I've run several marathons and each is memorable, but this one stands out in particular! First, the course, while somewhat challenging (hills) in the middle section, was very enjoyable: great neighborhoods, historical landmarks. There was beer at mile 24 - something I usually don't partake of on the course, but I saw another hill ahead and said, "What the hell?" Oh, and lipstick (for your finisher photo) at mile 25! What a hoot! Of all the things I might have needed at mile 25, lipstick was not on the top of my list. The post party at the Clinton Library was ok. The free BBQ meal line was too long (we ended up eating else where), but they did have Ketel One vodka (under the volunteers' table, which they were willing to share). But the absolute best was the Medal...it is HUGE! Believe it or not, I lost it out one evening (showing it off). I contacted the race director to see if I might be able to purchase a second one, or at least pay for the shipping and handling (I'm telling you it's HUGE!). They were kind enough to send another medal wrapped in a long-sleeved Little Rock Marathon t-shirt (different from the one we received in our packet). This marathon ROCKS!

Please accept my thanks for a job well done at the 2009 running of the Little Rock Marathon. I am in pursuit of the 50 States Club designation and chose Little Rock based on the time of year, the state, and the information listed on the website.

Things I enjoyed about Little Rock:
1. The destination.
2. The nice expo. The packet pickup was organized and efficient.
3. The great location filled with fun places to eat and plenty to do.
4. The large area to gather, warm up, use the bathroom (in a real bathroom!), drop off a gear bag, and pace before the race.
5. The exceptionally well organized start. The corrals were great. The corrals were spaced well enough that people weren't packed in uncomfortably close waiting for the start. Nice.
6. The scenic course highlighting various areas and landmarks in Little Rock.
7. The pace groups with TWO pacers! I was impressed by the use of two pacers, at least in the pace group I used. Great idea.
8. The water tables placed so frequently. Really nice. I knew I could count on them.
9. The variety on the course. Even though one hill was 3 miles long (miles 13-16), it was well advertised on the website and I was ready. The variety helped break up the monotony.
10. The churches that had praise music on the course. I really enjoyed the First United Methodist Church crowd. Excellent!
11. The finish line was well organized.
12. The volunteers were friendly and efficient every step of the way. This is not an easy accomplishment... so major kudos to the team!
13. The proximity to the Clinton Library for Sunday afternoon. What an amazing place. I was inspired.

Things that weren't optimal:
1. The 3:45 pacers weren't on the same page. We started 30 seconds per mile too fast for the first 4 or 5 miles. The female pacer was trying to get the male pacer to slow down, but he wasn't listening. I decided not to rely on them since they weren't really on a constant pace.
2. Even though it was advertised and I knew what to expect, the food bag at the finish was really minimal. I had it all eaten before I got to my car and was still hungry. I was a bit disappointed.

Overall, I LOVED the Little Rock Marathon and will highly recommend it. I enjoyed the theme with the huge medal (though it hurt my neck, I smiled at the fun the race team has with the BIG theme).

Being on a marathon race committee, I recognize the time, dedication, and work it takes to plan and implement a marathon. You and your team deserve a BIG congrats for a job well done. Please share my gratitude with the race committee and countless volunteers. This runner greatly appreciates your work.

In general, this was a very good race. Marathoners receive a participation shirt plus a finisher shirt. Additionally, they receive a HUGE medal. This medal really looks good, and trust me, it's worth it to travel all the way to Arkansas just for that. It's great. Besides water and Gatorade, beer was available on mile 25! The course is good, even though miles 13-15 hilly. In my opinion, the hilly part was ok. The part that I found very boring was between miles 19-24. Even though it was flat, there was nothing to see, nothing to hear, and nothing to do. The part that I didn't like at all was the post-race food. They just give you a plastic bag with "junk" food. So far, what I know from races is that at the end you can pick your food by yourself. The local newspaper will post your name, so don't forget to buy it! Clinton Ave. has many nice restaurants to eat in. There is a nice brewery there with many beers from all over the world. North Little Rock, on the other side of the river, has a very nice Irish pub too. Lodging: I stayed at Travelodge, three miles from downtown but cheap ($36) and safe. So if you are willing to walk a little bit, why pay more?

