I may be a little biased as I am from the host town, but with that being said, I can honestly say this was very well organized from the race director down to EACH AND EVERY VOLUNTEER. This was my 4th marathon and I was pleased in every manner... great pasta dinner, great aid/medical stations, and great people along the course. We are proud of our running community for putting on a worthwhile event that will continue to grow based on this year's huge success! A big "thank you" to all first-year participants. I met a lot of runners on the bus and on the course and heard lots of compliments. I am lucky enough to know all that put their time and energy into this run, and let me tell you: they all have their hearts into it, being runners themselves! Can't wait till next year; however, I may be in the volunteer shirt instead to continue the success of A2A!!!

I really enjoyed this race. Turner Falls, which is very near the start line, was beautiful. The winding roads at the beginning were fun to run on. I enjoyed the out-and-back through the ranch. I thought the long straightaway down Highway 77 would get boring, but it was a little hilly, so you couldn't really see that far down the road. That and the fact that there were so many enthusiastic volunteers made that stretch seem pretty good. The only part I didn't like was the out-and-back through the city park. It seemed like it took forever. But, that was due mostly to the strong winds and the fact that I had already run over 20 miles. :)

I loved finishing in the stadium. The medals were cool! I think I will be back to do this one again!

The Good: The A2A was a wonderfully organized first-time marathon. All of the water spots were fantastic, and the volunteers encouraged the runners at every stop. The massage tent after the run was staffed with great massage therapists and was a real nice Oklahoma touch.

The Bad: Oklahoma in March can have some very challenging running conditions and on race day the 25 mph winds did play a part in the race. In the future if the wind projections are to be out of the South the course will be very challenging.

The Opportunity: If someone is training for another marathon in April, running A2A could be a great 20-mile training run because the 20-mile mark is about 1/3 of a mile from the finish line.

Ardmore is located half-way between Oklahoma City and Dallas, which allows some flight options - an easy 1.5-hour drive from either direction. Packet pick-up, pasta dinner and start/finish are within a short driving distance of host hotel. The RD's organizational skills show and she has a great group of volunteers. Even though spectators are sparse, the enthusiasm of the aid station volunteers equalled hundreds of spectators (which is why I gave "fans" a 5-star rating). It's nice to do a marathon with a cause, this one to raise money for a new cancer center. No additional monies come out of the runners' pocket and all money raised goes to building a cancer center for southern OK. It's obvious the Ardmore community, as a whole, is behind this marathon. 50 staters: put A2A on your "to do" list. And pack light as you'll get two shirts.

This was a well organized, well supported, small, local race in southern Oklahoma. You can immediately tell that the people in Ardmore appreciate the runners and their support. The proceeds benefited the building of a cancer treatment center. There were many people who said, "Thank you for coming" during the race.

Positives: The first few miles of the course were beautiful. The majority of the 26-mile race was downhill, although there were several small inclines thrown in. The pre-race pasta dinner was included with the entry. For the first year, it was very well organized. There was no amenity this race didn't have that larger ones do.

Negatives: The medals were nice but the ribbon on them was one solid color, leaving something to be desired. The course, while mostly flat or downhill, was largely wide open - nothing but pasture land. It was pretty boring to run in. Crowd support was nothing as you are running through the middle of nowhere for many miles.

I enjoyed this marathon. It was like running cross-country. The view was awesome and running past the horse ranch was beautiful. There were very few spectators on the course due to running on the highway, but having a water stop at every mile from 11 to the finish made up for it. The volunteers made this race. At every aid station they were energetic, friendly and helped keep you motivated. I really enjoyed making the 3-hour trip to run the A2A Marathon!

This is a well organized marathon with great volunteers. The are lots of water stops. I don't think there was one water stop where the volunteers didn't thank me for running. Wow! The course is very simple, with two out-and-backs, but otherwise you run straight down Highway 77. I would run this one next year.