I thought it was a great, generally flat marathon, with the exception of the 2 miles nearest the school. The trail was neatly manicured in most places. As far as spectators go, there were spectators in places where the trail opened up in more residential areas. This is an experience that I enjoyed and I hope to relive.

This was my 8th marathon in eight years. I have run in the Baltimore, New York, Marine Corps and the Philadelphia Marathon. The NCR trail is now my favorite marathon to date. It provided fun, safe and friendly conditions. The staff and volunteers were great, and the trail gave great relief to my knees and feet.

Great trail marathon. Not many spectators, but the ones that come out bring lots of energy and support. This makes it a tough first marathon. It's an out-and-back course, which is nice. The NCR Trail itself is great.

Beautiful course on an exceptionally forgiving trail surface. Only negative with respect to the course is the 1.5-mile, relatively steep climb to the finish line from the trail at the end of the race. Organization was superb; plenty of course marshals and friendly, helpful staff. Aid stations were every 2.5 to 3 miles with water and Gatorade. Spectators were enthusiastic, but limited - as expected with a trail marathon.

A wonderful small marathon! Nice sweatshirt; the course was awesome; the water stops excellent. Porto-potties and spectators were few and far between, but about what you'd expect for a trail marathon. Hot soup, bagels, fruit, water, and drinks at the end. Finisher medals ran out, but that was because more folks showed up to run than they expected. Running a trail instead of a hard road meant that my feet feel great at the end. I had an excellent experience, and would recommend it.

I loved running on the dirt/crushed gravel surface for most of the event. The hill at the end was a nice challenge. I surprised myself by being able to speed up and pass a few runners that passed me on the trail. The people along the course and in the area were all very nice. The race gloves and blanket were great. They were claimed by other family members soon after I arrived home. Race organization was very good.

Hi, I agree with G.G. from New York below. It was disappointing when the race directors said that they ran out of premiums and that they WOULD send them - but we still never got them! Having been promised - and not making good on the promise - is quite disappointing. Also, we could have used some more Gu or gel shots or quick nutrition, especially towards the last 10 miles. Nevertheless, the buses and course safety were fairly well organized. And the route is scenic and peaceful (don't count on much fan support!). Overall, from a strictly "race perspective," it was a positive experience, with only the caveats mentioned above to blemish it.

Very well organized trail run - bravo to the people who set it up. It helps when one has a perfect weather day and we had that in 2006. That would be concern in the future - rain or snow may make this a difficult run.

On the plus side, the few people on the course were energetic and nice. The water stops were great - well placed and had both water and sports drink. I only had to reach for my bottle once. As per the other reviews, the swag you get is nice and the food is great after. You MUST save some energy for the last 4 miles; it is very tough because of some steep hills. A bunch of us started to walk/run the last few miles but I still got under the 4 hour-mark. The half marathon felt far off because you were on an incline for most of the way. You then go downhill for most of the last 10 miles, but man, those 3-4 miles of steep inclines hit you at the end, so be ready for them! Well organized with bus service, food, and the route, so I would go if you want a late fall marathon and want to try an easier trail run. Just keep an eye on that weather. ;)

First of all, I can say that the first 24 miles of the race are excellent. The trail part is really flat and beautiful. The only problem with the course are the last couple of miles. It is very difficult. I'm a runner who used to train in the hills. But here the last couple of miles are a series of serious inclines. I was running my personal best till the hills and then it completely drained me out. It really took almost five minutes more than my usual 24-26 mile pace.

About the organization: I did not get anything as part of my registration package. When I collected the chip and number, the organizers told me that they ran out of race premium. They noted my number but never got back to me. It is little bit disapponting to see that you're not getting anything after you register for the race for $70... not even a T-shirt. And they never apologized to me or contacted me.

This was my third marathon and all 3 have been this race. I did not really think of myself as a marathoner before I started to run this, but this race is changing my mind. I love the small-to-medium-sized road-race feel. Very comfortable. (I'm not a fan of crowded and logistically difficult mega-races.) The organization here was first-rate. The organizers and volunteers are caring and friendly. The course is terrific - flat and soft on the legs (except for the 1.8-mile downhill opening and the incline for the final 1.5 miles, which were both on roads instead of the trail). The last 1.5 miles are a bit daunting, but being so close to the finish made them tolerable. The race premium (fleece gloves, gator, and blanket) was unique and very nice - my wife has already laid claim to the gator. The food spread after the race was excellent (especially the soup!). I also liked that my family was able to drive to various course locations and see me several times. I needed the support (after going out too fast).

The only slight negative for me was running almost entirely alone for the last 6 miles of the race. I finished about a minute behind the runner in front of me and about 1.5 minutes ahead of the next runner. If you need competition to spur you on, you may need to bring your own. Similarly, there are long stretches with little to no crowd support. Such is life in a trail marathon. One would think that weather might be an issue on the last Saturday of November in the Northeast, but all 3 times I've participated it has been acceptable (slightly cold last year, but totally gorgeous this year - starting in the mid-to-high 40s and finishing in the mid 50s with bright sunshine and very little wind).

I highly recommend this race. I will definitely run this again in the future.