This is the first marathon I have finished and it could not have gone better. The course was beautiful, the aid stations very well stocked, and the staff very friendly. It was a very difficult course, especially after mile 15, but being on Antietam Battlefield where so many suffered made the hills not seem so bad. The medal at first may seem lacking, but once I thought about it, I would rather have the John Brown Fort than some generic medal you could get anywhere.

I participated in the 2009 run and came back to avenge having a PW time. Was better prepared mentally for the hills this time. The scenery and aid on the course are great. Stayed at the Bavarian Inn and ate dinner there, so it was a good weekend away from home. Walked to the bus in morning and was able to return to the room, shower and walk across the parking lot to post-race celebrations.

This course was awesome! The "rolling hills" from miles 16-22 were killers; they were not gentle and my quads/glutes were incredibly sore the next day (which is not normal for me).

The volunteers seemed genuinely to enjoy their assigned tasks and were very friendly and helped make the miles fly by.

The only complaint about the race I have is the availabily of bananas at the finish. The way the different races were staggered, the 5K and 10K finishers had eaten all the bananas by the time I finished. I ran a respectable 3:42 and was well in the front middle of the marathon pack, so I'm sure the folks who finished after me felt the same way. We just wanted some potassium, people!!

Great race overall, and if I ever feel like testing myself again during my budding quest for all 50 states, I'll definitely do Freedom's Run again.

This was my first marathon and it was a gorgeous course. There were plenty of water/Gatorade stops with gels and even brownies at one stop. Lots of port-a-potties too. The hills make it practically impossible to run the whole thing. But it was a beautiful course. I would say most of the runners were laid back and there to have a fun time. Be sure to bring your camera - many runners took pics along the way.

This is my first "official" race of any sort. My son asked me to run with him and his wife, and I'm so glad that I did. It was one of the most beautiful runs I have ever had. I did the half-marathon, and yes, it was "hilly," but it is so much easier to run the "hills" back here in Pennsylvania. I am awed by the wonderful people I met along the way while running and all the support throughout the race. Needless to say, I'm hooked.

Amazing scenery and well organized course. Was a little worried by all of the mentions of hills in the battlefield after mile 15, but if you put in the hill training before you can still run negative splits. All in all, an amazing marathon, small enough to be sociable. Mixing with half marathoners towards the end made sure we weren't lonely near the end. Great finish area. Definitely one to do again!

I had no idea what to expect so tried to be prepared as best as I could. I thought I had time to get to the starting line, but as I came down the hill, I heard cheering and the start gun. Luckily I came up to the back of the crowd just as everyone took off. So I didn't miss the start! It wasn't until they told me to turn at the half-way mark and everyone else kept running that I realized I had started with the wrong group. So I finished the 5K in REALLY good time. I think i'll try again next year and see how good I truly am. ;)

One of most enjoyable marathons I've run. Many volunteers put individual effort into race organization and support, keeping fees low. Typical aid stations had water and sports drink, peanuts, bananas, oranges, pretzels, M&Ms, and cookies. Handmade finisher's medal is a unique local keepsake. Many hills - 2,200 feet in elevation change. Course was paved except some parts of Antietam and the C&O Canal towpath. Easy park-and-shuttle to the race start. Very scenic views of Antietam, C&O Canal, and other national parks. Trees just started turning color. It was 50F at the start, and 68F finish. Most of first half is in shade. Highly recommend this race.

This was my first time doing this event. I missed the first year. I thought for the size of the event that the mile markers on the 10K run would and should be better. The ones that were there were on poster paper and had rolled up, so it was hard to read them. I also noticed at registration that the letters for registration were on poster board and handwritten. Think it would look more professional on printed-out banners or signs.

This was one of the best organized marathons I've seen and the organizers were incredibly friendly and went the extra mile to take care of every little detail (for example, someone in our hotel needed a babysitter, and even this was taken care of by the race director)!

The couse was beautiful - through historic Harpers Ferry, along the Potomac with some terrific views of the river, and through the historic Antietam battlefield.

There's one caveat and it can't be understated - there are hills between mile 15-20 that you feel you need an elevator. Well, not that bad, but pretty close. Think slope and frequency of a wooden roller coaster and you get the idea.

In conclusion, as long as you are not looking for a PR, this is a great event - beautiful course, friendly participants, terrific organizers, and a great time. I would recommend without hesitation.

PS. One other word on the medal: it's created by a local artist, so don't expect a professional, huge, heavy medal like you get at the Marine Corps, Disney or the Rock n Roll events. The ribbon was nice and the medal was a stamped copper plate, but it's very consistent with a small town and (I found) endearing.