This is a good, no a great, race til about mile 18. Good if sparse crowd support, excellent route and with only 3,500 people running the marathon loads of space. Then at mile 18 you run into the tail enders of the half marathon who are walking, talking on their phones and weaving all over the place. Essentially race over at that point.

Spectators and TV crews were running across the course without looking and elbowing runners who were still racing.

Also, all the water stations were out of water by mile 20 just as the temperature climbed to 24C. No energy drinks as far as I could see.

After the race the exhausted marathon runners are pushed around by the walkers trying to get to the feeding area. Totally impossible situation and the volunteers were totally clueless.

Lot to do for this race to become world class

The organizers make sure that they take care of only the elites. There are no water stations for slow runners, as they near the end. No gels and no electrolytes either.

The high race-day temperatures and the lack of water make it an avoidable race.

The Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon was my first international race and I wanted to make some suggestions/tips for the organizers and future runners. In general, I would not recommend coming to Mumbai JUST to run the race, but India itself is an amazing amazing country... and its people are so kind and genuine. Westerners could learn a lot from them.

The bad:
- Unless you are an elite athlete, you will not be taken seriously in this race! It was a slow marathon for me due to the heat and lack of training (took me somewhere between 4:30 and 5:00), but still, I did not expect to be approached at KM 33 (WHILE STILL RUNNING!) by a television crew wanting me to give an interview!
- Energy gels of any kind - NOT AVAILABLE ANYWHERE IN INDIA!!! The type of "energy drink" they hand out is not common; I've never seen it before (comes in a packet in powder form) and it tasted pretty terrible compared to Gatorade. That's not to mention that at some of the "energy" stations, they were out of energy drink, or you yourself would have to stop at the station to open your own packet and add them yourself to your water!
- Start line: more volunteers (SOME volunteers) needed to show people the right direction and explain the process of the holding area and walking in circles to find it! Very confusing. Also, the corral system should be used instead of a mass start. It's frustrating when there are both people bombing by you and people that are walking ahead of you (especially the ones carrying banners the width of the roadway!)!
- Volunteers should be better trained to answer questions. I found a lot them didn't know a great deal of helpful info and were only able to say, "Look at the information booklet" when I asked a question.
- Questionable vendors at the expo (fashion 24K gold jewelley in place of, say... energy gel vendors?).
- Race kits: no t-shirt and a bunch of products specifically for men for shaving! As one of the several women in the race, I was disappointed.
- The "Athletes Area" for before and after the race should be for ATHLETES ONLY! When I just finish a marathon and am replenishing myself with carbs and water, it is tough when having to walk another kilometer in the glaring, Mumbai, 35-degree sun to get to the food/water tents. And to make matters worse, I was promptly accosted by beggars wanting this food and water.
- Not enough porta-potties (ended up asking a garage station to use theirs during the race!!).

The good:
- Course was nice, starting and ending at Victoria Terminus, a beautiful old building.
- Course was well marked.
- Small Kingfisher bottled water is handed out (maybe 100 mL each?) - generates a lot of waste but at least you know the water hasn't been tampered with and you can carry with you for a few KMs.
- Plenty of water stations, though NO GELS.
- Timing chips did not have to be returned this year. No long lines.
- Spectator support was pretty nice, especially for foreigners! I love seeing all of the kids coming out with their teachers to cheer us on! Very motivating.
- A historical race this year, given the terrorist attacks 2 months ago in Mumbai. I was so so proud that they went ahead with the race as scheduled. Thank you to India and thank you to Mumbai! I will never forget my experience.

I have run the Mumbai Half Marathon thrice and Singapore Half Marathon once. I rate Mumbai miles ahead of S'Pore:

1. 80% of the route, spanning two sea-fronts - Marine Drive and Haji Ali - is unique. S'Pore was intimidating, running amidst tall, claustrophobia-inducing buildings. A sea-front was advertised, but I saw none.

2. The Bollywood music and the crowds chanting and clapping make Mumbai a memorable experience. If music stands are erected at regular 2 KM distances, it will make the running all the more easier. What enthusiasm! People were dishing out Glucose biscuits and bananas to runners! Mumbai, JAI HO! In S'Pore, no crowds, no music.

3. Mumbai should start the full marathon in advance, as in S'Pore, where it started at 5:30 a.m. Professional runners need running space and a lenient sun, not unworthy celebrities thirsting for sound bytes and muck shots, for whose benefit I am told, the full starts later in Mumbai after sunrise. It is pathetic to see the professionals dodging past the slower half-marathon runners.

4. In S'Pore, chips come with the kit to everyone. If you do not drop it back in a tray after finish, your credit card is debited for the cost. Running stats and certificate arrive later, by mail and online. Mumbai should do this (or at least make it optional), to spare the post-run trauma.

