The course, which is run on the world famous Birkebeiner Ski Trail gave me a new appreciation for those who participate in the ski race. There are no flat spots. It is just one steep hill after another. For the most part the trail is picturesque, fairly wide and grass covered, but there are some rocks and roots, so pay attention to your footing. During the latter part of the race you will encounter walkers , most using trekking poles.Organization, shirt, aid stations, and medal were just fine.

This was my 17th marathon and my first trail run. I would recommend this race to those road runners who are looking to try a trail race. Though the terrain was very hilly, the trail was firm, smooth and grassy. There was no danger of tripping over roots or rocks, or of faltering in loose soil.

The uphills are many and most are very steep. But the downhills are just the same. The sure footing of this trail made it possible to bomb the giant downhills without much worry of tripping and falling on my face. It was so much fun!

The organization of this race was excellent. Shuttle buses were as advertised, aid stations were well stocked and appropriately staffed, and the course was well marked.

I stayed at the Telemark Resort at the finish line and was happy with this choice. The hotel offers its pool and showers to non-guests for $5, if you need a post-race shower before hitting the road.

As has been said, the course is hilly but runnable. There are some hills that will test you, especially towards the end. The course is run on wide ski trails, so footing was decent for the most part. Lots of rain provided some big puddles and mud, but that's not the fault of the organizers. The course goes through lots of wooded areas and is very scenic.

Organization of this race was excellent. The shuttle buses were organized. The start was adequate. The aid stations were staffed and adequate. The finish line festivities and atmosphere were great. The post-race food was some of the best I've seen anywhere. They also included all race finishers in a random drawing and gave out lots of decent prizes. I won a pair of Optic Nerve sunglasses. The only concern that I had was they didn't have XL finisher t-shirts. I'm too tall to fit into anything smaller. But overall, this was a very well run inaugural race. I'll do this one again.

The inaugural American Birkebeiner Trail Marathon was fantastic. Although it was the most physically difficult marathon course that I have run, it was also the easiest course that I have ever run from a mental point of view. The course was 107% hills and because we were always watching where to step on a very wide grass trail (and trying to avoid the 6-7 trail-wide puddles) we did not have time to look ahead for the mile markers, which by the way counted down from 26 instead of up from 1. Instead, the mile markers found you and they always seemed to come sooner than I expected.

The post-race food/drink was ample and the race organization was excellent. My one concern is that the organizers have the course USTFF certified for 2011.

The American Birkebeiner Trail Marathon course is very hilly but soft, and great to run on. You will forget about the miles as you focus on running tangents and finding the best footing. There were several trail wide puddles that you needed to negotiate but this only added to the experience. Although you will not see a lot of spectators due to the nature of the trail course, you will see enough other runners from the marathon, marathon relay, half-marathon and 5K, so you know you are on-course. The Birkebeiner folks have been putting on nationally-acclaimed nordic ski races for years and now have used their expertise to include a marathon.