An extremely well done marathon for its size. Event started on time, had very easy parking as well as shuttle service from host hotels. Fan support on the course was amazing given how rural the event was. Course was well marked and I felt safe despite it being open to traffic. It had more hills then I was expecting but, I didn't think any of them were unbearable - more of like segments of rollers. The themed 'North vs. South' was well done, as a top 3 AG finisher I got a small cannon - way cool! Food, beverages and ICE at the end was a little light but, certainly not a deal buster.I would also have liked to have split times on the course rather than just 'overall' but, my Garmin can handle that. I would run this one again.

Since it was the Gettysburg Marathon, I'd hoped for most of the course to occur on the battlefield. Similar to the Freedom Run that goes through Antietam. Unfortunately, the out and back course just skirts the battlefield, which you can see but never really view. The course is tough. Extended hills, little shade, some traffic at bit more than rolling hills.

The organization was great. Good communication prior to the event. Easy package pick-up, well stocked water stops. Great job for a first marathon.

Where there were spectators they were great, but they were sparse. I've run Frederick and Bob Potts and there were more fans and more community involvement. I'm sure as this marathon become a yearly 'event' the Gettysburg community will come out to support it.

Overall a fun, tough event. I haven't decided if I'll run in 2012, but I will certainly revisit this one in the future.

This is my third marathon. I've run the big city, Houston, the medium city, Pittsburgh and Gettysburg. For an inaugural event, the organizers did a fantastic job and the lord above gave us a great course with great weather. Highly recommended.

Great inaugural race. Very well done. The website kept you informed so you knew what to expect. Short-sleeve, blue/gray, tech t-shirt is awesome, and you get a great finisher's medal too - one of the best I have after 42 marathons. Everyone was friendly and I struck up quite a few conversations with other runners. The course was a bit hilly, so take your time (as I did) and enjoy a run in the country. Plenty to see and do in Gettysburg; I took my family horseback riding on Saturday. I wish I could have stayed another day!

The RD did a great job in organizing the inaugural running of this event, including well run aid stations and one of the better medals I have ever received.

The course is beautiful, traversing the countryside on rolling, country roads. The hills do make this a tougher course than the description or elevation profile might suggest, but it is well worth the effort. My only negatives on the course were that a few mile markers were missing, and I think runners should have been better instructed to stay on the correct side of the road; there was a lot of switching from left to right and back again.

The spectators were great; there just aren't that many, as much of the course is along country roads with farmland. Even with not a lot of spectators, they did help keep me motivated through the final miles.

Rough, rolling course. RD could have done better with a description of the course on the website. All other facets of organization were top notch.

The RD did an excellent job of organizing the inaugural race, from race e-mails, to logistics, to packet pick-up, etc. Tough course could have been described better on the website. Much tougher than advertised, and I run on rolling hills all the time. Other than the course, I had a great time running this for my second marathon.

This out-and-back course was over beautiful and hilly country roads. The water stops and volunteers were excellent. The finisher's medal is a beautiful work of art. The town of Gettysburg is a history buff's dream.

The marathon was very well organized - water/gatorade and gel stops were exactly where they said they would be. Porta potties, too. The after race food/drinks were not at the finish line - and they were too far to walk to after running a very difficult course for 26.2 miles. Also, there were no heatsheets at the finish line. The scenery was beautiful, though the roads weren't closed to traffic and the shoulders were very narrow. The only reason why I gave the course 3 stars instead of 5 is due to the hills. Although it is beautiful, the course is extremely hilly and very challenging. There were hills of all sizes from mile 1 to mile 25. There were even hills at miles 22 and 25 and that last hill at mile 25 was especially brutal. If you're going to run this marathon, be prepared and do lots of hill training. Check out the elevation profile here: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/82897825

The race organizers did a great job of organizing an inaugural marathon. The course was hilly, but the beautiful views made the climbs worthwhile. Although the course was open to traffic, there were very few cars and the drivers were courteous and patient. The spectators and volunteers along the route were friendly and encouraging. The aid stations were well stocked and there were plenty of port-a-johns. Since the marathon commemorates such an important event, I was surprised not to hear the National Anthem before the race started. Also, other than providing two sets of results and different color race numbers, there wasn't much emphasis on North v. South. It would have been fun to have had more of a 'Rebels' vs. 'Yanks' theme during the run. Maybe I would have passed someone just for the thrill of beating a Yankee.
THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN ! -and next year we'll bring home the beer mugs!