Friends of mine had highly recommended that I try this marathon and I am so glad that I listened to them. This was my tenth marathon, as well as my 10th BQ. It was a race and a destination worthy of a 10th celebration for me.

The course: yes, it is hilly. But surprisingly, I adapted quickly to the rolling hills and I finished almost as strong as I had started. The scenery was spectacular and I enjoyed very much going through the quaint villages. Everything is so beautiful over there... I had already decided that I would adjust my pace in function of the hills and I finished with the time I had set for myself, which was 6 minutes off of my PR set last November, on a downhill course. This might give you an idea of what to expect for your finish time. Since I am training for Boston, I enjoyed very much having the opportunity to experience hills before my big day next April.

The organization: First class is really the perfect way to put it. We had no problem picking up our bags at the expo on Friday afternoon. Since we had signed up for the challenge, we received a tech shirt for each of the three races and one extra representing the Challenge itself. Nice touch. The expo, the gala for the award ceremony and the race party on Sunday night were all held at the Princess Hotel Fairmont and they did an excellent job. Really flawless. We were staying at a different hotel, but you will never have any problems traveling around, especially if you purchase a bus/ferry pass. We saw Mr Yasso almost everyday and he was such a gentleman! He shook my hand and congratulated me after I crossed the finish line. Little things like that make a big difference for me at the end of the day. It adds to the whole experience...

The spectators: what can I say? I like to travel and have met many nice people in the past. But the people of Bermuda cannot be machted. They are so incredibly warm and friendly and always wanting to help you. For each of the races, they came out to cheer us with enthusiasm. It was especially remarkable on Sunday, when it was raining hard. Without the rain, it might have been a tad too warm (about 18-19C), so I didn't mind it so much. But the spectators were soaking wet and yet, they stayed for us to the very end. Thank you so much!

I was honored to receive my first place AG award at a gala after the marathon. It was a very elegant affair, so dress nicely! I even won some money, which was a first (and probably will never happen again..haha) for me.

My husband (who ran his first HM like a pro) and myself had a most wonderful 5 days in Bermuda. It was our first time to this gorgeous island and now we want to go back, but this time to relax. No running!:-)

I ran the Full Triangle Challenge, and lived to tell about it. Sure the 10K had some (OK, a lot) of hills, and the marathon was a double loop. None of this surprised me because the website made it clear this was what it was.

What did surprise me was how organized this whole thing was. All of the mile races on the main drag kept the energy high on Friday nite. We hadn't planned to stay downtown for the entire event, but it was so compelling that we did. The 10K on Saturday was hilly, but had lots of spectators on the course, and the results were posted immediately. I finished, and the printed results were on the board within about 5 minutes, with constant updates. For the marathon/half marathon, again there were lots of spectators. For all races, I received an email within hours giving me my times and access to all results. The RD was everywhere all weekend; I don't know when the guy could have slept.
The only surprise I had all weekend was how expensive food and drink were on the island, but if I had done due diligence and some research I would have known. My bad. If you want to do a really well run 1, 2 or 3 races, this is the place to be.

I ran the Triangle Half Challenge, with a 1-mile on Friday, 10K on Saturday and marathon or half-marathon on Sunday. The half-marathon course is beautiful, along both the north and south coast, through small villages and colorful neighborhoods; and the marathon course is essentially a second loop. The weather was about 60 and dry, just perfect. In contrast to comments about earlier years, I thought all races were well-organized and water stations plentiful and manned. Many spectators lined the route in small groups outside of houses or neighborhood areas. The 10K has a nasty hill at about mile 5 as you turn from the north coast toward the finishing area inside the national stadium. The half course is a little hilly in parts but nothing bad after a mild longer hill at around mile 3.5. The marketing ploy is you can get 4 t-shirts and 4 medals in 3 days; medals for all events were distributed at the finish line, with 2 medals for finishing the last, even if you wore a challenge t-shirt. The expo is tiny, so there's no chance to stock up on beans or GU. The mile is basically and up-and-back course along the main street downtown; the mile has more of a party atmosphere. For the half, roads were not closed per se but police were out at major intersections and traffic seemed to be detoured and light.

This is a very nice race for the holiday weekend in the United States.

PLUSES:
Lovely Weather: though a late state for a warm climate, most of the course has nice breezes
Beautiful Course: rolling hills but nothing too challenging
Bermuda Triangle Challenge: added a fun element run a one-mile, 10K and half or full in three consecutive days - and you receive a separate medal and t shirt
Amenities: nice goody bag; great technical shirts; great medal
Also: the 10K was fun; it ends in big athletic stadium and actually had more food for runners than the marathon!

NEED FOR IMPROVEMENT:
The full marathon is very small so you can be on the course by yourself in traffic, though there are lots of police who direct you at intersections. Not really a huge problem for me, but it is a bit lonely out there. I just viewed it as a long Sunday run by myself.
Water: not enough stations, so bring your own bottle that you can refill
GU: they should offer GU at least at one point during the course
Go Green: do away with styrofoam and plastic cups
Expo: nonexistent after Friday, and very little there; no marathon merchandise to buy and no last-minute items
Finish line: because there are so many half runners, the finish was dead when I arrived at 4:30. They had tasty pumpkin soup and muffins cut in half. The tables where filled with litter and no one was around.
Also: Cab drivers are honest and very polite; however, triple check with the hotel when you order one - I almost missed the 10K because there were so many people going to stadium, which was out of the way.

If you need spectators, there are not many, but those who are out there are very fun and friendly. The Bermudians are wonderful.

