I live in Savannah so did not experience the same problems out of towners suffered such as water taxi's etc., although I did advise some runners beforehand not to use them and get to the expo early due to known traffic problems. However, from my point of view:

1. Course needs to be really improved. However, for those runners who wanted a more picturesque race you have to be be realistic, they are simply not going to shut off a blocks of residential downtown squares for runners. I run these squares and I can tell you they are a PAIN. The roads are narrow and you are constantly turning, really slowing you up. Trust me you see nothing just a series of right angled roads.

2. Lots of parking away from the start. I parked close to the finish at 5 a.m. and walked two miles to the start. Noticed lots of available street parking on my way.

3. Bag drop off and pick up was well organized.

4. Start was confused. I was in corral seven and we finally ended up mingling with 5 & 6. The pre-race announcers were hilariously pathetic. 'where are we Chuck?' 'well Gertrude we're at the Savannah marathon' 'wow Chuck that's great!' CHRIST!! please go back to doing ads for local undertakers. The start should be someone to rev up the runners and make it exciting not a couple of idiots who should be working at a mall stand selling hairspray or something.

5. Lots of porto-potties GOOD!

6. The race food was the cheapest and worst I've EVER encountered. It would have put a 5K to shame.

7. The spectators in what others have called the low income residential area were the best! and the little cheerleaders outstanding! Downtown was a bit muted.

8. Lots of cones in the road within the first mile of the start BAD! Obviously that mistake was organized by a non runner. I saw a few people collide with them and one person go over. And a wayward driver actually drove onto the bay street extension (just after the bridge) causing lots of problems to the waves of runners coming over the brow. This area needs more policing to prevent this from happening. Could have been a nasty accident.

9. A photographer should have been placed just over the bay street bridge to capture the first tidal wave of runners as they crested the bridge. Would have made a awesome shot!

Knowing this was an inaugural marathon I knew there would be issues. I just didn't expect there to be so many of them! Even before the race started, I knew that allowing 23,000 runners in an inaugural race in tiny Savannah was the biggest mistake (by far); the Competitor Group should have greatly reduced the #s (probably to 10,000) so they could work the kinks out. But they seem to be driven by money and take a 'make mistakes now, apologize later' attitude. The many problems have been outlined in other posts on this site; what bothers me the most is that the Competitor Group has run many, many races yet they act like they are newbies. To all of the criticism they say 'sorry, it was the inaugural; we learned some things and will change them next year.' That just doesn't cut it coming from an experienced company. Many of the problems could have been eliminated if they didn't allow so many runners for the 1st time in Savannah. Rather than reiterate all of the comments here, I will highlight a few:

Pros:
-miles well marked
-Savannah residents top notch
-overall, on-course bands were good
-excellent Facebook page
-decent expo

Cons:
-nickel and dime you for everything, including shuttles and runner tracking
-no basic medical equipment at medical tents (including finish!) such as blood pressure cuff
-much more focused on the half marathon
-major shuttle issues
-hotels price-gouge (250+ bucks per more to stay near start)
-baggage check WAY in back of corral area
-Brooks VIP area NEVER materialized

I could go on and on about what needs to be fixed. I cannot recommend this race until they make major changes. I am really disappointed with the Competitor Group as all they seem to care about is making money.

Good:
1. Nice city
2. Crowds and volunteers excellent
3. Nice, flat course for the first 20 miles
4. Good water/sports drink/gu stops
Bad:
1. Horrible decision to put expo/race number pickup on an island, especially when there are other much more accessible sites available in the city. Waited almost an hour for a ferry to take us to expo, so our feet were sore the day before the race.
2. As others have said, miles 20-24 were on a highway where there were very few crowds. The road was slanted for better drainage at points and running on it left me with a sore knee for two weeks. The highway added some hills, but it was a questionable decision because Savannah is a nice town and it seem silly to throw highway running into the race.
3. Event had a beer sponsor, but MGD64 is not a real beer. We burned 3,500 calories running a marathon. I for one would prefer a beer with a few more calories that doesn't taste like dishwater.
4. Hotels in the area of the race start/finish are expensive and hard to get. We registered five months ahead of time and couldn't get anything near the race area, no matter the price. Savannah hotels are known for nailing visitors with ridiculous rates when there is a big event in town, so high prices weren't surprising to me, but I would imagine it's hard for people who didn't expect to have to pay $250 to $300 a night for average hotels.
Overall, I think all the problems, other than the high hotel rates and lack of availability, are easily fixable. Have the expo/race pickup either at the Civic Center or one of the big hotels in the city, change the course so miles 20-24 go through the city (downtown maybe?) rather than onto a highway, and get a better quality beer.

