Nice flat course, nice medal, great shirt, perfect running temps... yadda yadda yadda. Great for a PR. As for the negatives: the stretch from the road to the stadium at the last mile really is dangerous. Be careful. The food was sufficient at the finish line - but it's very difficult to eat half an orange! This may seem like a silly request... but quarter the oranges next year - lol.

Nice course and a well-executed event. The rain (4.75 inches the night before) obviously had to have an impact on the volunteers and organization, but they tried hard not to show it. The course was well laid out, and I loved seeing all the Christmas decorations on peoples' houses. The digital clocks along the course were helpful, and the post-race food was delicious.

For negatives, I think the Bolles gym has reached its capacity for the hundreds of runners and their families who want to come watch the race. There was hardly room to sit or to stretch, and the bathroom lines were long.

Additionally, more could be done to construct a pre-race expo, where vendors are brought in to attract potentially thousands of runners to their wares. The running store seems to have reached its limit.

All in all though, an enjoyable experience and a race I look forward to running again. Sorry to the person below from Daytona. I'm from the Midwest, and I found the people of Jacksonville to be very friendly.

A word of advice: don't let the Floridian promise of warm weather fool you. This place can get cold!

This is the most pleasant and PR-friendly course I've run. My impression may be due in part to the near perfect marathon weather we had this year: cool, calm, and overcast all the way. The only problem was some occasional light rain/showers during the race and a downpour the day before which made the grassy field at the finish a little messy. The organizers should push for some landscaping and/or paving to create a finish worthy of the rest of the course.

This was a small marathon, but a well-organized race. Very flat and fast scenic course. Lots of fun and well worth the money. I like the fact that I could identify the 1/2 marathoners by the different color race bibs. I thought the mile markers, race splits & motorcycle escorts were great. The support on the course was also great, thanks to the volunteers and the small crowd that gave me support even in the pouring rain. The post-race food was sufficient; the hot soup was a nice touch, considering the rainy conditions on the course. In addition to the food, we received a great, finisher's medal and long-sleeve shirt. Pretty nice for a small marathon. I want to say I had a great time. I missed the expo do to arriving late Saturday night. Although I'm not judging it, the weather did put a damper on the post-race atmosphere. But, I can imagine this being a fantastic event when they have a day with good weather. Try it!!! I will most certainly return to run this one again.

Even with the rain, I enjoyed my experience at the 2005 Jax Marathon. Didn't get the PR I was hoping for, but was still able to get a BQ. The course is very flat and the police did an excellent job controlling the traffic on the course. Almost too good, my wife found it hard to get around. Not a very spectator-friendly course. Although finishing on a track was nice, the cross-country trek you take over the last 1/2 mile was horrible. Because it rained most of the day, the soccer field and trail you run on before you reach the track were slippery and muddy. Some changes to the last 1/2 mile would have to be made before I would think about doing this race again.

This year's race was a great event -- especially for first-time marathoners like myself. Small enough to manage without being overwhelmed by the crowds. It was a nice course, beautifully flat through quiet neighborhoods.

The only complaints stem from it being a small race: streets not closed in the middle of the route, a lack of consistency in placing and manning aid stations. That, and the 'volunteers', mentioned in previous years' reviews, puttering along on their big motorcycles, spewing exhaust in the runners' faces and blasting obnoxious music on their radios. I could have done without that.

That's not to diminish the race. Nice t-shirt, nice medal, and although the crowd was small, it was enthusiastic -- the family of kids at mile 23 gave me the push I needed to finish. A good small-town marathon.

First of all, let me say that the 1/2 marathon course was wonderful and the fans were great - especially at mile 12(?) with the cheerleaders. We loved them!! But the volunteers left a lot to be desired. It all started with packet pick up. The people were rude and short. Then as I came across the finish line, the man handing out the medals (in the blue hat and jeans jacket) got mad at me for not saying 'thank you.' I apologized and told him I couldnt breathe very well yet and he threw his hand in my face to brush me off! I have never been treated like this before in all of my 15 years of running. But back to the positive, the course was great, a little muddy but that added to the fun. But maybe next year you should find different volunteers.

A great winter getaway marathon. The day of packet pick-up was convenient and by far one of the best race shirts I have ever received. The course is - for the most part - flat, but don't expect a lot of fans cheering you on or being extremely crowded w/ runners after the 1/2 marathoners finished. Do expect scenic neighborhoods, good traffic control and a very cool finish at the school track. One big comment: Add more porta-potties.

This was my 12th marathon and I set a PR, beating the time I set 3 months earlier in Berlin. The start was a little chilly and it was cool all along the course through the end. It is amazing how flat the course is. Generally speaking I really enjoyed this marathon a lot; if you have tried large marathons (Chicago, Berlin, NYC) and want to experience something different without worrying about a number of things related to big events, this is the perfect option. I will run it again in '05.

I enjoyed this race because it was everything I thought it would be. The course is extremely flat, the weather was cool in the beginning and still cool towards the end, and the water stops were fully manned.

My only complaint is that at certain points (mainly the end of the half-marathon course) it got a little hectic and confusing over which direction to get.

This race is awesome. If you want to PR, for race selection this is the race to do. Additionally, the entrance fee was low in comparison to some of the other marathons I have run.