This was my first marathon and, although it rained the entire race, it was amazing! The fluid stations are very well spaced along the race and the spectators are fantastic. In addition, the views are incredible, with stretches right by the ocean. I also liked how they gave everyone a medal by the end of the race, no matter what your time. The downsides were that, given the cold temperatures and rain, a heat/emergency blanket would have been nice after finishing. Also, the race was delayed about a half an hour at the starting line, which was stressful. It's tough to try and stay warm and stretched amongst such a crowded group of people. For those who are running the full marathon, the turn at 13.1 can be very mentally challenging because you pass right by everyone finishing the half-marathon. Yet overall, it was an amazing experience and I felt very welcomed by the City of Long Branch!

This was my first marathon and I was blown away by the participants, organizers, and the spectators. Everyone was so supportive and encouraging, and it is a beautiful course. I will definitely be doing it again next year.

I ran this race yesterday and had a great time. The course, as everyone has said, is flat and fast; but it's a little boring because you are just running around neighborhoods; there are only about 2 miles along the beachfront.

The race started late due to traffic delays, and there were no corrals, so forget trying to get on pace for the first 3 miles.

My one piece of advice is this: AVOID AT ALL COSTS THE HOST HOTEL. In a blatant money grab, the checkout time on marathon day was 11 a.m. - no argument. If you want to go back to your room to shower up after the race, that was going to cost you another day - a ridiculous $300 (including taxes). You can't check in until 4 p.m. and you have to be out at 11 a.m. What other hotel would do this?

So to summarize, the race was fun and the crowds were great. Best of all were the volunteers; there were tons of them, and they were really helpful. But AVOID the Ocean Place Resort and Spa!!!

This year showed the danger of the NJ Marathon: rain. Not that I haven't slogged through some miles of other marathons, but at NJ the slogging is a repeat of your first loop and the spectators largely disappeared one the half was finished (but cheers to those who remained and were very vocal!). The second half felt very lonely, even in the last mile. It was only in a few spots along the course, at water stops, and in the last .2 miles that the crowd helped out. If you finish under 4 hour, you also start to pass the walkers of the half in the last mile, and they weren't always good at staying to the right (I heard lots of race officials asking them to move over). The fluid stations were awesome. They were long, well staffed, and encouraging. They had lots of foods along the way to replace your calories.

Getting to the race was fine. Lots of traffic, but we left early and got downtown in plenty of time. The directors made a huge deal of parking at a large parking lot and taking a bus in to keep cars out of the city, but when we got to the parking lot they waved us past and sent us downtown to park. So, all those pre-race e-mails were sent for nothing. We should have been scouting downtown places to park. The race started half an hour late because of traffic, but we waited in the corrals, so it was tough to stay warmed-up in the rain. The Long Branch PD were the most gracious I've met. My "Thank Yous" were met with the most "My Pleasures" ever, and they moved traffic well. All in all, it was a good race - not super, not horrible (in my mind). With all of the 5-star ratings on here, though, maybe my expectations were a little too high. The worst thing about it is that it's 7:00 a.m. the next day and there are no results up!!

PS. Don't know anything about the expo as a friend picked up my packet for me.

Great, flat race. You run a 13.1-mile loop twice for the marathon. This year, Mother Nature didn't cooperate and it was rainy. The race started 30 minutes late due to a traffic accident delay on Rt. 36 but I also heard from another runner that the shuttle buses arrived 1 hour late at Monmouth Park. She showed up at 5 a.m. and the buses arrived at 6 a.m. The bus driver claimed that the pickup time was posted as 5:45 online, but that is incorrect, and a lot of people showed up at 5 a.m. She later heard that the buses got lost. Great support stations with Gatorade, Water, GU, gummy bears, soft pretzels, etc. There were lots of spectators in select areas on the first loop, but the crowds thin out by the second loop. I loved the green bag they gave out as a gear bag. The race shirt was not attractive and 100% polyester; it's probably not something I would wear to run in. Race results are still not posted yet at midnight of race day.

