The course was great and the vistas beautiful. I would say the course is fair in difficulty... not necessarily good for a PR but not a killer either. The buses to the start were a fiasco, particularly if you planned to get on at one of the later pickup locations. The T-shirt made NO differentiation amongst the different events, from the 1.3-mile to the 26.2-mile race.

My biggest complaint was that I was unable to contact the RD at all prior to the race. My flight was cutting it close because the expo on Friday ended at 6 p.m. (on Thursday it went until 8 p.m.). There was no race-day pick-up, according to the website. Despite attempts dating as far back as March up to the week prior to the race, I received no response from the email address on the website or the contact phone number posted. I later leaned that another person did get contacted and made arrangements for race-day pick-up.

This was my 46th marathon and one of the most scenic courses. I was fully prepared for the tank road and dirt trail that makes up about a third of the race. The bike trails through Anchorage are great. The water stops were staffed well and had enough water and drinks, along with spirit. One even had helpers in animal gear.

I did not see any Alaska animals, but I saw bear and moose droppings, so you know they were in the area. The bad part of the course is the hill with less than a mile to go. The other finish area concern is that the race ends on the track, along with the half marathon runners, and it did lead to little recognition for some marathoners. My wife watched the women marathon winner finish, and the race people did not know she had won. Something was missed here.

The biggest issues were the lack of buses to the start, poor race shirt (same shirt for all 3 races), and a very poor website. The website was never updated on the 2010 event details until most of us were traveling there. They missed the chance to tell things that would of been a help to the out-of-state runners. The expo was small, with very few items for sale; again, someone missed the opportunity to sell things to the out-of-state runner.

I would recommend the marathon, but do not come expecting a PR. The course is scenic with some hills.

We're trail runners, so we didn't mind the gravel roads on the army base or the one mile of single-track trail. The pavement actually bothered me more than the dirt, because the roads we ran on were pretty cambered. Luckily most of the paved parts of the course were on nice bike paths, which had soft shoulders to run on, especially near the end.

I really enjoyed the course. We saw a moose at mile 19 or so, the volunteers were great, and I liked the variety of terrain and scenery, especially the finish around Westchester Lagoon.

The medal was great - it was heavy and substantial, and had a unique design. Well done to the race for the medals.

I also really appreciated the pretzels and oranges at aid stations - much better than just water and sports drink.

My only real problems with the race are easily fixed, because they have nothing to do with the race itself.
* More shuttles from finish line to start. We parked at the start, because we were more worried about missing the start than waiting for a bus. It looks like that was a smart move. There was some not-so-clear info about this on their website. Be sure you have a plan of how to get to the race and how to get back. I saw some people taking taxis.
* Make it clear to the participants that the finisher shirt is junk. We bought tech-T's the day before for $25 at the expo for the race, and that was a great idea. The white, cotton, finisher's shirts say, "Finisher 26.2 13.1 5 1.3" on the the back. I guess you are supposed to circle the ones you did? I don't know why they bothered. They only had large and extra large when we finished (but we were slow, so no real surprise there), probably because they had them for all races. Anyway, a sample shirt at the race expo would probably make for more sales of the tech-T.
* Ultima - I don't know where to find this stuff and I never train with it, so I just used water instead. Too nervous about tummy problems on a run to try something new on race day.
* I think the mile-25 marker was off, but no big deal there.

Overall, I really enjoyed this race and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to do a race in Alaska; there are just a few things the race organizers could improve to make it that much better.

I had a great time, though I can't argue with complaints about the shuttles, "chip timing," and T-shirt.

Regarding the "tank trail," I was prepared for much worse. I didn't have any trouble with footing, as the loose stuff could be easily avoided. And some of the trail sections were quite pleasant, as were the bike trails that made up most of the course. I'm surprised anyone here is complaining about the course, since the comments from the previous years lay out the pros and cons.

There were some nice spectator cheering during the second half of the race, as well as great support from the many aid stations.

This is a great race that has a very scenic course without being too big or too small.

I was VERY disappointed in this year's marathon. First, the promised buses to the start failed to show up (apparently one bus showed up for the "6:30" pick up to let people at the later stops that it was full and that they should find some other way to get to the start). Note to all race directors who claim to have chip timing just because the runners wear a chip: Chip timing means that you record the actual start time of each runner (requires a mat at the start) and the finish. Otherwise it is just gun timing with a chip rather than a person writing down the number and the time. The 7-mile water stop lacked an important ingredient: water. And then the ultimate insult: race officials at packet pick-up made a big deal about us getting a finisher's shirt, but they gave us a cheap "poly-cotton, white T-shirt" that you got if you finished the marathon or the 1.3-mile walk. That really made me feel special. Charge a couple of bucks more and give the marathoners something to wear with pride... or just call it a participant shirt and be done with it.

Great scenery. Worth the trip. I saw two bears and two moose. The course was tough, but I didn't care about my time on this one. Lots of beautiful photos.

This was a big disappointment and not worth the overall expense. The promised shuttle buses from the over-priced host hotel never showed, and the course has over EIGHT miles of nasty gravel, which really mess up your pace. It seems like the organization just wants your money - trying to sell a $25 pasta party, a $35 poster, etc. For those who need to do Alaska, I'd recommend looking at another marathon.

Well-organized race. The course was shaded, scenic, and challenging. You get to see the best of this beautiful city's parks. Excellent course support, and attentive staff at the finish line.

The hill at the end is no joke! If I read correctly, the 2009 men's champion had to walk up the hill.

Concerning the shirt, the medal, etc., I was more than satisfied. The pasta dinner in the excellent new art gallery was fun, and much tastier than the typical pre-race pasta dinner.

This marathon is running for running's sake. I had an awesome time!

Although I did not race this course, I enjoyed the scenery and paced my girlfriend through this marathon. I loved the course; it had lots of shade. I was surprised that it was not as difficult as I had previously read. But maybe it was because I had just run the Big Sur Marathon and was prepared to run another difficult course. HUGE disappointment with the medal and finisher's shirt! We came all the way from Texas to run this race this year. It being their 50th year as a state, you would have thought that the medal would have at least said, "Anchorage" or "Alaska." Maybe the finisher's shirt would have said something special regarding the state's 50th year. It also would have been nice to have had a small Dri-Fit finisher's shirt instead of a cotton T-shirt! I know a lot of runners, like myself, who like running in their Dri-Fit finisher's shirts. So, race directors, you are missing out on advertising for your marathon, especially when there are those of us looking for marathons to complete our 50 States.

Wow. Loved it. The course was so enjoyable - mainly trails in the woods or trails in the city rather than dreadful paved roads as is typical of many marathons. Great support including oranges and pretzels along with water and sports drinks, plus good access for fans despite being in the woods most of the course. Excellent finish line organization and the finish line MC was full of spirit. I have run many marathons and this is the first marathon I can say I'd love to run again next year, and the next, and the next....