This was my first half marathon and, for the most part, it was a great event. Running along the beach was fantastic. The hills were really not bad at all. The spectators were awesome.

There were a few areas for improvement:

1) The race info indicated that there would be GU packs at miles 4 and 9. I was REALLY counting on them. I got one at mile 4, but they were nowhere in sight at mile 9; I suspect they had run out. Now I know just to carry my own and not count on the race to provide them.

2) The post-race food was a real letdown. I've run triathlons before that included Philly pretzels, pizza, cookies, sandwiches, and even bacon and eggs after the race. Here we got a banana and two protein bars.

3) Trying to get out of the parking lot was pure insanity. Cars were just sitting, not moving. It took me about 45 minutes, and I think I got off easy (I picked the right line at the right exit - others were there a lot longer than I was).

Would I run this race again? Definitely. Next time I would just bring my own GU packs along, and might consider parking somewhere besides the mall parking lot.

So much fun! The 6 a.m. is an early start, but I loved starting separately from half marathoners. The scenery throughout the course and rolling hills kept it interesting and the 3 out-and-back loops never seemed too long. The merge back with the slower half marathoners at 20 miles wasn't as bad as expected, as they kept it separated by cones and rope for a mile or so until the road widened and I didn't have a problem running my line. Great water and GU support. Amazing weather. There are spectators throughout the course, and I love that they put your name on the bib. Also, because the marathon loops a few times in the same vicinity, my husband saw me four times simply by walking a few blocks rather than driving all over. He even made it (driving) from 20+ to the finish in time to see me cross. The entire race exceeded expectations and I ran a personal best. Yes, getting out of the finish area and onto the road was a bear, but I expected it (10,000-plus people trying to get out of a mall parking lot).

I have run the half here twice in '08 and '09, and and I enjoyed the race quite a bit. I moved up to the full this year and really enjoyed running that at Carlsad as well. The course is beautiful with the ocean in view for a good chunk of it, especially now that more of the course is along the ocean than previously. The course is hilly and if, like me, you are not able to train on hills regularly (I live in a flat-as-a-pancake part of the world), the accumulation of hills will catch up to you eventually. There is one big climb and several smaller ones, but I found that the long false flats (1-2 miles in length) after about mile 18 or so were where I felt the challenges of the course the most: the steeper hills from earlier kind of bit me there. Still, I am glad I ran this race. Crowd support is tremendous: there are not huge numbers of people out there but boy do they cheer every runner on heartily and, yes, having one's name on the bib is great.

They did a great job of organizing the course so the full and half marathoners get sectioned off for several key miles as they come together. That was good so that one could maintain pace while joining up with slower runners.

One small con is that they ran out of water at the very last water station by the time I got there (about a mile from the finish). I finished around mid-pack, so there were many others who would have wanted that stop too. I didn't really need it at that point, but focusing on the next water stop helped me get through that tough mile. Other than that small issue, the organization is top notch.

I'll be back to run the half again next year and will likely choose a flatter marathon course for the next 26-miler.

The best race weather I have experienced. I am usually not a sun worshiper, but the coastal area, low humidity and N-S direction of the race kept the bright sun from beating down on us. A good start time separate from the half marathoners at 6 a.m. let us tackle the uphill out-and-back portion before the sun crested the hill and prior to the massive merge of 13.1 runners. Great aid stations, plenty of port-o-potties with tissue at the start and on the course, and a decent expo with a shirt and hat for the full marathon runners.

Some drawbacks: there was no instruction/information sheet for the race in the packet and we had to go back to the expo again to learn which streets would be closed for the early morning drive into the start area (mall parking lot). It turns out that Highway 101 is closed off at 5 a.m. and people had to take I-5 to get in. Also, I would have been nice to know what the winners received or if any elites had entered the field. Bands along the route didn't start until the half marathon started at 7:30. No BEER at the end of the race. A big let-down. And probably the wimpiest post-race food I have ever come across. In a bag for each participant: a banana and two PowerBars. For the price of entry, I would have expected much more, as this is a pricey race. Where are the bagels when you need them? Decent overall.

The crowd support was second to none on this one, from 6 a.m. onward. I love it when they put your name on your race tag so people can call out to you.

I didn't make life easy for myself by having two weeks off from running (going on a skiing holiday instead) before doing the marathon. So I found the long uphills hard.

It took me an hour to get out of the car park after the race, during which time I stiffened up so much that when I go to my hotel I could not get out of the car. Then I had a bit of rest, drove to LA, and caught my flight home to Australia, 120th marathon accomplished.

I traveled across the country to run this race, and I wasn't disappointed. The weather was perfect, and I set a PR by over 9 minutes!

The course is beautiful, especially the parts along the coast.

I was kind of lukewarm on having the half marathon start 90 minutes after the full marathon. The full marathon start was in the dark, and it was almost hard to see the ground or the people around you.

I liked the parts when we were running with the half marathoners. After mile 21, there was a lane for full marathoners, so it wasn't necessary to dodge runners.