This was my 5th Little Rock Marathon, and they get better every year. If the finisher's medal gets bigger, it will need wheels! The organization is the best, the support is awesome, and the city is so friendly and supportive. I injured my ankle a few weeks before the run, and thanks to the great early start, I still got to run Little Rock. This is a great idea, and besides, for a few hours, I was ahead of the Kenyans. (It was amazing to see them FLY by us at mile 16.) I just found out the date for next year's race and made my reservations at the Peabody. (By the way: KEEP THE PEABODY.)

One more thing: It had THE BEST PASTA DINNER EVER. The food was awesome.

This was a very well run marathon. Everything from the answers to my pre-race emails to the support on the course was done to perfection. There were plenty of porta-potties on the course, plenty of water, the elevation map was clear, the pre-race expo was a lot of fun, the giant finisher's medal was a kick and there was a nice, slightly downhill finish. The location of the start was great; I thoroughly enjoyed the area and the river area nearby was beautiful.

I loved this race! The course was not as hilly as I had expected, the weather was perfect, and I was able to PR. What more could you ask for? The event was very well organized and supported. I really enjoyed the run and the finisher's medal is AWESOME. To top it all off, we had a great post-race meal at the Clinton Library. I highly recommend this race. Thanks, Little Rock! Great job; great race!

What a great marathon - perhaps the best of the seven I have done so far. It is the first marathon for which I've felt compelled to leave a comment.

Let me start with the prior day's activities, which really set a positive tone for the whole marathon experience. The expo was more than satisfactory, but what was really great was being able to explore the market area next to the expo. It was great to go a few steps to get something to eat, watch a St. Patrick's Day parade, and visit the museums that were made free for us. I also couldn't believe how close the hotels were to start/finish line. I could have walked directly out the Marriot Courtyard into my corral.

As for the race, the corrals worked incredibly well; especially for their first year. Volunteers were diligently manning the entrances to each corral and it made all the difference in the world. When the gun went off, I had plenty of free space and was able to run immediately. I have no problem with walkers and slower runners, but it sure is great not to have to deal with them at the beginning of a race.

The route itself was okay. I wasn't sure if sprinting down those hills at miles 16 and 17 was going to take anything out of me or not.

I would love to be able to credit the organizers for the weather as well. It was 55 and cloudy, which made for a splendid run through Little Rock.

Great job, organizers!

Overall, it was a good experience. I set a personal best by 15 minutes so I will always remember this race. The weather was perfect (45 degrees, cloudy and no wind at the start). You need to train on hills so you can handle miles 13-16. The downhill at 16 can be hard on the quads, but the hills weren't too bad. The out-and-back from 18-23 miles is brutal. That is too long a stretch and it couldn't have come at a worse time in the race. The rest of the course winds around and is scenic. Organization was good and having the start and finish 6 blocks from the hotels was great. The expo was fine and the pasta dinner was worth the $20. I would recommend it to others.

I loved this race!! I live in KC, so hills are not uncommon. I really liked the easy packet pick up and the corrals. The perks tent was worth the $20. I wish every race did that! This race was well organized. Kudos, ladies; you do a great job!

However, I do take issue with a couple of things:
1. Don't stay at the Holiday Inn-President. Trying to get directions to the expo was like pulling teeth and the staff is rude.
2. Look, I only do half-marathons because I am short, fat and slow. I know my place... in the back. So to hear marathoners constantly whine about why races offer a half gets on my nerves! We are all there for the same things, are we not?
3. I do appreciate the post-race food bag, but the food I got was passed its expiration date and tasted like it. I still ate it anyway because I was hungry.
4. To the guy who complained about the medal: I know you read about the race before you entered, right? News flash... that's their thing. BIG MEDALS!

All in all, this race was great and I'd do it again in a minute!

I didn't really know what to expect. I heard about the heat and the hills. The temp was 55 (awesome) and the hills were really not bad at all. If you don't like hills, there are two (1 mid race about 1.5 miles long) and 1 at about 25 (like the Superman incline at 6 flags). The organization and support were first class. Only complaint is the jam up in the first 1-2 miles. Corrals helped but there are a lot of turns, which slows people down. Regarding the out-and-back portion - it's no fun watching those people coming back at you and not knowing when you'll get to the turn, but on the way back it's awesome. It was a PR of 6 minutes (16th marathon). You gotta love any marathon with those results.