German organization at its best. The course is flat but could be improved by reducing the number of turns. A very good marathon in a small and friendly city.

I ran the HALF MARATHON. Need more distance markers so runners can gauge their pace. The spectators along the half-marathon course were really motivating.

Everything I read about this marathon before was true for 2003 as well. First of all, the enthusiastic crowd, especially around the cathedral - this was the easiest and most enjoyable part of the race. There were other parts with no spectators like in almost evry other race, and the loop to Weisenau was not loved by most of the runners. The temperature was too warm, so an earlier start could help. Because there are two loops runners can decide at the end of the first loop to go the full distance or finish the half-marathon. Lots of people did the half-marathon, so it was less crowded in the second round. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience.

From the start there was great crowd support. Plenty of water points with fresh bananas. Beautiful course through a historic German town on the Rhine River. The weather was great: about 70F and sunny. I had a blast!