Gorgeous course, enthusiastic spectators, Frank Kibler's contageous enthusiasm, and an amazing group of volunteers, all on a course that lets you repeatedly (but not too often) see and encourage other participants, with consistently good aid stations and a bounty of post race snacks...for an unbeatable price!

One of the prettiest courses I've ever run. Beautiful scenery, friendly people (and cows!). Very well organized. Hats off to Frank and the crew for a job well done.

The Creeper was my first off-road marathon. At least four inches of snow fell during the race creating a true winter wonderland. I loved the wooden bridge crossings and the Race Director was fantastic. Great race which I'd recommend to anyone. Can't be beat for the cost and quad workout.

An outstanding marathon! My wife and I chose the VCM as our first marathon and it was perfect! We would do it all over again, even with the inches of snow!!! It's true that it is a low frills marathon - but you don't need frills when you have the awesome opportunity to run along the beautiful Virginia Creeper Trail. It is truly over the river and through the woods... except you might have to shoo a cow out of the way.

I wanted my second marathon to be something memorable and unique. I got that and a lot more. A freak of weather the night before the race dumped 6' of snow on everything. Snow turned to slush, then turned to mud, then turned into a wet mix of both; I loved it. Anyone who finished this race is one bad character indeed! Support was great (thanks for waiting in the cold on us volunteers, ya'll da bomb!)and as they say in the realestate biz: location, location, location. Beautiful snow scenes, bridges, and rivers were just around every bend. It was a visual overload for me and all who braved the weather. Great job by all. All marathons can only hope to be this good. Way to go guys.

At 28 degrees Farenheit, which is colder than we experienced all winter on the Texas Gulf Coast, I'd say the 'cool and breezy' description on the web site was understated. I have never run a prettier course, and the fans were fantastic in that they included horses, cows (we ran right through their pasture), and golfers -- not to mention the many morning walkers with their dogs. Everyone I met was gracious and encouraging; the quality of fans more than made up for the quantity. I fell twice, not because the trail was particularly difficult but because the scenery was so distracting. What a great experience. Good job, Frank!

I ran the Virginia Creeper because I run on trails, and am training for an Ironman Triathlon in September. I wanted to run an early-season marathon, but without the impact of a road race on my feet, ankles, and legs. I have chronic plantar fascilitis, and had a stress fracture in 1997. The Creeper Trail has the best scenery I've ever run in for a marathon, or for any race. I enjoyed the low-key atmosphere as compared with most other races. The people were friendly, the race was well-run, and the aid stations were more than adequate. The beautiful surroundings more than made up for the cold, windy conditions! I hope to return in 2003.

It didn't dim my fondness for this race. Frank is doing a wonderful job down in VA with this one. Wonderful volunteers, friendly town. The course is beautiful. If you don't get to take it all in during the race, it's worth coming back to afterwards for a nice post-race walk. With plenty of hotels nearby, horseback riding on the trail and a golf course, it's very easy to make a nice trip out of this weekend race. Once again, Frank, this is an awesome race...great one to do some winter training for. And I hope to return next year to officially add VA to my list!

I have run in 3 of the 4 Creeper Marathons and I must say, this race is a must for the spring race calendar. The field is limited to 100 runners, so get your applications in by early February at the latest. The course is an out-and-back on a rolling country road for the first 2 miles. The rest of the race is run on the Creeper Trail. Miles 2-5.5 are uphill, gradual at first, steeper toward the end. Miles 5.5-9 are quick...back down the hill to the start-finish area. Miles 9-13.5 are quick as well with a gentle downhill for the most part. Then, the turnaround. Miles 13.5-21.5 are uphill, running back up the same trail you were so happily cruising down moments earlier. It's especially important in this race to pace yourself well, because if you're hurting at 13.5 miles, you're in trouble. However, if you can make it to the top of the hill at 21.5 miles in reasonable shape and your legs aren't totally shot, it's a pretty quick finish as the last ~5 miles are mostly downhill. Volunteers for this race are top-notch. Aid stations are adequate, with water, Gatorade, apples, fig bars, etc. One of the best features of this race is the out-and-back nature of the course. Although it can be mentally taxing to pass the start-finish area 4 times during the race, the support from the other runners once you reach a turnaround boosts your spirits and makes the return trip much more pleasant. Overall, the course difficulty is moderate, and not as slow as you might think due to the excellent footing and the gradual grades.

I have run this marathon twice, and if possible I certainly will be back next year. The people are so friendly and helpful. The course is just beautiful, and being an old railroad it is not too steep along the way. My only negative was a mud hole that I ended up in on my back. Now I have a good story for the next long run.