Kind of a bittersweet marathon for me. Had a very good race - placed 2nd overall. The earlier part of the course is moderately flat, and the real hills begin right around mile 16.5, I would say. Make sure you do some hilly medium-long distance runs. I did 20-23-mile long runs on a towpath that is relatively flat; however, I did some very hilly 16-milers as well. I believe the hilly 16-milers helped me a lot for this race. I was 4th until about mile 19, where all of the hills were, and I ended up catching the next 2 guys.

Get to the start an hour before. The course is pretty good, in my opinion; I enjoyed the different areas, and the neighborhood crowds near mile 20 were great! The only complaint I really have is that at the end when you entered the stadium I was told by an official to keep going straight (they thought I was only halfway done so far), when I really should have turned right to the finish. I ended up losing about 2 minutes off my time, but thankfully not my place. Organization could have been better in that sense. Officials, please do a better job of directing the runners out in front. Lots of times I had to point to clarify where to go and get confirmations. I shouldn't have to do that. Your job is to direct; I am doing the running. The runners in front can't possibly memorize all of the turns. Overall, a great race. There is nothing more awesome than the other runners cheering for you in the same race! You all are what makes it so worthwhile!

Kudos to the organizers for listening to past years' comments and making significant improvements. Easy parking. Efficient expo/packet pick-up. Well-run start and finish areas. Course has a great variety of terrain and atmosphere. The high percentage of half and relay runners makes it difficult to hold back on the reins for the first 13, but the hills in the second half will make you wish you did.

This was my first Frederick Marathon, but I have run many much larger events. I did not expect it to be so difficult to park and get to the start line. I needed more than an hour to go the three miles from the interstate to the start line. There are many routes into the fairgrounds, but they were all jammed with traffic that didn't seem to flow anywhere. Police were on every corner, but it just didn't move quickly. Even though I was in the port-o-john when the race started - and it rained steadily the majority of the race - it was well supported by the fans and volunteers at the water/food stops, so they made the run worthwhile. Big thanks to all of those who braved the cold rain from the sidelines. The hills and strange turns through downtown and the Wal-Mart parking lot actually made the race less boring. I suggest exploring Frederick on Saturday. The Flying Dog Brewery has a great tour and tasting. Great location and people. Runners need to plan plenty of time for pre-race parking and prep.

Please improve on the expo. Also, please improve on parking on race morning. Please allow fans with wheelchairs to be let out at the fairground area. The pace group was very good; I ran next to a few for awhile just to check out how they handle people. Marathoners need pacers that are nice and real motivators. I run marathons all over the U.S., for fun. It means a lot to me to see other marathoners being treated nicely. I thank you for having this race.

This was my second full marathon and I found it to be challenging, but rewarding. I loved the start in historic Frederick. There were many spectators supporting us throughout the race. I usually run with music, but left my earbuds out the entire race to enjoy the spectators. I drove the course a few days before, which mentally prepared me for all the hills between miles 17-22. I loved having those hills run through a neighborhood with supportive spectators handing out oranges and cheering us on. I did achieve a PR on this run, which I am very happy about!!!! Thanks to all the supporters and volunteers!!

This is my 2nd time running the Frederick Marathon, and I enjoyed it as much as the 1st one I ran, which was back in 2007. In fact, after running the Boston in 2007, I quickly registered for the Frederick Marathon and set a new PR. I was unable to do the 2008 Frederick run because of an agonizing hamstring pull that I suffered one week from the 2008 Boston. After the injury in 2008, I have run 4 marathons, including the 2009 Boston. All of the times were considerably slower, but than came the Frederick Marathon - my fastest time in awhile. The Frederick Marathon is one of my favorites because of the organization and the friendly people in Frederick. I enjoyed the course too; it's almost identical to running Boston, with challenging hills at the end of the race. One note though: the expo could have been a little bigger. I highly recommend this race to anyone and everyone who loves the sport of running, and marathons in particular. Frederick, I plan to come back next year. Thanks to all in the organization - keep up the good work.

Well, after 3 years and 4 tries I finally broke my PR - and by more than 7 minutes! Yes, the hills after the half were tough (but nothing remotely comparable to the seesaw course of the Charlottesville Marathon). I think that because I train almost constantly on a hilly course, that was not a real factor. The rain? I think it was a blessing. It started raining (for me) at mile 10. By then I was soaking sweat because of the increasing humidity. I was able to breathe much better when the rain started. And I was VERY fortunate not to get blisters (because of the rain). I always get cramps on marathons, but on Sunday's race, zilch. I decided not to come to a complete stop (not even when drinking) and I think that really helped. I was lucky that it was my day. Marathons are like that. I have to express my thanks to the four or five 3:30 pacers whose steady drive carried me to the end - especially one named "Rich." But the top credit goes to my dear wife, who has prepared the best dishes of pasta in the most varied and original eclectic styles the past few months; and our precious daughter who learned the word "go" as she has seen me running over time. We are a team, and this medal is as much theirs as it is mine.

First half was fun and interesting. Even the run through Wal-Mart was neat. After mile 15, you run on a highway, next to cars and semis - not fun. I liked the hills, which provided a real challenge. I liked the start and finish at the fairgrounds. Need to reroute the second half to a better area. It was raining most of the time and that probably kept the fans inside. More food on the course would also help. All that was offered was Sun Chips. I wanted to stop at McDonald's as we ran by on the highway.

This was a pretty tough course by itself but this year we had the added feature of rain - and not a little rain for a short period of time, but constant rain about an hour after the start for the entire day. The course was not too bad, and going through the Wal-Mart parking lot was a hoot because they had shopping carts lined up to keep the runners' lane open for runners only. The placement of the water stops was perfect, about every 2 1/4 miles until about mile 20 and then every mile to the finish line. Again, the 2nd half has some nasty hills, so be ready for them or just walk them like I did. Nice medal and the folks that stood in the rain and cheered us on were great. I saw one lady and her two kids in pink shirts at least 4 times at different points in the course. She and the kids were yelling and cheering us on. Two young gals with rainbow-colored, knee-high socks were there at least twice on the course. The full and the half run together and the full goes right by the finish line, so that can be a heart-breaker, knowing that you've only finished half the course and sometime later you will be back at that same spot to finish.

The main thing to watch for is not to burn yourself out on the front half because the back half will be harder.

This marathon is part of the 2009 Maryland Double Series (Frederick and Baltimore), which I am participating in. The course was very scenic. Runners received a good tour of downtown Frederick. The volunteers were encouraging and the course marshals and police did an excellent job of directing runners and traffic. The post-race food was abundant. Unfortunately, the constant rain kept the spectators away, but those that did come out were greatly appreciated, especially those in the neighborhood at miles 19-23. The only aspect of the course that I did not like was the stretch of highway from mile 16-19 - it was relatively boring. However, most marathons that I have run have a "boring" section.