The last 6 miles were tougher than expected. Overall, a good experience with friendly runners and fantastic volunteers. THANKS to all volunteers for working in the rain on Thanksgiving.

There are marathons for first-timers and marathons for fun and entertainment; this is neither. This is a race for runners only! A challenging course and five-hour time limit on a holiday morning make this a marathon for thoroughbreds - not walking nags.

Kudos to the volunteers who braved the hour-plus rain storm along with the runners. At least it wasn't freezing cold. Organization was good, although as a traveler, I always like to see the expo within reasonable walking distance of the start and finish. There were plentiful aid stations that offered only water and PowerAde. One gentleman offered oranges but I don't think he was part of the race team. Maybe there could be a gel station somewhere next year.

Overall, a well organized event with a hilly course!

How ironic that it rained during this year's race while the area suffers a drought.
Having race HQ at the Intercontinental was much better than at Colony Square. I hope this continues.
Once again a BIG thank you to all the volunteers who show up every year. They are what makes this race special. The marathon is for those runners who truly enjoy to run. At times it can be lonely but once you pass through Buckhead and then run pass SCAD you can begin to smell the finish line.

The organization for this race was superb. Packet pickup was easy and flawless,and the expo was really nice - lots of vendors and free samples. The race hotel (Intercontinental) was one of the finest I've stayed in, and at a very affordable price. Everyone in the city was friendly and welcoming. Being a holiday, and having received an e-mail a few days before the race saying they needed another 300 volunteers, I was worried that support would be sparse, but there was an abundace of people directing us where to go, as well as yelling encouragement and "Happy Thanksgiving!" - all with smiles on their faces despite the threat of more rain.

Not many spectators, but it was rainy and Thanksgiving Day, so this was to be expected. There was plenty of water and sports drink was available along the course. But somewhere after mile 20, a police car drove up behind us and told us to get on the sidewalk, and the race volunteers started picking up the cones. It was OK until I got to mile 22 at a 5-hour pace, and just as I passed the mile marker someone was taking it down! RD: if you advertise a 5-hour race, you should show us 5-hour runners the courtesy of supporting us for the entire race. For the last 3.2 miles there were no mile markers and the water stations had been dismantled. There was water and PowerAde in cups left along the curb, and the Sag Wagon repeatedly passed, handing out laminated maps so we could find our way to the finish. What I don't understand is why the half-marathon mile markers were left on the street but the marathon markers were removed before we finished the race. I am also curious as to why the half-marathon start is at 7:00 while the full marathon start is at 7:30, and there is no early start (if you do start early, you will be disqualified).

I understand that the volunteers want to be able to leave and enjoy the holiday, and perhaps there are logistical reasons for doing things this way, but it was very disheartening to see the course taken down before me as I ran. A 5-hour time limit should mean that a 5-hour runner will be fully supported throughout the race. I finished in 5:06 and was pleasantly surprised to see that the chip mat was still in place, and finish times as late as 5:12. I would recommend this race for sub-4:30 runners, but those like me at the edge of the time cutoff should avoid this race.

The Atlanta Marathon on Thanksgiving Day is just about the perfect marathon; here's why:

1. By runners, for runners. This race is organized by the Atlanta Track Club rather than a large financial institution or a fancy restaurant chain. ATC knows what runners need in the way of support and provide it.

2. Only runners. Without any noticeable exception, there were no walkers on the course. With larger "event" (vs. "race") marathons, the field is often clogged with once-in-a-lifetime "marathoners" committed to finishing the race by day's end. I have been to marathons where the walkers line up front and center, forcing the runners to expend energy weaving past five-abreast lines of 20-minute milers wearing matching cotton T-shirts. Not here: although I was lined up in the middle of the pack, it only took me 11 seconds to cross the start line.

3. Small field and easy access. Perhaps because it is Thanksgiving morning, and because of the reputation reflected in #1 and #2 above, the race attracts about 700 marathoners. This meant I was fine arriving about 45 minutes before the start, and parking within 10 meters of the starting line. In fact, as a line of showers moved through, I could sit in my car until just 5 minutes before the gun. Once on the course, there were enough runners to provide a sense of pace without any crowding at all. And because the finish is the same as the start, I could walk to my car and be home by noon, in time to put the Thanksgiving dinner pies in the oven.

4. The course. I'll qualify this one a bit: the course follows primarily commercial arteries rather than going through the beautiful older residential neighborhoods for which Atlanta is so well known. Moreover, much of the course follows an out-an-back - not my favorite design. That said, it does provide enough views and changes of scenery to prevent course hypnosis, and it is a former Olympic marathon course. From a racing perspective, a long stretch of the middle 12 miles or so is flat-to-rolling, offering a great opportunity to maintain a fast pace during those prime miles. This more than makes up for the last 6 miles, which starts with a hill (called "Cardiac Hill") and remains on a gentle upwards incline for the remainder. Not really what one wants at the end of a marathon, but there are few true hills and the course overall is PR-ready if you have done your hill training.

5. Community support: Although there are no cheering crowds early on Thanksgiving morning, there are enthusiastic volunteers with a smattering of also-enthusiastic spectators. Cheers in particular to the men and women police officers of City of Atlanta, Dekalb County, Fulton County, and City of Chamblee, who aggressively protected the non-closed course while adding their own friendly support to the runners themselves.

