I have run the Dublin marathon three times before and this was always going to be tough as far as I was concerned. I did put in a lot of training beforehand and my aim was to get a time of 3:05, as I have always come up short by 10-12 minutes. Putting in those long runs in all weather can and should pay off, and as far as I was concerned this year was going to be different and I was not going to hit the wall like the last couple of years. I believe those runs paid off. The atmosphere in Dublin - my home - is great, and running a marathon is a lot of fun, and I think any person who loves running and wants a friendly and a fantastic welcome should come to my home city. My time was 3:07.46, just two minutes over the time I was aiming for - but a PB, so I can't complain. Next year I will aim for 3 hours.

I got a personal best and my first time under four at my fourth attempt in Dublin (3:51). The weather was perfect: sunny, cool and no wind. The course and organization of both the race and the expo were great as always, and support was brilliant - especially as you come back into the city center. Only downside was in the first mile - just as I was getting into stride, there was a bottleneck turning onto Nassau Street, causing everyone to slow down and virtually walk. A couple of the drink stations were a bit chaotic compared to previous years. Finally, why do people insist on using Mp3 players in a race? Soak up the atmosphere of the event; it will probably spur you on more.

The Dublin Marathon was extremely organized and also very friendly (take note, London and Edinburgh Marathons).

There were plenty of water stations, offering small bottles of drinking water; other stations were offering running gels and energy drinks. The marathon route was not as congested with runners as you might see at the London Marathon. The spectators went wild with excitement shouting and screaming encouragement to all of the runners.

The air was filled with wonderful drumming and fantastic music, which kept runners' weary legs moving.

Runners, I was extremely ill on the day. Running and completing this marathon was a great trumph for me.

The Dublin Marathon is probably one of the proudest runs of my life.

The Dublin Marathon medal is a real beauty, and the goody bag was packed to the brim.

Well done by Adidas, and by all sponsors involved. I was truly impressed.

This was my first international marathon. It compares favorably with the Marine Corps Marathon in DC in terms of size and the course. Well organized. Good course with minimal elevation. People couldn't have been friendlier. Dublin is wonderful and the pubs await all.

Well done, Dublin. Great race, great weather, great crowds. Dublin pulled it off again yesterday with another brilliant marathon. It was very well organized, with huge support all along course. This race is getting bigger and better every year. They have it near perfect. Again, bravo, Dublin.

I came with the Arthritis Foundation Group. This was one of the highlights of my life.

This was my first time in Ireland, and I really enjoyed this marathon. The course took us through the old city and out through the parks beyond (a bit hilly there), to return back to the center - with crowds cheering all along the route. It was cool day with a drop or two of rain, but ideal for running.

The only difficulty was the last 10K, where the organizers only closed down half of the road through the center, causing a bottleneck of jostling bodies all going different speeds towards the finish line. It is a big race now - 12,700 runners - and it's time to close down the whole road to traffic.

I would gladly run this again.

Fantastic weather for the race (14 C). Well organized, with lots of water/gel stations. Great crowds with a true tour of Dublin and a city-center finish on Dublin's premier Georgian Square.

This was my first marathon overseas and it was amazing. The city, the people, the race, and the weather were all great. Yes, it is possible to run in Dublin and not have wind or rain.

PROS:
- The people of Dublin lined the course and were cheering, "Well done!" They really embrace the nickname "The Friendly Marathon."
- The plastic water bottles and sports drink bottles were a genius idea. I wish more races would use these.
- The port-a-johns in the starting area were abundant and organized in such a way that the lines moved quickly.

CONS:
- The first couple of miles in the city are very crowded. There was actually a 90-degree turn that forced runners to walk. Ouch! Once you get out of the city, it opens up, but in the first 5 miles or so I was only really finding running space on the sidewalks.
- The post-race lunch box left me wanting something else. The cheese sandwich was disappointing to say the least.
- Be warned that this is not a flat course. It is actually rather hilly. If you train in the hills, as I do, it really isn't bad at all (I had an 8-minute PR). However, if you train on mostly flat land, it can be a shock to the system.

Would I run this marathon again? Maybe. There are so many great marathons....

Would I recommend this race? No question.

Overall, a great experience!

Having done a few marathons abroad, I was keen to experience the home marathon for comparison. I was proud of it and I couldn't find fault with anything really. Will be very keen to do it again, even if it is wet and windy (can't always get perfect weather).