Rather than reiterate what everyone else praises about this great marathon (all of which is true), I'll just suggest that if you haven't run it yet, put it on the calendar for next year. We brought a group up from Northern NJ this year to our first Wineglass (they ran the relay) and we are already talking about coming back.

It's actually difficult to think of anything I'd want to change but the organizers might want to communicate better that there IS a baggage check facility at the start. Most people didn't think so, no one knew for sure, and it wasn't on the website (as far as I could find). We took a chance and it all worked out. After all, how could a race that seemed to be this well organized NOT have something that basic for a point-to-point course?

Tip for running clubs: Several of our members who were either training for another fall marathon or not interested in the full distance formed a relay team. The first member raced 9 and handed off, then escorted me almost to the next exchange point at a slower pace for a combined 17 mile long workout. The second team member handed off at 18 after racing 9, then escorted me into the finish at a slower pace and also got a 17-miler. It was a great way to combine a marathon and long runs with a wonderful weekend race group experience. I don't know if the organizers want to encourage that kind of overlap, but it was a factor in choosing Wineglass and really worked out well for us.

Great job, folks!

This race is a real gem!

Course: I would describe the course as "harmless." There are no significant climbs or descents and plenty of straight-on running. It's a great course for first-timers and it's no wonder why so many people shoot for BQ's here (I got my first!).

Organization: Excellent and perhaps the best I've seen in the 11 marathons I've run. Everything ran smoothly: expo/packet pick-up, host hotel, busing to the start, water stations, course directions, an excellent post-race spread (pizza, chicken soup, bagels, fruit, soda, Gatorade), and a unique finisher medal (handmade, stamped glass) to top it off. A little bottle of champagne was included in the swag bag. Great idea!

Spectator support was good - somewhat sparse, but this is a smallish race run in the country/small towns. There were still pockets of enthusiastic supporters.

Cons: I'm almost nit-picking to try to come up with some cons, but I'll list two: 1) You do have to run with traffic, which can be a bit distracting and did take away slightly from the serenity of running in a beautiful country setting on a fall morning. 2) The race website could be polished up a bit.

To conclude, this is a top-notch small marathon that highlights all of the advantages of smaller races. Put this one on your list; you won't regret it.

What a wonderful experience! Volunteers were enthusiastic; the organization was top-notch. I enjoyed the serenity of this marathon. Unlike most marathon post-race parties, this one was without blaring music and PA announcements - just the sounds of the success of runners crossing the finish line. The course was quite varied so there was no boredom. There was plenty of water and GU.

This is an ideal small-town marathon. Although spectators are sparse and are clustered in the small towns you pass through, the scenery is outstanding and the course is extremely gentle. There is one hill just before mile 5 and otherwise it is gently rolling terrain. Organization was decent, although I would definitely like the website to be updated and clearer. For example, in parts the dates still said the wrong year and there were no clear driving directions to the finish line (although it is difficult to get lost in Corning). Accommodations in Bath at the start were more than adequate and the post-race festivities were bigger and better than I'd expected. All in all, it was a great day and a great race.

The town of Corning is very beautiful little town to spend time in, with a number of nice things to do and some very good restaurants, all within a few blocks of the marathon end.

PRO's: It's easy to get to the start, and there's a warm building at the start to help you get out of the cold (thanks to Philips Lighting!). It's fairly well organized at the start. The finish was also nice; it's easy to hook up with family, etc. We parked in the parking garage, which was literally right by the finish line. The hotel rates were fairly reasonable. Also, I loved the availability of showers at the YMCA.

CON's: Some of the highway sections towards the end (coming into Corning) were fairly narrow, making it difficult to pass without running on highway on the outside of marked areas (I had a few cars come fairly close to me). One of the last stretches of city streets was extremely rough (somewhere around mile 24, I think), and it was really hard on my already sore blistering feet (I ran on the sidewalk through part of this section). Also, there was no food/water at start (unless I missed it). Lastly, it's not an overly scenic route, although it's not bad.

I did PR by about 20 minutes, so that was great, the few uphills on the course are barely noticeable.

This is a marathon between two small western NY towns. The course was relatively flat, with a few small hills on mile 5 and 14. There were plenty of water stops and the crowd support was good, but not overbearing especially in each little town you ran through. The volunteers and fellow racers were very friendly. I loved the finish as we went across a bridge, saw our time, and were met with finisher's medals and blankets. There was all the food and drink you needed, and a nice atmosphere after the race.

The Wineglass Marathon was a very nice race and I would highly recommend it. The course was great, winding through beautiful rural areas and with a net elevation drop. The few hills were small and mainly in the beginning of the race. The race was very well organized from the race packet pick up to the start to the finish area. The water stations were well placed and had a lot of enthusiastic people at each one. There were large stretches with no spectators, and since I train alone it wasn't a big deal for me. The areas where spectators grouped, they cheered loudly. The finisher's medal was very nice and the technical long-sleeve race shirt is something I will wear a lot. The family also enjoyed the whole Corning area before and after the race, including the glass museum and some wine tasting.

I ran this marathon last year and this year. I love this marathon; it is so beautiful running and looking at all of the leaves. They stepped it up this year with two GU stops. There was great cheering going on. I can't wait to do it again next year - my third marathon with the best time yet.

I ran this race as my 2nd marathon back in 2006. I loved it. Beautiful course, perfect weather, and although sparse, great spectators. The medals were really cool, although I thought the shirts were ugly. It was small enough for my family to drive around to different points along the race to cheer me on. My husband and I stayed an extra day to enjoy some wine tasting!

LOVED IT!! What a GREAT weekend! Aside from the race, the family loved the glass museum - $12 for adults (two-day pass), kids free! I could go on forever about how everyone should do this race....