I am not a "tour" kind of person, so I wasn't really looking forward to this (however, my daughter who is 14 had been accepted as part of her quest for half marathons on 7 continents).

We had the best time. Our guide and driver were awesome. I thought the whole event was planned down to the last detail. I loved that we went 2 days before for an inspection and got to take lots of pictures. We had a great time in Beijing. We took candies, stickers and crayons for the kids in the villages, and for me that was the best part of the trip. Everyone was wonderful. We bought some cool things in the markets. The Gala was spectacular (I wish it had gone on longer, as everyone left for a club and I didn't think it appropriate to go with my teen). I cannot say enough about the marathon except that I will return with my husband and do the full. Amazing experience and full marks to the organizers (just ditch the factory stops!!).

This was my first international marathon, and 13th marathon overall. The organization was done very well. The tour package covered all of the bases and made the trip very easy for an American. Beijing is extremely comfortable to get around in. Subways are clean and safe. Taxis are very inexpensive and accommodations are very pleasurable. The wall was incredible, and even though the countryside was tough and tiring, the people along the route were very endearing. Beautiful people and culture. I highly recommend this marathon and want to go back and take anyone who will go with me. I absolutely loved it.

Amazing scenery! Great organization - the whole experience is exactly as explained by the comments I read here. There were little girls along the way, picking wild flowers and giving them to female runners. Very cute - I got some flowers too.

Plenty of water was distributed; just take your own gels, bars, etc. AND money so you can buy what you need, because I was getting very hungry and was desperately looking for bananas or something to munch, but there was nothing and I had no money with me. The only thing they had at the stations was water and watered-down Lucozade (or some kind of sports drink); no Gatorade, fellow Americans. Once again, take money with you because there are plenty of stands along the way. Fortunately, my last gel took me to the finish line. And be mentally prepared for the 32K mile marker when you have to go up the wall again. The good news is that you can always crawl it.

I did 1/2 marathon at the GWM, and it was truly amazing. Imagine climbing the wall, standing out over the watch tower, and as far as you can see, the Great Wall snakes through the mountainside forever and ever into the distance. I'd highly recommend anyone to go for a visit and better yet, run it.

Actually the running the GW is only 5KM, and you actually climb it rather then run it. The first 5KM are up a steep hill, and the back 10KM are along the village.

Overall, it was a great experience to be a part of one of the world's great wonders and to be able to run it - and also to run through the villages at the end where you see China's poverty and rural life first hand. It's very memorable.

Definitely 5 stars!

Wow! The GWM is a heck of fun time and certainly unforgettable. From all the literature, it is irresistible; you can't miss out on a marathon as unique and challenging as this, and while it was initially unattractive to me due to the requirement of only being able to register by buying a tour (my first experience with this), I quickly realized that if I came without a package, I would have never made it to the start line. From the early morning starts required to dodge the heat, the mandatory inspection - a good idea, and one that gives you opportunity to play tourist/photographer on the wall that you'll be blazing past late - to the 150KM bus rides in each direction, you have to have the package.

The course itself is tough (but you knew that :)), but certainly not insurmountable. Be warned about the other 2KM hill near the 21KM-mark.

Overall, the Wall is amazing, rhe four villages and countryside you run through are beautiful and eye-opening, and they have the best water situation I have seen at any marathon - 28 water stations on the course! And all giving full bottles of water for you to carry... this was my 1st marathon I've ever run not carrying my own water at all. (Bring your own GU/gel for the course).

As far as time goes, they say expect 150% of your normal time. I was just over an hour over my PR at 4:47, so go figure (maybe that just means I'm slow :)).

A great great experience and a great memory, I hope you can fit it into your schedule! (For those who can't afford this, there is a "Great Wall of China" Marathon that runs about 2 weeks prior. Google it; entry is only 150USD, so, much cheaper. But you have to figure out your own logistics and it seems like there's no course support.)

Having been out to the Wall 3 times and run the full twice, I can truly say it is well worth doing. The course itself is challenging (this is an understatement) and the competition of the runners who place in the top spots is getting tough. However, for those who break records as well as those of us who don't, the scenery, the village children, the off-road path, the visiting spectators, and the camaraderie of the other runners is well worth the journey.

Each year it has gotten better and better with greater organization and more assistance for runners. You still must be prepared with your own gels etc, but there are cold showers and, more importantly, massages at the finish.

Definitely not the easiest, but lots of fun! Course was tough. Most memorable were the local spectators. Not a very crowded course, but you're going through very small villages. Those who were there were smiling and cheering the whole time. I'm a New Yorker living in Beijing. Got to see the countryside of China... passed some goats, cows, chickens along the way. The kids were a great source of support. Some ran alongside some of the runners for awhile, eager to get "hi-fives." Local middle school and high school students volunteered to help out at the support stations. Their enthusiasm was great and they were fun to talk to. In the recent wake of the Sichuan earthquake, I wish there was a way for runners to ask their friends and family to sponsor the runner via Paypal or other means, but time to organize might've been restricted. Everyone was in good cheer and weather was perfect! If you're looking for something fun, challenging and different, this is the one. Organization was really first-rate. For the visiting tourists, I think it was really nice. As a local resident, I just wish there was an easier way to pick up my race pack than to go all the way to their office. Plenty of water and salt water. Maybe they can get a sports drink sponsor? Subway sandwiches at the finish line never tasted so good! Take your time, bring your camera, and take lots of pictures! Enjoy!

If you want a truly unique experience, then this is the one. The Wall is the most difficult run I have done but it was the best run I have done. Even though I only ran the half marathon because of a broken rib and the weather was 88 degrees, I would love to do it again. The tour groups give you a great opportunity to see China and not just Beijing. If you go, take at least the 13-17 days trip to see the other parts of China; it is awe-inspiring. The Chinese people are the friendliest I have met and they are very proud of their country. I went with Kathy Loper Tour Group and I would highly recommend them for the excellent job they did in showing us China.

There is no other marathon like this one. The course is torturous (forget about a personal best). The scenery is breathtaking... and the children from the rural villages will steal your heart. My regret is that I didn't bring candy for these kids. They were remarkably friendly and curious. They all wanted to practice their English.... "Hello."

Although this marathon/vacation package seems expensive, it's worth it. I came back with a suitcase full of shopping for the week I was there and I spent less than $200 for all my goods. I also found a greasy spoon near my hotel where I had a bowl of spicy noodles and a beer for about 75 cents (I recommend you save that experience for after the race, although I didn't experience any ill effects). I love the tours too. After completing this tough run, all I can say is that every marathon hereafter will seem easy. A good figure for an expected finish time is to add half again to your average marathon time. I normally run a 4:40 marathon and this one took me 6:30 to run... pretty close. Do it. Have fun and BRING CANDY.

The event location on the Great Wall of China is phenomenal. The village kids provide a great morale boost with their blatant enthusiasm, although other locals may run you down during the street portions of the race. The organizers did okay considering it was in China, but don't expect much of any support on race day. The sports drinks were minimal and useless, the medical staff is all located at home base, and the only support for the many runners in various states of physical distress on the second pass on the wall is other runners. In addition, much of the high entry fee appears to wasted on a pointless affairs that should be optional: pasta dinner and gala awards ceremony.

The challenges of this marathon are the heat, smog, and elevation changes.