I have done this marathon for the last 3 years and it is very dependent on the weather. This year was very blustery along the coast. The organisation was very good but I did here of a problem at bag collection meaning delays for people, which was not good in the cool windy conditions. The people of tallinn do there best to encourage the runers but there were not many ouside the city but the water stations did a good job making sure people go water or sport drinks. I can reccommend it to any who want a good holiday in a lovely city.

The race is good and if possible I prefer if they could give appearance to the top 20 participants as a kind of encouragement to the entire country and invited guests. Otherwise it is good to race in Estonia.

The conditions were perfect, with little sun or wind on a cool day. The course was a double loop finishing near the center of the city. The start was well organized with pacers for differing abilities. On the route there was entertainment at each kilometer, though not many spectators outside of the city. The water stations only had cups of water, sports drinks, gels and local black bread. The cups were a drawback but there were plenty of them and the helpers very enthusiastic, making sure everyone got something. The only negative about the course was the short section on the cobbles of the old city; I understand it would be hard to put down mats for the whole section but the finish would have been great on tired legs. On the whole I would recommend this marathon for people wanting a fast time in a lovely city.

September 2010 was the first edition of SEB Tallinn Marathon. The website was clear and full of information, and the registration was cheap and easy. The hotel packages were very convenient. There were only 1,100 participants, but I foresee a much larger number for the next edition. The race office is open early on race day, which is a plus. The organization before, during and after the race was impeccable. The course is two laps, mostly outside of town. This means that for at least 30K there is almost no public support. The 30K outside of town are as flat as a pancake. On the other hand, the 12K in town follow a moderate to steep uphill course. The water stops are numerous and outstanding, offering anything from power gels to cakes. Two hours after the marathon start a 10K race takes place on the same location, so the race expo and the surrounding areas of the old town are invaded by a happy and colorful crowd of runners. This compensates for the paucity of spectators along the course.

In short, this was the first edition of a marathon that will become an international success, mainly because of the impeccable organization, the fact that the course is quite fast (I did a PB) and that the city of Tallinn is a perfect place for a spending a lovely weekend.