The excitement and organization that should be part of a marathon were not there. In comparison to to the 20+ marathons I have run, this one is at or near the bottom of my list. There were several points on the course where I was completely unsure what direction to go (no markings and no people to guide). Having not run Santa Clarita since 1999, expecting improvement and paying $63.00, I would not recomend this one.

This was my 6th SCM and one of my favorites. The new course change is a definite improvement over the previous years. No killer hills at the 16 mile mark! Even though it's not flat, it still keeps you interested with the ever changing terrain (other than running along Soledad Canyon Road). The bridges at the end are a nuisance, but then again, any hill around 24 miles looks steeper (and feels steeper!) than it really is.

The volunteers were great and the race folks seemed to have everything under control.

A great marathon for first-timers... and for that matter, many-timers too!

Fairly well organized. I liked the old route that started in Canyon Country, rather than the out-and-back current incarnation. And there's no way a loop course can be a downgrade -- think the poster was referring to the old course which did have a net downhill. Spectators enthusiastic for the most part. No complaints on the aid stations. A couple of very steep hairpin bends, and the paseo bridges at the end were a challenge.

Would have been nice to know exactly where the finish line was so we could park closer to that. Kudos for lots and lots of porta-potties! Could have used water at the start line rather than coffee only.

Course a good mix of trails and roads. The camber on Orchard Village at mile 23 is severe; is there any way to reroute that bit?

Weather was perfect and temps good. Nice small hometown marathon.

I am a resident of Santa Clarita and I enjoyed this race tremendously. I run here 3-4 times a week and am familiar with the area. I had a bit of trepidation with regard to the new marathon path and it turned out to be great! Yes, there were a few hair pin turns and a trip through an apartment complex parking lot but these were not a problem for me at all. I hope more people come out and enjoy the beautiful trails (paseos) of our beautiful city. The people along the route were very encouraging and friendly. My favorite part was that the race started promptly at 7am. This is great for all kinds of weather. With the excitement of the race and adrenalin of anticipation, it is a good thing that the start time was not delayed. Good job to all of the marathon planners. Thank you Pala! And thank you Mayor Bob Kellar for ordering good running weather for race day.

The new course is soooo much improved over the old course - the route now starts out at the Town Center in the streets then traverses through the paseo system which Valencia is known for. It is a fairly fast route, though it is not all a downgrade as the sponsors describe it as. The worst part is the end where they have you run on walkway overpasses 1/2 mile before the finish line. Those inclines are steep and narrow and just plain dumb for a marathon race. Other than that, it was a great course and a lot of enthusiasm from the people that came out and supported it.

Nice size race, well organized from the expo the day before the race, the staging area at the start and throughout to the finish line. All around good experience. Relatively flat and fast course. Even the weather cooperated and was well suited for a marathon; rain came about 3 hours into the race but it was moderate and in a sense refreshing.

If you live in or are visiting the area and are looking for a low-key, all-around good marathon - this is worth a run.

Running through the housing estates is absolutely horrible. Its easy to get lost, even if you've run the race before. On the plus side, it's fast, well-organized and sensibly starts at 7am (unlike Long Beach & LA Marathons where they try to kill people by starting late and making people run in 85+ degree heat).

From a runner who loves small races: there are a whole lot of better ones out there if you're looking for a small race with good organization and beautiful scenery. The scenery just wasn't there, and the start of the race was terribly dry, windy and unsheltered. Thanks to the few fans who came out and put out a great effort. Good organization... would recommend a change in the start, and not having the finish line in sight of the full marathon course. I won't be back again!

I have never seen a race so organized. I felt so taken care of - they even had gel packs and vaseline every few miles. The fans were great, consisting of everyone from cheerleaders to musicians. This race blew me away. The course was surprisingly beautiful too, running along fields and a river. I definitely recommend this course for anyone.

Santa Clarita was my 9th marathon, and I've not run the same marathon twice. I rate SCM in the top third of my marathon experiences. The start was the worst part--in a gravel pit, windy, cool, and a late start, not good when runners are anxious as it is. The marathon course was varied; there was plenty of water, gatorade and other supplements; enough porta potties, good traffic control; crowd was good for a small marathon; refreshments better than most. The split at mile 13 was tough when the half marathoners were finishing and us marathoners had another 13 miles to go! The finish was great with my family waiting for me at the end of the chute--something you won't get to experience in the large marathons. I highly recommend this marathon.