I ran the 1/2 in 2001. It was a drag having to drive out the day before to pick up race packets. I thought it would be cool since it was at an Expo but the Expo consisted of about 5 tables with mediocre merchandise and prices and no new, interesting products. The race itself started 15 minutes late because parking was a disaster. The race itself was well supported by both volunteers and crowds. At the end of the race, most volunteers didn't know where anything was.

The start and support on the course could be improved. A fast course and good weather provided good memories.

I ran BayState 2000 as a first marathon...good course, flat (except miles 9/18 if I recall correctly). Community support is lacking and at times I felt like whistling to the tune of 'the good, the bad and the ugly'...organization was not too good (clocks being pulled down with over an hour and a half of official timing left, not enough water points, at some point no clear indication of turn was given). But the weather was fantastic and the foliage unbelievable.

As the previous comments indicate, this can be a very fast course, which is why so many people run Bay State. However, this year I was dismayed to discover that the organization was fair at best. There were not enough busses to transport runners from the parking lot to the start line in a timely manner. Consequently, many runners were late getting to the registration area and missed the start of the race! Obviously the communications between race officials was extremely lacking. Race officials either need to decrease the size of the race or make a more concerted effort to straighten out the logistical aspects of an otherwise good marathon.

Baystate is run on an almost completely flat course between two bridges of the Merrimack river in Lowell MA. One part of the course is through a residential/commercial neighborhood, the rest is scenic with lots of fall foliage along the river. It's all on paved roads that are adequately blocked off and marked. There are water stops about every two miles, and clocks every mile.
The downside: For the marathon you'll do two laps on a 13.1 mile loop. The first lap feels very crowded because the half-marathoners start at the same time - which is about half of the runners. The second lap feels much lonelier. For the first time, chips were used for timing, but no splits were taken. Since it is a qualifying race for Boston, this could make it prone to cheating.
Shuttle buses are provided from and to a big parking lot about a mile away from the start. The race has picked up popularity in recent years, and it felt like organization hasn't quite kept up yet.
If you're living within reasonable driving distance, or if you're looking for an easy qualifying race, give it a try!