I'm trying to do all 50 states and I know there are other Indiana marathons to run. I also hate Notre Dame Football... but boy, what a rush to enter the stadium, run down that tunnel with the Notre Dame fight song music blasting.... I felt like I could run through a brick wall to finish at that 50 yard-line. I wonder what I would have felt if I just liked ND?
Hot day... sponges, water, Gatorade, and bananas were all needed and welcome. You need to get different t-shirts for different races. My wife runs 5K and gets the same T? Doesn't seem right.

This is a fun experience and too well-kept a secret. The finish is inspiring, the town is quaint, and the course is a little zig-zaggy.

Now, my comment to other marathoners: All walkers are NOT just "family fun walkers." Most who walk a marathon or half marathon train longer and put in just as much work as the younger runners. Walking is an ideal way for older competitors to continue in these events. I wish this race was more "walker friendly" so others would try it. Quit belittling walkers!!! We're here, we're competitors and we love these events too!

(Because of the time of the year and location - and thus race name - there's the potential for warm conditions; one takes his/her chances with weather for this race.)

I found Sunburst to be a mix of things, from excellent to poor, but was, overall, relatively pleased with things.

Highlights: Notre Dame stadium finish; plentiful free parking near start; good information and organization; course well-marked and -marshaled; 2007 course wound through best parts of town and minimized hills to the best degree possible; cold towels, popsicles, and a reasonable variety of post-race foods; regular shuttle buses; signs alerting slower participants to yield to faster ones; upright mile marker signs and a few clocks.

Low-lights: Course has lots of weaves and turns in certain sections; transition onto South River pedestrian/bike path should have been better marshaled, esp. on return portion; concrete and brick surfaces for sections of course; having to cross through (at appx. mile 12) shorter distance participants and later having to weave/dodge through half-marathoners and fun walkers for the last 1.5 miles (immediately after completing a hill); mass finish with other race participants in stadium lessens impact for better marathon finishers (even a separate chute would help); relatedly, having to wait for food and massages because of the large numbers of shorter-distance participants getting the same perks.

Not a negative, but a heads-up: The 6 a.m. EDT start can be tough for those in more westerly time zones, but it's better for making hotel check-outs and trips home.

This year was the fourth time I have run in the Sunburst Marathon. Living around South Bend, IN, it is great to run a marathon in your hometown. The course is very solid. A mix of city running, residential areas and city parks along the St. Joe River with a few challenging hills thrown in too. The only wildcard each year is the weather. This year, it was very hot and humid and the race had to be red flagged. Even though the weather was very hot, all volunteers, organizers and aid stations were well equipped to deal with the conditions. Having so many aid stations (over 20 for the marathon) is very helpful and appreciated. The finisher medals get better every year and the only idea for improvement that I would suggest is to offer a technical shirt for the marathon runners, even if it would cost a bit extra. For the second year in a row, the organizers gave a drawstring bag to marathoners and half marathoners. I would recomend running this marathon to other runners who enjoy a smaller (under 1000 runners) marathon field. It is a great race to run and the finish on the 50 yard-line at Notre Dame Stadium is awesome! Check it out next year and see for yourself.

The course is not quite as confusing as the map makes it out to be. It was marked and marshaled well enough that it wasn't too hard to figure out where you were going. The volunteers at the numerous water stops were great. However, I was near the front where the pack was relatively thin. I'm not sure how they handled the majority of people, especially since it was a hot day. The few spectators that you saw were supportive but there just weren't that many of them. It did make you feel kind of lonely. The shuttle buses back to the start went very smoothly. The finish line on the 50 yard-line of the football stadium was pretty cool. I have to admit it was awesome running through the tunnel hearing the ND fight song and piped in crowd noise even though I bleed maize and blue. I would recomend this one. It was fun - just be prepared for a little heat.

Alright, that sure was a lot better - not as zig-zaggy in the park as I remember in 2006. And they don't call it "Sunburst" for nothing - it was hot at the end but I personally much prefer hot over cold races anyday, so I was somewhat in my element. You won't get any significant crowd support early on but South Bend more than makes up for it at the end in the stadium - the no. 1 reason why I just had to come back (yes, it's that nice!). Very festive and with a lot of high spirits. I would only add one thing but it's not critism - since it is a hot race, recruit and get more of the city folks to turn on there sprinklers much more. The few who did were a godsend - please try to get more, a lot more, to help out. It would had made the run abit more comfortable and would had added to an even more memorable event! Otherwise, I hope to see you next year, South Bend!

Don't expect much and you won't be disappointed. The course seems to loop around and back on itself with hairpin turns in the middle of out-and-back parking lots. It was almost as if they put the course together with a yardstick and a length of string... trying to add up the necessary yardage to squeeze in 26.2 miles. Some of the water stops were located at the bottoms of hills and in the corners of turns, making it easy to run right up on someone if you weren't careful. The course wasn't marked very well and in one section near mile 20, three other runners and I ran the wrong way about 100 yards before some passersby redirected us. The portion of the course where the east-west marathoners intersected with the north-south half-marathoners was "interesting." In some spots, runners had to navigate carefully while running opposing directions into other runners during the many two-way portions of the course. The course was flat but without pace groups, you are left to your own devices to run an exact pace.

However, everything they promised on the course was there: water, Gatorade, GU, sponges. Spectators were nearly non-existent but most clapped or cheered nontheless. Some portions of the course were so strung out and devoid of spectators that it felt I was back home on a long training run. Of course, the volunteers deserve a thank you. The medal was average. The shirt was average and didn't articulate that you had finished the marathon, instead listing all four race distances on the front. Despite finishing in Notre Dame Stadium, the food/beverages at the end were, well... average (and warm water/Gatorade). I guess if you live on the southern end of Lake Michigan and need to run in Indiana to make your 50 states, this could be the one for you. Don't bend over backwards to get to this one until they work out the kinks in the goofy course.

If you do not like a small marathon, then this isn't for you. I like any size marathon. It was hot, with lots of sun and little to no shade. The volunteers work hard, making runners comfy; the few neighbors and spectators are funny; and the ice sponges are a blessing. The sound coming from Notre Dame when you are running in makes you feel like a famous sports star. As tired as I was, I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear. Sad... this is the first time I didn't qualify for Boston. It really was hot and humid even though it started so early!

I can't really comment about the marathon since I have only done the half in 2005 and 2006, but be prepared for very little fan support. Those that do cheer you on are very enthusatic and supportive with music, water sprinklers, water, etc... just not many of them on the streets. As for the beer comment in a earlier post, I take it you have never seen a ND tailgate weekend... the beer is readily available, just not at this event. Courses are poorly marked too. Most mile markers are painted on the street with no indication of it.

This was a very picturesque, small-town race that kept me interested nearly the entire way. I especially liked the first half -- very shady, scenic, on a very manageable scale, and run through pretty neighborhoods. The second half of the race was a little less so, especially the long push on sidewalks to the park, without much shade.

As for all the whining about the shirts, I actually liked the hot-orange look. Just my opinion.

This race didn't try to pretend to be what it's not. It's a fun, small race through the pretty, historic parts of a nice little town.