Most people who live in the area try to avoid driving in the area of the marathon, but there were quite a few cars this year. It looked like a few runners had friends and family drive the course to provide extra support.

There is no way to completely close the roads to traffic, but more effort needs to be put into limiting traffic.

There need to be more aid stations, or runners need to be encouraged to carry their own aid.

Call me crazy, but I still don't think this is one of the toughest marathons in the country. A lot of sections are rolling, and there are some pretty long downhills as well (around halfway, there is about a mile of downhill). This marathon has more to offer than just "being tough." It's a beautiful course run in a beautiful town.

The lack of friendliness and hospitality shown by the race directors is a poor representation of the town of Boone.

If you are like me, the very thought of running a marathon in the South in July sounds crazy. Throw in a few wicked-looking hills and a "time limit" of 5 hours, and only the most insane and elite runners would take a chance on this marathon. If you pass this run up, however, you're making a big mistake! I have run many marathons and this one was by far the most pleasant surprise to date.

This is a marathon in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains and the weather is very pleasant in July. Low humidity and moderate temperatures are the rule. The run has a lot of shade as well, and the 7 a.m. start time helps even more. It feels more like the Pacific Northwest than the South in July.

The hills are real but I've experienced worse. There are many downhills to counter the uphills and there are many gradual hills to help ease into the higher elevations. The steep hills are steep but mercifully scattered throughout much of the course rather than bunched together.

The scenery is stunning at times and the finish at the Highland Games (a Scottish festival) is fun and a little exciting, even after 26.2 grueling miles. You run across the Eastern Continental Divide and across waterfalls and streams. The start is usually in the Stadium at Appalachian State but was moved to the parking lot due to construction this year.

There are only two complaints I have. The first is that this is an open-traffic course, where cars share the road with the runners even on the twisty roads where there are many blind spots. You must keep your wits about you! The second problem is the relative scarcity of water stops and their unpredictable appearances (some stacked up and some widely spaced). It's a good idea to bring a water bottle. The volunteers are great and will gladly fill your bottle for you.

As for the time limit, no one I know of was removed from the course or wasn't awarded a time and a finisher's medal. Only those running in under 5 hours will finish inside the Highland Games stadium but everyone will be allowed to finish in or outside of the games.

Overall this is a great run. Enjoy!!

Do you want a challenge? Run every step here and you will achieve something.

As a returning veteran of 10 Grandfathers, I knew what to expect. It is pretty much the same every year and the organizers have it down to a science. Nice course, great finish, and great weather contribute to a favorable Grandfather experience. I ran conservatively, and this helped me in the second part of the race as I passed 10 people later in the race who were ahead of me in the first part. The quiet rural roads and great scenery make this a marathon I cant stay away from. I run my slowest time here usually, and I benefited from quite a bit of hill training, which saved me on the big hill at 16 (heading up to 221 from the gravel road). All in all, a great weekend, I also camped along the Blue Ridge Parkway, where we ran by and also visited Asheville and the Biltmore on Sunday. Do yourself a favor and run this, and you will see how good this race really is. See you in 2010!

I have only one complaint about this race, and it's only partly related: the dorm rooms provided at Appalachian State the night before. I paid $75 for a room I thought was private, only to find that I really only got my own room and was sharing a suite with another runner I didn't know. Luckily, that turned out not to be a problem, since he was a nice guy. However, the room lacked soap, shampoo, and a pillow, all of which I consider basic amenities - I had to go buy a bar of soap and use some clothes for a pillow. It would have been much easier had we been informed ahead of time what we needed to provide ourselves. At least things went up from there (literally!).

The course was gorgeous, climbing high into the hills and providing great views. The climbs are long, but spaced out enough to be fair - nothing was too steep to run up. I had a little trouble with the roads being banked to the side around every curve, but other than that the roads were good to run on. The aid stations were great, and since the race started at the App. State football stadium, there was no bathroom shortage at the start (and real bathrooms, not port-a-potties). And after four hours of pain and misery, hearing the sounds of bagpipes over the last hill was one of the coolest running experiences I've ever had. (Although having a thousand people see me stumble and limp around the track to the finish was a little embarrassing!)

The course definitely deserves its reputation as a monster - I came in 45 minutes behind my PR, and my friend was 55 minutes behind his. But the beauty and challenge of the course are definitely worth an extra half-hour to an hour of running.

It's a terrific, well organized race. Unfortunately the course is not closed, so in some points you have to watch out for cars. It's very hard, so prepare well - at least a couple of months in advance. It's all uphill; at mile 18, you feel like quitting, but when you finish the last mile, you really feel like a hero. This was my first marathon, but I prepared very hard for several weeks. It is not easy; it is not a joke; so be sure you are well prepared for this race.

