A very hilly, but very nicely done race. The packet pickup was at a tent in a parking lot which serves as the race start/finish area. In and out in ten minutes. Race parking extremely convenient (150 yards from start line.) About 1200 finishers, and also 300 relay teams. So this is what I consider a civilized-sized race. I like the relay teams; it is nice to have fresh runners on the course, if only to have someone new to chase down. The aid stations were plentiful and full of enthusiastic volunteers. All the sports drinks tasted watered down (in varying degrees) to me, except one where I think they were serving concentrate (burned my mouth). A few mile markers were off. I noticed mile Marker 6 was about .7 miles from Marker 7. Several mile markers were not set up where I saw spray painted mile markers. Mile marker 25 was set up where '26' was spray painted on the road. The sign was right, the painter was mistaken. I did not notice a Mile 26 marker. There were plenty of clocks on the course. I gave the course 4 stars because much of it was open to traffic, although the cops did a great job protecting the runners. I gave the spectators 3 stars because they were pretty sparse during much of the race. The cheer teams were tops, though. A lot of costumes at the aid stations and random spectators (my favorite, a woman in an elaborate mid-19th Century Southern Belle dress, hat, etc, with a sign 'Frankly my dear, I do give a damn.')The weather conditions were great, and the fall colors were spectacular. Just a beatiful day to be running.

The Atlanta Marathon has changed it's date and course to October 30. Here are my pros and cons.

PROS

1. Great organization-The Atlanta Track Club knows how to put on a race. It was easy to navigate to the starting corrals and the finish was located very close to all the food and family area.
2. Security-Lots of police and traffic control. I never felt unsafe on the course.
3. Water Stops-The water/Powerade starts were setup all the same so that you knew when you came up to one it was water first then Powerade.
4. Medal-Nice heavy medal and also nice Nike finisher shirt.

CONS

1. Course-This course had lots of rolling hills. Around mile 23 we had to climb up HeartAttack Hill from the Peachtree Road Race. That was a tough one.
2. Spectators-Few and far between but the ones out there were great. I don't especially need them but some folks do.

Overview
I hope this marathon makes it. The weather was perfect and if word gets out there could be bigger crowds next year.

Decent race overall. There was no Expo whatsoever to speak about. Course was hilly, very hilly. Not steep, just long. Gradual inclines and declines, one after another. When there were fans/spectators, they were great. PLENTY OF WATER STATIONS!!! The course circled center city which was cool & the course took us by many of the highlits of the city, including the dome, Centennial Park, Turner Field, Olymoic Park, etc. Weather was cool, about 35, but warmed up by the end to about 55. Great medal and a beer pint glass. Start & finish where well organized. My only complaint would be for the organizers to provide turn-by-turn directions. This would help family/friends be able to see the runners.

The Atlanta Track Club did a fantastic job with the organization of this race..lots of volunteers, police presence (to control traffic) and a water station every mile and a half. Run is mostly shaded which is great and beautiful scenery. It is a REALLY hilly course, so if you are looking for a challenge this is definately the race for you.

I was disappointed in the move from Thanksgiving, but I have to admit this is a much better event. The organization was fantastic. The course, while extremely hilly, showcases Atlanta. There are tons of spectators cheering hard all along the course. The medal, shirt, and free glass were all fantastic. While I wouldn't go here for a PR, I definitely will be running this one again and again. Kudos. It is the best larger marathon in Georgia.

This was my first marathon and I subsequently ran it a second time and volunteered at it once. I will run it again in 2010. The Atlanta Track Club is a top-notch organization that understands runners' needs and how to set up a race. 'Nuff said.

Make no mistake: this is a difficult course, but not unreasonably so. It's hilly from the beginning - long hills, steep hills, even an occasional downhill. Life has hills. No complaints from me.

There are not many fans out for this smallish race on Thanksgiving Day, but the volunteers and the fans who are out are wonderful. Besides, I'm not running for the people lining the streets.

Easily a 4/5 and recommended.

The organizers of this race really, really want to get their volunteers home for the holiday. At the half, the water stop was shut down before 2:25. I had to run the rest of the race on the sidewalks, and I was handed a map at about 20. I really do appreciate that volunteer for sticking around a little longer. Even the mile markers were gone. You just came up to piles of empty water cups where the water stops had been. I even got dusted by the street cleaner.

The course has mild hills throughout it; I was struggling with a chest cold but I had come too far to quit. A lot of the course is in the downtown area and is not very interesting. Thank goodness the medals were still there at the end. And thank you to all of the volunteers.

First marathon for me, chosen because I live in Atlanta. Great volunteer support. Weather was ideal. Miles 10 through 17 were a little boring. Rolling course with some challenging hills, particularly the last 10K.

This is a fun little Thanksgiving Day race with a lot going for it. I signed up for it at the last minute and am glad that I did. Here are the pros and cons as I saw them.

Pros:
1). Late sign-up: I was able to sign up at the expo two days before the race.
2). Easy access/parking at the start. The marathon begins and ends at Turner Field. I was able to park right next to the starting line and drive right out when I finished.
3). Great volunteers: There were plenty of police and volunteers along the course watching out for the runners. They seemed to understand that they were the only fans and offered plenty of encouragement.
4). The half marathon start: The half marathon starts 30 minutes earlier at the opposite end of what is mostly an out-and-back course. That eliminated congestion issues with the marathon, an issue I've at had other races.
5). Overall organization: This race has been run by the ATC for a long time, and it shows. All of the details were covered.

Cons:
1). The course is open to traffic. Only one lane of the road is coned off for runners, so I got a lungful of car exhaust a couple of times.
2). The finish area: Since the event is primarily a half marathon, the finish area was winding down when the marathon runners were coming in. Don't look for any post-race festivities.
3). The food: The post-race food was a bit weak - some peanut butter crackers, candy and bananas.

I ran the half marathon event (12 days after finishing another marathon). I just love this race!

This was my 6th year running the half, and I can vouch that the shirt has been ugly every year. Upgraded in 2008 from a heavy, turkey-brown, cotton long-sleeve to a technical shirt that I can actually wear to run... nice improvement! Still ugly, but I wear it with pride. Runners all over town recognize the shirt; it's a great conversation starter!

Beware the 5-hour time limit for the full marathon.

This year, I was curious and decided to scope out the marathon course. After finishing my event and eating breakfast, I walked down Peachtree Road (about mile 18) and found myself waiting at a stoplight with one of the marathon runners. The cones had already been taken up, and I thought the runner was just about on pace to finish in 5 hours.

No support for this runner, who was within minutes of the cutoff time.

Having improved my marathon time on a lesser course, I hope to be ready to run the Atlanta Marathon next year.