My one gripe was the end of the race was so congested. There were people waiting for runners in the exit area, and I felt that the organizers were pushing runners out of the exit. There were just too many people in that small area, and I had no where to stretch out. This was caused by the massive numbers of half marathoners who were finishing at the same time as the full due to the delayed half start. The traffic was a mess too... there should have been some police directing traffic to clear the parking lot.

There were so many great volunteers, and so much GU, water, and electrolyte mix on the course!

Great support for the full marathoners. Loved the separate start time from the Half. Best aid stations in any race. GU everywhere. Ocean views are to die for.

This was my 119th marathon and one that I hope to be able to schedule again. The course was great, and what I would consider rolling and not hilly. The views were great, and even when we weren't in view of the ocean, I never felt like I was stuck is a "residential area" either. The organization was second to none, with the exception of the "merge" of the marathoners and halfers. Coming off of an injury, I took this race slow and ran at the back of the pack so the half marathoners didn't alter my pace. I would have been annoyed if I had been pushing the pace though. Traffic control was excellent. I don't think I saw more than 5 cars all day and personally had no problems with parking or leaving the mall. I left a drop bag with extra clothes and recovery drink at the finish and they had it well organized. I was quite surprised more runners didn't take advantage of it. The spectators were very enthusiastic, even at 6 a.m. By the way, I loved the early start. This one is a keeper. I hope the race committee stays intact, even if the race course changes a bit. I made some great friends while running this race; Henry and Steven (both from San Diego), congrats to both of you.

As a race director, I know how much time and effort goes into preparation and logistics for a race. And so, I have waited till now to post this. And, having personally run in over 30 marathons in the past four years, I can offer a contemporary perspective on this marathon.

The Good:

1. Running along several miles of beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. Decent course elevation: not too flat, not too hilly.
2. Comfortable temps and only mild headwinds (55 to 60 degree range).
3. A nice expo, even though in an outside tent.
4. La Quinta Inn - far enough away to avoid the many blocked streets, a good breakfast, hot tub, and an extremely generous late checkout after the parking lot disaster (see the ugly).
5. 6:00 a.m. start, even though it was a bit dark at that time.

The Bad:

1. Bland, off-brand tech shirts ran about a size too small. Tried three times to exchange for a larger one, unsuccessfully. Hint: If you take medium in tech, ask for a large. If you take an extra-large, good luck.
2. Course maps were inaccurate. My wife came to watch me, but the race map put her in the wrong spot.
3. Ultima sports drink. I cannot understand who drinks this without throwing up. I drank only water.
4. Mediocre goody bag, despite the high race fee.
5. Post-race food. Marginal. Need protein after a race, not pasta.
6. Course had many rolling hills, which were OK, but several roads were canted, which is not good for ankles and knees.

The Ugly:

1. Trying to leave after having run 26.2 and being stuck in the mall parking lot for two hours is not pleasant. We would have been stuck even longer if we did not take a chance in weaving in and out of the parking rows and moving to a traffic line further north. Some cars probably sat there for close to three hours. Perhaps Californians are used to sitting in traffic for hours, but it's not my cup of tea. Police should have manned the traffic lights. Advice for next year: park outside the mall and walk the extra half mile.
2. The full marathon runners had to join the 8,000 half marathoners around mile 13 and 20. I was running 8:30 miles and had to dodge 10-15 min/milers: very tedious. A full marathoner I talked with was nearly knocked over in the final mile.
3. The finish line was enclosed in a fence with only a tiny opening, which added to the congestion. Took five minutes to walk 20 yards.
4. Told to come to the info booth for age bracket awards. No marathon results posted; so I left. Volunteers said their two printers broke down. Moral: if you charge high race fees and have 10,000 sign up, buy a new printer for the race.

Suggestions:

1. Consider making this event solely a half marathon. Why subject those who have run so many miles to have to deal with dodging a pack of slow runners? Not fair!
2. Consider either a smaller field or a larger venue with adequate traffic control. I don't know how an emergency vehicle would have left the mall after the race. Very dangerous. All lanes were full and ours was completely stopped.
3. Choose Gatorade or PowerAde. Take a survey and find out what runners like to drink during a long race.
4. Be honest with your shirt sizing. If they run small, mention that on your website.

Will I run here again? Not unless there are major changes made. Even though some of the course had gorgeous ocean views, it was not worth flying 2,000 miles.

The course is challenging but not as difficult as San Francisco.

Beautiful coastal run, and the climb out on Palomar Airport Road only adds character to the event. Support on the course is fabulous! Like clockwork: water and sports drink every mile.

It would have been perfect marathon if we did not merge with the half-marathon folks for the last 5 miles or so. I ran 3:18 and had to fight through 10-minute/mile half-marathon folks to hit my goal times.

No sour grapes: the race was terrific fun and the expo (considering the size of the event) was excellent!

Our 3:20 pacer was awesome; he ran an impeccable race.

All in all, this is a challenging, well organized event that needs to clean up the finishing merge between the 1,500 marathoners and the 8,000 half-marathon folks.

Thank you, Carlsbad Marathon; we all appreciate your efforts on our behalf.