The race certainly lived up to its billing as a great one. After 25 years of putting this event on, the organizers know what they're doing. I took 15 minutes off of my previous PR, and now I'll be running Boston in April!

Overall I thought the conditions were spot on for a marathon. This was my 1st CIM. Did someone say the course was hilly? Didn't seem like it much, but I guess that's relative. I love seeing the older folks out there - my inspirations for the future. They're all my heroes and heroins. You go, Helen! My one and only complaint would be that at about the 1/2, the crowd bottle-necked us a little tighter than I liked. All in all, a great race. I did better than I expected. In the words of our governor, "I'll be back!"

WOW! This race lived up to my expectations - the organizers went out of their way to accommodate runners trying to achieve their dream marathon goal. I flew in late and missed the expo, but from e-mails I knew I could pick up my packet at the host hotel. I was a bit nervous about this, but sure enough, at 4:40 a.m. there was a very helpful volunteer getting my number and chip. Every mile was well marked and had two volunteers - one telling you your overall time and the second one telling you your pace, every mile!! In the last miles the second volunteer started telling you your projected finish times! Traffic control was excellent - weather was perfect (cloudy, 40-50s). The course does generally run downhill but I was surprised that there were a couple of uphills (not too difficult and not at the end of the race, however). There were not large crowds but there was very good enthusiasm with a band, cheerleader groups, a kick-line. There were also lots of volunteers at aid stations, which were plentiful, and well stocked with GU towards the later miles. This race caters so much to marathoners that there is no other half-marathon or other distant run going on at the same time (other than a relay which was fine). Sserious runners should not miss this race!

I just finished and it was my first marathon. I really had a great time! The course was very hilly in the beginning, but if you keep in mind that for every up there is at least that much more going down, it's good.

The first couple of aid stations were awful; I had to try desperately to figure out where water was and I usually had to get it from the table myself. But they got much more coordinated as it went on. I loved the random people with oranges, M&M's, pretzels, red vines, etc. I loved the Bella Vista Cheer Squad!!

My 5-hour pacer was AMAZING. I was originally with the 4:45, but she was very quiet and borderline rude - unlike the chatty and positive 5-hour guy. He made it so we came in about 3 minutes early so our pics could say under 5, and he even let us walk the J Street hill. :)

I used my iPod most of the way but from the "the wall" at 20 on, it is very introspective and amazing to just soak it in. It goes by fast, too!

Good luck on yours! Dress warmly!

This was my first marathon, and from now on, all of the others will have a tough time living up to this one. Everything was fantastic! The race director should be commended. This was very well organized and the course was so fast that I was able to qualify for Boston!

PR'd by 30 minutes. Fast course as advertised. It also helps a lot when you have an attractive lady in your pace group (who was kind enough to chat with me, despite my being way off when I guessed her age).

The course wasn't great in terms of scenery... mostly residential and a few strip malls. Fan support was intoxicating at "The Wall" at mile 20. Finishing in front of the capitol while having your name announced was a nice touch.

I've run New York, Chicago twice, Big Sur and this one ranks right up there. This race has a lot of heart, one of the best organized marathons I have run, and a really interesting field of runners with many repeat customers. Fast, scenic, enthusiastic course. GREAT mid-size marathon with lots of personality and experience.

Great course; good organization and support. It was a great day all around. I qualified for Boston and all is well in the world... well almost! Thank you, CIM!!

Course: People talk about the hills, but I would call them rollers, really. They're pretty easy if you include any hills in your training. Just make sure you don't kill yourself on them in the first half so you can really go all out in second half. The neighborhoods were nice; not too many turns, making it a fast course (in addition to the net downhill slope, of course).

Atmosphere: There were tons of fans who braved the cold. Cowbells were great. Very supportive.

Aid stations: Can't complain too much. I carried my own gels and a water bottle. When I drained my own fluid and began taking from aid stations, I found that some people were using the cups marked with "Gu2O" to serve water - while others were using them to serve Gu2O. It was confusing and kind of annoying to have to yell, "Water, water water" before approaching the volunteers. But that's not a big deal, really.

Weather: A nine out of 10 (one deduction point for the wind, but it really wasn't too bad, and the temps were perfect for running... about 40ish at the start).

Post-race: I could not find the gear pickup. There were no signs indicating gear pickup, no signs indicating food, nothing to point you in the right direction. I had to just walk around through the crowd to try to figure it out.

Overall, I thought it was a great race, though, plus I qualified for Boston (and ran even faster than I expected).... I would definitely do this one again. Oh, and go to the Pyramid Alehouse afterward!

Overall I thought the marathon was well-done. It was windy and hilly. However I did not notice the hills or the wind that much. I ran 3:22 and got a PR, but compared to a course like Chicago, CIM is hilly. But if you train for it, you will be fine. My legs were a bit beat up by mile 15 - that's what you get for running up and over all those hills. I had a problem getting enough water in. The aid stations were confusing. Some had water in the front or on the left side of the road and some had water on the right side of the road or at the beginning of the station. The cups of water I did get had like 1-2 ounces of water in them and I had to get two or three cups, just to get enough water. I did not get any food at the finish; it was too crowded and I did not see the food at all. But it was nice having the announcer say my name as I finished. With such a small race, I crossed the finish line alone.