This was my 15th marathon since San Antonio 98' and the third Austin Marathon. The organization is great, fans are numerous and I appreciate the music along the way. Those guys with with bagpipes are there every year, terrific!!

This was my second marathon and first visit to Austin, TX. The weather turned out excellent, even though some friends accused me of bringing the snow along, which occurred the day before the race. The volunteers were very good and made it easy to know which ones had water and who had the Powerade - I appreciated this. As a big runner (Clydesdale), I especially liked having the water/Powerade available at each mile. The course was great and more enjoyable after spending a few days in Austin site seeing before the marathon. I received extra cheering from the fans since I had my name on my shirt and it's fun to have people cheer and single me out.

I thought the shirt was nice and wasn't bothered by the fact that it didn't say 'finisher' on it, that's what the medal was for, which was also tasteful. Because this course is mostly downhill and there are aid stations each mile, I highly recommend this marathon to newer marathoners. I improved my PR by nearly 28 minutes, but when I tell people I had a great time, it's not the clock that I am referring to.

The race itself was a good course (certainly PR potential) with enthusiastic spectators and volunteers. However, I saw 2 major problems with organization that would probably prevent me from doing this race again. As a basis of coomparison, this was my 14th marathon.

The first major issue was not getting to the start in time. We got on the shuttle at the finish area at 5:45 and due to significant traffic, we were turning our drop bag in when the starting gun went off at 7:00. Part of this is the problem with having a point to point course. Plus, I imagine the planners for the race never anticipated so many runners driving to the start. Some people were actually getting dropped off on the interstate exit ramp and running to the start line from there just to make it in time. So much for pre-race relaxation and preparation. Plus, even with Chip timing if you have to work your way through several thousand runners, that takes extra time and energy.

The second major problem was that the water stops up to about mile 9 or so were not set up well. At some of them there were just 1 or 2 volunteers, who tried their best, at a table with large bottles of Powerade that they were trying to pour into 1 or 2 cups with thousands of runners going by. Some runners were actually stopping and either pouring their own drink or pouring it for others. I think there either need to be more volunteers or they needed an earlier prep time. I appreciate whats involved having worked water stops before.

I think the race certainly has the potential to be a Great race with a good location, time of year, community support, and good course for a PR. However, having run races that are well organized, I believe that missing the start when following the race procedures is inexcusable, and I would expect more from the early water stops.

I'll start off with negative comments and end with positive ones. (Even though I'm from Houston, I feel this is an honest, objective critique.)

My biggest gripe is the entry fee. You could only register online, so by the time the website charges its user fee, the total cost just to register is over $90! (No, this isn't a late registration fee, this is the lowest price.) I wouldn't mind paying that much if I felt I was getting something for it. Free transportation to the start wasn't provided; I had to pay an additional $3 for that. Finisher's shirts aren't provided; I had to pay an additional $20 for that. (Come on guys, stop making us pay for finisher's shirts!) There wasn't free parking at the expo; I had to pay an additional $7 for that. The only thing I can figure is that the $90+ went to pay for a backpack that was 'free' with your entry fee. (I'd much rather have the things I outlined above instead of a backpack.)

The course needs some improvement too. Because I get very bad rashes when I wear a watch, I depend on volunteers at the mile markers to call out pace; there weren't any at all. I ran the entire race not having a clue what pace I was doing. The crowds were also very quiet. It was like pulling teeth trying to get the crowd to cheer.

The positive aspects of the race have to start out with the medal. Wow!!!! That awesome medal almost made up for the negatives. The well-staffed water tables with Powerade from the beginning were also a huge plus. The finish line at Auditorium Shores was perfect and well organized. (Good job guys!) The route itself was very challenging and tested me like I've never been tested in a marathon before. (This is a good one to do if Boston is in your plans.)

Overall, I would definitely run this marathon again. With the type of running community Austin has, this marathon should be much better.

I turned 50 this year and choose the Austin Motorola for my first marathon. I have don't have other marathons to compare it to but I've been a runner for 25 years and ran in many half marathons and 10Ks, and this was one of the best organized that I've ever seen. Because the course is mostly down hill, I would highly recommend anyone running a marathon for the first time to run this course first. I had a good run and my first marathon experience is one I'll always remember. Thanks to all the volunteers that made it possible.

This was my first time at Austin Marathaon. It was a great course to run, the weather was perfect and great support. The food line at the end needed some help but overall it was a wonderful experience.

I can't complain about much. The weather for the 2004 Motorola Marathon was absolutely perfect. And, the course was great. Not too many hills, well marked, etc... I found everything to be well organized except for the starting line. I didn't even hear the starting gun! So, I wasn't sure if the race had started or not... people just started moving.

The only big problem I saw was the number of runners. The course was so crowded that I never saw a mile marker until around Mile 8. Water stops were mass chaos due to the large numbers of runners. I had trouble getting water and/or Powerade up until Mile 11 or 12.

The best part of the race was definitely the crowds. I moved to Austin recently and quickly
discovered what a 'runner friendly' city this was. But, I was so moved by the number of people I saw on the marathon route. I was pleasantly surprised to see cheering crowds on just about every corner.

Overall, running Motorola was an excellent experience. I definitely look forward to running it again.

The course was very nice, even though it is a downhill course, it was nicely rolling. Water and medical stops every mile. Nice t-shirt, backpack and medal. Had eggs, sausage, biscuits and gravy at finish and food was still warm, even for us slow runners. Only negative, $3 for bus to start. For such a nice race I'd rather them raise the entry fee $5 instead of charging for the bus ride. Almost forgot the TNT fans were the best I've seen in any marathon, cheering for all of us even if we weren't running for TNT.

Wow! My third marathon and it was hard as hell (due to a previous injury) but awesome. Finished in 5:14. Weather was about 35 at start with minimal wind throughout. Finishing temp 50+. Clear skies and a beautiful finish by the lake - very picturesque. Water stops and potties at every mile is fantastic. Didn't need the potties, but my stress was way down just knowing they were there - it just makes me happy.

Participant t-shirt is NOT WHITE - THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH! Still would like a free 'finisher' shirt, but the backpack given was a nice change. Medal was very nice (and heavy). Finish area was nicely arranged and roomy for stretching or meeting up with family. Plenty of room to run for the whole race - had multiple lanes and often the whole street to spead out - I never felt crowded at all. Great course, lots to see. Variety of bands along the way. Can't think of a thing to make it better! Y'all come now!

The course was flat and toured many of the legendary Austin sites. My main complaint is about the traffic control before the race. At the expo, the ladies gave wrong directions (we were told to turn on a street that wound up being closed off) and there were no cops routing the congestion. So, while I left in time for the usual marathon traffic and to still get to the start 35 min in advance, I arrived 7 minutes before start time. I only had time to squat in the bushes and pee!

I wouldn't run this again unless they fix the organization!!