I had scheduling problems this Fall, so this was my third choice, but it sure was fun! The precipitation cleared out just in time, but not the wind. Between the cold, the wind and the second half hills, this was a tough race for me. I don't thrive on crowd support, which is a good thing - I assume the weather kept the spectators away - can't blame them. I officially hate Cytomax - yech. But the organization was great, the logistics are easy and some of the course is beautiful (much of it is really pretty ordinary New England scenery, pretty enough, but nothing special, but the ocean views are awesome). I would do this one again. One problem - the traffic on the roads that are open, especially down in Woods Hole, was bad, and dangerous at times. Race organizers need to do something about that. Also, where the road flooded over was tricky - I was glad I was not in the middle of a PR at that point!

This was a first marathon for me and my daughters. We chose it because it was reputed to be scenic, and it was! Charming village, cranberry bogs, beautiful fall woods, lighthouse on the coast, it had it all. Although the forecast had been terrible, actual race conditions weren't bad, cool, overcast, and breezy. Wonderful small venue, we arrived less than 10 minutes before the start and had plenty of time. Great volunteers and race support. Can't say enough good things about the planning and organization. Really appreciated the Halloween candy at the 19 mile water stop! Thought the hills were overrated, more rolling than 'memorable.' Plenty of chowder at the end. A fabulous first marathon experience!

Ran the 'CHOWDAH CHALLENGE'. The courses were so beautiful!!! They ran from the coast thru winding roads covered in fall colored trees. Everyone I met was WICKED friendly and kind. There were few spectators, but the ones that braved the elements were TOP NOTCH. The hills were over dramatized as they were NOT torturous, but gentle rolling hills. The Lawrence school (aka race headquarters) was open to stay warm in while waiting for race start- awesome considering the inclimate weather. The only real downside was no cytomax out for the half. Overall one of the MOST SCENIC races I have done.

This is one of the most beautiful courses that I have run, with old New England scenes and gorgeous views of the ocean everywhere.The hills are challenging, but it's worth it. In the past I have been impressed by the enthusiasm of the volunteers, often in windy and chilly conditions.but this year they(the Race Director, Doris and especiallly Janet) outdid themselves when my flights were cancelled and I arrived at the start (without a bibb) 5 minutes before the race started. THANK YOU!

Did this one to check off MA in my quest for all 50 states. This year the weather threw everyone for a loop. Saturday saw the entire northeast hit with a Noreaster storm. The rain was coming down hard all day from Saturday afternoon into the night, the winds were horrendous. Marathon morning, the rain had stopped, but the winds were still whipping around (gusts up to 50 mph). The show must go on!

Pros:
-get to wait in the school gym before the race. especially great this year when it was so cold and windy outside
-race day packet pickup is an option
-easy logistics. arrived an hour before start, parked right in the school lot. Loop course.
-great post-race food. I finished in over 5 hours, and they still had chowder and pasta for me
-low cost. i only paid like $65
-nice medal
-Dunkin Donuts had bagels, coffee and donuts for free at the gym before the race

Cons:
-course support was blah. I have run other small, low frills races that still managed to at least bust open a pretzel bag or chop some bananas in half. This race had water adn disgusting cytomax. thank God it was not a hot day, the cytomax was disgusting.
-having a van with the label 'Tired Runner Van' roaming the course is not encouraging. OF COURSE I am tired, I am running up hill into a 50 mph wind gust, don't tempt me!
-photographers. I saw a few at the end, but at one point you run by the lighthouse, why weren't they there, it would be a great backdrop?
-cotton long sleeve shirts. please, I have enough of these from my local 5Ks. plus, they ran on the small side
-the course. it is very scenic in parts, and just blah in others...I can handle blah in an urban marathon, but this just felt like I was out for a training run at home. very few spectators. the roads are open to traffic and the local drivers were NOT very careful, I saw a few runners almost get clipped. The hills are not big, but they just keep coming one after another. This defines rolling.

Really enjoyed a few days in Falmouth leading up to the run, it was great feeling the atmosphere build and watching the weather forecasts change. It's my first run in the US and it was lovely being part of such a community event. We flew straight out of Boston and were home in Sheffield by lunchtime on Monday.......and a nice cup of tea.

I had one open weekend to run a marathon this fall and I chose Cape Cod! So glad I did! Ran a 3:42 with a PR of almost 20 minutes! Loved the Falmouth community and the course is amazing - ocean views, fall colors, rolling hills, unique, small towns. This marathon is small enough for easy parking, hotels close by, a quick start,  and a very a personal feel! The volunteers were the BEST!! Enjoyed the expo and the post-race meal and massage. The weather was perfect in the mid 50's and the wind not too bad. The hilly, wooded course did shelter you from the wind. (The day before the wind was over 40 mph!) This is a very challenging course, rolling hills throughout with larger ones in the second half! Again save yourself! Only 2 suggestions:  water stations should be closer together (and fill up the cups!), and there should be some type of food/refreshments at the finish area. Very nice post-race meal but we had to walk to the school for something to eat!! Run Cape Cod - you will love it!

Course could not have been more beautiful.

This was my 45th marathon, and despite a terrible finish time (blisters from running a marathon day before), this still ranks as a favorite. Race directors bent over backwards to accommodate

We called from another state the day before and asked if we could still get in so we could get our MA race. We even were driven to the start line! The weather could not have been better.

ONLY complaint: no aid stations. I was having serious feet issues - specifically blisters.... I would have given anything for bandaids. NO AID STATIONS AT ALL????? When I inquired with the race officials, no one knew where any were!!

The post-race meal was fabulous!!! Nice place to sit/visit with other Maniacs/50-staters. All in all, a great weekend!

Perfect day. The race was easy to get to, nice course and scenery, and things were well organized. But I expected it to be flat! Found out otherwise.

If you want to challenge yourself, this is the course. It is as advertised. Absolutely gorgeous but... with hills. Organization was great, post-race food excellent, and spirit of volunteers outstanding. On a beautiful fall day, this course would be tough to beat for a scenic run. Be in shape if you are going for a BQ... the second half will see what you are made of. Try it. You will be glad you did.