I am a 8:30 miler. And I finished this race in 4:08 (though my watch said, "4:14").

The beginning of this course is brutally difficult around mile 4-5. There are no flat spots on the course; it was either up or down. It was very scenic, and the temperature got cooler the higher we ran; however, it was still hot (74 degrees and 80% humidity). Miles 4, 18, and 24-26 were the hardest with a steep incline. As previous posters say, ditch the speed workout and train for the hills. My Garmin 405 watch had a total elevation gain of 13K+. I am glad I didn't drive the course before I ran it or I would have had second thoughts.

I gave the spectators 5 stars because of the finish, with so many people cheering for you.

I gave the course 5 stars because you just don't get to run the Blue Ridge Parkway everyday.

I would have given it 5 stars; however, my bus ticket for the ride back disintegrated from my sweat. It would have been much better if the bib were stamped.

Overall, it was a great race with a lot of friendly people! The volunteers were awesome!

I was definitely a bit nervous entering this race after reading about the grueling hills, but was up for the challenge. Unlike the previous marathons I've run, my goal was completion, and not time-based. This is certainly a great event to enter if you're looking for something unlike most other races.

This is for sure a small-town race, but with evident community support. The water/Gatorade stations were manned by enthusiastic and encouraging volunteers. Locals really got involved, offering gummy worms and a refreshing spray from a garden hose along the route.

Entrants should note that it's not just the uphills that are challenging, but the occasional downhills as well. While I don't know how one could fully prepare to run on such an undulating course (up and downs over 3,000 feet), you've definitely got to get plenty of hills into your training, and during the race, there are some hills that you just must walk portions of.

I did not like the finishing area of the race at all. Runners enter the Highland Games, where the marathon is obviously not the main draw (or secondary for that matter). Festival go-ers were all over the place, making the finishing quarter-mile somewhat confusing. The race is completed on a gravel track; I would have preferred a straight away to the finish line. However, post-race food was perfect - plenty of honey wheat and raisin bread, protein packed peanut butter and sugary jams, plus honey, and all of the best brown bag lunch desserts (Moonpies, oatmeal cream-filled cookies, Zebra Cakes, Honey Buns, yum!).

Overall, I really enjoyed this race and the camaraderie along the way. It's no-frills, but then again, I'm not really in it for the schwag. Spectators are sparse (you've got to either be very self motivated or bring along an iPod), but those who are there are fantastically supportive.

Thanks to everyone who commented on the race, both positively and negatively. It prepared me perfectly for this marathon. My best advice for this race: start out slowly, carry your own nutrition, take off your watch, and just run.

Between looking at the elevation chart and the website listing GMM as one of the 10 toughest marathons in the US, I was expecting to score a PW (Personal Worse) on this course. Instead, I finished within a couple of minutes of my usual time, and my legs hardly felt sore. (Usually I need a post-race massage just to walk somewhat normally.) Maybe it's because I got more walking in than usual.

I actually walked up every steep hill on this course, but really took advantage of gravity and flew down the steep downhills (especially in the first half), some of which went for 1.5 miles. To prevent blisters, I tape my feet, wear trail socks, and make sure that my laces are snug enough to keep my feet in place in my shoes (I'm used to trail running).

The bonus to running this race is getting to see the Scottish Highland Games, which is where the track is for where this race finishes. The catch is that you only get to finish on the track if you get there by noon (5-hour cutoff). I got my victory lap with plenty of time to spare and then took some pictures. (NOTE: Do not try to get your picture taken by one of the bagpipers playing on platforms inside the track - major faux pas, as they are being judged for cash prizes. I'm lucky I didn't get tossed out of there! Race Director: this may sound obvious, but you may want to instruct runners to stay off the field to prevent any possible future issues with the Games.)

My only issue is the use of these small tickets for the shuttle back to the start: somehow mine got lost from my backpack during the race when I pulled out the camera a few times for pictures. If someone nearby hadn't heard my plight and given me a spare, I'm sure it would have been resolved, but it was a bit of a concern. Maybe the race bibs can be stamped "shuttle pass" to avoid this issue. Another runner taped his ticket to the back of his bib number. Others I talked to said their tickets were sweated up pretty bad.

The other memorable thing is hearing people shout, "Car!" as they came from either direction on this winding course. I didn't find the cars to be a problem, though the camber of the road can be rather steep on a lot of those "S" curves.