Ok, as you can read from previous comments there were definitely things that need to be worked on... The shuttle situation was horrible- I've never run a race where they charge you $35 to take a shuttle to the start, especially when that's about the only way to get there (granted, they did offer free ones, but that wasn't until the week of the race that those were mentioned). The Expo was hectic- getting to it, and getting through it.

Now for the good- the course actually wasn't as bad as some would make it out to be. Yes, you ran through the ghetto- it's hard to get 26.2 miles in a town the size of Savannah and not go through some less than desirable parts. The people in those neighborhoods were wonderful- so many out saying good morning and thanking us for running through their city. Yes, you ran on part of a highway- most marathons I have done have had to have at least one part on a less than desirable or scenic road, so nothing different than most races. The wind- you can't predict the weather, so I don't see that as an issue at all. Overall, the race was well done- probably one of the best/easiest starts in a large marathon. It was well marked, you knew exactly where to go. The spectators that were out were all enthusiastic. At the end of the day, Savannah is not a huge city and it's hard to take on a race this size. It's never going to be something like Chicago, but it was fun nonetheless.

Just adding to more detailed comments I already see. Have done other R&R, they were all better. Event needs work, a lot of logistic problems getting to expo and shuttles to start and from finish. Course itself no prize, not very scenic considering possibilities in area. Aid stations very good, could have used more music. Brutal stretch on open highway uphill into the wind from about 21 to 24.5 miles

This was my first marathon and unfortunately was very disappointed. Savannah can not handle 23,000 runners plus spectators. Shuttles were a NIGHTMARE. Parking at the Expo was a NIGHTMARE. The only thing good I can say about the course is that it was mostly flat. I was hoping to see some to the beauty that Savannah is know for but that didn't happen. Instead I saw low income housing, industrial and 3 straight miles of freeway. Also, the fountain that was showcased on the medal and on the homepage of website was not even on the course. Volunteers and spectators were awesome but other than that, this event was a huge let down. I do not plan to be back next year.

33rd Full, plus 18 Half Marathons, and first visit to Savannah. Many didn't like the course, but I'm a city person & actually liked it going thru the 'hood as well as other parts of beautiful Savannah (expect the boring highway). More fans cheered in the 'hood, even tho' that was the earliest hour. In the beautiful tree-lined neighborhood, where were the fans? Worst part was having the expo in an inconvenient location, which gridlocked the whole city. Then charging $35 for race day shuttle from near the airport, of course we took the free one from the Mall. There were enough shuttles, but drivers were told not to open their doors early, thus loading very slowly two buses at a time; finally at 7am, the 10 other buses waiting to load, all opened their doors so there was a free-for-all, but much quicker loading. Who knows what route drivers were given... what should've taken 15 minutes took 1 hour of pure driving. The start line corrals moved well; in RnR San Diego, I waited an hour in my corral at the start line & there were still many more after me. Full marathoner cons: Doing double the Half, it should merit a different shirt. Adding insult to injury, giving the exact same medal (okay, it did say Marathon, but Half even got a better color!) is even more unacceptable (first time I've seen that happen!). RnR/Brooks, thank you for a ladies shirt & where the neck isn't cramped anymore! Overall, Savannah made me feel very welcomed as a runner!!!

This marathon had some fixable problems but it still was a great experience and I am sure it will only get better. True, there was a small part of it that smelled like poo. And yes, if you started out too fast and hit the wall on the three miles on the highway it must have seemed like forever, but I was running ten minute miles there and it didn't seem bad at all. But running through streets lined for miles with beautiful one hundred fifty year old trees with Spanish moss hanging from the branches, and past two hundred fifty year old houses and historic buildings is an experience I'll never forget. And guess what? It is really hard in most venues to find 26.2 miles that are totally cool.

If you sign up for an inaugural marathon, expect hiccups. They will fix the expo (encourage the locals to come on Thursday and leave the expo open until 9:00 p.m. that day) and transportation problems (I parked at the trade center, got right on the ferry, no delays at all).

