I have mixed feelings about this race, but on the whole I would recommend it. The pros are pretty straight forward:
- Beautiful course, especially after the first 10k.
- Very enthusiastic and supportive kids manning the water/gatorade stations. They were great.
- Nice excuse to get away for MLK weekend.
- Generally fast course, except that this year the headwinds were out of control. I read in the paper that the dude that won the race ran 12min slower than he expected.

The negatives are:
- Host hotel (British Colonial Hilton) is a dump. I would recommend staying at the Atlantis. There's a Carmines there so you can a) enjoy a wonderful property, and b) carbo-load on some fine Italian pasta.
- Organization is not optimal...different packet pickups for for Komen 5k and Marathon was a bit annoying.

Other:
- Only about 115 people ran the marathon, so if you are looking for crowds in the last half of the race, don't count on it. I actually loved the solitude...It was absolutely beautiful running along the Bahamian coast, all alone, wind in the face, thinking...I am finding my inner chi...
Overall, though, I would say this is a race that is worth doing. It's got a ton of potential to keep getting better.

This was our first trip to the Bahamas and what a wonderful introduction to it we had! The marathon really made it even more special. Everything about it was perfect, from the packet pickup to the party on the beach at the finish line. I loved every minute of it.

The course was beautiful and always varied enough to keep the legs strong. The wind was pleasant, except for a couple miles when it was a bit of a challenge, but every race has its challenges. The weather was perfect, in truth.

One of the aspects of this marathon which I really enjoyed was definitely the volunteers and the Bahamian spectators. Everyone was so friendly, cheerful and helpful. We felt very welcomed during our entire stay, and the marathon was no exception.

Good aid stations, well supplied like any of the big races. Great goody bag. Great award ceremony at the end (I won my AG!) with cute conch shells given as trophies. What a wonderful idea!

Thank you so much Sunshine Insurance Marathon Bahamas for making my race such a great event. And thank you Bahamas for the wonderful vacation my husband and I had! We will be back!

I love what Marathon Bahamas displaces at every marathon since 2010, to which i have been apart of. The 2010 marathon was my first one every, i did that in 7hr, in 2011 my time was 6hr and now 2012 my time is 5hr. I think i'm moving ahead. 2013, mmmm, what would it be. Can't wait to see, but i'll see you'll there again at the finishing line. Keep it up Marathon Bahamas, i'm your number # fan.

I ran Barbados Marathon last year which was very poorly organized and I was expecting something slightly better here in Bahamas. However, I was very amazed on how well this race was organized. From the expo to the race itself, it was wonderful. Of course the course itself was absolutely breathtaking. Thank you race officials for such a great experience!!

My wife planned a warm weather vacation for us. She was nice enough to schedule it around a marathon for me. It turned out to be a great race! I have done big-city marathons, small marathons, and many in between. The Bahamas had great weather the whole race. Nice, early start. Where there were people, they were cheering and fun. Water stops were good and spaced well. The finish area was good. My only complaint would be packet pickup. It was disorganized and not good. Hopefully they can figure it out in future years. We met some great people from all over the world. I would definitely go back and do this race again.

It was a great experience to run the Bahamas Marathon. The start/finish was just a short walk from our hotel in downtown Nassau, the Colonial Hilton. The expo in Cable Beach was easy to get to by bus for $1.50. The weather was cool enough to run in, and almost ideal. The breeze helped. One critical error: not having a lead bike caused the leader to turn around too soon (never trust the relay runners!). I guess some of the signage blew down or whatever. The tech shirt could have had a nicer design; I know sponsor logos need to go on the back, but they were on the front too. Good job with the course marshaling and hospitality.

Although there is much room for improvement, it was generally a positive experience for me. Some shortcomings could probably be attributed to the fact that it was an inaugural event. The course was not completely closed to the traffic, but cars were very infrequent and the police did their job well by making sure that runners had priority. I generally liked the course because it was scenic and mostly flat. The biggest hills were the two bridges between mile 1 and 2, but they were at the point when there is still a lot of glycogen in the muscles.

Due to small number of participants I ran alone in the second part, wondering at times whether I was lost. Mile markers were not very well visible and did not have clocks. There were no age group awards, a disappointment for some, I am sure.

On the other hand, it felt very private and personal from the expo to the finish line. The pasta dinner at the opening ceremony was excellent. The expo staff was very friendly and helpful. Spectators, although sporadic, were awesome. There was no shortage of water and Gatorade at the fluid stations. Finishers were greeted with festive music and a constant drum beat. It felt like a true celebration.

I currently live in the Bahamas, but I promise you that is not the reason why I'm writing this.

In 2010, we had the inaugural marathon in the Bahamas, and it was more than great. The course starts from a historic landmark, and dips into the neighboring Paradise Island before taking you farther towards the west of the island, running besides the ocean for most of the course before ending in a great environment at the Arawak Cay. The route was properly laid out, traffic control was well-managed, and water/aid stations were sufficiently placed. There is room for improvement, but I wouldn't worry about it because I believe that they are already working on the feedback and bringing in means to make it a much better experience next year. The course, besides giving you an enduring and refreshing experience, also gives you a prelude to a great vacation that you could have in this friendly and warm city.

Overall, a great way to start the new year with a marathon medal, especially if you are planning on a holiday during then. I'm going to be running this course again for sure!