I ran this year's Maine marathon after running The New Hampshire marathon on Saturday. Start time is 7:45 but they allowed an early 6:00 am start for walkers or for those of us running our second marathon in two days. They also have a race day packet pick-up which was greatly appreciated. I think there was an expo on Saturday but I can't comment on that. On Sunday morning I did have trouble finding the Gym where the packet pick-up was and no one I asked seemed to know. Better signage here would've helped. We all know how confusing college campuses can be to navigate. I missed the starting gun because of this.

The course is a very nice, primarily out and back course. There are a few rollers through the middle miles but unless you are a flatlander they shouldn't scare anyone away. In fact a fit runner could PR on this course. Unfortunately the leaves had only just begun changing. Some of the locals did say that usually runners could expect some nice fall colors by the last weekend in September. There were lot's of trees on the course so I suspect the course could be stunning under those circumstances.

The weather this year was miserable with a steady rain the whole time so fan support was almost non-existant. Still the water stops were well manned and I can't say enough about the volunteers positive support dispite the rain. I felt that every volunteer had a big smile. The stops were plentiful and they all had water and Gatorade. I didn't see any gel but I carry my own and may have missed them.

The course is open to traffic much of the race but it was never an issue.

The race begins and ends by the U of Southern maine campus and I found easy free parking. I did start early so perhaps parking is more of an issue later.

I appreciated the space blanket which was needed on this cool rainy day. There seemed to be a nice food spread (including pizza) but I have to admit all I wanted was to get into my car and get warm and dry so I only grabbed a few cookies and bolted.

You get a nice long sleeve tech shirt and a medal the shape of it's namesake. The goodie bag also had some nice swag.

Even in the driving rain, this was a great first marathon experience. The course was great if quiet: Very few rolling hills, and through mostly residential neighborhoods (though I expected more of it to be along the coast). Many more people than I would have expected stood along the route to cheer us on despite the weather, and the volunteers were all so friendly, encouraging, and helpful: What a great spirit there was the whole time.

The organization of the race seems a bit on the casual side, but it wasn't a problem at all: I felt safe and was comfortable with both the field size and the race direction overall. I would definitely recommend this race to first-timers and experienced marathoners who aren't interested in big, showy outings, and I hope to do it again someday. (Hopefully when the sun's out.)

I did the half while two of my friends did the full. We were able to park very close and wait in the car till the last minute. It was raining and chilly. Race went off without a hitch. Thought it would be flatter then it ended up being but it was doable...Even for me who is a total flatlander! Course support was super and I enjoyed the course. Good variation! It poured after mile 8. Still PR'd by 2 minutes though!!! My only complaint would be the medal. Loved mine -but it was just the same as my friends who did the full. That's not right. Did the relayers also get that medal?

Pro:
1)The goodie bag was huge and loaded with stuff. Including a can of beans. 2) We stayed at La Quinta they were very runner friendly. Within easy walking distance of the packet pick up and start line. They let us check out late 1 pm. I did not get back to the room until 130 and they let me shower. We did not check out until 2 pm.
3) The start line of the race was very easy to get to.
4) The course is beautiful and the hills were not nearly as bad as i had expected or as many of them as i had expected.

Con: Not the organizers fault it rained. Although the rain made it cooler and more comfortable to run in.
2) My husband ran the half. We did not realize it until race day they had mispelled his name Minor instead of Miner and put his age as 17 instead of 57. And his time was never recorded. I wish we had realized the name and age error at the expo we would have talked to someone.. My husband did the half

Very well organized run with plenty of course support an traffic control. Rolling hills for 8 through 17. It rained throughout but still a good course.

Race Directors are very helpful.

This was my last NE marathon and worth the wait. The people associated with this race - from volunteers to spectators to participants all seemed to genuinely enjoy the experience. The expo was top notch, organization removed any source of logistical worries and the course was not burdened with any significant crowding or traffic.

Pros:
Amazing volunteers and spectators cheering hours into a rainy day
Beautiful course with rolling hills
Great support with plenty of supplies everywhere
Colored bibs to identify first timers
Great goody bag

Cons:
Windy and rainy in 2011 (Hey, it happens in ME in October.)
Not a lot of photography on the course (See windy/rainy comment above.)

If you're looking for a run through a skyscraper jungle with 30,000 strangers, this race is not for you. What it is is a wonderful mid-sized marathon through the countryside in Maine. The RD is very attentive to details and makes sure everyone knows what is going on. The start/finish area is easy to reach, with ample parking, port-a-potties, and a post race shower facility. The course itself leads through the edge of Portland before heading up to Falmouth and back. I know that some runners wanted more of a downtown Portland experience, but as someone visiting the region I appreciated the opportunity to see the bay and the coast. I have run large 'musical' marathons before where I found myself all alone after the half runners turned, but that was not the case here. Not only were the plenty of other runners, the support and fans were still out there for those of us in the full! I even got water from a water stop that I only later realized was just a neighborhood that decided the runners might be thirsty and put it together themselves. I especially appreciated having bibs that highlighted first time marathoners: it was easy to strike up a conversation with newer runners and give them support.

I would highly recommend this race to my friends and can easily see myself making the 2800 mile trip again.

I have run this marathon about a dozen times and each year they somehow manage to improve on it. This is one of the few midsize marathons that is reasonably priced yet it still raises thousands of dollars each year that is donated to non profits, most of it to help children in need. Nice ,very well organized Expo and packet pick up. You can even pick up your packet race morning.There is an early start for slower runners and walkers . The course is scenic with ocean views and a few hills to make it enteresting . There are aid stations every few miles and excellent traffic control.Even though it poured this year the volunteers were all cheerful as usual.Crossing the finish line I got a exceptionally nice medal. A free massage and hot pizza finished off this year's race for me.This has become a very popular marathon and half marathon . It has reached it's cap of 3,500 runners that last two years so if you are planning on doing it sign up early. The greater Portland area has plenty of things to do and sights to see so you might want to stay a few extra days. I will be back next year.

I have always wanted to run a race in coastal Maine and this was an excellent choice. For a smaller scale race, there was great energy. It was unfortunate that the rain and wind made the race not entirely enjoyable, but those that ran and those few who came out to cheer were very upbeat. The course was very easy...almost too easy. The last 10 miles or so were almost entirely flat or downhill and after a while that pounding started to make the quads ache. I am told this was a first in terms of the rain, and if that is the case, I would definitely recommend this race to others!

Not sure what the complaining is all about...I found nothing wrong or boring with this course. In fact, I enjoyed it very much. I wish it had been a dry day, but loved the cooler temps...nice swag and RD does an excellent job keeping the participants posted. Highly recommend!