would give it a try since it was in my home town. Getting to the race was a nightmare. We were stuck in traffic and you could hear the start of race while we were still on the bus. As soon as we stepped off the bus, a volunteer told me I had to check my bag because it was closing in 3 minutes. Seeing as there were thousands of people behind us still trapped in buses, I did not need to check my bag immediately.

The course was pretty in the first several miles, but after that it became forgettable. Running on the floating bridge was nice, but merging with the half marathoners was terrible. No matter what your speed, you are merging with someone 3 miles slower than your pace. The road at the end of the 1/2 marathon has some wicked camber making running uncomfortable.

The course goes up Aurora Avenue with a lot of gradual uphill running. During these miles, the hills were a little challenging (but manageable). It's a nice area for families to see their runners since it is an out-and-back. I was disappointed the bands were not really playing at this point. I don't know if this is common, but it the bands aren't playing, then why run a Rock N' Roll? I'm a 4:15 marathoner, which I consider solidly in the middle of the pack, so was surprised that the bands stopped early or took long breaks. The band that did play was awesome and rejuvenated my spirits. Thanks, guys!

There was plenty of water available on the course and a couple of gel stops with options of flavors available. The post-race spread was good, with chips, bananas, bagels, granola bars and other things I'm sure I've forgotten. The technical T-shirts are nice as well as the medals. I love that the shirts and medals are different depending on if you ran the full or the half.

The fans are not great. They mostly stand there, doing little to no cheering. For an active city with lots of runners and outdoor enthusiasts I thought they would be more supportive.

For an inaugural race, I thought it was pretty good. For my first Rock n' Roll, I was not swayed to run another one.

As with most of the Rock 'n' Roll events, you sort of know what to expect. Seattle was no different. The bands were great. The first half was way more awesome and scenic than the second half. I think this event catered to the half and not the full. I just think they should make the full as interesting and desirable of a course as the half.

The organization of this event was phenomenal, especially considering the number of people involved. Everything was well marked with signage, corrals, start, miles, etc. Aid stations were plentiful even as I passed, and I am a slower runner. The expo was well organized as well.

Transportation to the start of the marathon, although organized, ran longer then expected. The race had already started by the time our bus got there, which was after 7 a.m. They were on corral number 8 or 9, but I was in corral 15, so it was perfect for me! It was nice that they started the race on time. There were even more buses after mine.

My only issue with the race was having to pass by the finish not once but twice. We passed close enough by the first time when the halfers were finishing. Couldn't see the finish but could hear it. The second time we passed the finish was about mile 22, which was really psychologically difficult.

Also, and this has nothing to do with the race itself: Never, NEVER, NEVER stay at Hotel Seattle. It was the most filthy, old and disgusting place I have ever stayed in. It was scary. AND I forgot my Tiffany necklace, from Nike Marathon in the room, and of course, NO ONE found it.

This race definitely lived up to Rock 'n' Roll expectations. Well done, SEATTLE.

Only suggestion that I would make is to do something different with the start. Change traffic patterns so that cars/buses can get in and out faster. I saw many people run an extra mile just to beat the stop-and-go traffic getting to the start.

Other than that, it was a really good time.

I've done 16 previous marathons and I would have to say that this was by far the best. The scenery was beautiful, the crowd support was amazing, and the finish line festivities were very entertaining. There were a few hills, but they couldn't take away from how incredible this event was. I heard several people on the course say that they were signing up for next year's race as soon as they got home. I will definitely be back again!

I've run 58 marathons, and with all of the beautiful neighborhoods available in Seattle, we had to run on freeways, surrounded by concrete walls. We could see nothing of the wonderful landscape. Others have better bands. Be sure to take a picture ID if you want beer at the finish.

This was my 24th marathon and it was my best running experience ever. Even though the hilly course is a little tough and not suitable for a personal best, it is just beautiful. The crowds and bands were very motivating. The expo and race organization were superb.