Loved the course which was mainly on bike/walking trails. There were very gradual hills but not any killer climbs. The 2nd half of course does get lonely and I had a stretch with nobody ahead or behind to be seen for about 15 minutes. 4 hr pace group was a little faster than it should have been at about 8:50/mile through 14 at that point I dropped back. Spectators sparse but volunteers enthusiatic. A little hot last few miles.

Just loved this race, well organized, and inexpensive compared others!

Would definitely do it again next year!

Good job organizers ! Keep it up! ;-)))

This was my seventh marathon and set a PR by about three minutes. This event has about triple the number of half marathoners, so after the split it gets lonely out there, making it much different from a big city marathon. If you run an 8:00/mile or faster, plan on running alone for most of the second half. The course runs along bike paths for most of the course to reduce the amount of road closures. It is a well organized event, and had a decent amount of spectators for a smaller marathon. There were also plenty of water stations. There was only one pace group, which was four hours because of the size of the marathon.

So if you want to run a smaller event on a flat course, I highly recommend this marathon.

Just completed this marathon and had a great time. The course support from the volunteers was fantastic! At every water station you were greeted by enthusiastic volunteers that encouraged you along the way. I agree with the prior comment that once the full marathoners split from the half runners, you are suddenly by yourself and the other runners are few and far between, which is the way I like it. The weather was warm (finishing temp was at about 84 for me), but the water and Gatorade were cold. Would definitely recommend this race.

This was the first marathon I have participated in, and I am hooked. I went into this marathon very unsure of what my experience would be like, but the event felt like a 5 star event. Albeit this is my first marathon, the spectators and multitude of volunteers and motivation from other runners made it feel like family. Great accolades to the event organizers, volunteers, and countless involved. SCM you rock!

If it rains again this year and you want to wear a sweatshirt the first few miles and might want it back, the course lends itself to this. Shed the sweatshirt at mile 4 when the course turns left off the bike path and goes north on McBean over the river. Leave the shirt hanging on the fence. When you pass this same spot at mile 12, retrieve your shirt, carry it down to the turnoff for the half marathon, and leave it hanging on the fence again. You pass by this same spot at mile 25.8 and can grab your shirt with ease and carry it the last .4 to the finish line.

This was the first time I ran a marathon hoping to get a BQ so I had specific goals - flat, fast and good weather. Santa Clarita delivered on all three even though it rained for the first hour or so.

The race itself is small if you're running the marathon. As is typical these days a vast majority of the people who run the race are doing the 1/2 so at the split off point you're all of a sudden running alone or virtually alone.

The course is flat - I don't count overpasses as hills - but it makes a lot of turns. It avoids a lot of roads but you end up in strange places. There was one point where I was running and I couldn't see a runner ahead of me or behind me and couldn't see a spectator or volunteer and was navigating by signs posted on trees, fences, etc. Odd.

At the end of the day I was able to fall in to my pace quickly, the aid stations were well stocked with supportive people and the price was great. And, if it matters, I BQ'd.

The local newspaper said the 2011 running of the Santa Clarita marathon was a 'well hydrated' event. It rained and was a bit cold at the start. This made the course tougher because of all the subtle turns on trails between subdivisions. There was an area of the course that was a stretch of loose gravel - hard to run on. Hills consisted of several overpasses and underpasses. There were also a few pedestrian bridges to cross. Otherwise one gets their money worth for the race. Spectators were few. Volunteers were great especially in the rain. Host hotel was great place to stay - easy walk to start and from finish.

The out-and-back around mile 20 was brutal, but other than that, the course was nice. The paseos are a fun challenge along the way, but they are taller than I was expecting. A very scenic, and surprisingly flat, course. It was also impressive how little of it was actually on city streets.

The spectators/volunteers along the way were great, despite the rain at the beginning. It was quiet along most of the course, so it was great to have people stationed throughout it.

Having the bibs for the full and half so similar in color did make pacing a littler harder at the beginning (especially considering how many more people do the half than the full), but I was able to find my groove quite easily.

I would highly recommend this marathon for anyone who is looking for a small cozy atmosphere and convenience. This is not a mega marathon, but a small city marathon that is priced right. You get a shirt, a medal, and plenty of support along the way. The marathon starts and finishes at the Hyatt Regency and there is plenty of parking. One of my favorite marathons to run in Southern California.