My biggest gripe was the carb load before the marathon. You know that it's not going to be one big party, that restaurants in the area are going to be offering discounts on pasta dishes. We couldn't find any pasta!! From the list given, we went to BB King's. They didn't even serve pasta any longer. The places that did have pasta were reservation-only, but we had only just gotten the packet Friday night, so we were out of luck. Finally we gave up and drove out of town to a Ruby Tuesday! No carb load party, and I was kind of looking forward to that part.

After the race I was basically a wreck, so we never really got a chance to party on Beale St. WE WILL BE BACK! People in Memphis are awesome! So friendly! Great supporters of the race! The course was super hilly for a Midwesterner. Not giant hills but definitely consistent. No one could argue that it's flat!! After the 1/2 marathoners veered off, it was pretty desolate, I thought. There were some supporters and bands that brought tears to my eyes. With no crowds running with me, I got a lot of personal attention, which I totally needed. By 20 I gave up and started walking. Jesse, wherever you are, I love ya, girlfriend. We made it by running flat parts and walking the hills for the last 6 miles. That night I thought, never again!!! But by morning, I was already thinking strategy for my next marathon. Thank you, Memphis, for being my first!

I was very pleased with the organization of the race. Packet pickup and the expo were quick and easy, even in downtown Memphis on a Friday afternoon. The discount at area restaurants the night before the race was a nice perk. The staggered start went well, and it was a blast starting near and running down Beale a couple times. Keeping in mind that the overall experience was fantastically positive, a couple things I wasn't a huge fan of (so others are surprised):

1. It was a blast running with the half marathoners for the first 12.5 miles. The fan support was tremendous and there were a good number of other runners, but never was it overly crowded. After the half-marathoners turned off for their finish, however, fan support was limited to the hydration stations every mile. There were a few individuals here and there along the way and the volunteers at the water stops were very supportive, but don't expect many cheering crowds between mile 13 and mile 26.

2. I was excited about the prospect of finishing inside Auto Zone park. The reality, though, let me down. I like to SEE the finish line to give me something to push towards, but here it was obscured by the park itself until the last 150 meters. After running that far, I don't want to have to remind myself how close I am. I want to see it approaching.

3. After finishing on the field, you have to walk up stadium steps to get to the concourse. Cruel... just cruel. But once you get to the concourse in right field, all of the bananas, oranges, hot soup, and cold beer make you feel better.

This was a very well run race, with great support and great people, for a great cause. The staggered start was an excellent idea, as it kept the beginning from becoming the usual traffic jam. Lots of aid stations, but having them right on the mile markers makes it hard to record splits. Very surprised how hilly Memphis is. My hammies were killing me by Mile 19, but that could also be due to over-training. Or the overaggressive pace groups. And as great as it is to end in a stadium, placing a downhill at the finish line is just cruel. (Didn't Elvis say something about that?) I did my best Yosemite Sam right up until the cameras. Food at the end was plentiful, but having ribs for dinner was why I did this race.

I enjoyed this race very much, as this was my first time to do a full 26.2 mile marathon. I loved the finish of running through the Auto Zone Park. The course was awesome, and the water stops and fan support were great. Would have liked to have seen more bands, but I know it's hard to get enough for all the entire course. I would definitely do this one again. My family did the 5K race and also enjoyed their experience as well. All of it was a very, very well organized and great running experience. Great job to all of those who were responsible for putting this together.

This was a fun and very well organized event for a fantastic cause. It was a cold (36F) start but I felt warm after 2 miles and rolled my long sleeves up later in the race. Not totally flat but not very hilly either. Hills are easier than the Nashville. Aid stations at EVERY mile were very cool. Excellent stadium finish too, with your name announced as you enter the stadium! The full/half/5K were all sold out early this year. Can't wait for next year!

The expo was top-notch. The staggered start by pace kept the flow of the race going and allowed for a smooth start. The course was somewhat flat but with meaningful inclines and hills. The spectators were awesome. The finish in the ballpark was fun (running on warning track was a refreshing break for the legs!), and the post-race festivities were great. I highly recommend this race.

Of the four marathons that I have run, this one was, by far, the best organized. As far as I know there was water, PowerAde, and porto-johns at every mile. The online registration, check in, etc. were flawless for me. There seemed to be plenty of personnel and they were all great.

Based on comments, I expected the course to be hilly. It did not seem that way to me but I live in the Piedmont region of NC. My guess is that this marathon picks up a lot of Midwestern folks who do their long runs in pretty flat places. I did not find most of the course to be particularly interesting or attractive but the view of the Mississippi River in the early miles was great and it was also a kick to run through Beale Street a couple of times.

The wave start is a great idea, especially since the full and half marathoners start together. The pace teams were great (although I could not quite keep up with the 3:30 team as I had hoped).

The finish at AutoZone Park was fantastic and it was great having such an abundance of high carb, low nutrition stuff at the end (I have never met a Krispy Kreme donut I didn't like).

I tend to not repeat marathons but this could be an exception. If I still lived in Memphis, I might stay marathon ready to do this every year (or at least the half).

My only gripe (really minor) is I am convinced that the 20-mile mark was misplaced. I was knocking out eight-minute miles consistently, but my 20th mile came in at 9:00+ and my 21st mile came in at under 7:00. Just a bit of demoralization at a time I did not need it. I would be interested in hearing if others thought the 20-mile point was off.

Bottom line: the St. Jude's people have nailed this and are doing it right. I would recommend this for the first-timer or the 50+ marathon veterans. It starts and ends in downtown Memphis, which is a great destination for a weekend. And, to top it off, St. Jude's Children's Hospital is a fantastic cause.

The Memphis Marathon slogan: "Let's Rock!" But the truth is that those kids at St. Jude rock, and running for them gave me the strength to train and run hard. It's a superb course, surprisingly challenging and... well, it was very cold, so if folks say that there weren't a lot of people out, that's why. Runners I spoke to afterward were in the showers trying to warm up! It was fun and the city provides lots to do for a fun-filled weekend for runners and their families at discounted prices. I live in Texas, so I felt great during the whole thing.

This was my first marathon, and I came away inspired - by the number of St. Jude "Hero" runners, by the enthusiasm of the spectators (favorite sign: "You're all Kenyans to me!"; Second favorite: "You are all crazy."), and by the camaraderie among runners along the way. Well done! (And I agree with the comment below regarding the soup - that REALLY hit the spot!)

Positives totally outnumber the criticisms.

Positives:
-Challenging course
-Hospitality was second-to-none
-On-course support at mile markers is first-rate
-Course was lined with wonderful folks offering support
-The flip-flop of finish lines was a good idea, eliminating backup to get the chip timer removed....

The one negative:
-The Autozone Park concourse is a logistically terrible pre- and post-race. Pre-race check-in is very difficult because the concourse is too narrow to form a line. AFTER the race it's almost like a cruel joke... you run your 26.2 or 13.1, and THEN you have to take on the long row of stairs to a jam-packed concourse.

Half-marathon supporters best not try to see their runner cross the finish line until this is fixed because you will not be able to find a place where you can see.

I'll be back, but PLEASE adapt the concourse to be user-friendly.