This was my first marathon and was a wonderful experience. The crowds of the Chicago marathon really don't appeal to me and this was a great alternative. It was a beautiful, scenic and well designed course. The organizers did an amazing job as well.

My only suggestions would be to make the aid stations more plentiful later in the race. New marathoners like myself tend to hit a wall later in the race and need additional fluids. One of the mile markers between 20 and 25 was missing as well. Overall it was a great experience and I'd love to do it again.

Kudos to the RD! What a nice job for the anti-big city venue! This was what I needed to break a funk and set a new PR! The wind was a factor and the cold snap was a surprise but I like cooler weather.

The Good: The trails were great on the joints. Ran in VFFs and it just felt good on the packed gravel. Fall colors, open spaces, clear markings, and frequent aid stations made this a course I would come back and do again. No issues with parking (got there 2 hours early based on previous feedback and was one of the first to arrive). Plenty food/drink at the finish and first time I've seen post-race massage at a small venue.

The Bad: They were still setting up the porta-johns on race morning. Nothing like a freshly hosed out porta john to get your feet wet. Mile marker signs seemed to be AWOL late in the race. Not much fan support but those that were there were enthusiastic.

The ugly: Criss-cross routes at the finish area. Didn't see any collisions but by the time I came back through late in the race I'm crossing the path of slower runners. This could cause a problem if 2 people run like me late in a race (head down) enter the same space at the same time.

I loved this race. Packet pickup at the Sports Authority the day prior worked out fine and it was nice to be able to get some warmer gear to mitigate the weather. This was race #1 of a double marathon weekend and it was worth the trip.

Love it, love it and my knee love it. It's soft, flat and good feeling race.

I decided too late to run Chicago and 3 days later I got an email about this race. I decided to enter it and give it a try. At first i was a little sad about how little hoopla there was around it. No one I know had ever heard of it and I only live about 25 minutes away. I have run Chicago in the past and love all the excitement and the expo so I was a little disheartened by how low key everything was.

I made a total 180 on race day. I absolutely loved this marathon. So nice to just park and walk over 5 minutes before race started. The course was stunning with all the fall foliage and the limestone paths through the woods. I thought I would have trouble with no spectators cheering me on. I think at one point I went 14 miles or so without seeing anyone. But it turned out to be so peaceful and almost mediatative. I had my best time by about 20 minutes! And I am a slow runner. I would encourage people to try this though not too many because that was the beauty of it. Great race!!!

I couldn't have asked for a better experience for this race. It seems they have the parking issues worked out, I arrive later than I wanted to but still was able to get a spot on site. Police were directing cars where to park. Bib pick up the day of the race was a breeze, and it was a well-planned start. I'm a back-of-the-pack runner, and that is where I stayed. I didn't have any problems passing slower runners who started ahead of me, the trails were wide and very runner friendly. The first mile and a half or so is on a paved trail, then it switches to hard packed dirt for the next 15 miles. Then back to the paved trail for 3 miles, then back to trails. The support on the course was excellent, with every stop (and there were many) well-stocked with water and gatorade. All volunteers were very nice and helpful, made for a great run. The finish was very nicely set up, and we got a pretty cool medal. There were plenty of snacks and water available at the finish, even for us slow runners.

This is a very fast and flat course, with very minimal hills. Mostly these were going up and down small bridges or coming in and out of the tunnels under the overpasses. This was my 16th marathon, and I posted my 2nd best time ever. I highly recommend this race, it would be a great one to PR.

In some ways the anti-Chicago Marathon (which is held the next day) this small race of about 450 runners along the scenic fall trails is primarily attractive for two reasons: the autumn scenery is gorgeous and it's easy to register for. If you don't want the hassle of getting into Chicago or prefer a forest preserve to city streets, this is a great alternative.

Path is crushed limestone with some asphalt, going north 9 miles and back then south 8 and back. Disposable chip timing on your bib.

The one major drawback is that the aid stations are not as plentiful, especially on the back end - 21 and 24 from 20-26 - but I expected that going in. Just a handful of spectators will be cheering you on but personally I preferred that, my only complaint was that mile signage for 21, 22 and 23 seemed MIA, although I could have just been delirious at that point.

Apparently in 2011 the race was unseasonably hot, well in 2012 it was a frigid 36 degrees with a strong arctic wind blowing in your face. Hopefully one of these years the weather will cooperate. Previous comments talk about the sun being a factor during the last 6 miles; not sure if the course was adjusted but personally my hands and face were so numb to begin with I did not notice any issues with the sun.

Overall it's a nice a little race that's the perfect alternative for everyone who doesn't want to/can't run Chicago.

This race has beautiful scenery and the weather was surprisingly warm. Our biggest concern was with the parking situation. We stayed at the Days Inn (super close with a late enough check out to shower after the race) but the traffic was horrible! Once we actually got into the parking lot there was no one to help guide people to open spots so we all just drove around in vain. At 7:50 we abandoned the car in a grassy spot (we should have just done this sooner but we were trying to be polite) and RAN for the start line to pick up our timing chips. As we started the race I could hear people telling runners still coming to get their chips to hurry before they turned off the start mats. If this had been my first marathon I would have been a wreck! But the day was beautiful and hot by the end. My only other pet peeve was the volunteers who stood just past the finish line. While I appreciated not having to bend down to remove my chip, I was sprinting across the finish line and almost tripped over her. Maybe back up just a bit. The food was plentiful, but I would have appreciated a bottle of water. Instead I stood in front of the cups of water and downed a million before walking off with a bunch more in my hands. Overall I liked this race but it's clear they need to work on the logistics. I hope they cap the fields because the parking can't get any worse and I don't see how they can improve it. If they added a shuttle service I would take advantage of it.

This was my first marathon, but not my first race. I was surprised there was no national anthem. The course is awesome, I could not have asked for better scenery. There were no clocks out on the course and mile marker two was missing. That was crucial to early pacing. Mile 18 and 24 are near the finish, and mentally need to be prepared for that. Also at mile 6-7 the half marathoners turn around and you feel alone. Some of the last miles are in the sun and should have more aid stations on warmer days. There was no red, yellow, green status before or during the race. I would suggest that it was run in the yellow warning. There were volunteers on bikes that helped in time of need with any aid necessary. I would do the full again, but be more prepared for it or 100% be down for the half. Great course at a great time of year.

beautiful course to run, but a tough course with the gradual elevation changes. My suggestions for improvement are more Water Stations. There was only 1 station where I was offered Power Bar Energy. My colleague ran the marathon at a slower pace and said some of the water stations were closed downdangerous due to risk of dehydration for the 'slower' runners.

I enjoyed the run but the last 9 miles were mostly in the sun and made for a tough finish. It may have been nice to start the marathoners out on the south loop first. Then we would have run the open part of the course when it was cooler and the start would not have been as congested.
By the end of the race the water and gatorade were really warm. Thank you to the lady who gave me some ice at mile 22!!
Overall it was a beautiful course and I would come back next year but maybe just for the 1/2.