Hats off to the entire organization. Course was mostly flat and well organized. Few spectators, but great support from volunteers.

The Soldier Marathon was an excellent inaugural event - very well organized! The scenic course was a beautiful. flat and fast lollipop beginning at the National Infantry Museum, onto Fort Benning, and then to Uptown Columbus via the Riverwalk and back to the Infantry Museum. Either by standing at parade rest or hosting water stations, our soldiers led the way along the course, making the majority of the race patriotic and emotionally humbling. Sincerely, I was surprised to see a Major General kick off the race and position himself along the course to cheer on runners after what is typically a very hectic and busy, ceremonious week.

My only suggestion or complaint as previously mentioned would be to use paper cups over the crushable plastic ones at the water stations. Oh yeah, and the tour (free of charge) of the Infantry Museum is really something special! I expect this one to become common on many runners' bucket lists in the future.

I am very glad Chickamauga was sold out when I tried to register for it a few months ago, otherwise I would never have discovered this gem. The Soldier Marathon from beginning to end was a fabulous event! Very well organized with plenty of water, sports drink and gel on the course, enthusiastic volunteers, great course (loved the jaunt across the river to Alabama!), very nice finish line spread, and I LOVE the medal and technical shirt (Brooks shirt) - what else can you ask for? Really loved seeing the soldiers from Ft. Benning on the course and having them hang my medal around my neck at the finish. I can't say enough about this race except: put it on your must-do list! With Columbus being so close to Atlanta, this will be an annual event for me.

Great job by the race organizers. I have run many marathons and this was one of the most enjoyable to date. The course was very scenic. The post-race food was excellent. The many soldiers who helped during the race were fantastic. Look forward to next year's race. Great job!

This was my first marathon and I simply could not have picked a better race, on a better course, on a better weekend.

Unbelievable inaugural race! I was hesitant to sign up for this race due to the fact that many races are complete disasters the first time round. I took a leap of faith and flew across the country from Washington State to experience this. I am so pleased that I took the chance.

Race day was amazing. Easy, organized registration plus a quality pasta feed in a beautiful restaurant plus amazingly themed settings equals an amazingly beautiful experience. Running on veterans' weekend on such a nice course with US soldiers everywhere in uniform was quite patriotic. Don't hesitate to run this course if you have a chance. The new national infantry museum is magnificent and beautiful. Definitely makes the entire weekend an emotional one. I agree that the only problem was the parking snafu. Take care of that and in my opinion, the race is perfect.

Congratulations to the organizers. Excellent choice for GA if you are a 50/50-er. I can't say enough positive about the race. Possibly the best overall race experience I've run yet.

This marathon was as near perfection as any of the 30 that I have run. Hard to believe that this was the inaugural event.

1) Packet pick-up: a breeze, and located in the wonderful National Infantry Museum.
2) Parking on race morning: close to the starting line. My only suggestion for improvement is here - encourage entrants to also use Lumpkin Road, as I could see quite a back-up on Ft. Benning Parkway.
3) Course: every mile offered an interesting and varied experience - no drab urban industrial areas, no angry motorists waiting for our parade to pass. Instead, a great tour of the military base and then a pleasant run along a parkway path overlooking the Chattahoochee River. Cross over the river to Alabama and see a bit of Phenix City, cross back and see downtown Columbus. Then, another pleasant run along the river back to Ft. Benning.
4) Finish: run down Heritage Walk - through a gauntlet of soldiers standing at attention.
5) Volunteers: cheery civilians who seemed happy to be there. The world's best soldiers "standing guard" along much of the path. I have never been called sir so many times in one day!

A very big "thank you" to the race committee, the Department of the Army and all of the volunteers and soldiers. I am proud of my "dog tag" medal presented to me by a US Army soldier.

This was a great day, and I'll be back!

Going to the race, my wife and I commented on how strange it felt going to a marathon in the town where we lived. We have always had to travel, and were a bit skeptical that it would be done right. We walked away with one of the best experiences - if not the best race experience - we have ever had. First of all, what an honor to be surrounded by so many soldiers. There weren't a ton of spectators but the quality of spectators and volunteers was amazing. Great course along the river with just enough small inclines and declines to balance out. It was great to not be around cars! The organization was exceptional and goes to show you that races should be organized by those who understand what motivates you to get out there. Not a chance I will miss this next year, and I am happy to say that my expectations were exceeded beyond description.

I try to avoid inaugural marathons because my tolerance for "we never thought about that" isn't very high. This, however, was a fantastic effort. There was no indication that this was a first-time event. The organization was clearly led by experienced runners, the course is beautiful, the aid stations were wonderful, there was plenty of post-race food, and the medal was great.

I predict this will become a "to do" marathon.

The inaugural Soldier Marathon was first-class. It was well organized and run on a beautiful course. We started at the National Infantry Museum, ran about 5 miles on post at Fort Benning, and then ran along the river to Columbus and back. The course ended with a .1-mile run down an avenue of flags that is the most impressive finish I have seen. Many of the volunteers were young soldiers from Benning. We had drill sergeants along the course cheering and encouraging us. With all that said, this is a small race - not a big-city event. Don't expect an expo or crowds 4-5 deep along the route. A nice perk was the pre-race pasta dinner at the Fife and Drum restaurant in the Infantry Museum, which was excellent. Given the quality of the first event I am sure this one will get better. I do plan to return in 2011.