I ran the QC marathon this past fall and enjoyed it greatly! I prefer running in the 'smaller' marathons yet sometimes regret it when they don't take care of the runners. This is not true of the QC marathon! Aid stations were frequent (about every other mile) and the volunteers were great! I loved running through the wall at mile 23 and listening to the different bands play along the course. This is a great marathon for the experienced and first time marathoner. The only caution I would give is NOT to stay at the host hotel-too much smoke and price. We got a great deal at the Marriot that looks over the start/finish line. Don't overlook this marathon-it is flat, fast, and scenic!

I ran this marathon in 2000, it was my first (hopefully not my last). The course was cool. I liked running across the Mississippi River. For its relatively small size, the marathon is extremely well organized and I had a blast. One thing that did happen though is a bunch of us got stopped by a train. It cost us about 8 minutes and I think a few people ended up missing qualifying for Boston because of it. My understanding is that the train was 'lost' and was not supposed to be on the course at the time (I really don't think it was an oversight by the race organizers and I bet it won't happen again). It certainly made it memorable though.

Also, beware of the Isle of Capri Hotel. They were the main sponsor for the race. We called and reserved 3 rooms and asked for the 'special' rate for participants like it said on the entry form. We were quoted a rate approximately half price of the regular rate. I called to confirm our reservations a couple of days prior to the race and was again quoted the discounted rate. However, when we went to check in, the discount rate disappeared and we had to pay full price. They said that the discount rate was for the night after the race. They were pretty rude about it too. The hotel was nice and clean, but very smoky. They allow people to smoke in the lobby, elevators, hallways, etc. Most people were there to go to the casino, not run the marathon, so it got pretty bad. Sorry about my ranting. The race is great. The host hotel is not.

Overall it was a lot of fun and I had a great time.

Very nice course, well organized, great scenery, supportive volunteers. All ingredients that made this a fantastic introduction to Marathons. I highly recommend this race.

I really enjoyed this marathon. The route is scenic (and flat), and the organization is great. The aid stations were plentiful, and provided what I needed at the right times (ie, bananas, ice). The crowds are sparse, but they seem to show up at the right time - from mile 17 on. The wall structure that you get to run through at mile 23 was awesome. As you run through the finish line the announcer announces your name to the crowd - a nice touch. I've run Chicago and this marathon. While the fans are great at Chicago, this marathon is a very comfortable and enjoyable event. My family said they liked it more, because they got to see me more. Also, there is a very nice hotel at the start/finish line.

Just got back from this event....weather was finally cool, but with a pretty brisk wind...cold when you have been training in the South all summer !! The event was very well organized and user friendly to the novice marathoner. Lots of other events are coordinated along with the different races so there is something to do for the whole family. I never really thoght of this area being much of a tourist mecca, but there is really some interesting and historical stuff located here. Course is very flat, but crosses the Mississippi River twice (once on the I74 bridge. Support (water stations, porta-a-potties, etc.) actually surpassed what was advertised in the application materials. All the volunteers were great and hung right in there with the runners on what had to be a very cold day just to stand around and hand out water. Crowd was sparse in places, but the course goes through a lot of residential areas and parks and has the potential to attract more folks out if the weather is pleasant. I heard a speaker at the Saturday night banquet sum up my feelings best: 'this race is one of the best kept secrets in the Midwest'. Check it out !

The world class Bix7 has been held in the Quad Cities for over 25 years, and it seems that this marathon has reflected its lessons of good organization. The route is well protected and the residents who find their traffic patterns changed seem to take it all in stride.

This marathon covers five bridges. It's the only one I know of that actually makes use of one of the interstate highway system bridges (I74). The bridges require a little extra effort going uphill, but the downhill side provides attractive views of the Mississippi.

There are 2 and 5 person team relays as well during the standard marathon. The teams actually outnumber the soloists.

The weather has been warm the last 2 years, but cooler days are bound to happen sooner or later on a late September race date.

I've never been fully prepared for this particular race, and I've walked more than a mile or two of it and have always heard praise and encouragement even then from the sidelines.

Get ready for music on race day. The planners put together between 30 and 40 live music acts along the way.

I've run this race twice; once as a training run and once as a goal race. My times were 3:55 and 3:45 respectively. The course starts out at the Mark and then at about 800 m, takes a turn over the I-74 bridge. You only have two lanes so things can get congested. Don't pay attention to your first 2 mile splits; they had me doing a 9:30 then a 6:00.
The course then runs though part of a commercial district (Bettendorff, IA) and then along a wide road; on one side is the Mississippi River, and on the other side are some large, beautiful homes. You then go along a bike path (Davenport, IA) and then across a bridge into Rock Island, IL. The view from the bridge is breath-taking. You pass by some historic looking downtown areas past mile 10. Then you cross another bridge onto Arsenal Island, past some very large limestone brick buildings and between a golf course and the Mississippi. Here, you get to see some of the faster folks going the other way. Near mile 17, you cross back to Moline, only to do a long 9 mile out and back stretch that parallels the river.

In East Moline, you encounter some fan support and some unofficial water stops. You turn around at mile 22 and at mile 23, you run through an errected wall and a gauntlet of cheerleaders. Around mile 25 you can see the finish banner in the distance.

Along the way, there are some bands, and lots of relay runners (2 person and 6 person teams).

The only negative has been the weather the first two years: hot!!!!!! And, there isn't much shade. There are lots of aid stations along the way (one every 2 miles, at least) offering water, sports drink, and ice.

If this marathon does not fit your schedule, I'd recommend running the 2-person relay as part of your tune up. there is also a 5K, 1 mile, and some kid's races.

Fast and flat through 5 cities over 3 bridges into 2 states (Illinois/Iowa) and along the Mississippi River