The Death Valley Marathon was one of my most enjoyable races. The race director is hysterical, which adds quite a bit to the experience. Also, the grand prize (for women), which I surprisingly won, was a rubber chicken purse. I am carrying the chicken with pride. The every-3-mile aid stations were barely adequate, but I actually did OK not carrying hydration. At each station, I grabbed 2 of their large cups.

My sister offered to volunteer at one aid station, and when she offered to hand out cups to the runners, a volunteer said, "No, we don't do that. We leave the cups on the table." Thankfully, my sister did manage to change their minds. They don't have many volunteers, so they tend not to hand out water. Call me picky (the director gently made fun of people like me), but really, I hate to spend precious seconds taking water from the tables. Of course, there aren't many volunteers in the desert. Still, whatever effort they CAN make to hand the cups to runners would be great.

The course is astounding. I have NEVER seen anything like it! Psychologically it's a real challenge because it's SO quiet, and the optical illusion of the desert makes it appear as though you will have to run FOREVER to get anywhere. It was SO worth the training and every effort for such a wonderful race! Talk about friendly people and beautiful nature! I loved it, loved it, LOVED it (even if we had to fetch our own water sometimes)!

So, if you are wondering whether to run this marathon, I would say, DO IT!

I ran Death Valley for my second marathon, and absolutely loved it! It's nice to have a peaceful scenic run! I have to say that the "no headphones" rule, along with the fact there only a handful of runners, creates a great sense on camaraderie among the runners. I highly recommend Death Valley to anyone!! I also beat my LA time by 10 minutes (finishing in 3:36), which I probably couldn't have done if isolated by my headphones.

This was my first road trip to Death Valley, which I did in the middle of the night (from Vegas) to get there in time to pick up my bib and start running. I was glad that I drove there in the dark because walking outside to the start line of the race was like opening a present on Christmas morning. What a spectacular view! The pre-race speech and song put a smile on my face. The little things like trail mix and pretzels at the aid stations made it just perfect. I read all of the information and comments beforehand, so I knew to pack water and expect absolute silence. There were a few long hills (around mile 24), but they weren't a problem, even for a Michigander like me. But, it was PHENOMENAL! And, the drive back to Las Vegas (arrived just in time to eat some pasta before heading off to run the full marathon in Vegas the next morning) was just spectacular! My only - very minor - suggestion would be to put the date on the medal.

Just ran this race the other day, and I really liked it a lot. The course is totally barren, but still beautiful in its own right. If you need the scenery to constantly change, and thousands of spectators and fellow runners to keep you motivated, this is not the race for you. But if you want to run a marathon that is not like every other Rock 'n' Roll marathon, this is a great one. The organization is at a bare minimum, which makes this feel like a bunch of people just going for a long weekend run together. Definitely bring a water bottle and your own nutrition, as the aid stations are few and far between.

All and all, I thought this race was really fun. There was a sense that you were always running downhill, which was mentally very nice (with the exception of one, totally manageable, hill). Also, the race organizer was really nice and funny, and gave a speech before the race, which really set the tone for everyone to have a fun time.

Lastly, all the people running the race were really nice and there was a great sense of camaraderie with this race. Since it was an out-and-back, there was a point where all the race leaders pass everyone else, and one of the guys in the lead pack was reaching out and giving everyone going in the opposite direction high-fives. That is pretty impressive for someone in the front of a race to be doing.

I liked this race a lot, and would definitely recommend it to any adventurous marathoner.

I ran the 2009 marathon this weekend. What an amazing view. Great course. It is predominantly flat, as advertised; however, there are a few hills. I would run this race again just for the beauty of it. I ran a PR - somewhere under 3:39:00, but I don't know yet because I haven't gotten official results yet (3 days later).

Furnace Creek is a great hotel. Great drive in too.

The course was beautiful and the organization of the event was exactly as advertised. Aid stations were placed approximately every three miles with plenty of water, Gatorade and snacks. There was quite a bit of traffic along the course as it runs along a main road through Death Valley. The scenery was spectacular! There were zero spectators along the course, but the folks driving by did honk their support. :) This was my 6th marathon, and I do rate it as one of the more difficult due to the isolation and because it was an out-and-back course. (As such, there wasn't much variation or distraction.) Overall it was a great experience, it was easy logistically, and it comes highly recommended.

Death Valley was my first marathon. The course is beautiful and running at (or below) sea level makes you feel like you have an oxygen tank. There aren't any "big" hills, but on the way back (second half), you may notice some climbs that you had no idea you passed during the first half. The dry environment will be taxing, so hydration is key. It was a very small race, with few spectators, and aid stations every 3 miles. I like small races with a high "scenic" component, so this was my kind of event. It was definitely a very personal experience - one that I will cherish forever.

Two days ago, I embarked on a personal journey to see if I could still run a marathon reasonably well after having run a 2:30 back in 1987 at Grandma's at the tender age of 35. At 55, I was happy to make a good run even though I was a bit disappointed with my time.

The course was fun, fair, and scenic (even with the sameness). The runners were friendly and determined. The medical personnel were terrific and got me back on my feet after experiencing a rapid increase in my pulse rate and a very low blood pressure reading.

Lodging was good. The spaghetti sauce was terrible at the local restaurant, and there was not much fan support, but that simply added to the challenge of running Death Valley.

The director was good-natured and rustic like the environment. I love the first place award - a rubber chicken... or was it a duck? Overall, the race was simple, the accommodations were simple, and the timing was simple (no chip). And that's what I liked best - running the way it was intended to be. Running should be primitive, challenging, animal, and without the accoutrements that detract from its purity. Running with nothing but vultures flying overhead and the desert sands beneath your weary feet is what it's all about. Thank you, Envirosports, for quite an enjoyable experience.

Overall the course was nice and the scenery was fantastic. A lot of silence and solitude as you run across Death Valley as the sun rises. Very tranquil and beautiful.

The race organization could be better, however. They really need to open up registration the night before (at least for 1-2 hours) to prevent the absolute mayhem that occured last year. Lines were snaking every which way and then after getting your bib you had to wait in yet another line (nobody knew where the line end was) to get your timing chip. They need to give you your bib and chip at one time. I enjoyed the pep talk at the beginning of the race but the race got started late because they were waiting for everybody to get their bib number and chip. Duh, that's because the process was a nightmare! Again, open up registration Friday night for an hour or so and most all of this would be avoided.

Dispite this registration headache, I will probably run DV again as it is an absolutely beautiful course. Bring your own fuel belt with a bottle of water as the on-course water stations are a bit far apart.

With water available only every 3 miles, it's easy to bonk way before you usually do. Also, there are no spectators or fans to give you a boost of energy. But, after finishing you really feel as if you accomplished something very few will ever attempt.