After having run 220 marathons all over the world, I recommend that my fellow runners stay clear of the Mumbai Marathon. Save yourself the trip and the humiliation. It was a complete disaster. This is not a race. This was a joke. Many foreign runners were disappointed. The organizers are not ready for foreign runners. Save yourself the time and the trouble.

I have been participating in the Mumbai Marathon since 2006 and it's unforgettable. It offers me the chance actually to help some needy people. I never got a chance in my past years of life to show my capacity, ability and energy, though I was given athletic ability. Being a teacher, I want to set an example to all that if you want to do something different, then there are various fields, and at any age, a person can get that chance. I enjoy the Mumbai Marathon every year, and I will enjoy it in the future as well.

Overall the event is organized in a systematic way, but there were some problems in 2008: 1) The course was opened to traffic at 8:30 a.m., which created a huge problem for all participants. 2) No information was given to the participants, so many of them could not complete it.

Positives: 1) It's good that they allow us to complete the registrations well in advance so that the we can practice and manage everything properly.

Thank you very much for providing a place for comments.

Easily the best marathon in India, but that is simply because others are pathetic.

Positives (compared to other Indian marathons):
1. Date decided well in advance and adhered to.
2. Reasonably efficient registration process.
3. Good traffic control and great crowd involvement (at least till about 3.5 hours).
4. Availability of water during the course (again at least till 3.5 hours).

Negatives:
1. Not at all friendly to slow runners (those who finish later than 4 hours). Late start means that they have to battle the hot sun, humidity, Mumbai traffic and absence of water points at a time when they need it the most - the last 10KM.
2.Poor post-race organization. No one bothers about runners who trickle in after 4 hours; they have to work their way across dusty, hot ground with counters spread half a KM apart, and stand in long queues to return chips and collect certificates/medals, etc.

Incidentally I became aware that medals are issued only because the guy in front of me asked for one. For some reason, the organizers seemed happy to save on medals.
3. Finally I am not sure if the prize money advertised actually reached all of the winners. It is more than 2 months later now and the organizers are still in the process of ratifying the results. Of course they do not reply to emails or take calls.

This was the first time I ran a marathon in India. Although I grew up in the country, I had never been in Mumbai except for a couple of quick visits. I had read mixed reviews about this marathon, most of the negatives pointing towards the organization and logistics, especially post-race.

As far as my experience goes, however, post-finish was not that bad. The chip return and timing certificate dispatch were done quickly. I also received the food packet without much trouble - maybe because I was a relatively "early" finisher (3:36).

However, I think the organization should be blasted for its lack of focus on the runners and its overblown attention to appease the media. The media of course revolves around the celebrities (Bollywood in particular). The full marathon start time is the first hurdle - while the half starts at 6:40 a.m., the full starts one hour later - apparently so there is enough light for the TV cameras to cover the celebrities flagging off the event. In the Mumbai heat, this means a scorching finish for most runners unless you are an elite. Also, if only they used 10% of the money they spend on the prize money and elite runners' red carpet, we could all get decent energy drinks and may be some electrolyte replenishing solids.

One other gripe I have is about the lack of co-ordination between the volunteers. After the finish, I had to go on a treasure-hunt to find my medal. And it was practically thrown at me by a volunteer who had no idea or concern about its value.

Having said that, I have to salute the organizers and Mumbaikars (residents of Mumbai) for getting so many cops, volunteers and fans out for this event, controlling traffic exceptionally well (for a city like Mumbai, that's such a monumental task), providing water, ice, etc. all over the course (almost every kilometer) and giving the much-needed cheerful support at some key points during the race (although they were quiet at most other times). I gave low-fives to a number of kids along the race, many of them obviously extremely poor, still compassionate to a fellow human being who shows signs of pain and suffering. That symbolizes the true spirit of India in general and Mumbai in particular.

Overall, I am happy that I ran this race and finished it strong.

Hi guys! Thank you for sparing your time to read this! I'm living in the South Bombay area and have been a runner for a long time. I am lucky to be living near the race course where I run 365 days (7 KM average per day). I also run on the Marine Drive stretch on Sundays, so I am familiar with the route. About the Stan Chart Marathon: it was the 5th year this time and I must say that we have come a long way from the 1st time the city held it in 2004! I have never participated in an international run; however I can say that Mumbai rocks. The route is good and flat, and the weather at this time of the year is just good. Above everything - the spectators are awesome!!!

We do have major teething problems post-race, i.e., in chip return and timing certificate. But I am at a loss as to who to blame it on! The management is great, post-run refreshments were great, but the flaw lies with the software at times, where results can't be transmitted from sensors to computers on time. I am sure Procam will make a note of this and ensure speedy timing certificates next year.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE: GREAT FUN!

Running this marathon for the first time was an unforgettable moment. And off course, winning the Corporate Challenge in the first attempt was too great to express in words. I feel proud that India is hosting such a mega event. Hats off to the organizers. Keep it up, MUMBAI....