The course is on the bike path along a motorway in western Sydney so it's fairly hilly with bridge crossings, there's no shade which was uncomfortable for an unseasonally hot day in 2010 and there's absolutely no scenery. The only spectators are dedicated family and friends of runners at certain points along the course where they can drive to. The finish is in a small open stadium so there's no tunnel to run through like real 'stadium finish marathons'. You get a ho hum medal, no t-shirt.

Having said that, it's at least another marathon in Sydney and if you know what to expect, you can prepare for it. The field is small enough that you can stick to a pacer easily and the entry fee last year was more reasonable than other races in Australia (although still a lot more expensive than quality European marathons).