It was good to finally run my hometown race. Sequoia Hills lived up to its name and really made you push hard. But this is Tennessee, hills are the name of the game! The finish at the 50-yard line in Neyland made it worth running the race. And, if you don't forget to look up, you can see yourself on the Jumbotron. If you are thinking of running Knoxville, it's a race worth checking out.

This is a pretty tough course but a great marathon experience. The course is known for the elevation change (especially in the first half). You can manage it well if you put in some hill training, but you have to watch your pace. Your discipline on the hills in the first 8 miles will dictate the rest of your day. The race isnt just an exercise in speed and endurance; its a real mental effort as well. Makes for a great marathon.

The course hits some of Knoxville's nicer running routes and city landmarks. The finish in Neyland Stadium is impressive. The spectators are concentrated in only a few locations and you'll find yourself running on your own quite a bit. Miles 22-24 have been really tough the past couple of years with the wind.

In my opinion, the expo/start/finish organization and on-course support are more than adequate (not a PowerAde fan, though). GU is available at miles 10.5 and 16. The mile markers are low and theyre almost invisible until the crowd thins out around mile 5. Logistics at the stadium only give them room to serve water, but 200 yards away is a post-race party with a private recovery room and a ton of great food just for marathon finishers. It's meant to be a highlight, so ask around if you can't find it.

Enjoyed this marathon. The course took you through some great neighborhoods. Some areas were quite hilly but there were sections of nice, flat running also. Liked the variety. Not many spectators, but those that were out there were quite enthusiastic. Water stops were plentiful and even during the downpour they kept on smiling and handing out fluids. Bright orange tech shirt, great medal, and green finisher's hat... all good swag. Not a Tennessee Volunteers fan, but running across the 50 yard-line to finish was pretty neat. TONS of food, if you took the time to follow the signs to the post-race party. It was only a short walk away and it felt very good to keep the legs moving to get there.

Good event. The course was very hilly, but nice. We ran through some great neighborhoods. The Knoxville policemen were AWESOME at traffic control. Saw interesting people and costumes in off-campus housing. Could probably use a few more water/PowerAde stops along the course, but volunteers were great. The last 5 miles were miserable due to a downpour and heavy headwind, but that's nobody's fault. Couldn't find ANY food at the finish line, which was lousy. Finisher's medal was nice, and the bright tech shirt is great for morning run visibility. I had a good time, and would recommend this marathon to others.

I have to say, Knoxville is a great town. Although very hilly, the course showcases some very beautiful neighborhoods. Good organization, friendly spectators and awesome volunteers.

Only complaint: where was the food? Please have something other than water immediately after the finish line. Signage for the food was confusing. I wound up walking back to my hotel without eating. I realize space was limited, but there could have been some fruit or a recovery bar handed out with the water.

This is a very well run event. My only complaints about the event are 1) there were insufficient bathroom facilities at the start; and 2) please keep the 5K runners out of the start area until ALL the marathoners are on their way. Both of these came together to create frustration for a number of runners (including myself). I was stuck in a bathroom line, and when I finally made it back outside the 5K runners were milling around and it looked like the race had not started. I looked up the hill and saw some runners and asked someone if the marathon had started. I was told that it had and then had to dodge 75 yards through 5K runners to get to the START LINE. After that, everything was great. Yes, it is hilly, but that's expected if you read the reviews. The private room for marathoners at the end was FANTASTIC!!! It was so nice for a back-of-the-pack guy like me to actually have food available at the end. A number of us were discussing how frustrating it is to pay more and run less than the halfers and then have them eat all the food. Not here! Keep up the good work. Thanks for a great day.

The organization was great (love the checked bags that were taken right from start to finish line); there were few spectators but those there were encouraging; and there were wonderful volunteers and well stocked water stops. Real bathrooms in the convention center before race! Hills throughout most of half marathon course... some worse than others. Just train hills and you'll be fine, but don't let others talk them down. Train for them or they'll kill your time! The most disappointing for me was the low profile mileage markers (only a few feet off the ground and so easily obscured by other runners' feet). I had read from previous comments in earlier years that they were difficult to see, but I figured they would have fixed that problem by now... but not so. I missed at least two mile markers, which of course made it frustrating to track my pace. Also, it would have been great to maybe have a final lap in the stadium before the finish line. Over all, though, I'm glad I ran this race - despite the challenging hills. The volunteers and organization made it a 4-star race for me, but the mile marker problem prevented it from being a 5-star race in my experience.

A few things about this race are just disappointing, and it's sad, because this marathon could have been growing a lot better otherwise: PowerAde is not a good electrolyte replacement; the course could have been designed better; the goody bag is just lame in comparison with the marathons that are growing; the back of the pack doesn't get the same perks after the marathon (access to free massage, stretching); the food is different depending on what race you did; and on top of that, they're posting gun time here, while on milliseconds you can see the chip time (they do have the data!). Really!?! Cost cutting at its finest... no longterm vision for making it a great event. Sad.

I recommend this marathon. The course is beautiful (lovely neighborhoods and parks) and kept my mind off the distance (I ran the marathon). We were lucky with weather; there was quite a downpour, but only for 3-4 miles (16-20 for me) - contra the forecast, which predicted rain all day. I was glad it was only for a short period. The packet pickup, start and finish were all well organized. Participants could use "real" toilets at the start and at the halfway point because the convention center was open. The medal was nice, as it had a lot of colors. Volunteers were awesome!

I ran the half-marathon as a part of my training for a full marathon in May, and I loved this race! The course was wonderful, though indeed hilly. I had been training on hills, though, so I was prepared, and they weren't as bad as I had heard they were. The half course, at least, is hilly throughout, though. The entire course for the half was very nice, great scenery and wonderful spectators. Although there weren't too many of them, they were pretty much everywhere and very encouraging. The expo was pretty decent, and the water stops were well spaced and well stocked. After having run my full marathon in Cleveland in May, I wished that I had made Knoxville my full. Maybe I will come back for the full sometime.

Pros:
Hilly, but lovely course.
Enthusiastic spectators.
Organization.

Cons:
The shirt was just a T-shirt, and it was ugly, and I got the smallest size and it was still way too big. I'll never wear it.
The medal was rather ugly as well.

The only cons were the t-shirt and the medal, but for me, those are the least important things. I had a wonderful time, loved the course, and have great memories. If Knoxville can get good shirts and a better medal, I'd say that it's perfect. After having done the full in Cleveland two months later in May, I wished I had chosen Knoxville for my full. I highly recommend this race.