Nice, flat course, bib, corrals, timing well-organized. Parking was poorly organized, traffic directors just laughed at anyone who did not know where to go. What did they expect for >5000 people from out of town? They were anything but helpful with parking at the expo and on race day and no one seemed interested in taking comments as preparation for race day. Parking was blocked off b/c the course goes around the lot. Who's idea was that?! I saw a lot of late and stressed runners who did not know where the relay shuttle was or couldn't do gear check. Really sad. One water stop was using garden hose water, absolutely gross water at most stops.

This year they started the half an hour before the which worked out well. We saw a few half marathoners along the course but they were not a bottle neck or hinderance.
Plenty of water stations, porti-pots, and great volunteers.

Several runners noticed the mile marker distance was over a mile. At the end of the race my Garmin was 13.31. This is way more then not cutting corners. Anyone notice this? My friend who runs a totally different pace had the same finish number on her Garmin.

Course is flat. First Half has great support but the second half is pretty desolate. The boardwalks were fun and the scenery along the way was pretty good.

Good course support: GU, water, Gatorade, and bananas provided at key points in the race.

SWAG: Nice shirt and great medal. Not too much else to buy, but I did not need anything.

Extras: Pace teams were spot on and helped to keep me motivated throughout the race.

Negative: Half-marathon centric. The organizers started the half 30 minutes after the marathon, which was helpful. However, I finished with the SLOW half marathoners. The boardwalk should have separate lanes for the half and full.

Amazing race and overall very well organized, with exception of the last 1.4 miles, where the full marathon and the half marathon merge in a very narrow road with no separate lanes whatsoever - a 3:05 marathoner would have to zig-zag through hundreds of 2:35 half marathoners.

Asking hundreds of times for people to move to the side after a bit more than 25 miles is virtually IMPOSSIBLE!!! If this issue were solved, this marathon would be even better!!

I was the 6-hour pacer for this race, and I walked the entire time.

I liked the new single loop course, but too bad there were not more ocean views. They should start the half-marathon one hour after the marathon. Too many middle-of-the-pack runners kept bumping into me as they passed. Some of them were quite rude. I was very pleased with the generous supply of GU on the course, but disappointed with the lack of refreshments at the finish.

This year the weather was very nice. In 2009, however, it was cold and wet. In 2010 it was hot and humid. Even a flat course can be challenging when the weather does not cooperate. Runners here must be prepared for anything.

I arrived early and found parking near the start without any problem.

The finishers' medal was great!

I look forward to returning to the New Jersey Marathon for the 12th time in 2012, and I will continue to recommend this race to others.

This is a fun race. Some organizational hiccups, and a little pricey, but worth the trip to the Jersey Shore. This is a small-town marathon, organized more like a big-city one (for better or worse). The whole event has a laid-back, Jersey vibe.

Course = I had never done a marathon where the best section of the course is marathon-only, but I really like this. The first half (with half marathon) goes along the water and through neighborhoods. The second half is an out-and-back along the shore, much of which is run on the boardwalk. Good crowd near the start/finish.

Logistics = The logistics were a bit of a mess. With lots of traffic coming into Long Branch on race morning, and parking/shuttles seemingly unprepared. I gave myself what seemed like a lot of time, and barely made it to the starting line in time.

Other Important Stuff = Course is flat, well-marked, and covered by excellent traffic enforcement. Weather was perfect. Hydration stops were plentiful and well stocked. Lots of GU on the course. Most water tasted like it came from a hose, but that wasn't an issue for me.

Other Stuff = Expo was minimal, but had the basics. Race shirts (long-sleeve tech) were above average. Medals were excellent. Finish festival was good, but crowded.

Rant = I hate sounding like an elitist, but aside from the course, this event is catered towards the half. The last mile of the course is very narrow, and because fast to medium-fast marathoners finish with slowest half marathoners, I finished the race weaving in and out of halfers walking 4-people wide, stopping to take pictures, etc. I wasn't running for a time, but this could have easily cost someone a BQ.

Also, the half and full medals are nearly identical. Half shirts say "Marathon" and have the marathon map on the back (only difference is that they were short-sleeve). Post-race food tent and grassy areas were packed with halfers, relayers, and their families/friends loading up on multiple rounds of runners' snacks. Same story at the massage tent. It was great, but I got a bit cranky when I realized most people ahead of me in line were in the half-relay (and had run 4 miles).

The new course is defintively an improvement. The run through Asbury Park with the convention hall and the casino really makes this marathon a New Jersey experience. Spectators were few but very enthusiastic.

This was my 10th and fastest marathon, and overall had a great time.

Course was flat which made it fast, but there wasn't much shade along the course. After the 11th mile, literally there was no shade and the sun is just baking you on the road. Around the bottom of the out and back portion of the route, roughly mile 19, you're running on the boardwalk for about 1 mile. The give to the boardwalk surprisingly helped give my legs a much need rest from the pavement. You can easily run a PR on this course as long as the weather isn't too hot.

The volunteers were excellent! They were energetic and always had plenty of water, gatorade, gels at the aid stations.

My only issue was at the very end. At mile 25, the route joins with the half marathoners. I finished the race with 2:30 half marathoners, so there were still many finishing. At the point of the race where your mind isn't functioning how it should be and your body is extremely tired, the last thing you want to do is to weave through 1000s of other slower runners. My only suggestion is to make lanes for half marathoners and marathoners. Not only would it help marathoners easily get to the finish, but gives them more recognition from the spectators and not just blend into the half marathoners.

Overall, I had a good experience and would recommend this race to others. I will be back one day.

Nice course, and great volunteers for hydratation and fueling.

Not many people cheering in the marathon course; most of them are only in the half marathon.