'The redwoods once seen, leave a mark or create a vision that stays with you always...'
John Steinbeck

I loved this course. I ran the marathon and Humboldt was my eighth. It is my favorite to date. A few minutes from the gun, I ran over a small hill and was greeted with open arms by friendly prehistoric giants. I was enveloped by their dense, protective canopy for most of the course and when filtered sunlight cascaded through the treetops, it was like all the runners were worshipers in an outdoor cathedral. The protective canopy of the trees made for no wind and an almost eerie quiet. The air was saturated with oxygen and smelled oh so good. I enjoyed going out fast during the first half with the half-marathoners and then slowing down during the more solitary second half. This is a fast course if you want to run it that way. I doubt few marathons could match the natural beauty contained here. My spectators for this race were the mammoth redwoods and so I give this course the highest ranking. Human spectators were seen at the start, half and finish and so this marathon is best suited for those whose performance or enjoyment does not hinge on the support of many boisterous spectators. Six Rivers Running Club organizers and volunteers did a fantastic job. I would love to come back and run the half marathon. It's gonna take me a few weeks to put this marathon to bed. It truly is unforgettable and highly, highly recommended! PS Check out 'hookedonhumboldt.org' to get a sense of the area ;).

The beauty and serenity of the redwood forest makes this race worth traveling to. It's a low-key race that is well organized with a definite down-home feel to it.

As mentioned by others on this site, the marathon is two out-and-backs and this makes it really nice if you know others who are running as you can get a sense of where they are in the race relative to you.

The half-marathon has many more runners than the marathon, so when I passed the half-way point, most of the crowd dropped off and I found myself running mostly alone and surrounded by these magnificent trees. If you are a person who doesn't need a cheering section and enjoys beautiful forest scenery, then this is the race for you!

Other people have posted that the pavement is rough on the second half of the course. Parts of that road have been repaved, so it was a pleasant surprise for me to be running on new pavement. Even the rough parts of the road weren't that bad. The hills weren't bad either as I had beeen training on hills all year and these hills weren't too severe. Most of the course is in a redwood forest and is shaded, so the temperature is really comfortable for running. Parts of the second half take you out into somewhat open country, so we were running out in the sunshine and it got warmer.

Flying in and out of the Eureka/Arcata airport puts you at the mercy of the foggy weather on the coast. This isn't the place to visit if you do not have flexible travel plans or a ground transportation option. I probably wouldn't plan to fly in here again.

Overall, this is a great low-key race in a beautiful location. It is one of my favorites to date.

This was my first running of this race. My wife and I both ran the marathon course. The course was, of course, beautiful and inspiring. The event was well organized but laid back and fun. The aid stations were great with lead-up signs and Boy Scouts. They really seemed to care that you received what you needed.

The only negative I found with the race experience was the pictures. It seemed unfortunate that the race was run in one of the most beautiful places on earth but the photos did not attempt to capture the feel of the race. Most all the photos were taken on the bridge or with an interstate bridge in the background.

Overall, the race was great and I would recommend this as a rewarding small-marathon experience.

This was my second marathon and I ran it with my 3-month pregnant wife. We LOVED IT!! The Ave. of the Giants is the the most scenic drive in the USA and the most scenic marathon. The giant Redwoods are amazing. The temperature is perfect for marathon running since it's about 50 degrees and in the shade. Take a camera with you while you run; it's great.

This marathon is two out-and-backs. The first out-and-back is run with the half-marathon, and has many, many more people than the full marathon. The second out-and-back was excellent: quiet, beautiful, but never quite lonely. Good race support. Excellent local running community. Average finishing time is probably higher than for most other marathons I have run. In 2009, we had great running weather. A great rural, beautiful, low-key, well-run race. I would run it again.

Perfect. I found myself smiling through the entire second half. A great course, and a well-supported and well-organized race.

Thanks to the Humboldt Redwoods Marathon crew. The Bull Creek Road section (second half of the course) was by far the best part of the course in regard to the scenery and tranquility. There was great parking access and wonderful aid stations, and the 200-yard notices previous to each aid station were very helpful.

Well done and thank you!

This was my first marathon in 2007; I had run the half in 2006 as my first half. I love this run - I love the course, the weather, the volunteers, everything. It's not FLAT, but it's not hard either. It's not a big-city race, so there will not be a lot of cheering. It is well organized and the views are beautiful. I will run it again!

As a Northwest hiker and runner, I chose the Redwoods Marathon course, as I figured this would be the ultimate combination. I wasn't disappointed and absolutely LOVED the course, except for the lumpy, bumpy road of the second half. The Giants even offered the optical illusion of going slightly downhill instead of the slow uphill around MP 18-20. I am a solo runner, so the lack of crowds and abundance of nature was perfection. Having this as my first marathoning experience gave me the desire to do another, yet I doubt any other marathon will compare to the memories I hold of this one.

This is a not a flat course; the second half is up and down, in and out, and it is in my opinion a tough course. It is a very beautiful course - the redwoods are spectacular. The course is different because it is up and back you can see who is in front of you and who is behind you. A little better detail about the second half would have helped me in training for the hills and badly paved road. The volunteers are very nice and helpful early on. I wouldn't know how they are at the end since I didn't see any of them. Nobody to cheer you on; if this is something you are looking for, bring your own cheering section and then some. The shirt is cool and so is the medal.