Yes, it's hilly, but it would not be so beautiful if it wasn't. Train for hills and lower your time goal by a few minutes, and then just enjoy the run. One of my slowest finishing times, but perhaps my most enjoyable marathon yet. Plan on staying a few days to take in the island's peak Fall colors, without the hassle of Summertime crowds.

This course is as lovely as any you will ever run. The RD
and volunteers are great. It is very hilly, but as scenic as Big Sur. Highly recommended. The Arcadia Inn is a lovely place to stay.

This was one of the hilliest courses I've run, but I prefer these to the pancake flat races that give you 26.2 miles of the same terrain. If you train for hills, you'll be fine. I thought the first half of the race was the hardest (except for mile 17 - HILLY!). The last 1.5-2 miles are all downhill so if you're struggling at the end, it's a wonderful reprieve.

There were few spectators on the course, but they made up for their numbers by the volume of their cheers. A special THANK YOU to the folks handing out the hot cider at mile 21. On such a cold, rainy day it tasted like heaven. There were also a few hardy musicians playing in the rain (and SMILING!). Also, they said GU would only be handed out at mile 16, but another group was handing them out around mile 21 - that one really carried me to the finish.

The only negatives were the medal (very plain - was hoping these would be reflective of the beautiful course), the windbreaker (a little flimsy, but kudos for trying something instead of the usual t-shirt), and the lack of enough toilets at the start.

If you're looking for a beautiful Maine marathon representative of this state's beauty, you'll find it here.

This race exceeded all my expectations in so many ways. After woefully undertraining this summer due to injury, and being nervous about the hills, this course was spectacular. There were only a few hills to worry about, and definitely save energy for the hill from mile 21 to 24.5. Can't count the times I came around a corner to yet another stunning vista (even in the fog and rain) and laughed out loud at the beauty (and I'm from Maine!) The foliage was spectacular, even in the rainy weather. Other highlights:
- Being paced by a boat(!) about 100 feet offshore for about 1.5 miles. Where else but Maine!
- Volunteers, especially at mile 24.5. You kids rocked and pushed me to the finish!
- Small race size, but enough runners spread throughout the course to not be alone.
- Changing space inside the school at the finish to get out of cold wet clothes.
- Easy parking/dropoff at start. Was able to park within 100 yards of start line 15 minutes before start. Nice.
- Great groups of spectators that braved the cold and rain.

Highly recommended! I will consider doing this race again and again. Thank you for a memorable race!!

My wife and I came to run Mt Desert Island Marathon b/c of the high reviews from runners world and to have a chance to see Acadia in all its fall colors.

Even though it was cool and raining, the scenery was still beautiful. The course is very hilly- nothing too steep, but there are many loooong ones.
Aid stations were well stocked and manned and the mile markers were visible. Good finish line food, volunteers, free massage, showers, and energetic spectators were all appreciated. You have your name on your bib, so it was great hearing spectators call your name out in encouragement. The only negative I can think of is that the last 5 miles are along a highway with traffic. Not a deal breaker, but just a drastic change from the feel of the prior 20 miles.

I've done Big Sur and while Mt. Desert is different in it's own way, it's equally as beautiful. Bar Harbor is a neat little town too. Do yourself a favor and do this race once in your life!

This is an excellent marathon, albeit quite hilly especially from mile 19 to just shy of mile 25. If you can get there, the last 1.2 miles will be a cakewalk, as marathons go. The scenery is absolutely amazing. It rained for the entire race this year which was a bit of a downer but between beating the hills and enjoying the scenery, it wasn't too much of an issue. The temperatures were in the 40s which seemed like it would be bad but turned out to be just perfect. The course was NOT closed. You run against traffic and near the end of the race, that meant a rough 'sidewalk' or the edge of the road next to the fog line. Scary at times. Race organization was very well done although the food tent in the finish area was submerged in mud/water due to the rain. I had to ask about the beer tent and the shuttles back to Bar Harbor since they were across the street on the opposite side of the main finish area and school where the dropped bags were picked up. This was all documented but after 4 hours I kind of forgot it. The spectators were great and I frequently got them to cheer on my group of runners. Jeers to the people with the dog that was biting runners! I love dogs... not giving my hand as a snack to them! The locals seemed to take the hills in stride. Many of us visitors, not so much. Parking in Bar Harbor can be tough but if you arrive early on race morning there are no issues. The jacket was just... meh... a very lightweight windbreaker. The medal was also ... meh. Just a big square 2012 (as a 2 line block) and 'Mount Desert Island' and 'Marathon' text on it. It missed the mark for highlighting the scenic beauty of the race. Still, the whole experience was very rewarding.

Although this was one of the harder marathon courses I have run and the weather was not cooperative, I still had a great experience! I highly recommend this race! The fall foliage and beautiful course were amazing. I am looking forward to returning. Do not let the thought of hills deter you from this marathon.
The race director and volunteers did a great job. I loved the windbreaker we received instead of a shirt. Everything was well organized from packet pick up to transporting runners back into Bar Harbor after the race. There were not a lot of spectators, but considering the weather, the people that did come to cheer were wonderful.
Bar Harbor was a nice town to visit, with lots of good places to eat and lots of shops.
If you like to run marathons, this race is a real treat. Do not miss it!! I rarely repeat marathons, but this one is well worth the trip back to Maine!

This was my second marathon, and I loved it! The course is beautiful. It is hilly, and the rain/wind/hills that picked up for the final 10K made it a challenge, but it was so worth it. The fall colors, sweeping vistas, and ocean views were breathtaking. There are many areas with no spectators (expected for a race with 1200 people) but when you get to the spectator areas, they are full of energy. The volunteers at water stop mile 24 were great.

Only 2 things I would change -

First, we stayed at the host hotel, but they did not offer late check out for marathoners! So 'bring a towel in your post-race gear. They provide showers post-race, which were hot and clean.

Second, much of the course is not fully closed to traffic. This was completely fine due to wide roads, up until the last mile or so where traffic goes both ways on a narrow road. Several times I had to jump up on the sidewalk to avoid cars (NOT too fun with half a mile to go!). With about .2 to go, police were actually directing cars turning across the course!

Besides those small issues, it is an amazing marathon and I would absolutely do it again.

If there are other marathons that try to do everything to please like this one does, I haven't found it yet. Great effort by the people putting on the race, nice hilly tough course, beautifull scenery, nice resort area in peak color with many fine places to eat and visit good value, friendliest people!

Yes, there are hills! But if you train properly, the hills are not nearly as daunting as some people proclaim them to be. Pace yourself wisely and the hills are a non-issue. Plus, the beauty of the surrounding area is a marvelous distraction for when those hills get tough. In my opinion, 1200 runners is the perfect race size ... not crowded, but enough positive energy around to keep one happily moving forward. Race director Gary is a great guy, and his team of volunteers are awesome. Smallish but nice expo, and a great race jacket - nice change from the usual t-shirt. 2012 was rainy, but it didn't deter from a great experience. Bonus, Bar Harbor is an amazing little town, full of fun shops and delicious restaurants.