This is a well-run small marathon. Cheap entrance fee includes 2 shirts (1 technical shirt) if you sign up before April 1st, pasta dinner, pizza, beer, pop, assortment of chips and water at the post-race party. For some reason, this year they only had water and apples at the finish, but the post-race party is right next to the finish line, so no big deal. My first Buffalo on the new course. Liked it, but it was lonely after the half is done, as with many small marathons. Not a lot of crowd support but the people that were out were great and the volunteers were excellent. Lots of room at the post-race party, which was also great - no lines to get anything. Weather was perfect this year; I loved the switch to 7:00 start. Wanted to run a little better, but still PR'd, so it's a good course for a PR. I'll continue to run it for as long as my legs allow. Super course for a fast 1/2, or if it's your 1st half, with much more crowd support than the full.

This was my second time running Buffalo, and again I wasn't disappointed. What drew me in the first year was the low entry fee. But other factors have also contributed to me coming back. A nice flat course, small size, and easy entry to and exit from downtown added to my favorable experience. Packet pick up, though small, was well organized and to the point. Also, the free pasta dinner a few blocks away from the Hyatt was appreciated. The day of the race brought perfect weather with light winds and temps in the 50's, I believe. The course was well manned and marked and course monitors kept cars at bay while we were running. Hats off to the Buffalo police for their balancing of runners' and citizens' needs. And this year key turns were manned. The finish was nice, with your name announced and medals presented as you finished. The party at the convention center featured good music, refreshment, and good awards ceremony. As a seasoned marathoner I recommend this race over the mega city races such as New York, Boston, and Chicago. The low entry fee, ease of logistics, and good organization make Buffalo a great choice for a spring marathon. I will be back in 2009, and I have to say emphatically, "Thanks, Buffalo!."

My only complaint is that I wish they would do something different at the start. The first 3 miles are congested with halfers and full marathoners. I would love to see them start the half 20 minutes after the full.

Overall, good experience. The host hotel, Hyatt, was great - they allowed for late check-out and were literally feet away from the finish line. The course was VERY flat - maybe you could call the area around mile 7-10 a "hill," but that was it. Fast and flat, and you could PR at this one. Shirt was nice - a simple tech shirt with "Buffalo Marathon" on the corner, and nothing else. I like that. Kudos to the race director - I registered and was unable to run in 2007; he graciously let me defer my registration to 2008. Thank you, John!

Small marathon, so no big crowds, which I personally like. Running alongside of Lake Erie was cool. You couldn't ask for better weather. To the guy at mile 21.5 - thank you for the oranges! And for offering to drop off my gloves and broken waist fanny pack until after the race - that was nice!

My only complaint was that this is NOT a race that is mentioned much in the papers, TV, etc. The papers didn't say boo about it the day before. Around mile 15, I was along the race course and was honked from behind by a car. This older lady was asking me to stand aside so she could drive by - AND THIS WAS ALONG THE RACE COURSE!!! I shouted, "I am running a marathon! Get off the course!" Anyway, she passed me and a race volunteer got her before she honked at anyone else.

If you are looking for a no-frills, get-the-state-of-NY-out-of-the-way (for the 50-staters), this was great. I enjoyed it.

Great spectators throughout the entire course, well-staffed water stations with enthusiastic volunteers, race well-organized, beautiful weather, excellent course!

Course is pancake flat and scenic. Adequate support on the course for fluids, though absolutely no extras (one stand had oranges - period). Course well marked; volunteers/police helpful. Worst finish-line nutrition I have seen in 15 marathons... water, weak Gatorade and apples. Nice shirt; decent medal. Once and done for me, though it was an overall positive experience for the price.

Perfect weather, flat course, and the waterfront scenery is great nearly the entire course. Really liked having markers at every mile. Appreciated encouraging cheering people scattered throughout. Two complaints: not enough port-a-johns - only 7 or 8 at start for 1,600 people, and maybe 4 on the 1/2-marathon course. Also 2 water stations closed before I got to them. Hey people, the walkers might not be as fast as runners, but they cover the same distance.

Race-day registration was unorganized and the ladies working the tables were misinformed. This could be solved by posting two signs: PRE-REGISTERED and RACE-DAY REGISTRATION.

In regards to the 1/2 marathon: The course narrows just after the one-mile mark and follows a serpentine route along the lake. Having too many runners in a small space is dangerous and the condition of the roads just added to the problem. In addition, a cyclist split the runners on the bike path as he was traveling in the opposite direction. Solve these issues by starting the faster runners first or re-evaluating the route. Also, if the route was semi-clear of gravel, sand, and other debris, it would be appreciated. More restrooms would also be a big benefit. If more people are available to work some of the water stations, it would be a plus. It's hard to get water when only two guys are working one area.

Will I run Buffalo again? Yes. I like the city, the people are friendly, and the scenery is nice. The previous comments can be true of other marathons as well, but I hope Buffalo can improve on those issues.

One final thought: THE BUFFALO MARATHON COURSE IS NOT FLAT.

The course is flat and fast, but there are so many people at the start, this it was slow and congested until in the 6th mile. If the start line was more organized (runners grouped by times - as it should be for a race of this size), most of this would have been eliminated. I ran the half marathon, and IF the first half and the second half of the race course were flipped, it would have been MUCH better. All 2500 runners were trying to squeeze though a residential area, then a sidewalk that was 3 people wide at best. With slower groups running shoulder to shoulder, it was very difficult to get by anyone and through this part of the course with any kind of time. By the time the pack thinned out, the course was wide enough to handle the initial traffic flow. The course is listed as "scenic." I'd call that a stretch, at best. There are lots of beautiful places in Buffalo, and the only place that this course showcases that is beautiful is the 1-mile stretch along the waterfront. The rest of the course goes through downtown, an old, rundown industrial section, and on an on/off ramp of an expressway.

The mile markers were on small signs at the side of the road, and with the congestion, the first one I saw was at Mile 4 - these would be better if they were larger and raised higher. The fan support was great, and the support staff (water stations, police, start/finish line staff, and registration staff) was top-notch. Finally, they ran out of shirts at check in (except for Mens small). I pre-registered 2 months ago - you'd think they'd have enough shirts for people who registered in advance, and have to mail out shirts for people who registered at the last minute. All in all, the experience was OK - about what you'd expect for the price. I used this race as a tune-up for another marathon later in the season, and will probably not run this race again unless there are a few changes made.

The half makes a great first race. The scenery along the waterfront is beautiful, the course is FLAT, and race organizers and volunteers were terrific! My only complaint was that there were so FEW port-o-lets that there were lines of 4 to 8 people at the few on the course. Otherwise, great. Crowd support was super in the beginning and awesome at the end, with them announcing names of finishers as they crossed! Not much in the middle but the volunteers certainly made up for that with their cheering! Nice race, nice people, nice place.