This course begins heading almost entirely uphill for the first 5.4 miles. Really, there are just not many flat stretches along the way! This is more like an ultra marathon but for only 26.2 miles. It really is a personal marathon and running experience. No crowds - even the last aid station is un-manned - but that was OK; there was plenty of water/Gatorade and food to re-fuel with.

The course was easy to follow and marked very well at any of the points that you might go the wrong way. The strong pine fragrance in the shaded forest was way better than the Christmas tree lot at your local high school in December. If you really love to run (and you run frequently on trails - alone) this would be a GREAT marathon for you.

VERY difficult....