This was the second most favorite of all marathons that I've done. No. 23 for me. From having gone around the United States running, I'd have to say Dallas is certainly a most unforgettable race. The spectators were there to cheer you on non-stop and it was not overkill like in the Big Apple. The food was plentiful and the music was great. I loved reading the signs posted from mile to mile. And I found the race to be quite scenic. Thanks for the F-16 fighter jets and thanks to 'Cody' for kicking the race off with his big horse, cowboy hat and shotgun!!!!!!

I had a really great time running this marathon. The course was beautiful, there was plenty of water and Powerade, the all-volunteer staff was first rate and the spectators that came out were all very nice. The only problem I noticed was that a lot of the relay teams seemed to get lost along the course. I thought this marathon was fabulous, I loved the weather (which was a little warm that day), loved the city, and had a wonderful time running to benefit the hospital.

Thanks for a job well done!

Only entered this in 2004 as an after-thought, but really glad I did. It's an absolute cracker of an event, and I imagine its popularity will only grow.

The expo was an unexpected feast of activities and celebrities. Just as a taster, Bill Rodgers, Frank Shorter and Dick Beardsley gave talks and took questions. Small enough audience for it all to feel really intimate. Best pasta party I've ever attended, with real cutlery, linen and great variety of food. My wife refuses to attend pasta parties on the grounds of lousy food and all-round revulsion, but even she would have respected this one... damn.

Efficient organization and start at the American Airlines Center with the luxury of real toilets! Only downside was the $5 charge for parking, but that seems to be becoming the norm. Wide roads and well organized starting point.

Course is interesting and variable, if a bit undulating. Through city for 5 miles, the nice neighborhoods for next 4 miles (many having early morning lawn parties as they cheered) then 10 miles round a beautiful lake and the last 7 miles through (hilly, but very supportive) neighborhoods and the city. Fantastic refreshments every mile or so, with water, Powerade and food. Even had a (private) beer point at 19 miles - honest, and runners even used it!

Finish was well managed. Given how well everything else was managed, I was surprised by the lack of anything other than water and Powerade at the finish. It was only the next day I learned that there was lots of food (and more beer) available INSIDE the American Airline Center. No one told me that.

Genuinely fantastic event, well managed and supported. Now in its 35th year, I'm surprised it doesn't get a bigger push from runners. It feels to me like a mini-Boston rather than just another provincial event. Highly recommended.

This is a very solid race. Well organized - the only reason I don't give it 5 stars for organization is because of the expo. The race itself is great... water stops around every curve, tons of porta-potties, music, and wonderful volunteers.

The expo was fairly large and had lots to look at. For whatever reason, the sales folk seemed to be a little more assertive at this expo than others. Not my style. The expo opened at 8:30. Packet pick-up started a few minutes earlier. T-shirt pick-up started a few minutes late, which was no big deal except they were a bit rude at first while the line built up. But the chip test station? They didn't START setting up their equipment until about 8:45, and thanks to Murphy's Law, it didn't work. After waiting semi-patiently for 20 minutes, I gave up. Hopefully, they got it going soon thereafter. Anyway, for those of us who like to be in/out of the expo as early and quickly as possible, it didn't work out that way.

The race itself was good. Cool flyover and fireworks pre-start. Nice course; saw a good bit of Dallas, which is saying something considering how spread out Dallas is. Good number of spectators. Good traffic control, except in a couple places between miles 20-24. 10,000 people raced in the marathon and the half (which shares part of the course with the marathon). Unlike, say, the Country Music Marathon, it did not seem overly crowded.

Weather was perfect for me, perhaps a bit warm-ish for others. Blue skies, low humidity. Unfortunately, weather in Dallas this time of year is completely unpredictable... so don't use my weather report as a positive for entering in 2005.

Based on other comments from last year, I was ready for the annoyance factor of getting into the AA Center and down the steps. It really wasn't that bad... and the post-race food and beer was totally worth it. Being able to use actual bathrooms before/after the race was also totally worth it.

I'll do this race again. It compares favorably to Rocket City and Honolulu (although, alas, you ain't in Hawaii)... two other races usually held the same weekend.

I have run this run for a couple of years and love the course. It is a bit hilly but I am from Alabama and the Texas hills do not compare. There were more runners than last year but the organization was not ready for it I guess. Overall, I did enjoy the race but hope that they can handle the crowd organization at the start line next year.

While I have been to other marathons as a spectator, this was the first one that I participated in. So maybe I'm naive about course details but this marathon missed what I would consider the basics.

For example, there were aid stations that had run out of Powerade (this was within the the first 10 miles and I was not running that slow - 11/m). It wasn't until mile 19 that any fruit was offered (by the way, this was the only station that offered it and there was very little of it). There was no food of any kind offered at the finish line. I was told later that all the food was inside the arena approx. 150 yards away. No signs made mention of this.

The entry fee was $75 and I'm not sure where that money went. It sure didn't go into the shirt design (event or finishers).

I will say that the fanfare (fireworks, fly-over, etc) and finisher's medal was very nice but, given a choice between a nice medal or fluids\fruit on the course, I'll take the fluids.

It was warm this year with the race being run with temperatures in the 50-70 degree range. This is about 20 degrees warmer than normal. The race was well run from from the start, dual start lines for the full marathon and the half/relay. Lots of port-o-johns along the course with 3-5 at each aid station. Plenty of aid stations as well, almost 1 every mile. The 4-jet F-16 flyover was great at the start. Lots of entertainment along the course as well with over 30 bands/performers. Plenty of spectators too with the temperature being that nice for them. I've run this marathon many times and this was their best year ever. Lots of food at the finish even for the slower runners. This had been a problem in the past with all the half marathoners finishing first. This year, that problem was fixed.

Incredible crowd support, course not too difficult, very well-organized. I got lots of 'go first-timer' cheers because of my special blue bib -- I won't miss this one from here on out. I was worried about the weather being too hot, but it ended up being perfect. Seems like we never went more than a mile without some organized water stop/aid station.

White Rock 2003 was my first marathon. It was a great experience. The flyover by three F-18s at the starting line was something I'll never forget and was the perfect way to set everyone in motion.
The weather was around 30 at the start and 55 at the end with blue skies. Plenty of water stops but the Powerade was watered down a little much. Great course with nice views of the lake and flat for most of the time. You will appreciate the gradual downhill from miles 22-25, especially after running up the 'Dolly Parton hills'. I would recommend this marathon to anyone. It seems to be just the right size with just over 3,300 finishers. Spectators are good on the course, except for miles 23-25 where there are none. But it's great when you get close to the AA Center and see tons of spectators and you know you're almost done. I plan to run this again in 2004.

A good friend of mine told me about the race & how good it is. So I came over from England to check it out & I was not disappointed. I loved the big city atmosphere & the run around the lake was so nice. The drinks & aid stations where manned with some very friendly people. It was cold but the people around the course gave us a warm welcome. I loved the bands & I will be back this year as I enjoyed it so much.