I'm not a big marathon runner, as this was only my second. The start time was great and the first two hours were a breeze, nice and cool. I didn't see a mile marker though since it was dark. The only downside to this race was dodging traffic during the last two hours. If you don't mind that, it was an easy race to finish. I did not try the post-race McDonald's burgers but did not hear good things about them from others. There was plenty of water, Gatorade, etc... at the finish though. Tupelo is... well, Tupelo. There is a reason it isn't Vegas. If you want Vegas, then go to Vegas.

The 5 a.m. start really provided a great beginning to this well organized race. I love Mcdonald's and beer, and both were provided. This has to be the best t-shirt and medal I have ever gotten. My kudos to the race director and staff.

I loved the 5 a.m. start and the awesome T-shirt and medal. The half-skull and crossbones I got for the half is mucho cool!!

This marathon is the anti-megamarathon. Running under a pre-dawn moon, hearing the roosters crow as you plod down country roads, and watching the dogs giving you this "What the heck are these people doing?" look as you pass by their front yards is a real running experience. Even the skunk I smelled at mile 12 added a certain rural "aura" to this race.

Though I could have used a few more mile markers, and at one time I wondered where I was and if I was on the right course, the "where in the world am I?" feel added mystique to this race.

I appreciate the amateur "no sponsor" aspect of this race. It's nice to have a super cool t-shirt that isn't littered with 15 names of banks, law firms, etc., on the back. I hope to run this race again.

Wow! First time at this one and I had a great time. Nice welcome by the hosting Tupelo runners at packet pickup, terrific pre-race dinner with the many Marathon Maniacs attending, and while the weather was typical (warm/humid), the start, course, and finish were exactly what a small-town race should offer. This was the first time I ever had McDonald's burgers for post-race recovery, but I even enjoyed that touch. We wore our medals all the way up to Memphis for celebrating on Beale Street!

Ok, this event is not Boston, New York, or Chicago, but that is the beauty and draw of this race. I thought that the 5 a.m. start made the race even better. It helped with the temperature, but it also was very cool running the course under the stars on those rural roads. I thought the water stations were well stocked, if maybe a little undermanned. Mile markers up higher would have been a plus, but that would not be necessary. Parking/easy access to the start was my favorite part. My family met me a the finish and parked about 200 yards from the finish line. Try to find that in some of the bigger cities. I will do this race again and would highly recommend it. By the way, the finisher medal is awesome!!

It's been 5 years since I've run Tupelo. I love coming to this particular race, and love the start time, the city, and the Tupelo Running Club. There's just so much that I love about it. I just don't understand the McDonald's hamburgers as post-race food. They're awful. Please change that. Thank you.

I thought everything about this race was well executed. The race director acknowledged your registration via email and was prompt to answer any questions. Race packet went smoothly. I happen to love the tie-dyed, long-sleeve, cotton T-shirt - and as others have mentioned, the medal is just plain cool. I welcomed the early start. Running in the dark for the first hour and half or so was just like doing a training run. There aren't a whole lot of porta-potties, aid stations are not as frequent as in some other marathons, and they don't have big mile markers, but this is a low-key race. Personally, I'd forgo those things any day in favor of a nice course, friendly people and a good time - and that is what this marathon delivered. I enjoy out-and-back courses, and this one did not disappoint. There were several fellow "Marathon Maniacs," and seeing them and giving/getting words of encouragement was a mental boost. There seemed to be plenty of water, sports drink, beer and burgers at the finish. I'd highly recommend this race. It's definitely one of my favorites.

This marathon doesn't have any big sponsors. It's prepared by the local running club, and as such, you are not going to get a lot of course amenities: no clocks every mile, no bands, not a lot of personal attention during the race, no flashing/neon mile markers, no covered bridges or stadiums to run through, no closed course and no pretense about the potential for the weather (we REALLY lucked out this year!). For the sake of our wallets and for those of us who are just there to run and score that finisher's medal, I hope this race stays simple and focused. (And I rather liked the prospect of hamburgers and cold beer at the finish, so they need to keep that going!)

My only real suggestion for improving this event is to please clarify the website for us out-of-townerswhen it comes to directions and maps. Quite a few people were asking for directions at bib-pickup (and they ran out of maps). I am glad that I did a recon the day before, or I would have been driving around the wrong Furniture Market complex at 4:00 a.m., looking for the start of the race!

I have run the Tupelo for the last three years, and it's great to have a marathon in the South to train for during the summer to keep me motivated. This is not a first-timer's marathon, as the weather can be quite warm and humid if you haven't trained for it. If you have, it is a great run with a surreal but beautiful start in the dark. Personally I love these smaller venues full of runners who love to run multiple marathons rather than folks who are looking to check a box on their "stuff to do before I die" list. You can keep your mega-marathons, and I will keep coming to treasures like the Tupelo each year.

Absolutely loved the experience. I'm not too fond of "out and back" courses, but as another person posted, with most of the first half in the dark, it seemed totally different coming back.

I was pleasantly surprised with Tupelo. It exceeded my expectations by a long shot. The town was very easy to get around, and it has plenty to do to occupy your time. The goody bag included a free pass to visit the house where Elvis was born. I wouldn't have gone otherwise, but I couldn't pass up a free ticket. I was very glad I went. Miss Billie was a hoot.

The medal is one of the - if not the - coolest of my 13 marathon medals. I love the long-sleeve cotton shirt. I'm 6'3" tall, so most long sleeves don't fit me well. This one is plenty long enough so I won't have to roll up the sleeves as with most others. The color is a bit loud for me, with the orange/yellow tie-dye, but I'll still proudly wear it around the house.

I was also nervous about the water stations being two miles apart. I don't know if it was the cloud cover or the early start, but it was not an issue at all. They advertised water only for the first half, but I'd say around Mile 8 they had Gatorade as well. The Skittles, peppermints, and pretzels and mile 23 were GREAT! That really helped energize me those last 3.2 miles.

The McDonald's hamburgers at the finish were awful. I took one bite and my stomach turned. :( My only recommendation would be to get different post-race food.

There weren't many spectators, but I wasn't expecting many at 5:00. The ones who were out were wonderful.

Since I have MS marked off my list of the 50 states, I won't race this one again. But I would totally recommend this race to anyone.