This is a perfectly-sized race with great organization and support. Water stops and porta-potties every mile with great spectators for the first half. The second half has the water, gel, and potties, but almost no spectators. I am really glad I was running with some friends, because it got a little boring. The roads are kinda bumpy, and there were several places where they were down-right rough. I actually turned my ankle at one water stop.

Any shortcomings don't change the fact that this is a great race. I have done the half here three other times, and this was my first full. I couldn't have picked a better race to do!

I saw comments on this course being flat when I first checked into running this race. It is NOT flat. It is by no means extremely hilly but other than the stretch by the Mississippi River, the course always seemed to be inclining either up or down. For folks that care about that stuff, be warned. Race organization was great. Crowds were light to nonexistent after the halfers split off. Water stations were every mile. A couple of stretches of road had a VERY noticeable camber if you didn't run the middle of the road. Location of the start/finish relative to downtown lodging was wonderful! No shuttles!!! All in all, a nice event for a good cause.

Ran the Half as a St. Jude Hero. well-organized; St. Jude and volunteers did everything for runners except the actual mileage; wonderful pasta dinner the night before the race; great support from City of Memphis; great course; fabulous cheering crowds; wearing the Hero shirt made me a rock star for the weekend! great perks for Heroes! nice expo; nice weather; nice medal; set a PR by 10 minutes. amazing experience running through the St. Jude campus to cheers and thanks of crowd!!! definitely want to run it again!

This is an absolutely AMAZING run. I don't know where to begin. This is the best half marathon I have ever completed. Running through the campus of St. Jude is something you will never forget. Beautiful course along the river and Beale street was amazing. Can't wait to go back.

The race started with a young lady singing the national anthem which was very touching. All the water stations were well stocked and supportive. Various crowd support along the way which was very encouraging in many ways. Good variety of food at the finish and the way it was handed out was effective and efficient. Nice touch with the pictures of Elvis at the end and Elvis signing along the way. Don't think I would change anything.

Course is billed as not hilly but it has some short steep inclines - do not be deceived. My biggest complaint is that many of the roads that you run on for 3-5 miles slope significantly towards the sides. This forces you to run as close as possible to the white line in the middle of the road. I tried to run tight corners and tangents as much as possible but my Garmin still said I ran 26.5 miles. Spectators were not all that enthusiastic. My pace team leader had to stir many of them up to cheer and make noise when we would run by - with the exception for the St Jude's campus itself. Expo was fair and easy to navigate. The highlight was meeting Hal Higdon and hearing him speak. Swag was nothing spectacular for the price. After race food was bountiful. Hot soup and hot chocolate are a great idea to prevent a rapid drop in your core temperature after running.

This is a first class event with some of the best people in the world. It is very flat for the most part, you can finish with a really good time.

This is a great race in a great city. The volunteers are great. The course and weather is great. The expo could be better, but overall a winner! Can't wait to get there again.

I am from Memphis, so of course I had to fly in from Austin for my first marathon. I also did Austin, so I can only compare the two. The course in Memphis was flat and had great fan support for most of the race. They provided GU and had water at every mile. The post-race food was plentiful and included pizza, fruit, bagels, etc. I have realized that these are big pluses after doing the Austin Marathon and supporting friends at their marathons. I also think this race was very organized and it was great crossing the finish line without a traffic jam. Great race!

I would recommend this marathon. The organization was great, and I enjoyed the course - particularly the stretch along the Mississippi River, Beale St., the St. Jude Campus, and the finish in the ballpark. Excellent post-race food. Cool December weather allowed for a PR opportunity. Really nice finisher's medal. Enjoyed staying at a hotel within walking distance of the start and finish.