I ran it this past Sunday. It was low-key, but very well organized. There were only about 200 or so marathoners. There were several times that many half-marathoners. They all turned off at about mile 5, which made the next 21 miles pretty sparse. That was fine because the scenery was great (along the Chippewa River), and through downtown Eau Claire, which is a very beautiful city. However, I wish I had brought my iPod. The organization was fantastic. Water stops were plentiful and had Gatorade too. Many thanks to the race directors for putting on such a nice event. I look forward to running it again next year.

It's hard to believe that this was the first year of this race, based on how well things went. Beautiful course, plenty of well staffed water stops, good traffic control, adequate on-course porta-potties, and friendly volunteers. Need more porta-potties at the start, however, and as this race grows, parking may become an issue. This race gets an "A" for the first year!

You would never have known this was the first year for the event. The organization and management of the race was exceptional. Volunteers and/or police (smiling) were at every intersection, and the aid stations were well spaced, with lots of yellow-shirted volunteers. The loop course rolled around the city for the most part, with one good-sized hill around 12 miles in, and then a short, nasty one with about half a mile to go (it couldn't be helped). The shirt, medal, food, and aid tent were typical, but very nice.