Really enjoyed this event. If big marathons are your thing you will want to do this one again and again, if you like smaller events you'll still want to do it once.

Huge Expo - take the Metro to it. Don't expect to be able to buy cool MCM merchandise on Saturday afternoon, they will be sold out of all the good / interesting stuff so go early if you want to shop.

The marathon itself is a great way to see some of the high points of the DC area, and the crowds are great - a lot of fun to run through the big groups cheering you along.

Starting order is on the honor system MCM. Which means if you start in your appropriate corral you will be dodging past slower runners (and walkers) for 26.2 miles. I advise ignoring the corrals and starting as close to the front as you can (like everyone else does).

I parked and rode the shuttle buses to the start, got the shuttle about 6:00am with no issues and maybe a 10 minute wait. After the race it took me 2+ hours (waiting in line and then riding the bus) to get back to my car. I don't think folks that take the Metro fare much better.

Being in the military I always wanted to do this race but It will be a while until I do another major city marathon again.

The course is about medium difficulty with some good climbs and descents in the first 9 miles. It pretty much flattens out after and time goes by fast as you get some good sight seeing, but there are still some slight inclines along with a lot of turns and the painful last .2 uphill which seemed to be the steepest hill on the entire course. If you run smart though, a PR is attainable.

The spectators along the course are great and really keeps you going and the aid stations were set up the same each time which was helpful.

The only negatives about the race is that it is not easy to get to. I luckily had my parents drop me off near the start and they walked down from the hotel which was about 1.5miles away and walking back to the hotel which was about 2 miles from the finish was not fun along with mile walk you have to do to the finish festival. I did not hit the wall so I was ok with a little cool down walking but it was probably awful for some people.

Then finding our way out of DC area was a marathon in itself.

This is by far the most awe-inspiring race I have ever ran in or heard of! The course was just amazing, every bit of it was scenic, lined with spectators, extremely well supported with Marines at every aid station. There was more than enough nutrition at the stations and the finish. Every one was enthusiastic. The medal is terrific, nice quality and design! The shirt is nice, but not a tech shirt, it's cotton, but I like the long sleeves. The finish is dreadful with the last .2 uphill, but something about that seems right. If you have the chance to run this race, then do it!!

Run this to see all of the sights on the National Mall: The Washington Monument, the Capitol building, the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, and much more.

Organization is good except for the starting line, which is often more chaotic than it needs to be.

Finish line food is pre-packaged and frankly pretty low-quality compared to many other races.

There are 25,000+ runners. Many people leapfrog corrals to avoid the walker crowd. This is a very big first-marathon race.

Enormous crowds at the end of the race after the 5-hour mark. Plan your exit.

You have to love the course. It's difficult on the first third of the race, but the sightseeing compensates for your suffering.

However, trying to go out of the finish area is a huge nightmare; we had to wait for over an hour and a half to get to the shuttles, or the option was to walk all the way to Georgetown (something you don't want to after running a marathon). A friend of mine went through a similar experience trying to get in the subway. This experience will keep me away from +20,000 runners races, with the exception of a few (Houston included), and definitely I won't come back to this race again - too much suffering after the finish line.

Great race!
Expo was one of the best I've been at and was really easy to get to  had a metro stop right at the convention center. The expo had a great mix of big and small name vendors and getting your number from a marine was cool.

Getting to the start was also really convenient. There was a shuttle a few blocks from my hotel that I took to and from the race. I recommend staying in Chrystal City. The marathon even ran past my hotel (twice in fact because of the turnaround).

The course was not as easy as I was expecting. Some steep hills in the first 8 miles or so, then rolling hills with slight ups and downs throughout the course that were not too bad (but certainly not the flat course I was expecting) and that extremely uphill just before the finish was MAD steep! You don't see it as you approach the 26 marker because of the crowds but then it hits you (it's around 26.05 to 26.15) and then you head in to the finish.

Georgetown area was awesome! I got really pumped over there. The crowds are really great and I'd say they are out there for majority of the course (none in the Pentagon parking lot or on the highway but in most areas pretty pumping).

The race was very well organized - after all, it is the marines! Getting water from the marines was cool and seeing many on the course running was also great.

