I ran the half marathon and the course was great. The volunteers were awesome. There were plenty of water/Gatorade stations, and everything down to the packet pick-up was very organized. I ran several races and this is the first that I've been in that they had the wave starts. I thought they were really nice.

Coming in to this race, I was concerned about the number of people on the narrow trail, but the logistics of the race were great. There was one awkward turn-about near Fabyan Forest Preserve that could have used more signage (coming south from the start, right turn out to the island and back) - the volunteer got a little overwhelmed by the traffic. My only other suggestion is that they have different-colored cups for Gatorade at the aid station (all cups were the same color for water/Gatorade - it helps to know which is which at a glance).

This was an awesome marathon. It was very well organized. Many volunteers working hard. I loved running on the trails. Thank you for placing aid stations at EVERY mile. Thank you for having great pace leaders! This was my 6th marathon, and I will definitely be running it again next year!!

I would definitely do this race again! A beautiful setting - flat first half with rolling hills in the second half. Great volunteers and race organization. Hopefully they will cancel the half marathon and just stick with the 20-miler and the full. And don't water-down the Gatorade! Have it available after the race too!

I did the marathon. The course and planning were top-notch. I loved the out-and-backs so I could see other runners. The 3rd mile marker was in the wrong spot, but most others were good. Plenty of volunteers and cheering. Very glad it's a Boston Qualifier! Official time printers were down and I wasn't sure if I placed in my age group. It ended up that I did, but not sure if there was something for that. Great venue!

They needed porta-potties out on the course and a lot more medical personnel out there also. Had a friend go down and fortunately had another friend spectating who caught her and called an ambulance. Several mile markers were off and never saw a mile marker for mile 26.

This is my favorite marathon to date. Chicago is way too crowded. This one is just right. Some of my friends thought a first-year marathon would be disorganized and didn't want to run this one this year. They were wrong and missed out on a great event. I loved the press build-up to race day. And even after race day - still lots of press. The community really embraced this event. Great job by the race directors and volunteers.

The event was well-organized, particularly for a first-time event, and there were plenty of volunteers and aid stations to help me get to the finish line. The course is flat and predominantly run on a asphalt bike path along the Fox River in the western suburbs of Chicago. The course is well-shaded in most spots but there are several good areas along the course for friends and family to support their runners. While the path is relatively narrow throughout much of the course, the small number of runners (I believe the race was capped at ~1,200 runners) minimized congestion. The event included a half, a 20-miler (good timing for those planning to run the Chicago BofA Marathon) and a full. While this was my first marathon, I have run several races and this was a well organized event relative to other race experiences. I overheard 2-3 runners express concerns about some of the mile markers being off. However, I have no complaints - the entire experience was great! This event should prove to be an excellent alternative for those runners looking for races with smaller fields and a course that is flat.

Anyone having doubts about running a marathon (mostly) on a paved multi-purpose trail should have those thoughts extinguished. The runners thinned out appreciably almost immediately; there was none of the "run through the grass to get ahead" that is typical of many races. The number of aid stations was perfect. The volunteers were great, and there was a decent number of spectators for a suburban marathon. The route is quite scenic for the most part. My only quibble would be the lack of communication immediately before the start, which I'm sure will be fixed in 2011.

My first long race; I did the 20-miler and had a great experience. Trying to get ready for my first Chicago Marathon and can't think of a better way to do it. I look forward to next year's event.