This is my hometown marathon, so I may be a bit biased, but the organizers of the Suntrust Richmond Marathon do a great job of showcasing the city. Running along the James River (miles 8-10) seems like you're running in the countryside. A few miles later, the Richmond skyline is in view and the urban vibe is back. Lots of cheering fans + lots of runners + fall in VA = one great race!

This is a fantastic event! The course is beautiful. It runs partially along the James River and through scenic parts of Richmond. There are spectators all around the course cheering on the runners. The finish line food is great and the finishers medal was really nice too!

The Richmond Marathon is a flatter course lined with happy Richmond-neighborhood dwellers and out-of-town spectators. All of these elements made for an incredibly positive experience.

Def the most fun race I have done! People are great, organization is 10 points, and the experience unique. Kudos to SportBackers for their GREAT event!!

Richmond marathon was my first marathon. Great course with a lot of support throughout the course. Everyone was extremely friendly and supportive. I'm so glad that Richmond was my first marathon.

This is the second time I've done the Richmond marathon, and both times have been wonderful. Very well organized, beautiful course, helpful volunteers, GREAT after race massage, food, medals, etc. Expo was well organized and well stocked. Love it and thank you!

This was my 2nd marathon. My first was the MCM a few years ago, so I was a little concerned about going from a huge experience like that to a smaller race. However, running Richmond was great! I'm a 5 hour marathoner, and I was never crowded, yet never alone. There was plenty of food left when I got done. Also, there was great crowd support, with many, many people cheering for me by name since your name is on your bib. The course does have some hills, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I would recommend this race to others.

Overall, I thought this was a nice race but I don't think I would ever run it again.

The course is mostly flat with a few manageable hills. I PRed so I was very pleased with that! There are some scenic spots, but having just run Twin Cities where the whole course was beautiful, Richmond left some views to be desired. There were also long stretches with no turns - this helped with PR but it also got a little borning at times.

The spectators that were out were great, but I wish there were more.

Other Pros:
- Wet washcloths were handed out twice along the course
- Good and plentiful water stations
- Other good food along the course like pretzels, gummy bears, and muffins

The one major con I had was the porta potty situation pre-race. Where they were situated didn't allow for people line up in an organized fashion and it crowded the sidewalks where people were trying to walk by.

Very well organized marathon. Beautiful course, especially along the James River, wish this part of course could have lasted another ten miles. Outstanding volunteer and crowd support. Perfect conditions today and the gorgeous autumn colors also added a special touch. Tremendous finish line support and awesome medal. Highly recommend this great marathon, I will be back.

Overall I was very impressed with this race. It was my VA marathon on my way to completing the 50 states, and I was very happy with my choice.

Pros:
spectators fairly plentiful and enthusiastic
plenty of fluid stops
entertainment on course
nice, small expo
good website and pre-race information
manageable course; interesting neighborhoods

Cons:

one of the perks advertised wet washcloths on the course, but by the time I got there they were gone
I heard the shuttle to/from the expo had some problems and long waits

I stayed right in the city in walking distance from the start, so I can't comment in traveling/parking. I would highly recommend staying in the city if possible. The cab fare from airport to downtown hotels was expensive; might be cheaper to rent a car! I drove the course beforehand and found this to be VERY helpful as there are a lot of turns on the course. I was a part of the Runner's World Challenge and this GREATLY enhanced my experience!!!! I loved the downhill finish... what a nice way to end the race. I was pleased to see there was still pizza left when I finished (4:50). Overall, a great experience; I would run it again if I weren't pursuing the 50 states. Run Richmond if you can!