This was the third time I've run the Blue Angel, and of all of the marathons that I've run, it is still my favorite.

Food and beverage after the race was great; the course was a little dull and lacked spectator support; plenty of water and poweraid support throughout the race but disappointment for many marathoners who did not receive a finishers medal....supply was depleted.

This was my 3rd Blue Angel Marathon, I just ran the Jacksonville Marathon in Dec 2000, their organization, traffic control, spectator participation as well as race packet left alot to be desired. The BAM is well organized from the word go, the Marines as well as the Sheriffs Dept. may not be the most talkative but they made sure the course was clear of vehicular traffic. The pre race dinner was great, as much as you could stuff and they gave away great gear. Crossing the finish line and someone walks up and hands you a bottle of Gatorade and offers to take your chip off your shoe for you, man that's sweet! Maybe some water and sodas would be better with the Red Beans and Rice vice the beer. Let's not do the Bayou Chico Bridge next year, the first time was ok, the second up it sucked the life out of you. Good Job, see ya next year!

The only thing I could complain about is the bridges and the uneven roads on the base, otherwise, I felt it was well put together.

I ran Blue Angel for fun, had done Disney in January and didn't have a fun race. Blue Angel was well organized, plus the very small crowd made it easy to get to the start line at 6:30 for a 7am start. Unlike Disney where you have to be there 2 hours prior and stand in the COLD. The weather for the race was warmer than expected, almost 70 at race start. But there were plenty of water stops along the way.
The course was nice and for the most part flat, there were a considerable amount of cutbacks, it's always frustrating to see where you will be running in 10 miles. The course had plenty of people directing traffic, and I know they are military, but a little yell or kind word would be nice :) Most were very formal and some didn't even respond to a 'Good Morning.' Overall, I enjoyed the run, because I didn't care about my time. I doubt I will run it again, but that's just me. I don't care to ever run the same one over. The only negative comment would be related to the course spectators. I personally don't care if there are spectators or not, but it was indicated that there was great crowd support. There was not. The after-race was really good. Lots to do and see. And the red beans and rice were very good. Overall a good race. I would recommend it.

Being a military member who has ran the Marine Corps Marathon I was really looking forward to what the other services could do. To say the least I was not really impressed. The course looped on itself and the fans were non exsistent. The folks at the aid stations meant well, but appeared to have no concept of what the marathon was. I would not suggest this to a first time marathoner. It is the last marathon on the circuit that you can use to qualify for the 'big races'. This would be the only reason I would return for this race.

The blue angel marathon was my first ever so that is why I gave only 4 stars. I have nothing to compare it to... Let me tell you the rush that i felt when the blues flew over was amazing. My heart was beating so fast and my adrenaline was pumping through my body i had never experienced that type of rush before. The course was either off road or on pavement. You could chose what surface you wanted to run. The first 10 miles were run inside of the base then the next 14 miles was through downtown pensacola. The race finished up inside the base. There were people lined up along the roadside throughout the race. It was very nice to have people cheering you on. They offered plenty of water, poweraid, fruit, gel pack, sponges, vasline and whatever else you could think of. The price was very reasonable. All finishers got a medal and a pullover running jacket was given to all participants. I will do this race again.