I'm going to try to focus on things that the organizers can control (i.e. not the weather). The ending of the race was odd; that could be better organized. There were not enough restrooms on the course, as I saw many people waiting for bathrooms. There were some rough spots on the track where people were going in opposite directions. The worst spot on the course was under the overpass, by a water station, with runners going in both directions. My only other major complaint was that there was no Gu provided for the 1/2 marathoners. Most racing suggests a Gu for every hour of running, but there was none available for the 1/2ers.... A Gu station was needed around mile 5 or 6. I had to carry my own, which isn't a huge deal, but kind of inconvenient.

Overall, the race was ok and I would run it again, but I can't say I'd be that thrilled to do so.

This was my 3rd marathon (and 3rd this year). I PRd in spite of sore IT band due to the flat and fast nature of the course. The residential scenery was very, very nice, but the ending was rather weird. Stations were well spaced, and volunteers great. I don't care about spectator support - not the reason I run these (although I do like them when I see them!). Packet pick up could have been at a less congested, it could have been easier to get to the location, there were no safety pins in the packet, and in spite of asking if my chip was in the packet, it turned out it was not (I had to get it the next morning). Pasta dinner the night before: The info they gave us had the wrong address - completely avoidable. It was aggravating to spend the evening before looking for this place that did not exist at that address. Go to Vito's by 1st Place Sports; it was great.

This was my 15th marathon and rate this as an average experience. The course was flat as anticipated, but not very exciting. As previously written not much support or entertainment, but that's not why I run marathons so that was fine. My only negative comment, which I had noted from previous postings, was the quirky finish. You run through a football field, around a dirt trail, then through a baseball field to another dirt path to the track to the finish line. There has to be a better way of doing the last 300 yards. I was also a bit disappointed at the lack of recognition for the silver anniversary of this marathon by the organizers.

Pros: Easy packet pickup, flat and fast course, decent female-specific technical shirt (although it is lime green). Didn't mind the minimal race fans (I don't run these for the applause) and my support team was able to meet me at 6 places throughout the course, which can be tough in some races. Weather was VERY humid at the start but the shaded route is nice.

Cons: Not enough porta potties (I lost over 10 minutes waiting at the single porta potty at mile 8), and I witnessed several near-head-on collisions with the half marathoners after they turned around.

Decent race for a winter marathon and a potential PB... if the weather is right and you don't need to use the porta potty.

Fast course, primarily through residential neighborhoods. Only negative is too few toilets. Will run again.

This race was as flat as advertised, but not overly scenic - other than some very nice residential areas. No real complaints about organization, although there were some stretches where runners going in opposite directions were competing for the same section of road. There weren't many fans - but as a half-marathon runner, that wasn't really an issue. The humidity and relatively high temperatures didn't lend themselves to making this a fast course this year. There wasn't much of an expo (if any) for this race, nor was the post-race offering much to get excited about - although the soup was good. All in all, pretty well organized and supported, but it seems some scenic areas of Jacksonville would be good additions to this course.

I loved the Jacksonville Marathon. Everyone was so friendly; even the Episcopal Church across the street from the start put up signs letting folks know that their bathrooms were open to runners! Folks along the route were giving out goodies: I got some of those famous Florida oranges, and ate TOO MUCH at the finish line: soup, bagels, fruit, and quite a choice of beverages. I don't see how Mr. Kalmer from Milwaukee can say that the course was "not very scenic." The neighborhoods were beautiful: well-kept lawns with lots of BIG trees. My favorites were the live oak trees with Spanish moss and limbs reaching down almost to the ground. He also said "mammoth-size" houses stood between the runners and a nice view, but many of those houses were BEAUTIFUL! I love the architecture of the old South, and while most of the homes were relatively new, many of them followed the patterns of the old Southern traditional homes. The live oaks, the pines, the palms, the marshes and wetlands, and the well-manicured lawns all added to the scenery along the way.

My only disappointment with respect to scenery was that none of the staff from Hooters (which we passed twice) came out to cheer us on. But hey, lots of runners in great shape made for better scenery than that. Great run, excellent flat course, well-stocked aid stations, and though fans were sparse, the ones that were there showed great Southern hospitality and holiday spirit. Even the bus driver was cheery at 5:30 a.m.: she greeted everyone who got on with a smile and a cheery "Good morning!" I'm hoping to do this one again next year.

This was my second marathon, and I loved the course! It was extremely flat and fast! Traffic could have been directed a little better for the runners on the back side of the course in the residential area, but besides that it was a well organized race. Maybe offer bottled water at some of the stations instead of half-filled cups.

I've run four marathons this year and this was the best course, by far! Well organized registration, start, and finish areas. Second shuttle pick-up at the Holiday Inn was about 20 minutes late and led to some last-minute panic for me.

The organization of the race was fine except there were no safety pins in my packet, which sent me scrambling before the race.... My fault, should have checked prior. But the course was flat and not very scenic. We ran next to a river, yes, but we saw it once when we cross the damn thing. After that, mammoth-size houses stood between the runners and a nice view. The water/Gu stations were nicely and evenly dispersed throughout the course. The fans were another story. After the first three miles and a few at the turn, there was virtually no fan support. The only noticeable encouragement I received was from a woman and her little girl in front of their house and I think it was a mistake because she had a dubious look on her face. I think she was just getting the Sunday paper. Overall, the race was fun but weak fan support and some humidity that was dense enough to chew on (no one's fault)!