I combined my marathon with a week of site seeing afterward, so I did not compete for a PR. In fact when I knew that I wouldn't break 5 hours I slowed down more and walked some. But almost at the end, when I was walking I saw a man in the crowd and he saw me - he stepped toward me and said it is only 300 meters - you want to run. I was in that fog and just looked at him as I walked - so he came closer and said, 'you want to run' - then he put his arm around my shoulder and said, 'run' and started running a bit with me, then he pushed me along and I was relaunched. That gesture of kindness filled me with inspiration and I ran the rest of the way, feeling great!

I will never forget that man's kindness - it was one of the most random, kind, and gentle gestures that I have had in my life. It made me love Ireland and it made me want to visit again - I wish I could tell him how much that meant. He will never know.

Other than a bad racing stratagy, I really enjoyed this race. I went to fast at the start and really paid for it. The Pace groups where great and easy to spot. I prefer more water on the course(water every 5km) is too far later in the race. Great city to run through. If you are from out of town I would recommend that you spent a few extra days to sight see I did and really enjoyed it.

I have run the Baltimore marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, Frederick marathon and Boston marathon. Dublin marathon was my favorite! The spectators were amazing. Organization was fantastic. Loved having water bottles supplied along the course, I'm use to caring a water bottle. It could be a little dangerous when runners would drop the bottles on the course. It was not a hilly course, I'm use to training on hills. I prefer a rolling course, but altogether a 5 star marathon!!!

This race is simply great. The course, the weather, the organization and the enthusiasm of the Dubliners lining the route all contribute to the wonderful atmosphere that prevails. The 4K breakfast run the day before, followed by Irish music and dancing in the convention center was a treat for overseas runners like me and the race expo was also very complete. I appreciated the exhibit covering the history and evolution of the Dublin marathon since it demonstrated to me that the organizers value what they are offering.
I had a great run- negative split. For once I did it right. I arrived a week early to get adjusted to the food and the clock. I had a massage three days before the race and I did some wonderful dune running on Bull Island, minutes from the city center.
Every race is different and all offer great memories but Dublin is exceptional and for runners on the US East Coast in particular this really presents a wonderful cultural opportunity.
The only oddity was getting drinks in plastic bottles at the water stops instead of paper cups.

This was my third and by far my BEST marathon experience. My husband and I ran this race and had such a great time. The people of Dublin are AMAZING! This is truly the 'Friendliest Marathon' in Europe. We couldn't go a mile without a crowd of well-wishers shouting 'Well Done.' There was plenty of water and some type of ionic Powerade-type drink along the way. The course was a little hilly during the first 15 miles and then flattened out. Our favorite part was running through the magnificent Phoenix Park - Autumn in Dublin is truly beautiful and you'll see all the colors running through the park. We were so lucky with the weather, it was 48 degrees F and sunny. Thanks to all the organizers and volunteers for an incredible experience. We want to come back!!

Ran it for the second time in 2012, and the spectator support was just as good as the first time (which is to say excellent) and the drinks etc were even better than the previous year's.
On mile 26 the public were great but maybe, just maybe caused a bit of a bottlekneck on Westland Row and the bottom of Grafton St by crowding in- - definitely slowed a few people around me down- easily fixed with better marshalling

Overall - I loved the marathon and would do it again.
Pros:
-The people of Ireland are fantastic
-The course is very nice. I liked the zoo.
-Organization was SUPER
CONS:
-it was 60 degrees and humid at the start. I expected much cooler.
-Way too crowded in the first 2-3 miles
-My fault - I arrived on Saturday from the US after flying all night and was screwed up for 2 days. I should have come a day earlier

It is worth doing this one - great experience.

To visit Ireland was fantastic.
Everything was great.
I felt connected to the country and the people.
The marathon itself was great.
Why don't they post the finishers by net result.
I finished faster than many others with a net time higher than mine.
Also can I get a breakdown of split times. I could not find the site.
Thank you
Bill Mccabe

Great course. I ran it in 1983 When I was in college in Dublin and it is still as friendly. The organizers need to get rid of the plastic bottles at every water stop and use paper cups. What a waste of plastic and a major tripping hazard. Also the mile markers were not obvious and time clocks non existent . The spectators were great braving a wet dreary day. Great conditions for running. The course is rolling hills with a few nice climbs thrown in for good measure. This was my 13th marathon and nice to be home again

This was my second time running Dublin, the first being in '03 or '04. The course itself is nice, but the downtown finish cannot accommodate the number of people now allowed to enter. With many streets closed off, runners feel like rats in a maze, given a basic bag of goodies then forced on, with very little in terms of support. I found it very difficult to find my spouse, or even how to get out of the maze. This would be bad enough in good weather, but if it rains, which it did in '11 and which is not unlikely any time in the fall in Dublin, it is miserable. If one is to travel across the pond for an October race, better to run Loch Ness, which provides warm food, covered seating, and is wise enough to cap the race at a reasonable number. Other big city marathons, like New York and Chicago, finish in parks that can accomodate large numbers. Dublin should either move the finish away from the downtown core, or set a reasonable cap on entrants. Big is not always better.