This race has outstanding organization and a great course - the 2 most critical elements in my mind. The weather, which of course no one controls, could not have been better this year. Plenty of aid stations. Friendly, cheering volunteers. Free parking. The post-race meal hits the spot - good food served up by friendly folks. Regarding fan support - yes, it is light in some stretches, but that's what you get with a small marathon. The people that were out were supportive. I PR'd and met my Boston goal, so overall a great experience! I look forward to running it again!

This was a wonderful smaller marathon that was supremely well-organized. I picked this race after the Lewis and Clark Marathon in St. Louis was cut short due to the remnants of Hurricane Ike and I still wanted to take advantage of my training. I am so happy that I did. The weather was perfect, all of the volunteers were helpful, and I had no problem with parking. As others have said, the fact that the course turns back on itself many times during the first half makes it very nice for supporters to cheer you on. I highly recommend this race.

This was an awesome marathon! I enjoyed the out-and-back, as I was never running alone. The water and Gatorade stations were plentiful; the porta-pots were plentiful too. The course was great for my family to see me multiple times. The spectators were friendly. Navigating in Indianapolis wasn't bad. My daughter ran the kids' marathon and loved it! We are both proud of our medals. I would definitely run this again. The weather was fabulous too!

A varied course of residential streets, park roads, highway. Some hills in the first half when you're still fresh makes it interesting with the second half flat. Crowds were okay in the relatively few places they were. Aid stations were ample, as were the port-a-potties. Missed a few of the mile markers in the first 10 miles because they were set low and there were crowds of runners. Starting the half and full at different times might not be a bad idea, if possible. Overall though, the size is fine; you're not elbowing your way through and the participants are there for the sake of running in itself, not just because everyone else is doing it and it's fashionable, as seems to be the case with many in the mega-marathons. The time of year is ideal. My only objection (a very petty one) is that the medal was the same for the full and half-marathon. I would consider doing this again and would definitely recommend it.

I cannot say enough nice things about this marathon. I thought that it was very well organized, and the supporting staff was very friendly and helpful. I hope they never have to change the course, especially the run through the state park, which was positively surreal through all the colorful trees. And I liked the relatively small crowd. Weather-wise, we had a stellar day for a marathon. I can't wait until next year.

Wonderful race. Well organized and supported. Crowds were great in the locations where they could assemble. The fire pits with hay bales for seats in the start/finish area were a great touch.

The course is very fair and scenic, and this year's weather and fall colors helped make the route even more fun.

If you are looking for a small but excellently-supported marathon, this one's for you.

I had a great run and the weather could not have been better. Organization was terrific; however, I wish there were more spectators and cheering sections. The race got lonely out there.

This is my home course, which I run four or five days a week. I was signed up for the marathon but decided not to run, as I think the course is long on the back half by a considerable distance. The outbound part is on a road, but coming back you run on a parkway path, which has many twists and turns; and it actually veers away from the original outbound leg, so coming back, it's longer. I think they need to look into this and have everyone run back on the road and not the path. Other than a long course, it's a very well organized marathon that should be called the Lawrence Marathon because it's in the City of Lawrence, Indiana - not Indianapolis. Fantastic volunteers, water stops and traffic control. Thanks to all of you for putting on a terrific race.

I have nothing but positive reviews for this race. From registration to the finish line, the organization was top-notch. The RD quickly responded to inquiries prior to the race. I picked up my race packet in under 5 minutes. There was plenty of parking at the race. The start area was well organized and there was plenty of well-stocked water and Gatorade tables throughout the course. I liked the series of out-and-backs that the course layout provided - it breaks up the 26 mile distance into more manageable chunks. The crowd was friendly, and the other runners were polite and encouraging. The FREE post-race spread was phenomenal - burgers, brats, pizza. To top it all off, I had a 15-minute PR. What a great day.

The bottom line is that I would definitely do this race again.

The 2008 Indianapolis Marathon was my second ever marathon with Chicago (2005) being my first. In my opinion, the Indianapolis Marathon was good for a smaller marathon, but not great.

Pros: Weather, scenery, solitude, aid stations
Cons: Spectator support, expo, entertainment

I was questioning my decision to sign up for this marathon as I drove to the expo on Friday evening. The area was very desolate and appeared somewhat unsafe. The course turned out to be beautiful and safe, but that is not the impression that was given on the drive to the YMCA for packet pick-up.

Overall, I feel like this race is definitely geared more toward the half-marathoners, with the marathoners being an afterthought. I finished in around 5 hours, which I know is not extremely fast, but I was shocked at how little support there was for the slower runners (arguably those who need it most). That being said, the course was mostly flat and very peaceful and beautiful. If I had been more properly trained, I think I would have had a much better time. I would recommend this race to anyone who is looking for a smaller alternative run to Chicago.