I have hopes of being a 50-stater but it will be hard not to do this one every year. Great city, great course, and great enthusiasm from beginning to end. Kid bands were the best of the music, but there was enough music along the way that I didn't think about wanting an iPod. Raising over $1,000 as a St. Jude hero came with great rewards, like the outstanding pasta dinner at the Peabody Hotel, and top-notch amenities and hospitality for the Heroes Lounge pre- and post-race. Worthy cause made it easy to keep going. Don't change a thing, except maybe having to walk up the steps to get out of the stadium after the race!

Great race for a great cause. I pushed my disabled son in a special needs jog stroller for the whole race. There were lots of great spectators, and running through the St. Jude campus was awesome! My only complaint is with the course marshals in the first five miles. I started alone in the wheelchair start and got lost between mile two and three because there were no volunteers out to direct runners - and the Memphis Police had no idea of where to go.

Perfect day: cool but not cold, and sunny but not hot. Aid stations were well staffed by enthusiastic people. I loved going through the St. Jude campus. Special thanks to the 3:20 pacers. BQ for me! My only point of contention is that the elevation map obscures the many rolling hills and valleys. I recommend it highly.

First off, let me say that they put together a great race. It was very well organized.

I do want to voice my concern though. This was the first marathon for me and my husband, and we have been so excited and nervous! I have to say, though, that I almost cried at the expo. I feel that since we pre-registered, that should ensure a proper count of participants, including the correct sizing for their shirts. We registered back in August. You can imagine my complete disappointment when I arrive at the expo to be told they didn't have any small or medium shirts. I could have taken a large or extra large. (I registered for a small.) I know to some people it is just a shirt, but to me there is nothing like running your first marathon and not having a shirt to remember it by.

Again, it was a great race, but I am still very sad that I completed my first marathon and have no shirt to remember it by. Maybe next year they could place the shirts with the bibs to ensure that those who registered get their shirts.

A wonderful experience!!! Great organization, easy packet pickup, just-the-right-size expo. Nice long sleeved tech shirt, Nike running cap, and beautiful finisher's medal. Enthusiastic volunteers, and lots of "thanks for running!!" Race day was perfect - cool temps, sunny, with plenty of shade along the course. Lots of entertainment, water/porta-lets at every mile - you can't beat that!! VERY enthusiastic spectators, especially in the first half. One thing to note: the camber of the road between miles 17 and 20 is fairly steep in some places. If you have ITB issues, it could be aggravated here. All runners have their name/hometown announced at the finish line. HOT post-race showers in the Memphis Redbirds baseball stadium locker rooms make this an overall GREAT marathon experience!!!

This was my first marathon, and I ran as a St. Jude Hero. One of the best parts of the marathon was running through the St. Jude campus. There was a huge cheering section with families and patients, and it was an incredibly powerful reminder of why we were running! The expo was fabulous. Packet pick up was organized and quick, and I enjoyed shopping at the booths.

The spectators helped keep me motivated. We finished in Autozone Park with our names being called, and Elvis gave me my medal. The food after was good - pizza, doughnuts, cookies, fruit, etc.

This was a wonderful first marathon experience for the best cause I could imagine.

Loved having aid stations at every mile! Lots of great spectators in the downtown area, but rather sparse in other areas. Fun to finish on field for the AAA baseball team! Largely flat, really good run!

Wow! I was so impressed with the race organization! Everything was perfect: nice cool race in December, for a hilly city the course was laid out with the runner in mind, great expo, plenty of port-a-johns, great finish line food/drink... I can go on and on. I highly recommend this race.

The cool temps were perfect (I'm a cold weather-runner), and fan support was great - I can't remember how many times we were thanked for supporting St. Jude's by spectators! The post-race food was great; they had the marathon and half-marathon food separated, so there was plenty left. Fan support was a bit sparse after the half-marathoners broke off and the industrial area was a bit boring; however, there was music periodically and the fans that were there were very supportive. The expo was great and well organized. Downtown Memphis was a breeze to get around in. We parked the car Friday and walked everywhere; we didn't get back in the car until it was time for the trip home. This was my third marathon and we are considering coming back again this year because we had so much fun! I'd highly recommend this race!

I ran the half in prep for a full a few weeks later. Packet pick up and expo were well organized. Race start with pace groups were well displayed. It was around 32 degrees at start - perfect for me after we got started. The half-marathon course was fun. Beale Street was very cool - 4 or 5 rows deep with spectators. This was a fun course. It consisted of a nice mixture of hills and flats. Plenty of aid stations. Lot of entertainment on the course. The finish was at the minor league baseball park. Cool medal. Great food at the finish. Best cause of any marathon. Must do.