This was my 15th marathon, and it ranks as one of the best: great weather, "runner-friendly" logistics, good organization, friendly people, flat and fast course (showing off nicer areas, including Delaware Park), and an overall excellent value for the money. I highly recommend this race, and would run this one again in a heartbeat. Way to go, Buffalo!!!

What a great experience. It is a pretty small marathon. It was pretty well organized with plenty of volunteers and police support.

The people complaining about the medal or the schwag goody bag (the type of technical T-shirt, the training T-shirt, assorted samples) run races for the wrong reasons. In my opinion, they are a bunch of cry babies who should go to the mall if they want a shirt or pancake-flat course.

The packet pickup was fairly quick and painless. The expo was fine. It was small, and had nothing I hadn't seen before. Honestly, I never stick around for those things. They also offer a free pre-race pasta dinner for all race entrants. I didn't attend, as I was staying with my bro- and sis-in-law. They had already made plans for a pre-race meal with other runners.

The gun went off at precisely 7:00 a.m. No shoving or anything. It was a single common start for all runners: full marathoners, halfies, and relay runners.
Weather-wise, the day was perfect. It was cloudy for most of the morning with temps in the between 60-70. It felt like 65 but I can't be sure. There was a slight, cooling breeze. Very nice. About an hour and half into the race, it started to drizzle. It was so light that it was more like a misting. It lasted about a half-hour and didn't even dampen the ground, but it did help with cooling. By 10:30-11:00 a.m., the sun was up, but it still wasn't that hot or muggy - maybe 70 degrees tops.

The course was fairly flat and, I would think, fast (I am not sure as I am not a fast runner, nor do I have any previous marathon experience to compare to). If people think that it was hilly, then they should try some races in Ithaca or Utica (the Boilermaker or the Falling Leaves).

It winds its way through downtown, along the water's edge, around Delaware Park, and through some nice residential streets. There was a stretch through a more industrial/commercial area in the beginning, which wasn't much to look at. Beginning at mile 3, there was water and Gatorade every 2 miles with port-a-johns at 10K, 20K, 30K, and scattered in between. I noticed very little congestion at the tables, and the volunteers were definitely supportive. Traffic control was very good, and I never had trouble with residents (pulling out cars or blocking roads).

The finish is at the end of a downhill stretch and your greeted loudly by the crowd. If the MC can see your bib number, your name is announced over the microphone as you cross the finish line (mine was). The post-race party is in a hotel (I forget which one) with pizza, beer, bagels, bananas, apples, and a DJ (typical stuff).

Overall, I think that the Buffalo was a good first marathon for its smaller size, with good organization, mild weather, a flat course, and low registration fee.

I will definitely do it again - hopefully without any whiners there.

As a Buffalo native who now resides in Colorado, I have always wanted to run this marathon, and it did not disappoint. The volunteers and police officers were FABULOUS - I can't thank them enough. There were plenty of porta-potties at the start. There was plenty of water/Gatorade along the course. My father handed me water at the Belle Watling water station at the 17-mile mark - thrilling! There were plenty of opportunities for my family to see me along the course. The only change I would like to see is the ability to record split times along the course. Overall, GREAT JOB! I would run this again, and recommend it.

This was my third marathon, and first in Buffalo. I was shooting for 4:30, but due to bad cramps, I finished in 5:23 - definitely a back-of-the-pack finish. The crowds were sparse but very encouraging, and the course aid people were very helpful, as were the Buffalo PD. I think I was one of the last people to finish who ran the whole thing on the street. The course was pretty, flat except for the overpasses and some LONG gradual inclines in the second half. The water and food stations were great and still had enough left for me at the end of the race.

Cons: The shirt is kind of cheap, as was the medal. I know technical shirts are all the rage, but I prefer a nice, long-sleeve, cotton T. I have enough workout gear. I want a shirt I can wear during the day, not just for a workout.

Overall, I was pleased, and will most likely return at some point for redemption.

I did the half marathon for the first time and it was great. The fans and workers were very encouraging. The course was flatter than I expected and marked out nicely. Having never run before in any race, I thought the start was disorganized. The after-party was great. I am running again next year and thinking of trying the full.

This was my first full marathon (I've done twp half-marathons - not Buffalo). Overall, I was pleased.

Pros:
The host hotel was very convenient and allowed late checkout. The volunteers were great; there was plenty of water and Gatorade throughout the course; and there were numerous porta-potties on the course (I didn't need them but it was nice to know they were there!). The course was okay - some depressed areas but also some nice ones. It was flat, with some mild, rolling hills.

Cons:
The race t-shirt is really bland and runs big - no smalls were left. The finish line was congested, and some runners mistook the first banner for the finish line. Also, the after party had no water - just beer and soda.

Overall, I would recommend it. We got lucky with the weather too!

I flew up from St. Louis with my friend to run my hometown 1/2 marathon. What a great race!! Being originally from Buffalo, I loved the course, as it made its way through the streets and along the waterfront. Are we there yet? Not exactly, but based on what I read on the site, and based on running this year, Buffalo is on the way to a first-class race for international competition. I read a lot of stuff about the shirt, medal, port-a-potties... but come on now, can't we rise above all of that and run the race for the pure enjoyment of running? Isn't that what we ran the Buffalo race for? Anyways, I LOVED it, especially mile 6 and 12 running by the HSBC and The Aud. Buffalo, you really showed your beauty on the 24th, delivering a perfect day to run. Well done, Buffalo Marathon Team!!! I'll be back... and maybe - just maybe - next year, my first full marathon will be Buffalo!

I truthfully looked for something bad to say about my experience, and couldn't come up with anything. What a great race/weekend Buffalo puts on!! The course is pretty much all flat, except for 3 or 4 small bridges in the first half (no longer than a tenth of a mile each). The first half takes your around the beautiful waterfront, while the second half takes you through some very nice neighborhoods and parks. This isn't a big marathon when compared to the big boys (Chicago, NYC, MCM, etc.); however, I couldn't ask for better crowd support. I don't remember going longer than a quarter of a mile without fan support, even during the middle miles, where it tends to get lonely. All in all, I will support this race year in and year out, as it puts on a great event!! If you decide to run Buffalo, you will not be disappointed - not to mention that it only cost me $70!!

I started running 5K races two years ago (25 in total so far). This was my first half-marathon. My son has been in five. The volunteers were great. The weather was outstanding, and the fellow runners made the day special. But Buffalo is missing a wonderful chance to showcase an event and not just a race. There are thousands of people looking for places to eat and spend time. On a Sunday, you are hard-pressed to find a place to eat. At last year's marathon, we had a large group of people who wanted to eat after the event to celebrate with my son. The downtown restaurants were not even aware of the event. How about food vendors on the street? When you have this many people, from so many places, let's make it a special event and keep people coming back to Buffalo.

As a returning runner of 3 Buffalo Marathons, I wanted to share my thoughts about a good race. The course showcases many parts of the city. The changes in the first half were positive, eliminating a congested bike path on the way out in the first few miles. The rest of the course went through some nice areas and was overall very flat. Traffic control, fluids, and other issues related to runners were handled in a stellar fashion. The finish at the convention center was conveniently located near the hotel, and the after-race party was decent. The medal and shirt were decent, though I don't run races for this kind of stuff. As a finisher of 55 marathons, I recommend Buffalo as a fine spring race. I will be back next year.