I will never in my life run this race again or recommend it to anyone. At the end of the race, you had to run through boardwalk crowds and yell, "Move." Throughout the course, spectators looked at you but didn't encourage you. Spectators looked at you like they didn't even know what was going on. Second of all, there was no sugar or food before the race for the runners or on the course for refreshment and a burst of sugar. When you did get to a water station, sometimes you had to pick up your own water. Third, no mile markers at all. I didn't even know what pace I was running at the beginning, which is crucial to us marathoners. Fourth, the lady handing out medals at the end wasn't even doing her job. There was no one to take the chips off your shoes, and you had to flag the lady down to ask for your medal. Anyway, a lot of improvement needs to be made before this becomes a recognized marathon.

First of all, the website describes a trade show. There isn't one. Nothing. Nada. Race support???? Virtually none. Spectators? Fuggedaboutit. Listen, I'm a local. I live in Mays Landing, NJ and teach right here in Atlantic City. This event should be MUCH MORE than it is. This is a great location for a race. It's in A.C. ON THE OCEAN, for God's sake!!! There are plenty of people who have lived here for ages that don't even know there is a marathon in A.C. If the race organizers don't care to get the word out to the locals, why should anyone else care? By the way, I ran the 1/2 as a training run for Philadelphia. Thank God I didn't have to run another 13.1 miles. I was bored out of my mind from the 1/2!

I ran the half and had a great race. The weather was great and the off-shore breeze was refreshing on the way back around the loop. The course is very flat, so it's pretty fast. My biggest complaint was that the water stations were unsure of the mileage. In fact, the whole race was not well marked. Other than that, it's a pretty small race.

It was a blast to visit Atlantic City and run along the streets from the Monopoly game! The best part was running the miles along the boardwalk, with the glittering ocean just yards away. The course is a little too convoluted, with switchbacks and extra loops. It would be a big improvement to extend the course at one end or the other to avoid the confusion. There was adequate support on the course, though one water station early on was unmanned. Almost no spectators were out, though it was a gorgeous fall day. Pretty much a no-frills race, but an organized, safe one that I'd recommend.

I had a wonderful time at the AC Marathon. The setting was really nice, the weather was beautiful, and I really liked running on the boardwalk. I wish the miles were marked a little better, especially the last few. There is little crowd support, but the racers were all really friendly and very supportive. We cheered each other on at every turnaround. I would definitely do this marathon again.

Although the marathon was not well-publicized (maybe not at all), there were incredibly small number of participants, and there was 35-mile-per-hour winds with gusts to 45, the people were friendly, nice cheering from the support crew, and very kind and enthusiatic volunteers! Yes, it was very windy, but perfect 55-65 degree temperature and the most gorgeous sun ever! They could not determine the weather. The course was nice and although I have often read 'flat and fast' about races, this one really IS!!! Other than going up and down the ramp between the boardwalk and the street (which is only about 10 PACES), it is truly, seriously, 100% flat as a pancake! There were 4 switchbacks which let me see the leaders a bunch of times, know how far I was from my friends, and be a bit of a spectator at the same time as I was a participant. So, I had a great time and suggest this race to everyone.... Even if I did get blown sideways into a parked car once or twice and ate some blown sand!

OK, so the course isn't that great (lots of turns, dodging around some people on the boardwalk and strikers). Organization could have been better in terms of getting the word out about this race. And spectators? Ha. Not unless you brought your family and friends.

But I absolutely loved this marathon! It was nice to switch between two terrains so that your legs didn't get too tired from either the road or the boardwalk. There were a lot of other first-timers who were very kind and easy to run with. The weather was absolutely perfect. My boyfriend biked beside me for half the way and cheered me on. We spent the rest of the weekend in AC and had a lot of fun.

I would definitely recommend this race to a first-timer. I had trained for months by myself, always with music, but when I ran this marathon I met some good people and didn't need the music at all. I had trained almost exclusively on hills and in the heat of the summer, which also made this race not so difficult since it was almost completely flat and the weather was cool. As long as you do your training and the weather holds (and you can psych yourself out for a strong headwind for 2-3 miles), this race should be a breeze.

This was my first marathon experience, and I will probably never run the A.C. Marathon again. I live in Palermo, NJ, so I like how convenient it was, however, I thought maybe the mayor could pull some strings and get the strikers off the boardwalk for a couple hours. Also, the course was not marked well at all. We were running around traffic, and the arrows were not clear! Sorry, but it was really bad!

This marathon goes on in and around Atlantic City and no one who lives or visits there seems to know about it. I was actually asked: 'What's with the number?'

However, I love this marathon and here is why:

1) Not too far from home for a quick day trip.

2) It's not crowded with runners so you have plenty of space to yourself the whole way.

3) It's flat.

4) At least half of it is very scenic.

I know what the negatives are and there are ways to get around it:

1) Know in advance you might not get your award that you've won, know that you've won one or that your time was officially recorded. It's not a top race in terms of organization. You just run it for your own time keeping and nothing more.

2) No fans. Bring your spouse or a friend and have them ride along side you on a bike the whole way for food, water and support. I have done this 2 years in a row and it works out great.

3) Wind. Just hope that the wind blows north (at your back) for the last 5 miles - it usually is at the beach, but no guarantees. Did you expect there to not be wind at the beach?

4) People in the way on the boardwalk. Yell as you come up behind them. No different than running in a park (or other races where there were walkers in front).

5) Too many turns on the course. They seem to change the course every year. Maybe next time there won't be as many turns. Then again there might be more.

6) No clocks at every mile. Every mile is marked with a sandwich sign. so wear a watch.

7) Not enough water stops. See #2 above.

8) People skipping parts of the course. It could happen at any marathon. Rat them out when you finish and they will be disqualified.


This marathon is not for first timers or people looking for the New York Marathon experience. This a great marathon to run that is low-key and if you are lucky with the weather you could really improve your time.

This is one of the few marathons that have slot machines in the same room as the number pickup. Enjoy it.

The brutal wind and rain at the start to 2003 was a gut check. The first half is full of twists and turns which break your rhythm. I guess this is the way the course must be so as to stay within the city limits. The second half is a solitary experience. Unless you plan to run with a buddy, be prepared to tough it out alone with very little fan support. The level course makes it ideal for a first-timer with little hill climbing experience.