I loved every aspect of this race! The expo was very cool at the civic arena just 20 yards from the start/finish. The race committee and volunteers were exceptionally hospitable; I guess that's where the term "Midwest charm" comes from. At the start was the most beautiful singer and marathoner that I've ever heard (and ran with); she's the lead in Phantom of The Opera playing somewhere nearby (Chicago?). The 3-plane flyover was cool. And they had over a dozen hot air balloons along the course - SO COOOOOL!! I only wish they could have been in the air; they were all attached to the ground for some reason. The medal is one of my better ones (heavy, dated). The course is one of THE BEST in the country!! Lots of river scenery, bridges, bands, entertainment, and even a wall to run through in the last homestretch, which I swear had a hundred cheerleaders. The post-race party was full. It needs a little more room, but it was FUN, with a good band, cold beer, and food - all of the essentials. I would recommend this to anyone, whether first-timer, veteran, or friend. These folks behind the scenes are obviously runners themselves. I would rate this marathon in the top 10 in the US! I'll be making the eight-hour journey back next year; the only difference is that I won't be alone!

As a half-marathoner, I can say without a doubt that this is the most fun I've ever had at a race. I loved it, my wife loved it, and the kids LOVED it! Running the Arsenal Island itself is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity - not to mention running the I-74 bridge (the coordination of these things is mind-boggling). Great job, Mr. Moreno.

I ran the full marathon in 2009 after running the half the last two years, and this is a very nice race. The only hills on this course are all in the first five miles. The course in general is very scenic and most of the course is closed to traffic. The out-and-back at the finish (last 6 miles) is a little boring, but still not bad. My wife ran the half and did say some stations were out of Gatorade and some had to reuse cups, but I did not have that issue. Not a lot of crowd support, but you are in Moline - not Chicago. Smaller race (about 3,000 total), two nice hotels within two blocks of the start and a low registration fee. This race is a winner.

If you're looking for:
* a fast course
* fully staffed hydration stations
* marathon medal not exactly the same as the half
* spectator support other than at the start and finish
* a course that doesn't share the road with traffic coming from behind
* a start that doesn't include the half-marathon and the 5K
* pace leaders that don't go out too fast because of the crowded start...

...then SKIP Quad Cities.

This was my 25th marathon and my least favorite. I came with two friends, and together we have over 50 marathons between us. None of us will be back or recommend this to anyone.

If your only requirement is free-flowing beer at the finish, then this is your event.

Last year, QC was my first half-marathon, so I thought it only fitting that the 2009 QC Marathon be my first full. I really, really love this event. The expo on Saturday is great, and the race and volunteers on Sunday are top-notch. Having two hotels that are basically situated at the start/finish line is also a nice perk. Neither of them gouge and both offer terrific runner hospitality (extending check-out times so that runners can shower after the marathon).

Quad Cities Marathon
Moline, IL
Sunday, September 27, 2009
7:30 AM

I flew into Moline, via Atlanta, on Friday afternoon. I stayed in Stoney Creek Inn, located on the banks of the Mississippi River and within a very short walking distance to the packet pickup/expo at the i wireless Center as well as the start and finish of the marathon at John Deere Commons in downtown Moline. The hotel was reasonably priced, provided airport shuttle, accommodated late check out on Sunday, and the complimentary continental breakfast was good too. The packet pickup was very efficient. The pre-race pasta dinner party was well attended and the food was okay.

The 12th edition of the marathon was very well organized. The race morning temperature ranged from upper 50s to upper 70s. It was sunny and a bit windy. There were ample water/Gatorade stations. There were sports gels in four locations. There were several bands, individual musicians, and cheerleaders throughout the route. There were hot air balloons. There were pace groups. Mile markers were easily visible and splits were digitally displayed in a few places. Traffic control was good and there were a large number of volunteers. Each runner received a short-sleeved technical shirt. Finisher's medallion was nice. There were plenty of recovery food items and drinks at the finish, including beer. There were also cash prizes, totaling $20,000, which had attracted several African runners.

The course was scenic and included several hilly sections, mainly in the first 4 miles, as well as the ramps onto the bridges. Shortly after the start, we began the climb onto I-74 Bridge and crossed the Mississippi River onto Bettendorf. From shortly after mile 5 to shortly after mile 10 we were on a trail alongside the River in Davenport, which was scenic indeed. Around mile 10, we began the climb onto the Centennial Bridge and crossed the River onto Rock Island. At about mile 13, we had to climb onto a short bridge to get to Arsenal Island, a military zone that houses the largest government-owned weapons manufacturing arsenal in the western world, which provides manufacturing, logistics, and base support services for the Armed Forces. We ran the next seven miles on the Island, which was scenic. Shortly before mile 20, we had to climb to get to a bridge on the other side of the Island to return to Moline. As we were entering Moline, we could see the finish area to our right. We turned left and ran the last 10K, out and back, which was the hardest part of the run. There was some headwind while running the last 3 miles to the finish line. In short, it was an excellent course, and although mainly flat, there were several hills/inclines to add to the challenge of running the marathon distance. There were 749 marathon finishers (471 males and 278 females) and an average finish time of 4:23:18.

