This is truly the best organized race I've ever run. I thought maybe I just got lucky in 2008 but everything was top-notch again this year! I love that the host hotel is where everything happens. I parked my car at the hotel the night before the race and never saw it again until it was time to drive home! The expo, pasta meal, after party, and the start and finish lines are all right there. I feel certain that I will return to run this race again sometime.

This marathon is very well organized, with a very flat course and great amenities. Very nice Nike tech shirt, plus a finisher's hat. Plenty of course support, and although the spectators were limited, the ones out there showed their support. The opportunity for all of the runners to have a chance to win $500 in a drawing is great. This was #16 and ran a PR. I would highly recommend this one.

This was my first time to do Rocket City. I was not well prepared for the race, but that did not prevent me from having a GREAT time!! The race was well organized and the course could not have been marked any better. I will do this one again and I recommend this race to anyone looking for a December marathon.

Course: Very fast. It has hills, but nothing crazy, mostly gently up and down. Great for a PR. I rated it only 3 stars because it is not very scenic - mostly residential areas, and this time of year everything is a bit brown. Nothing the organizers could do about that - not like they are going to run this marathon in summer!!

Weather: Windy, but otherwise great. The rain held off. It was in the high 30s, maybe the low 40's by the end of the race.

Spectators: It was lousy weather for spectating, so that might be why crowd support was so minimal. There were long stretches through beautiful neighborhoods with nobody in sight. LOVED the lawn of ceramic birds. I've never run a race with headphones before, but I would really have liked to wear them for this race. Much of it was pretty boring - no exciting scenery, few spectators. The organizers should reconsider their no-headphones rule, in my opinion.

Organization: Spectacular! Many excellent volunteers. End couldn't have been better - a huge feed, and a personal greeter to help you if you needed it at the finish.

I thought the organizers of this event did an excellent job in terms of arrangements for the marathon and related activities. The pasta dinner was well liked, the runners' expo had lots to offer, and on the day of the race, there were plenty of law enforcement personnel to control traffic at the many intersections. Aid stations were reasonably spaced and well stocked too.

My complaint with the event is the course itself. It's dull. There isn't much visually that stands out in Huntsville, aside from the Saturn rockets outside of Space Camp, I suppose, but the course goes on a serpentine-like path through countless neighborhoods, with many, many turns. Then it goes down about four miles along the Whitesburg Road commercial strip and back into the neighborhoods. It was something that caused a lot of decent low-three-hour runners to lose interest in the second half.

I ran this marathon because it was close to home, but it turns out that it was very enjoyable. I got my personal best time due to the flatness of the course, which made it awesome. I will be doing this marathon again 2009. Add it to your calender and enjoy the best post-race food around!!

I have run Rocket City 3 times, including my PR and Boston Qualifier in 2002. Great course, very well managed race, friendly people, and an all-around great event. It's a good race for beginners, and for those looking for a smaller race with room to run.

It was a good marathon, though kind of cold. Make sure you can run in six hours or less, otherwise there will be no support and no spectators.

This was my 4th marathon en route to 50 in 50 states. I am very glad that I chose Huntsville as my Alabama Marathon.

Beginning with the check-in and packet pickup, I could tell that this race was very well organized. The expo was a little small, but it still had all of the major items covered. The pasta dinner was great, and I enjoyed the speaker, who said he would be running a "training" run with us, which turned out to be an easy victory for him.

This race give the feeling of a small-town race with a lot of personal touches. The medal was very nice, as was the t-shirt. The post-race food and massage were excellent! Despite the comments I had read for previous years regarding too many turns on the course, I actually thought it broke the course up in a way that made it easier.

The people of Huntsville are extremely friendly and the race organizers went the extra mile. From first-timer to seasoned veteran, this is a great marathon and I would recommend it to anyone!!!

I have to agree with the other comments. This was a great race for both first-timers and experienced marathoners. This was my 18th marathon and it is my new favorite. From the friendly race support crew to the huge spread of tasty food at the end, this race had it all. You also got a tech shirt and hat, as well as a nice finisher medal and a finish line photo in the mail. Highly recommended!!