Had a few problems getting to the expo. Directions were tough. Not everyone drives with a GPS. Expo was small, but efficient for packet pickup. Long-sleeve shirt was very attractive. The race course was nice, with a few more hills than I expected. Volunteers were superb!! Lots of water stops and I overdid it early. HAD to stop at mile 14 but I finally squeaked out my first ever BQ by 14 seconds!! Post-race cookout was great! Host hotel too far away. Traffic on race day was terrible. Maybe need extra guidance to get people funneled into the great free parking area more quickly. :-) Congrats to the director and all of the wonderful volunteers. It looks like I had a lot of complaints, but it was really a great run. Also, Pacer Scott was nice guy to run with.

This is definitely a PR course. It is flat and fast, and I had a PR by 10 minutes. The course was scenic and the trees were changing colors - great time for a race. It was 34 degrees.

Traffic was terrible and we almost missed the start. There was major problems with traffic. It took over a hour to drive five miles. Many people arrived well after the race started. This was definitely due to the poor traffic control.

Volunteers were great!

The race was not advertised in the area, and unless you were in the immediate area, you would not know about the race. The host hotel didn't know hardly anything about it. It would have been nice to have the marathon mentioned in the local paper the next day.

Getting to the start line was a problem! Traffic was a big issue but I was fortunate enough to get to the start line just in time. During the race there were several areas that were not closed to non-participants and we had to dodge walkers and moms with strollers. I was pacing a friend, so this wasn't really my race; but I would have been disappointed if I were really trying for a fast time. As with most races, the volunteers were GREAT!!

Great organization, from the website, to the online support, to the late packet pickup at the Sterret Center, to the supportive volunteers at race. Perfect number of spectators. Live music at intervals on the course. A pretty flat course, which made it nice for my first marathon. My only suggestion is that the volunteers at the water/Gatorade stops should be more spread out, because I came in for water behind another runner, and incredibly, he stopped to drink his water! I had to screech to a halt and run around him to continue. You'll love the state park section of the race.

Enjoyable small marathon in a beautiful fall setting. Very reasonable entry fee; pay the upgrade for the technical shirt. The volunteers were very friendly and helpful. Arrive early to avoid the massive traffic congestion. There is plenty of free parking once you arrive.

Overall, nice course with a few rolling hills.

Good: Organization, medals, post-race food, price, aid stations, shirts, volunteers, parking, nice view, start and finish, spectator-friendly course.

Bad: Course (non-pavement, and turns), awards (getting it right), small expo.

Overall, it was a good race and I am glad that I made it my fall race.

This mid-size race has a very nice community feel to it. The course winds and turns a little more than average. Post-race food was fantastic and plentiful (brats, pizza, Subway sandwiches, and burgers in addition to the usual bananas and pretzels). It was easy to get in and out of the expo. Get to the parking on race day at least one hour before the race and you're fine. The race director personally welcomed me to Indiana. A perfect weekend to see the fall foliage.

Beautiful day, beautiful course. We left the host hotel at 7:40, spent the next hour fighting traffic during the six-mile drive, and then walked to the starting line (about 20 minutes away). We got to the starting line at 9:12, about the time the 5K was starting. The official said that we would be OK because our chip would still keep our time. Then we were misguided on the course twice! My wife was doing the half and was guided in with the 5K. I was doing the full, and was missing almost two miles by the eight-mile mark! Fifty minutes should have been plenty of time to go six miles!!! This was my 22nd race and my first issue like this! I'll never be back!!

I only did the half due to serious lack of training this summer, but really enjoyed this event. A small expo at the packet pickup location, with half of the booths seemingly promoting other events or local organizations. These people know how to put on a race. Lots of port-o-lets at the start. Plenty of well-staffed aid stations. Nice cookout to top it off. Handsome shirt I'll be proud to wear (extra cost for tech fabric). Beautiful course in the state park is not flat. Hills are mild, but might cost you a PR. I'll try to re-arrange my schedule next summer so I can train to return and do the full. Well done to everyone at the Indianapolis Marathon at Lawrence.

This race has much to recommend it. First, as others have noted, it was a beautiful and somewhat hilly course winding through Fort Benjamin Harrison. After watching the course drive-through video, I readied myself for a good deal of highway running, but this was not the case - perhaps they had to take alternative routes in driving the course due to the small paths the marathon route took. Either way, a pleasant and welcome surprise. Second, the organization was top-notch. The aid stations were plentiful - maybe too plentiful; they were about every mile and I probably drank TOO much water, but that is a personal failing. The volunteers energetic and helpful and there were lots of porta-lets and first aid tents. My only advice would be to use smaller cups; the large cups give too much drink and are difficult to drink from. Finally, the amenities - from long-sleeve tech shirt to post-race BBQ - were excellent. Congratulations to the race director and his/her staff for a race well run!