I am a 50-stater and this was #48.

The bad:
There were problems with the aid stations. Early aid stations were out of sport drink, so it wasn't available until mile 10. One early water stop had run out of cups, so they were unable to give out water. The aid station at mile 6 was out of cups and was re-using the already used ones (but they announced this so you could decide whether to take the risk and drink from a stranger's cup). To me, there is no excuse for shortages at aid stations. Thankfully, once the half-marathoners split away from the course, aid stations were well stocked.

The good:
- The course is mostly flat with some early hills and good scenery. I liked running on Arsenal Island and didn't mind the out-and-back at the end.
- This is a small race, so there aren't any worries about finding race-day parking or having to register well in advance or finding a hotel at the last minute.
- Hotels outside of downtown Moline are very affordable (less than $50).
- They give you a good medal and technical t-shirt, and also a very nice, free poster.

I ran the half-marathon. I'm from the QC, but I moved away, so it was awesome to run my first half-marathon there. I saw the familiar environment in a completely different way. It was a beautiful course with lots of entertainment and people cheering. The half-marathon didn't have the out-and-back problem that the marathoners had. The only problem was that they ran out of cups around mile 6 and were reusing old ones - but everyone was thirsty and took the water regardless of germs. Oh, and they ran out of medals for the half. The volunteers were awesome, and the entertainment was great too. Lots of music and cheerleaders. It's a pretty flat and fast course.

The timing for this marathon was excellent - not too hot, and not too cold. The Expo was a good size, and the packet pick-up was typical. I did not arrive in the area until almost 6:00 p.m., so right after packet pickup, I could attend the pasta party being held in an adjacent room. The food was typical for the event.

The race started in front of the convention center, and the course almost immediately looped around and entered I-74, heading across the Mississippi River into Bettendorf. Across the river, we had hills to deal with almost immediately. After passing through a neighborhood area, we were back to the river and followed the river trail south into Davenport. The scenery was nice. Boats, barges, tugs - at one point near a sailing school operation there were perhaps 25 to 30 small single-mast, single-sail sailboats maneuvering in the water - all seeming to be very close together. After a few miles along the river, the course did a loop and entered a bridge crossing back into Illinois. Now we were in the town of Rock Island, downtown. The course did a circuit through the downtown area - which was dead, being a Sunday morning. Approaching the island itself, the course mid-point was reached - and it seemed like we were almost back! Not to worry. There were a six or seven miles on the island - and six more in Moline. We passed through a security checkpoint near the south end of the island. It was interesting to see the old structures on the island that support the arsenal there. But in most cases, you could not tell what you were looking at. A bit to the north, we entered a park and again were running along the Mississippi River. Eventually, we exited the island and were back near the starting line in Moline. Then it was about a three mile stretch to the north, a U-turn, and back to the finish line.

The weather was great for a marathon - probably near 60 at the start, and mid 70's toward the end, with some breeze along the river. The event was well supported by the communities. There were pockets of abundant fan support along the way, with lots of cheering and high-fives; there were adequate aid stations en route; this event provided an abundance of GU gels at four locations; and the volunteers were always willing to give one or two extras to the runners. This course had a sufficient number of hills in it - in Bettendorf and the numerous bridges - that I would not be thinking PR, but I was within 2.5 minutes of a PR, and I did not train for or even try to achieve a better-than-average time. This is comparatively a smaller-size, lower-keyed race, and the organization was great.

I love this race: Two states, the river, the bridges, the island, even the grueling out-and-back at the end is growing on me.

The organization and hospitality are top-notch. From the expo to the start line to the aid stations to the finish line, every single volunteer welcomed you like an old friend.

New features I loved:

1) The new medal was outstanding. Glad the year was on it.

2) Seemed like there were more and better stocked GU stops this year. Outstanding!

3) I received my medal at the finish line this year versus having it mailed last year.

As a three-time participant, though, I am starting to develop some preferences:

1) I would prefer to have the year of the race on the race shirts.
2) I would prefer a colored shirt over white. I do love the high quality technical fabric.
3) I would prefer Happy Joe's pizza at the finish line. :)
4) The chip mats seemed to be misplaced. My "half" time is way off. No big deal.

I'll be back. This is the only race I have run multiple times, and for good reason. Joe Moreno does an outstanding job, and it looks like more and more are jumping on the bandwagon every year.