Weather was perfect and it's a great time of year because the leaves are all changing colors. The course is really beautiful and you see so many different areas/neighborhood. It's cool to see all the monuments (Washington and Lincoln) and the capitol and the White House and the Iwo Jima right at the finish.

Lots of great music along the course - the crowds at the half point were the best, with dancers and lots of energized spectators!

Cool mile markers with those spinner guys!

Nice medal.

Not many negatives but here they are (at least in my opinion):
- The shirt. Not a fan of the mock turtleneck, but I guess its part of the marine corps theme. I prefer one I can run in - I have yet to wear this one!
- The finish was VERY congested. It took a really long time to get out onto the road and it smelled REALLY awful.

Great destination marathon. I'd definitely do it again!

Great and inspirational marathon. The marines and the spectators were great. However, the disorganization at the end will keep me from doing this run again. There was a two-hour line for the metro and two-and-a-half-hour line for a taxi. The finish area is congested and clogged; it took over an hour just to get to the family linkup section.

The start was a mess too. The metro does not stop near the starting line and you have to walk quite a distance to get to the start. However, the race itself is fantastic.

Run it to check it off the list but I wouldn't do it again.

Pluses: Being in the nation's capital, running past monuments, and getting support from the Marines. Crowds were good too and medal was really nice.

Minuses: Super crowded metros before and after race - PLAN YOUR TIME ACCORDINGLY. There's a long walk in the dark to the start, with bad road conditions in some areas, awful punch-flavored PowerAde, mediocre goody bag, and long walk afterward to pick up the supply bag. Also, the bridge is a killer... there are lots of walkers.

This was my first marathon. While I have run several half-marathons, I have no other marathon experiences to compare this to.

I found it to be pretty well organized. I have experienced races that weren't well organized, and this one ran like clockwork.

All of the support staff and Marines were helpful, supportive and enthusiastic.

The 2010 edition had two respectable hills in the first 8 miles, and was pretty "flat" the rest of the way... of course until mile 26, when it heads uphill for the .2 to the finish. Ugh. That said, I still managed to qualify for Boston (2012, because by the time this race started, Boston 2011 was already full!) This was a great choice for my first marathon!

The aid stations were awesome. They provided your choice of water or sport drink (I don't remember if it was Gatorade or PowerAde). There were also Clif Shots and orange slice stations. (Watch your step around the orange slice stations... slippery.) The crowds/fans were inspiring, as was some of the entertainment along the route. Since it was Halloween there were many runners in costume, which was also entertaining.

It is an incredible foot tour of highlights and landmarks in the DC area.

I would run it again. Since the experience was so positive for me, I hope to do two more marathons in 2011.

My only complaint came at the finish of the race when runners were required to walk uphill and around the corner (a few blocks distance) to get to the reunion area. After a run that taxing, I felt that was asking a bit much.

Go for it. GREAT RACE.

Good:
1) Course: after about 7 miles of moderate hills, the course is flat as a pancake. The most interesting course I've run. The first 7 or so are through green areas with some hills; then you hit the large crowds in Georgetown, and next, the monuments. Always something to look forward to.

2) Crowd support was the best I've seen at any marathon. Had several goose bump moments due to the large number of people yelling - especially in the Georgetown area.

3) Water stops: best water stops in the business. They seemed to go on forever. I usually had enough time to get two cups of fluid while running a 7:40-minute pace.

4) The Marines: what can you say? I'm honored to be a part of this.

The Bad:
1) The exit from the end of the race to getting out of the fenced-in area. Too many people touching me.

2) The congested start. Maybe corrals?

3) The black-mock turtleneck. Would much prefer something that I could run in later. Who wears mock turtlenecks these days?

4) Traffic after the race. In pain, all you want is to get back to your hotel room.

Hints:
1) If you take the shuttle to the marathon, get there before 7:00 a.m. I got there 1 hour prior to the gun and was shocked at how long the shuttle line was. The Marines finally had to tell people in line who were not running to get out of line. Barely made it in time. I was running up to the start line when the gun went off.

2) Stay within walking distance of the finish.

3) This is not the marathon for your PR or BQ if you are going to cut it close.

4) Run this marathon. It's a great overall experience, and one that you will not forget.