Overall this is a great event. The organization of the shuttle bus to the expo was lacking, but course and volunteer support on race-day make up for this. The roads are a little rough and cantered. Also, downtown Richmond shuts down on the weekends, so good luck finding a place to eat after the race.

The support on the course was amazing! This was my first marathon and my pace is slow - I finished in 5:30 - but the crowds were amazing hours and hours after the "winners" finished. Made all of us feel like winners! Loved it!

Overall, this is a great event! Every runner should run this race at least once. It was my first time in Richmond, VA and I loved it.

Only minor improvements are needed to make it an absolute perfect experience.

Pros:

- Beautiful city
- Perfect weather conditions
- Scenic course with gentle rolling hills
- Good pre- and post-race organization (e.g. course tours, expo, staggered starts for 8K, half, full marathon, gear check)
- Great communication (homepage with updates, e-mail, Facebook, etc.).

Cons (room for improvement):

- Water stations on the course are too short; stretch the distance from the first to the last table to give a chance to get liquids, especially since stops are at every 2 miles only up to mile 20
- Pace groups are not easy to identify on the course; besides wearing the "Pace Leader" T-shirt, they should also hold up a sign with the target pace for the first 10 miles while running in the "wolf pack"
- Extent of the finish area; food tent is packed once the majority of the racers finished (e.g. half marathon at 2:15)

I really enjoyed running the Richmond Marathon, and setting my PR (having run 10 total marathons). I also BQ'd! I personally thought the course was fun, in decent condition, well supported, and overall favorable for a marathon. I'm excited at the idea of returning for the 2011 Richmond Marathon.

I've run this race 3 times now and I've loved it every time. The course is scenic and not too hilly. But the people of Richmond make this race. The support is great. I would highly recommend this race to everyone.

RICHMOND ROCKS! All of the folks on the street, the MUSIC, and the party zone fans were FABULOUS! Water stations were very well organized and packed with happy, cute people! Real cheer teams everywhere! Course was well marked and WONDERFUL. The scenery included urban, suburban, park by the river, rolling hills, huge bridge over the Rocky River into downtown, historic buildings and neighborhoods, college campus, old homes, and monuments - and it still had a small-town feel! Never a double-back through a trashy industrial area (like some other East Coast races). Friendly police controlling traffic! Great signs for guiding and warning drivers of the event! GREAT first aid stations! Megan at Sportsbackers - I cannot thank you enough! Expo had free parking and a great location to get in and out! Having the 8K and half runners go first was WONDERFUL!!!!! I could get into my pace groove and not weave around walkers. Still had great support near the end for us slow marathon runners, although the 8K and half folks were long gone! The SEVEN-hour limit is inclusive of us old, injured folks, so WE CAN STILL RUN a race to inspire younger generations to exercise! I plan to run Richmond every year!

This was my first marathon and everything was first-class. I look forward to running it next year.

The Richmond Marathon lives up to its billing as AMERICA'S FRIENDLIEST MARATHON. From the volunteers to the police, the spectators, and the JUNK FOOD STOPS, this is one well organized, smaller marathon. You get a great tour of the old capital of the South, with some beautiful miles along the James River. Depending on where you live, the hills are either small or large, but they are manageable, and the finish is all downhill - a 70-foot drop. I ran with the RUNNER'S WORLD CHALLENGE, and that made this even more fun. I HIGHLY recommend the Richmond Marathon and the RUNNER'S WORLD CHALLENGE.

I agree with previous comments regarding the "hills" - they are rolling and can challenge you but won't knock you out. The course is beautiful and provides a great tour of beautiful Richmond. I loved the spectators - especially all of the little kids watching all of the crazy runners. Sportsbackers and Suntrust organizers put together an amazing race and they really embrace and take care of their runners. From the food to the thermal blankets to the mass of Brightroom photographers, they really thought about what a runner would want. The best part? The downhill finish... it makes even the most tired runner feel like an elite athlete!

Solid event with some tweaks needed such as timing clocks on the course and up-to-date text messaging system. Also, the race logo, shirts and medal are subpar for what has become a fairly big event. Those complaints aside, this is a great event. Lots of water stops and a tremendous amount of support on the course are what make this race so well-known.