Amazing race. Super flat, mostly shade, and very easy for spectators. The relay places make for excellent locations for the spectators to go see you multiple times, and the race packet provides stellar instruction getting from place to place. Ran 12 minutes faster than my goal, and my last mile was my fastest by 40 seconds. Never expected to finish so strong, and qualify for Boston in my first marathon ever. Can't wait to make this an annual thing.

One of the best courses I've run, with a mix of trail and pavement. Beautiful scenery and wonderful volunteers. If you don't want to run the full marathon, there's a half and a relay option where the teams wear some pretty fun outfits. A must-do race. Hope the organizers keep it small!

This race should be a sell out. Best course I have run. About 90% heavy shade and 75% river views. 95% flat smooth trail. Better organized than most large popular races. Gel passed at four locations. Plenty of volunteers.

This was an extremely well run event with a BQ course. If you are looking for low key, throw back type marathon experience, than this is your race.

The overall race logistics were very easy for runners. The shaded, mixed surface course was forgiving on the legs, which I felt was key to my finishing strong.

I would run this race again in a heartbeat and the cause is very worthwhile.

Kudos to all in who helped make this race possible - especially the RD and all the happy /friendly volunteers.

We couldn't have done it without you.
Thanks.

Ran this marathon 2012 and I must say it was amazing. The only hard thing for me was watching my footing on the gravel, but other than that out of 13 marathons I have run so far this was by far the nicest views. Great people, great race, great fun!

Very good course (mostly flat and net downhill). 2011 had lot of flooding challenges in the 2 weeks leading upto the race. Race organizers have done a phenomenal job working day and night(put in new asphalt etc) to get the course ready for the race. They had to change the course twice in last few days and they were able re-certify the course both the times.

Weather wasn't great this year (60 deg temp and 85% humidity at start). Fortunately temp didn't go higher than 70. Most of the course is shaded and that was a big help. Don't worry about the cinder trail along the river as it won't slow you down.

I ran a smart race by adjusting my pace by about 10 to 15 sec from the beginning and was able to PR by 3 min and BQ. I agree that last min changes to the course added some hills at the end but it wasn't terrible.

This race would be at the top of my list if I needed a last minute BQ race in northeast.

Others have mentioned the 11th hour course change, but as a first-time recreational marathoner who had been running for less than a year, I went into this race well-trained (peak weekly mileage over 60 miles, longest long run 22 miles) yet found this course brutal to the point of dangerous. An experienced marathoner I know found it so brutal, he dropped out at the half marathon mark. It's dangerous to add loads of hills and pavement to a course literally on the afternoon before the race when runners such as myself have been training according to the elevation chart and 'flat,' mostly unpaved nature of the course as listed on the website in the months preceding the race. Add these changes on a humid day with temperatures in the mid-60s, too long a space between some hydration stops, and caffeinated-only gels at stations, and you could have people dying on the course. Fortunately, they had a fine medical tent, but be forewarned if you're a recreational runner: this was a brutal course, beautiful yes, but 2011 was for experienced runners in particular. The course changes were not made solely for flooding; they were made for BQ status, too. The recreational runner was an afterthought to organizers, in a sense, and again, they're lucky no one died this year.

I was still able to get a BQ, but it was challenging. I enjoyed this race and the scenery. The area was beautiful. The race was very organized. The volunteers were very friendly and helpful.

I chose to run this marathon specifically to see how fast I could finish. While I was disappointed that the course was changed due to the flooding, and I missed a BQ by just a couple of minutes, I think the organizers are owed a TON of thanks for working nonstop to make sure the course was certified on race day despite the setbacks from the days or rain. They could have just blown it off and said it was an uncertified course, but because of their efforts, at least people like me had a fighting chance to get out there and try for that BQ. They knew that we were coming for that opportunity, and they didn't let us down, despite the unexpected challenges.

The course was very pretty, and it was a nice lowkey environment. A real runners run!

The only thing I think the race directors could have changed was the spacing of a couple of water stops. Setting up in the tow path has its challenges I am sure, but at one point I felt like wed gone way too long without an option to hydrate...

The gravel path was muddy and torn up in spots, but what are you going to do? People in my town lost everything in the first floor of their homes in Hurricane Irene, is it really my place to complain that some extra rocks and mud were on my marathon course?

I would run this marathon again, no questions asked. If nothing more, for the excuse to hit the Allentown Brew Works and drink their amazing Pumpkin Ale!

First of all, good work making the last minute changes flooding forced. Personally, I liked the new course. I always dreaded running through the park and along the grass tow path so running that hill at the end was not that bad. You didn't get 5 stars because of poor customer service on race day. I could not get to packet pick-up (remember the floods) so I picked up race day morning. No tee shirt??? Come on now, that's cheap and insensitive. How hard would it have been to put the shirt in the packet bag? What are you going to do with 2011 technical tees?