This was my first marathon. The hills were definitely a factor. I was there to run a fast time, and the rolling hills from mile 9 to 13 were considerate. They aren't crazy, though, and the last 8 miles are mostly flat and gradually downhill. If you run smart, you can definitely run fast on this course.

The positives:
* Perfect weather. Mid 40s at the start with no wind.
* Friendly people. The whole town was nice, the people who worked the race were nice, and the spectators were nice.
* Well organized. There were well stocked water stops, there were good medical stations and cops at every intersection, and the whole race seemed to go off without a hitch.

The negatives:
* There were no mile splits - only 5K splits. The miles were marked, but didn't have clocks. This is not a huge deal if you wear a watch, but if you're an idiot like me, and you don't wear one, no split until 5K.
* There's not much competition if you're running under 2:45. I ran low 2:30s, and after 10 miles, I didn't see another runner for the rest of the race.

All in all, though, I had a great time and really liked the race. I'll be back to run it again for sure.

I was recovering from the flu so I was concerned both about running and the course, but the weather was perfect and the 3:40 race pacers got me through. Remember, on average, the course is flat. I especially liked running toward the Capitol building at the finish; it was awesome.

I love this course and love the supportive Austin crowds. I was returning for the third time. This year I walked the half with a friend and my daughter who, due to injuries, had to switch from running to walking. We finished in well under the official mark of four hours, but were disappointed to find out that they had run out of medals. There was no volunteer or race representative at the finish to explain this; in fact, when I asked the woman handing out shirts, she just said, "Oh yeah, we heard they ran out of medals." I went to a race information table and they seemed surprised, but told me to contact the race organizers by e-mail. It is now Wednesday, and there has been no response to my e-mail or phone message, and apparently no attempt for the organizers to acknowledge the medals problem.

Also, I think the organizers should have made it more clear that there would be no electrolyte support until mile 10. It was served in individual large bottles (18-22 ounces), which of course no one wanted to carry for the last 3 miles, and so everyone was taking a few sips and then discarding the bottles. Volunteers were pouring it out by the side of the street, which seems rather wasteful. I hope these glitches are corrected for the next year, as I do plan to return.

This year Austin changed the course and it had its ups and downs. They got rid of the narrow road at mile 3, so we were not so crowded on the first real turn. There was some road construction around mile 23 that was very annoying. The later hills were not as bad as last year's course, but they still slowed my pace way down . The expo was nice and the packet pickup could not have been better. I walked right up to the window with no wait! The Austin community was cheering everywhere and we got routed through the grounds at the capitol to end the race. Nice medal and tech shirt. Only my second marathon, but I will be back.

This was my first Austin Marathon and I would LOVE to run this one again. It was hilly, and a GREAT one to run in preparation for Boston! The people involved with the marathon as well as all of the locals I have met, are as friendly as I've ever seen! My son, Nicholas, came with me to Austin to check out the music scene and he also commented on the friendliness of all the people in Austin. Before leaving the area, we checked out "Willie's Place" (as in Willie Nelson). Too bad I didn't see him! Thanks so much for your great race and all that great Southern hospitality! We love Austin!

Okay, it is hard to consider Austin part of Texas, since it tends to be more liberal, artistic, and lacks the pretend cowboys you find throughout the rest of Texas. I found Austin a charming city, with a lot of culture, great people, music, and good food. It was a fun place to be. I really liked Austin and found everything about it to my liking. I have been to many other cities in Texas, and I have to say that, to me, Austin stands apart from the rest.

The race was great. The organization was first rate. The expo was just the right size for the number of runners, with everything you could ask for - even lots of local flair.

The backpack was a surprise, and very much appreciated. Great giveaway. All of the giveaways where perfect and unique.

The course was not easy. It has more then its fair share of hills. But not every race can be flat or downhill. Sometimes, if going to the hills makes a race route nicer and does a better job of showing off a city, it is worth the slower times. I know some people will complain, but to me, the course was just fine - even with the hills. I only wished that they could open the football stadium to the race so that we could run around the field.

The spectators where amazing. I could not believe the number of people who came out on a Sunday morning to cheer the runners on. You people of Austin are the best.

The aid stations where just right, with plenty of volunteers, water, and PowerAde.

The finish was good. The post-race finisher's shirts are very nice, as were the medals.

I have only two suggestions. First, give out GU along (or some other gel) along the course. Second, at the finish more post-race food would be nice.

In general, this was a really fine race in a top notch city. Way to go, Austin, and be glad that your city stands apart from the rest of Texas.

There isn't much that is bad about the Austin Marathon. Do not believe anyone on this site about the hills. Are there uphills in this course? Yes, there are. Are there also significant downhills? Yes, there are. I unfortunately took seriously the ominous warnings I got about the hills, trained on hills more than I should have, and injured my Achilles three weeks before the race. Ultimately that's my fault, but only because I took seriously the words of marathoners with 5-6 hour PRs. "Rolling" is the way to describe this course, not "hilly."

Water stations were very good, crowd support was good, medal and shirt were nice, and temperatures were good. One thing that may hinder the female runners is the lack of toilets. I saw a number of them squatting in the bushes beside the road, because where there were toilets there was only 1 male and 1 female toilet. Not an issue if you are not modest. Like me.

Overall: 9/10.

My first Austin Marathon, and this weekend was a very good experience.

There's alot to love about this race:
1. Great town
2. Killer crowd support in all neighborhoods!
3. Great medals, a usable backpack, and nice tech shirts (although the shirts fit pretty small)
4. Good service and care at the medical tent
5. Water stops were great

A few recommendations for future years:
1. Have sports drinks available earlier on the course. The 10-mile mark is too far into the race for most to start getting electrolytes and calories.
2. Sports gel once on the course would be nice

Otherwise, it's a very good race. The course was hillier than I expected. It's not that there are any huge hills to contend with, but it seemed there was not much flat either - constantly up and down small hills. While the hills took their toll, the crowd and volunteers did a great job keeping runners going, myself included.

I had heard that Austin was a great marathon, but I was a little disappointed overall.

Pros:
Organization
Expo
Fans
Police protection
Challenging course

Cons:
Price
PowerAde not at every station
No gels provided
Finisher's shirt ran small, but I was not allowed to exchange sizes
Route was ugly and uninteresting

I lost one of my GUs along the route, so was short. I was just on the edge of bonking for most of miles 17-25. Luckily, some spectators had some Tootsie Rolls and candy that got me through.

There have to be some more scenic areas to take us through that fabulous city. It seemed that most of the route was along industrial or rundown areas. However, I did like running past the university at the end, and appreciated the mostly downhill finish.

I told them I wanted a medium shirt, but when they handed it to me, it was extremely small and they would not trade me. They told me instead to go 7th and Congress to exchange. However, I couldn't find a place to to make the trade.

So, what did my $130 get me? A shirt I can't wear, a honking huge medal and a backpack that was different, but I could have done without. I would have rather had that money go to better equipped aid stations (GU and PowerAde).

I love Austin, but this is not a race I would recommend to anyone.

What happened, Austin????? Why did you change the course? Way too many hills. I ran this marathon 10 years ago and it was wonderful. At that time, all magazines and books gave reviews that this was one of the fastest marathons. No longer can this be said. There is no way that you can claim that this marathon course is faster than "flat" Houston. Please go back to the old course for your 20th anniversary.