Any marathon that includes 15,000 half marathoners will be a little crowded, but I was really surprised that with the wide streets and start corrals there was plenty of room to maneuver.

This was a good marathon and I imagine it will only get better.

I think those running the marathon should be the focus of the event. I did not feel the promoters of this Rock 'n' Roll Marathon focused on creating a course or conditions that would promote the best efforts of running 26.2 miles. The large majority of runners, four out of five, were half marathoners. This made the first 11 miles very crowded. The course had over 40 turns and was unnecesarily boring and not one I would care doing again. The bands did not help, as the music is less than inspiring when only a minute of a song can be heard as you run past. The city of Savannah is so beautiful, but the course barely sees any of that beauty. The spectators were happy to be participating, very enthusiastic and encouraging. The volunteers were plentiful, efficient and helpful, with plenty of water. I got to the expo right before the rush, and found it to be efficient. When I was leaving I was amazed to see the massive lines of cars jamming the bridge coming for packet pickup. Obviously there are logistics problems which should have not happened. The wave start was done right. The timing was professional and accurate. The traffic control was good, as I never saw any vehicles on the course. The finish area in Forsyth Park was very spacious and a most pleasant spot to recover. I picked up my bag drop from the well organized stations there. Post race food was minimal, and could have been much more, as the park is big enough for food stands of various types. The main reason I wanted to do this race was for the inagural medal and that is a nice heavy attractively designed prize, as is the Brooks running shirt.
I may come back to enjoy Savannah again, but would only run the half.

Reservations:
If you sign up for this race, plan ahead! I booked my hotel room 5 months in advance and my choices were to stay 20 min outside the city or pay $300 a night. Book your rooms early! Also, if you want to eat at a decent hour, especially a traditional pasta dinner, make reservations in advance. I made mine about 6 weeks in advance and my options were limited to before 6:30 or after 9pm.

Expo:
The expo itself seemed like it had potential. Except that I was stuck in traffic for about an hour, so got there as it was pretty much shutting down. They kept packet pickup open for a few hours later (the cars were still backed up on the bridge as I was finally leaving), but the exhibitor booths were all tearing down. I usually look forward to checking out the expo, so it was unfortunate. It also added a lot of stress because we ended up missing our dinner reservation for 6:15 (we were still on the bridge at that time), so had to walk-in to a restaurant and didn't end up eating till 9:30pm. So much for getting a good night's rest!

Race Logistics:
The start line experience itself went pretty well and I didn't have any issues. I got there about an hour before the race, so had plenty of time for gear check, portopotty, getting to my corral. The wave start went pretty well and I didn't feel too crowded in the first few miles. But I had some friends who took the free shuttle from the mall and heard it was a nightmare. They didn't have enough shuttles, so towards the end had to ask any spectators to stay behind to get the runners to the start. My friend ended up starting with the last corral, but there were still others who hadn't made it yet.

Course:
If you think you'll get to see Savannah with this race, it is not true. Only during a tiny portion of the race do you see the historic downtown area. Also, the half marathon course is so much better than the full. The full includes several miles on Truman Pkwy which are boring, seemingly endless, and unprotected of the wind. Pretty tough considering this part of the course has less spectators and entertainment. Also, I signed up for runner tracking and wish they had more updates in the second half for the benefit of my family trying to see me on the course (they had them for start, 5K, 10K, 10 mile, half, 20 mile, end). Water and aid stations were on par with my other race experiences.

Finish Line:
One thing I thought was weird was the headline band played pretty early, so they were done by the time I finished the full. I guess they were catering more to the half marathoners? If I knew who the band was, I probably would've cared more. Other than that, the finish area and family reunion area was pretty well laid out and not too crowded. My only suggestion would be to have better post-race food. They had water, Cytomax, bananas, bagels, and fruit cups. Luckily I had stashed a few extra snacks in my gear bag.

Schwag:
I really liked the women's specific Ts! Always nice to get something I can actually wear, plus it was a nice design. The medal was pretty standard. Pretty standard race bag with a few samples and ads.

Summary:
So it comes down to, would I do this race again or recommend it to others? Yes and no. Since it's close to home, I wouldn't completely write it off the list. But I would do a couple things differently.
- Book my hotel even earlier
- Plan to get there on Thursday or early Friday morning
- If I can't walk or get dropped off for the start line, plan lots of extra time for the shuttles
- Probably only do this as a half marathon