I loved the event. The area was beautiful and people very friendly. It was a great deal with lots of places to stay near the start. I highly recommend it. The turn around was a little tight but it was worth it to not run on roads or in traffic. There was not much crowd support but what was there was enthusiastic. It was such a pretty part of the country, no big hills and the tunnel! It got a bit wet in the tunnel and I needed to watch my footing but it was well worth it.

The overall vibe of this event is great. It's low key and you really feel very little pressure and that often lends itself to free and fast running. I finished in 3:14 and qualified for Boston after running a marathon 4 weeks prior in MN where I ran a 3:22.

The course is not congested outside the first 400 meters. The overall course is NOT hilly. It ungulates more in the beginning and is mostly flat. The tricky part is maintaining speed and focus when running through the WET and very dark train tunnel. Do yourself a big favor, where a headlamp in this race.
My name is Dennis, and I will be back next year!
Awesome race!!

The race was really nice. I loved the views at different parts of the trail. I personally wasn't too fond of the first three miles thou. I think I would've rather go 1.5 miles further on the other direction. That little turn around was a bit of a bottle neck. But, not a big complain.

The spectators were not that many, but you could tell the ones that were there were going around to cheer in different places and were really energetic.

I loved loved the tunnel. The race 'felt' a lot uphill, so it is a good challenge. I don't train running uphill for more than 2 miles, so this was really a challenge for me. The dirt road made it easy on the feet, that's for sure.

It was a cool race and I would recommend it.

I've ran Boston, Chicago and the Twin Cities Marathon, as well as a small town race (La Crosse, WI) and can easily say that the Norwalk Marathon is my favorite. Though considerably smaller than others, the community really comes together for the event, the course is FANTASTIC, and the refreshments afterwards are perfect (Chocolate milk and Pearl Street Brewery beer).

The 3/4 mile tunnel was a surreal experience.

Having ben cancelled out of the New York Marathon I scrambled to find one close to home and I was not disappointed. I registered the night before and was offered a complimentary spaghetti dinner and free beer. Hotel was only 17 minutes away and dinner at Antonnini's in Sparta was wonderful (make a reservation).

Easy access on race day morning and no need to get there hours ahead. The trail was very smooth with the exception of the tunnel. While very neat to run through it will slow you down a bit and you need to be careful.
Race support and water stations were very adequate and enthusiastic. Remember you are running on rural bike trail so not alot of crowds but enough to have fun with. It is also very easy for family and friends to follow you. After the race you were given a free Chicken dinner and an option for more free beer.

This was my 19th marathon and was just as much fun as Chicago and Grandma's. I will run this again if I am every looking for a late fall run.

Course: I ran the half this year and the full last year. Both times the course was easy on my legs-better then trail races with rocks and roots and better then city races with the pounding your feet take on pavement-you can run it injury-free! The start for the half was too crowded, I didn't notice this when I ran the full-they should take advantage of the wide starting area-move it back some and funnel the first part or start in waves. The lights in the tunnel seem improved over last year-I brought a sub-par headlamp this year and relied on the tunnel lights-I know some slowed down here-I increased my speed in the tunnel.
Spectators: They were fun and awesome again.
Organization: Everyone in the community pitches in for this event and I'm guessing they grew this year and along with it there were a few glitches that will be adjusted as they become apparent.
Most port-a-potties ran out of toilet paper before the start of the half marathon.

Desserts are awesome and are all home-made!
Grilled chicken after the race was great!
Results were posted quickly at the race.

I was looking for a small town trail marathon on an easy course. It was such a small town, however,the nearest motels were a dozen miles away. I liked the laid-back atmosphere, the pre-race pasta feed, the scenic course and the cool, early-November weather. The course was very crowded the first couple of miles, but the runners spread out after that. If the race gets any bigger the organizers might consider starting the runners in waves.
I have one complaint and that is about the tunnel. The first time through there were plenty of battery powered lights working. However I was one of the slower runners and on the return trip most of the lights had gone out and the flashlight they supplied went dead after a few minutes. The running surface in the tunnel was wet and uneven, and I ended up walking the whole .75 mile. Would it be asking too much for the organizers to supply flashlights with fresh batteries for us 5 hour plus runners? I will also say there were very few spectators, which wasn't a problem for me, but some runners wouldn't like it. The aid station volunteers were very enthusiastic and encouraging.

Course: It's said that this is crushed rock;but, it seemed to me that it was more like dirt-which was great, and easy on my feet. If it had rained this would have added a challenge to the course. Tunnel was fun and was a place that I gained time on many-recommend headset lamps. This is a potential PR course-you don't have to worry about crowding at the start and course etiquette was better then most.

Organization: I enjoyed myself so much it didn't really seem to be much of a deal;but, the only thing I saw is that they could offer water or Gatorade consistently in the same order-each aid station required me to watch who was calling water and who was calling Gatorade-some races put them in a consistent order and there is one less thing you have to watch for.

Spectators: Some folks were enthusiastic, others were complimentary, all were genuinely enjoyable. I enjoyed the volunteers so much in this event. From the retired ladies working in the kitchen to the knee-high tots handing out water-this was a community event that was special because of the people in the community. With a smile on my face I deal with the dilemma of trying to fit in other runs and still come back for this one.

Rails To Trails was a perfect choice for my first full marathon. The event organization, small town atmosphere, hospitality of the volunteers, soft-surface trail, rural setting, and pre- and post-race meals all contributed to a very positive experience. Kudos to all who made the marathon such a success in 2011 and worthy of repeat participation in the future. The Strawberry Lace Inn Bed & Breakfast in Sparta was a top notch local lodging choice.

This is the only marathon I've done twice. I love this race because of the tunnel,the scenery, the people who put it on (the entire town) the food, and the great price. There are a good amount of aid stations,too. Fantastic race, highly recommended.