I ran the full marathon, and while it is a bit dicey because they open the roads to two-way traffic, I never really felt in danger. It is a beautiful course, with lots of ocean views. The second loop is pretty quiet, like a private training run if you are a bit back from the leaders, but aid stations were well stocked and still staffed even for those of us in the back of the pack. I did not find the course hilly, but I am used to western Massachusetts, so it was not a problem. The day was a bit warm, so be prepared for that. I think this is a great race, and would recommend it if you don't mind running the second loop pretty much alone (there were 100 finishers of the full marathon this year). Folks were friendly and supportive, but you don't get a ton of spectator support on the second loop, so do it for yourself.

I just returned from the Bermuda Half Marathon Challenge. Overall, it was a great race weekend (the "challenge" being the option to do a mile, 10K, and half or full marathon all in one weekend). However, there were some cons: The mile course has two strange, sharp turns and runs partly uphill, so don't expect a PR. The 10K is significantly hilly, especially the two big hills at miles 5 and 5.5. The half marathon was a great course. The marathon (from what participants said) is quite lonely on the second lap, as well as dangerous, because traffic is not shut off for the runners. The expo is quite small, yet not organized at all. They ran out of small t-shirts almost immediately. The mile finishers don't receive a medal until Sunday afternoon, after the marathon. Many Triangle Half Marathon participants didn't receive the Triangle finisher's medal because they ran out (apparently they will be mailed to those who didn't get any). The good news is that the scenery is gorgeous, the people are incredibly nice and the race is rather small (about 250 people). The spectators are very supportive and friendly, and they make sure to call out your name for encouragement (it's on the bib with your number).

This was my first marathon. The entire Bermuda International Race Weekend was a lot of fun, starting with the Invitational Mile on Friday night, including the International 10K on Saturday morning, and the Bermuda International Marathon (or half) on Sunday morning. I actually competed in an event called the Bermuda Triangle, which adds the totals of the mile, 10K, and marathon on the three consecutive days. I would highly recommend it, the combination is a lot of fun and a nice challenge. It was a difficult, but fun, although I'd like to run my second marathon without races the previous two days. The 10K loop shares half of the marathon course, which is two 13.1-mile laps around the center third of the island. Because Bermuda is relatively small, the course runs along multiple coasts on the south and north edges, with a variety of beautiful views. The 10K course ends by cutting off the marathon course up a wicked hill, but the marathon only has two or three moderately difficult hills per lap (~100-150 feet). For the most part, though, it's relatively flat overlooking the ocean. There are a nice number of people in the first lap, which runs along with the half marathon, but the second lap is pretty desolate. Local residents all turn out for all of the races, though, so throughout the marathon there are great roadside cheering sections at least every quarter mile. The crowds lining Front Street in Hamilton for the mile are great.

Aid stations are every two miles or so, stocked with Gatorade, but they started to run out. Which wasn't great, since the temperature will almost definitely be around 65-75 degrees (there's not much temp variation). Also, I was one of the earlier-mid finishers, at 3:56:56, so although I got water/Gatorade when they were running low, anyone significantly over four hours may risk the aid stations running out completely if they don't plan for more supplies in future races. Also, the race course opened to cars the second lap, so anyone who doesn't hug the left wall along the road risks being clipped by (a little crazy) Bermuda drivers. That was my biggest problem with the race. But I didn't die, from the 3 races or the cars, and overall, the experience is as much the island as the running, and it's a great weekend. I don't have any other marathons to compare it to, but everyone I know really enjoyed running (in any or all of the races offered) and had a great time during the weekend, so I definitely recommend it if you're looking for an alternative to the mega-marathons in big cities!

I actually ran the half marathon, not the full marathon. The marathon was another loop of the same course.

Bermuda is the most beautiful and well-kept island. Beautiful streets and gardens, quaint old villages, turquoise ocean.... The course is indeed hilly. However, despite the fact that I live somewhere that is pancake-flat, the hills really did not bother me too much, even though I had not trained on hills at all.

The spectators were fantastic. The people of Bermuda are so friendly and supportive. I am in love with this place!

This was the most fun race I have ever done anywhere. It will take a lot to beat. The only improvement I could suggest (and this applies to almost all races) would be to have women's t-shirts. Even a small unisex (men's) t-shirt is like a tent on many female runners. I, and many others, would happily pay a little more for a race shirt I could actually wear.

Bermuda, however, cannot be improved upon....

As I live in Bermuda, I knew what to expect from the course, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the organization. Many comments about previous races have mentioned that this has been a bit suspect and, having run quite a few other local races, there can certainly be lapses. However, this race was well organized - comprehensive information pack, plenty of water stations, marshals or police at key points. It was also clear that the race officials had read previous comments - the marathon medal was different from that for other races. Also, the support on the second loop - especially on North Shore (which trends up between about 20 and 24.5 miles) - was good. Previous comments have said that people go inside for the second loop; that was not true this year.

Also, I was running with an injury that was causing me increasing trouble as the race wore on. It was obvious that the race officials around the course knew this and that bicycle riders were keeping an eye on me - and it was very much appreciated.

From my own experience, though, I would advise people not to try to run this course with an injury. It is hilly!

I did the Bermuda Half-Marathon this past weekend. The course was hilly, with a bit of a wind, and temps around 73 degrees. This may not be ideal conditions for a PR, but the beauty of Bermuda is intoxicating. The spectators that were there were sincere and enthusiastic, and the host hotel was amazing.

Pretty mellow at the start with no visible start or finish line set up. And no mat to register your official chip start!! The medal was unspectacular, with all runners getting the same one.

But, again, the race is gorgeous and the people are fantastic. I see this event growing and growing!