I ran this five times. Liked course before they added all the turns. At the last turnaround it thins out so it's just you, the road and the person 200 yards ahead of you. Not a bad thing. Lots to do after the race.

Ran here for first time. Only did the 1/2 marathon. Race was pretty good. Flat course, but bad weather conditions made it tougher. Hard rain and strong wind.

After reading reviews here before I ran the race, was scared. But race was OK. Seems they might have been missing a couple of mile markers and there are not clocks at each marker. Also, water stops were infrequent. I only remember stops at mile 5 and 8, and maybe one more after that.

Saw some people at the halfway point of the marathon, does not look like a good place to run one. No crowds, looked depressing watching some of the marathoners trudge on by.

Online results still not available 2 days after race, and that's unacceptable.

Prior to race day I had my doubts. The website did not provide that much information, and some of the previous comments were not that favorable. However, registration was easy and the people were very friendly throught the morning. Even with the terrible weather in the beginning everyone seemed cheerful, and one of the organizers correctly predicted the weather would clear.

Having the other races start at the same time makes the 1st half of the marathon seem a lot bigger. By the second half I ran alone only seeing people at the turn-arounds. However, there were race volunteers and enough spectators to keep away the loneliness.

THe turn arounds were not as bad as I thought. I actually like them because it broke some of the monotony of a long stretches, and it allowed the course to remain compact. The boardwalk is a great surface to run on, but I had to avoid the crashing waves splashing on the surface due to the storm. Also, It's nice not having any hills at the end of race, when the legs are sore. They could have one more water stop in each half.

Before and after the race there is plenty to do. I had a fun 2 days.

I live in NJ, so I selected this as my first marathon to run. I have also run the 1/2 marathon twice. I loved the stretch along the boardwalk, watching the sunlight glittering on the breakers. It was very relaxing to get into your rhythm. I found the northern section to be extremely confusing, and was so thankful for volunteers pointing you in the right direction. And it was so flat, flat, flat it was hard on the legs. I did very much like that the finish line was the same as the starting line, so you didn't have to lug stuff around with you. The part I disliked most was that there were NO spectators, except near the finish line. Can't they do a better PR job to encourage people to come out? I ran a race in Sea Isle City (just down the coast) and there were people, people, people almost every step of the way. Not only were there few spectators, but there were far too many pedestrians who would look at you, then step in front of you at about mile 25, when you didn't really need to be zig-zagging the course. Please, maybe a runners' lane?

I didn?t expect much form this race and rightly so. The course has too many loops and cutting back on the same areas and it goes through some pretty shady areas. There are no spectators except at the halfway point where you go over the finish line for the half marathon, the 10 K and the 5 K and the eventual end of the marathon. On the boardwalk in Atlantic City there are some gamblers that are in the way. I think that they could set up a few cones on the boardwalk to make a path for the runners. Add a few clocks or at least volunteers at every mile to let you know your time. There was no Gatorade at the end of the race. And they gave out one of the ugliest T-shirts I have ever seen!! I realize this is a small race but for the amount of money they charge for it I expect a lot more.

I saw all the bad comments on here prior to running the 43rd Annual Atlantic City Marathon, and I must admit that they scared me. I was expecting a disorganized and unfriendly racing environment. It couldn't have been further from the truth for this year. There were 100s of happy competitors, well stocked refreshment areas with encouraging volunteers, and better than expected traffic and crowd control. While about half the racers just ran the half marathon, there were still plenty of people running the second half of the marathon to keep you motivated and pushing yourself. I'd definitely recommend this race to anyone looking to experience some amazing scenery. What's great about this course is that it takes you through the entire urban landscape of Atlantic City. You not only get to experience the nostalgic Atlantic City Boardwalk with all the flashy casinos, but you also get to see another side of the city. The course takes you through areas in the city where urban planning and development our occuring as well as those of plight and underdevelopment. The most amazing part of this course overlooks the Atlantic Ocean where the race begins and ends. Rightly so...

This course is all at sea level with no grades, and about 10 of the 26 miles on boardwalk that is kind to your legs. Half of course has ocean breakers in view -- the rest is still entertaining and the boardwalk is scenic it its own right. Very small field makes for PR possibilities.

I see a lot of bashing this race in other comments. I like the race. You cannot, however, go into it expecting a race like NY or other big name races. I have run it 3 or 4 times and use it as a long run with friends. It would possibly not be good for a PR due to poor crowd support and running alone if you are toward the front. There is water every 1 to 2 miles and yes, it is true, there are not clocks every mile and some of the miles may be inaccurate. There are also several turns, but this adds to the character of the race. You get to see different parts of Atlantic City and surroundings. You run about 10-12 miles on the boardwalk which is very pleasant unless you are going into the wind, but if you are it is only for 5-6 miles since you run the boards north and south. The towns south of the boardwalk from about miles 16 to 22 are scenic and pleasant. The part north goes past condos and neighborhoods and is also pleasant. If you are dissappointed with the race, it is because you were expecting something different. Not every race has to be sensory overload like NY or Boston. Some races can just be run for the fun of running 26 miles.

There is NOT water at every mile, nor are there clocks at every mile. There are too many hair-pin turns around orange cones or poles, which break momentum. There is no crowd support. In fact, boardwalk gamblers are strolling aimlessly all over the course. The race organizers are only helpful on race day, prior to that day it is virtually impossible to get any reliable information.

small marathon with no community interest. almost no crowd support, in fact, we actually were heckled in some areas. from street punks with boom boxes to degenerate gamblers making smart remarks, you pretty much are on your own. field of about 200 is so spread out, you are alone most of the time.