This was my very first race. I completed the half-marathon, and I have to say that it was an awesome experience! Although it rained, it was still a good day. Spectators were great over the first five miles. Thanks for the music blasting from your houses and all of the cheering. The course was easy, and it was wonderful to run by the ocean. I'll be there next year!

From the pacers (great) to the spectators (plentiful) to the volunteers (selfless and EVERYWHERE), this is a great race for anyone attempting their first, or wanting to go fast. There were abundant aid stations and plenty of clocks - and not a lot of elevation changes.

If I had to pick one knock, I'd say that you'd better use the porta-johns before the start, because the ones on the course have long lines.

This was my first marathon a few years ago, and it's still my favorite.

Pros:
* Flat, fast course with a nice mix of straight running and turns
* Strong race support, with ample fluids and race stations
* The last 2 miles on each loop are flat and fast, with strong spectator support
* The local community very supportive with the race
* The race director provided great communication via email leading up to race

Pros:
* Pre-race parking is a nightmare if you're commuting to the event
* Pre-race logistics are a problem, with spectators and fans mixed in with runners, as the race started half an hour late
* Post-race shuttle service was very slow due to so many fans taking the shuttle bus

Comments:
The NJ Marathon was my 13th marathon and the race was as expected.

The organization was a mixed bag, but mostly positive. Prior to the race, communication was very good and the pre-race expo featured a good variety of vendors. On race day, parking was a nightmare, as commuters were forced to park about 3 miles away from the start line. The problem with the pre-race shuttle bus was that it dropped you off a fair distance away from baggage drop-off and the start. So you had to walk about half a mile to the hotel to do baggage check and then double back to the start line.

The good thing about the race organization is that it's a two-loop course starting/finishing along the beachfront. It's spectator-friendly, and has a nice atmosphere for the start of the race. Race support is good. You won't run out of water, there is good spacing of the stations, and there's Gatorade at every station. It was perfectly supported.

The start line was a mess, with spectators, kids, and strollers mixed in with the runners. The runner's corral has to be properly managed to prevent people from getting into the corrals because one of these days, a civilian might get hurt with all of these bodies running. This year, our race also started about half an hour late. Not a biggie but if you have activities planned for the afternoon, it threw off the rest of your date.

The course is overall flat and very fast with a combination of straight-forward running and turns. The PR potential is there if you do not mind training through the winter and the weather works race day. The weather was miserable this year with rain, but the good thing was that there was marginal wind on the course. Northeast USA in May is a crap-shoot for PR weather forecasts, but I have to say that this course is pretty much the fastest I've experienced.

Spectators were also very supportive. Lots of people and good energy from the crowd. As expected, fewer people stood around for the full marathon but many people were still around at the end.

Some ideas about the race: With around 9,000 racers, this race is pretty maxed out. I cannot imagine logistics or the location being able to handle more than 10,000 people. The city is not that big and parking is already a nightmare to begin with.

On the flip side, if the race directors want to get more bodies for the race, run this event in the fall. It has the potential as a PR course with some change here and there (get rid of some turns, straighten-out the course a bit). Perhaps run a second event in the fall strictly for the full marathon distance?

As my second marathon, this was an awesome experience. I shed a ton of time off of my PR. It's extremely flat and fast. The wind can be an issue, but weather is always a mystery. Overall, this marathon was great experience. Well organized and great coordinators. Definitely running it again.

It was my first half marathon. I was hoping to finish it in 2:30 and started with 5 hours pacers. In 2 miles I realized that I can do better. After I reached 4:15 group, I stayed with them for the rest of the distance. They were amazing, making comments like, "We are 3 seconds behind schedule" or "It's the right turn ahead, guys, be careful" or "Get a little drink." I finished the distance in 2:08! Thank you, guys!!!! I couldn't do it without you! I will go for the full race next year.