The race volunteers on the course were very friendly. The bike patrol was super - loved the buffalo hats they wore. This was my first Catalina Marathon - I'll be back. Bring on the hills....

This will be my 25th Catalina Marathon and every time I enjoy it more, rain or shine. The scenery is great... and all of us getting gray.

Super great marathon... but yet once again, you came to a "y" and didn't know which way to go... this could be the most serious problem ever that could ruin this beautiful marathon.

I enjoyed the scenery and was happy to see the finish line. I signed up 11 months in advance, but ended up with a finisher's shirt that was WAY too large. Unless that is corrected, I will not repeat this marathon.

This marathon was a fantastic experience. I'll return if at all possible. Just the right number of fellow runners, fantastic scenery, two bison along the way, just hard to think of anything that could have been better, other than my finishing time.

Definitely a demanding trail run rather than a conventional marathon. Superb scenery and ambience. How many marathons does one actually run in the clouds? Honest! Very little by way of spectators, other than the fantastic volunteers at the many refreshment stations and at the finish.

My first running of this in 2005. An early rise in the pouring rain to catch a very busy ferry at 5am (tip - arrive early to have any chance of a seat), followed by an hour's wait at the start, by which time the rain stopped. Almost immediately the steep climb starts. This is not for novices. Downhill section after about 4 miles, then pretty undulating (well, still with some pretty demanding ups) until halfway when they have a long (relatively) flat section. After being lulled into stability, the BIG climb at 18 miles is an interesting requirement, followed by the series of sharp inclines from 20-22 miles. It's all made worthwhile by the quad-mashing last 2 mile downhill 'sprint' to the end.

A superb run, with a surprisingly large number of refreshment points, and bonus of M&Ms, Gummi Bears and pretzels in the later sections. At points, with all the rain and low clouds, the footing was pretty slippery. One poor lad lost a shoe in a creek, and ran the last 11 miles with just a sock; he was either mad or brave. Forget your recent PRs when estimating finishing times. I'm used to 7:30-minute miles, yet my average for the first four was 11 minutes.

Final observation is that the average Catalina runner looks quite a bit different from a conventional marathoner. More of a trail runner, a bit 'grungier', less time-obsessed, a bit older (sorry guys) and - of course - more rugged and tough (well, at least the women were).

One of the most enjoyable marathons I've run. Made even better by meeting Steve Jones, one of the all-time greatest marathoners, at the expo and then - as a bonus - passing him within two miles! One day, I'll be telling my grandkids I beat the one-time world record holder over a incredibly tough course. You're a martyr, Steve.

This spectacular race will take your breath away. Twenty-three miles on dirt roads or trails; ocean views; wildflowers; bison! Climbs 1500', then plummets the final 3 miles back to sea level. Just hope it doesn't rain.

I have run this race 8 times and have yet to get a T-shirt that fits me. I need a small and every year I am handed a Large or X-Large and told "Sorry, thats all that is left." If you do this marathon you have worked hard for that "finisher's" T-shirt. It is heartbreaking when it is 2 or 3 sizes too big.

I've run Big Sur twice and this has it beat for scenery. Its a tough course but doable, with breathtaking views of Two Harbors. Aid stations every 2 miles or so with gummy bears, M&Ms and pretzels along with the usual stuff. The last 3 miles are downhill so you can run strong. Don't pay attention to the mile markers, they were consistantly off (sometimes by as much as 3/4 mile), but they evened out at the end. All in all a great race.

Nothing compares to the Catalina Marathon for runners who prefer solitude and scenery to rock bands and crowds. Even getting there is different. One year I literally missed the boat, which upset me so much I charted a small plane to their tiny airport, and walked the 10 miles to the starting line - just so as to not miss the race.

Overnight camping the night before is recommended for the adventurer. Included are nighttime visits from wild pigs, who will root around in your backpack for candy bars.

The course itself is seriously hilly and, IMHO, kind of tough. But at least you wont get lost like you do on some trail runs. The finish is surreal, by far the most dramatic finish I have ever experienced. You will go almost straight up from about mile 23 to mile 25. This is a real hill, not like the traffic bumps in those by-the-seashore marathons. Then you go almost straight down the last mile and a half into the little town of Avalon. I first saw this race as a spectator, and watched some of the finishers coming down that hill bleeding from the knees from scrapes and falls, grim faced, dirty and all beat to hell. I said, 'thats for me'.

If you are in shape for it, do it. Tell your significant others to add about 35% to your ETA. The winner routinely takes over three hours in this one.