I dropped out at mile 14, having gone off too fast (1:27 halfway). When I stopped at the ambulance point, they said I would have to wait 2 hours to get a lift back into town. I ended up walking the 4 miles back in pain with a fellow retiree. Pretty miserable stuff.

I finally broke 3 hours in Dublin, so it will have a special place in my heart for the rest of my life. It was hillier than I expected - and definitely windier - but the great fans warmed my heart. I wish every marathon handed out the little 250ml water bottles that Dublin does - I really think that was a key to my finally breaking 3 hours. It is SO much easier to drink from a small bottle than from a cup, where most of the water goes up your nose or onto the ground.

I really enjoyed this marathon. The only thing that could be approved is at the start. The people who walk all the way should have to start off behind the ones who will run.

Dublin was my 7th marathon and 1st time running a marathon outside the United States. However, it is right up there with Boston as one of my favorites. How can you not love a marathon with such an international field and such friendly spectators cheering for everyone who goes by? The weather in Dublin in late October is nearly ideal for running. The course, although not entirely flat, is only gently rolling and having a loop formation makes it much easier from a logistics perspective (as opposed to a point-to-point). I thoroughly enjoyed my experience! The only downside, which was my own fault, was arriving only 48 hours prior to the marathon on a 10-hour flight and a 7-hour time change from California. For anyone coming from the West Coast of the US, I would recommend allowing at least 3-4 days to adjust, which I believe would have helped reduce much of the stiffness I felt in the last hour of the race. Nevertheless, I still ran my best marathon time in 7 years. I definitely would come back and run Dublin again (hopefully at some point in the future when the US dollar regains some strength against the euro!). Thanks again to all the wonderful supporters of this race. Slainte!

I would highly recommend this marathon for runners of any level. The course was "easy" and beautiful, but its best features were the warmth and friendliness of the Dubliners out to cheer us on. My fellow participants, from all over the world were also supportive and fun to chat with. I loved having my medal put personally around my neck with a "Well done." My only complaint comes from the printed instructions, which told us to be at the start at 8:00 a.m. for a 9:15 race. It was very cold and an icy wind made things worse. I felt like I never entirely thawed out. But then, I'm a wimp from California.

Our party from Birchfield Harriers in Birmingham made a long weekend of it, arriving early Saturday and leaving late Wednesday after the run on Monday. Well organised at start and finish, handling 8400+ runners on the day. Cheap to fly if you book early, and some reasonably-priced B&B's. Happy to give full details of our stay if anyone is interested in a similar trip.

Dublin isn't the most scenic city but the undulating course shows it off well. Smooth organization at the start, finish, and in between, means that you can concentrate on enjoying a really good atmosphere. The big international field means the runners are as friendly as the crowd.

first time running a 26 mile course didn't quite know what to expect ,but loved it all the way round ,course was quite flat and the weather was ideal i think i could not have picked a better marathon for my first.the spectators on the day were great ,but best part for me were the other runners that took part they were awesome.it would be great to be back next year

This is my 4th consecutive year running this marathon. It appeals to me for a number of reasons. The course is not particularly difficult, great finishing medal, bottled water along the route, the Phoenix Park and the wonderful spectators handing out sweets and giving great support along the course. The energy gels were a great idea and boy did they work! The goody bag at the end was ridiculous. It just did not contain enough food. I have run Budapest twice and you should see their goody bag. It even contains a can of beer after you have worked your way through endless bars of chocolate and bags of crisps! They also provide food at their drinks stations such as bananas. The finish area is a bit chaotic and there just seems to be a bit too much walking to be done. All in all a very good marathon. With a little bit of fine tuning this could be even better.

Every marathon I do I read and laugh at some of the petty and pathetic comments made about it. The comments made by the second review for this years race is one example. First, it may seem ike a half a mile walk to get your medal and T-Shirt but it wasn't anywhere near that far. With regards to the baggage area I did Boston in April and the walk from the baggage drop off to the start was as long as Dublin. Did I complain? No, Instead I proudly walked through the streets of Lovely Hopkington and enjoyed every step, took up my position and ran the marathon. At the end there was a foiled sheet wrapped around me, was it enough to keep me warm? No. I had to wait ages to get my bag. Did I complain? No. You see when you have thousands of people running 26.2 miles through and around a city your going to have organizational difficulties. To me it's about covering 26.2 miles in the best time I can. All I ask for is food stations which there was plenty of in Dublin, mile markers first aid and portoloo facilities, which there were also. Whats the problem?? Maybe some people just aren't happy unless their unhappy! Oh and one other thing if you want scenery jump on a city tour bus. The Boston marathon doesn't pass many scenic sites but it is without doubt the undisputed champion of marathon courses.