There are 10 reasons this race rocked:
1. The people were warm and welcoming - I counted 45+ "good jobs" during the race.
2. Showers after the race.
3. Pizza after the race.
4. Nice give-aways!
5. Flat course.
6. Aid stations every 3 miles with aspirin, oranges, Gatorade, water, etc.
7. Lots of 50-staters present, doing this for Maryland.
8. Close-knit feeling, with international presence (Korean running club was there).
9. The race director was the nicest lady ever.
10. I BQ'd....

This race is put on by the Annapolis Striders - and I am a member (so take my comments with a grain of salt).

The course is almost completely on the B&A Trail (a rails-to-trails course). I run this trail regularly, and enjoyed the opportunity to have the race on my "home" course.

The race is quite small, but is very well managed. The race starts and ends at a high school, and one of the best things is the ability to take a hot shower after the race.

I look forward to running this again!

Packet pickup was at the HS and was fast and easy. Friendly volunteers. Small but nice expo. Race starts 7:30 and it was cold, but you can just wait in the nice warm school till race time and there are snacks. Very nice course, mostly on conditioned trail with a few miles on roads. Excellent support - plenty of water, Gatorade, cookies, pretzels, etc. There is maybe a 1/2-mile hill around mile 7, but it's not steep.

Great pizza and food at the finish. Nice medal and cool rain jacket as swag for a very decent entry fee. Perfect season starter or 1st 1/2 or full marathon.

OK, I'm biased a bit, since I belong to the Annapolis Striders who put on this race. But what a great small event this is. Excellent premium again this year, low entry fee ($50), even a hotel deal for out of town people. Plenty of parking, nice blacktop trail to run on which shelters one nicely from the wind that popped up race morning. Support is good for the first half (there is a half marathon running as well), but the support for the second half is a bit sparse. The volunteers are terrific and aid stations ready for each runner. Pizza and other food at the end. Even showers in the school for runners! It's my eighth marathon and you won't find a better value anywhere.

My first time running this event, and I was not disappointed. If you are in the area, this is a good event to run. If you need big crowds, this is not for you

PROS:
* Great staff and volunteers; at the race expo I asked Donna (the RD) where the showers were, and she made sure I knew where they were located. In addition, she promptly returned my phone call.
* The course allows family/friends to view the runners at numerous points.
* The course is relatively flat, although the hill at the first leg turnaround is tough.
* Nice race jacket and medal; post-race food was plentiful.

CONS/IMPROVEMENTS:
* Bridges were very icy and treacherous. Have volunteers lay down salt, or if no salt is allowed, shovel them. Snow/ice was predicted, and adjustments must be made.
* Crowded start; separate the half and full or move the starting line to the street.
* The little spur off of the B & A trail was unnecessary. Extend the course on the S or N legs because having to run off the trail was mentally deflating.

Overall, an A. I would recommend it to others without hesitation.

I loved this race. It was my second time running it and I'll run it again in '09. The course is flat and fast, and is mostly off the road and on a paved trail. In '08, it was cold before the start, but it warmed up to the low 40's, with no wind - perfect for a great run.

The Annapolis Striders ran this very well. Organization was top-flight, even calling out my name as I approached the finish line. Nice touch.

Not a large number of spectators, but still a fair number for this size event.

B&A Trail Marathon was #38 in my ongoing quest for 50 states + DC, and, I must say, A PERFECT DAY for a marathon - 32 degrees at the start, "warmed up" to maybe 40 and NO WIND! AND... there was plenty of "crowd support" where it counted - at the many well stocked aid stations along the course!

Having lived briefly in Ann Arundel County in '92-'93, there was never a doubt as to which marathon I would do in MD for the 50 - I used to do weekly long runs on the B&A Trail. The Annapolis Striders are a TOP-SHELF runner's club and I've never heard negatives of any of their races.

This course couldn't be better. It has a slight downhill for the last 6 miles. No photographers at the finish line - but that's not the race director's call.

Thanks for a great day. Keep up the great work. We do so appreciate your efforts!

I like small marathons, and this is a good one. Registration was efficient and friendly. The course was well-marked and had the dual advantages of being paved like a road but located in the country (except for a mile through a residential neighborhood and a half mile or so adjacent to a mall parking lot). The water stations were well-stocked, the volunteers friendly and patient (i.e., they stayed open for the last of us). The medal was fine, though not exceptional. The weather was much better than anticipated. There was plenty of food at the end. Entry fee was only $40.00.

Overall, this marathon compares favorably with several other nearby small marathons I have done, including Greenbelt President's Day, Harrisburg and Self-Transcendence, is on a par with Atlantic City, and probably not quite as good as Delaware, though in fairness Delaware is quite a bit bigger.

My only suggestion for improvement was that there probably could be one more water stop in the early miles. I can't quite put my finger on where, but it seemed like the water stops were more sparse in the early miles than I am used to.

There were plenty of reasonably priced hotel choices, all about 15-20 minutes away - farther than I like, but there was no Sunday-morning traffic, so it was a smooth ride to the starting line.

Usually very compulsive about my pace on each mile, I only bothered to look at the time at the 5, 10 and 20 mile marks, so the course must have had a pleasant, relaxing effect on me. There are no spectators, so keep that in mind if that is what you are into.

All in all, a very good experience at a time of year when the choices are few in the Northeast.

I highly recommend this marathon for anyone who might want a more intimate experience than the mega-marathons provide. The spectators are small in number but enthusiastic, and the paved course is flat (a couple of very minor hills) and fast. The Annapolis Striders put on a good race. The volunteers were unfailingly friendly and helpful. This year, the only glitch was before the start, when runners were lined up facing the right way, then the wrong way, then finally the right way, resulting in the race starting 10 minutes late. But it was no big deal, and some stragglers even made it to the start on time as a result of the confusion. If you have family/friends cheering you on, tell them you need them most anyplace after mile 13, when the half-marathoners finish and things get kind of lonely. The turnaround between miles 19 and 20 is kind of weird, zigging through a parking lot for a short distance, but you're back on the trail headed south soon enough. Even those of us who finished in the four-hour range had hot pizza and plenty of other food/drink waiting after the race. One other note: If you're driving to the race, get here early because parking at the high school (where the race starts and ends) fills up fast.

The B&A Trail Marathon is a perfect small-town marathon! I highly recommend it to runners who don't need large crowds of spectators to motivate them.

It was great to stay in the warm comfort of the high school until a minute or two before the start. The expo on race morning allowed me to get last-minute supplies I needed.

Organization is excellent - plentiful water, Gatorade, gel and Vaseline at the stops, and a place for runners to drop clothes and pick up at the finish.

Thanks for another great experience!