6. The finish: Running beneath the Olympic rings to the finish line is a thrill, and there are special medals for particular time groups (e.g., under 4 hours, etc.). As you approach the finish line, each runner's name and hometown is announced, often with a relevant comment or two (e.g., "Thank you for traveling from New York for our marathon!").

As for race-day specifics, it was warm for November - 60s F, with drizzle and a few real rain showers early in the race. In the midst of an historic drought, the rain was appreciated and was not enough to interfere with racing performance (other than needing caution on the painted road lines and manhole covers). There was plenty of water and PowerAde along the way (unlike another Atlanta-based marathon [or "event"] sponsored by a different organization in the spring - please do not confuse the two). All in all, a great runner's race. My thanks to Atlanta Track Club and all the volunteers who made this race possible and pleasant.

This is the first marathon I have ever run and I am extremely pleased with the course and its toughness. It makes you stretch beyond your perceived limits in a way that in almost unbelievable. The organization and phenomenal service of race personnel is far beyond the call of duty. They went out of their way to make everything as near perfect for me as possible. "Two thumbs wayyyyyyyyy up for the Atlanta Marathon."

I love this marathon because it's just for us runners. No big corporate sponsor, no paid elite runners, just us schlubs who are willing to get up early on Thanksgiving Day for the joy of running. With the notorious hills and a five-hour time cut-off, it's more challenging than most of the "big" ones, including Boston. It's nice to be able to start with runners without spending the first mile weaving around walkers and shufflers who, for some reason, insist on starting near the line of most races. And of course there aren't many spectators - it's Thanksgiving morning!! I could use a bagel at the end, but the race is so small that my car was in the parking lot adjacent to the start/finish - so I can bring whatever I want. Anyway, Thanksgiving dinner is waiting a short drive home. Thanks to the many ATC volunteers who selflessly show up to make our runner's marathon a great one, year after year.

I have run Atlanta three times, and was registered in 2004 but had an injury. My wife and eldest son have run the half three straight years also. We love this event. As I assessed numeric values to the three categories, I wondered exactly what they mean. I have run 13 marathons, several halves and numerous other events. They were all different, yet I would rate most of them highly unless they were flawed in some way (some were), were poorly organized (some were), or were somehow other than what I was led to believe they would be. Atlanta has exceeded my expectations in every one of the categories.

The course: it is extremely tough; they brag about their hills, they have named them, and they give you an elevation map online. If you are expecting anything else, you are to blame. The last six or seven miles are relentless, but they are also exhilarating as you rise into the scenic downtown area, pass more spectators, and near the finish line under the actual Olympic rings from 1996. The course is scenic, fair, and as advertised. It is not my favorite course, but how could I give it any less than a ten, oops, I mean a five.

Organization: this is one of the oldest marathons in the south. They have it down to a science. I can't think of a single remotely negative thing to say about the organization. Plenty of everything everywhere with volunteers out on a holiday. Great!

Spectators: it's Thanksgiving Day morning, a very small race (7-800), what do you expect, mobs of cheering race fanatics, shouting out your splits. The people who are out are vocal, friendly, drinking coffee (for some reason I like that), and I appreciate them. What are you doing on Thanksgiving morning at 8:00 a.m.?

Run Atlanta!

Wow. This was my first marathon and I now understand why people warned me that it's not a good "first."

First of all, mad props to the volunteers who gave up sleeping in to come out and tirelessly support a bunch of running addicts.

Second of all, the first 13 miles are almost completely uphill with the Morningside hill being one of the toughest.

Third of all, as tired as I was, I couldn't care less about the baggie of food, and that Snickers was delicious aftre 26 miles.

I like the race because it's a no-nonsense, very tough race with almost no cheering crowds or frills.

I'm glad it was my first marathon. Anything after this will only seem easier.

First-time racer here. I did my research before the event and thought I was prepared. I even memorized the "cute" names for the major hills on the course. I didn't mentally prepare for the "minor" hills.

I can't comment on the expo since my wife picked up the packet. She thought it was pretty cool, for what it's worth.

The race organizers have this down pretty well. Easy access to the start line for the full (although I did hear some horror stories from those running the half) with plenty of port-a-johns and even some Krispy Kreme donuts at the warm-up tent. This is not a rah-rah race. There's not a lot of crowd support, but the volunteers and the police officers along the course were terrific and very supportive.

The course was a neat tour of downtown, midtown and Buckhead. I thought it was neat running a stretch of road that is usually congested. The water stations were posted as promised - every 2.5 miles and had watered down PowerAde (also as promised), so if you need carbs along the course, you better bring it yourself. The only glitch in the station layout was at 22.5-mile mark - the station wasn't there. In hindsight, this isn't a big deal but when you're in the middle of the race and are looking for something to wash down that last gel, it's pretty dire. I didn't really care about the low-budget post-race food/drink since I knew how much I was going to gorge myself that afternoon.

Overall, I enjoyed the experience. The course lulls you into a relaxed state of mind with a relatively flat middle 12 miles, but then shakes you up a bit with the hills over the final 10K. I wouldn't recommend this race for someone looking for an event race. THis is a no-frills race.

Oh, one more thing - there are no pace groups and splits are called out at 1-, 5-, 10-, 13.1-, 15-, and 20-mile marks. If you want more info about your pace, buy a watch and practice your long division.