I am a native of the Syracuse area and only started running 2 years ago. I ran the Empire 1/2 last year and made this my first full marathon. I presently live in the Buffalo area and have ran the Buffalo relay and 1/2 marathon. Overall the Empire marathon has my heart due to it primarly being my home town. Completion of the 2012 full marathon was very emotional for me. I do have to say that with runningin a larger venue I found it to be lacking in a few areas such as the lack of vendors at the expo and the dissapointing advertised features - such as ending in the stadium. I also found that communication via FB and email wasn't always accurate and consistant. This I am sure will be improved as it is still so new. I found the course to be an nice challenge w/ elevation. Loved the spectators and plenty of water stations etc.. Did not feel comfortable with sections of the course that were not closed to traffic. I also did notice those who directed traffic were not very friendly. Not that they had to yell out and enourage us runners but that they looked so annoyed. On the spectator side I can relay that my husband and four children ages 6-15 were somewhat disappointed in their wait. The advertisement for kids activities were over advertised. The bounce house wasn't left up for long and the kids who did the kid fun run got only a sticker for running it!! A simple ribbon or award from oriental trading would have been nice.
Hopefully these honest comments are taken well and help with the planning of the next Empire Marathon. I will be there in 2013! Looking forward to it!

I was very impressed with the organization of this marathon. Packet pick-up was quick and easy (almost no venders though), parking for the marathon was a few steps away from the start line, and the volunteers at aid stations were fantastic!

The course is almost dead flat. There is one hill at about mile 9 (not steep), and one down hill at mile 19 (felt nice!). The course is an out and back. As a result, the wind is at the runner's back for the last half of the marathon. I had my fastest time in 10 years at Empire.

There are aid stations almost every mile, I think 2-3 of them had energy gels. The course is really beautiful, but not too many people came out to cheer the runners on. That may change as the marathon continue to grow.

I highly recommend this marathon, it is well organized, scenic, and FAST!

Pros: Hotels all around the area, start is easy to get to, plenty of parking, small number of runners (so not congested), well organized, water stations at every mile, I love the course because it is beautiful & in a country setting, great shirts, awesome medals, not a lot of spectators/crowds.

Cons: The weather is unpredictable this time of year. Last year it rained on those who didn't make the marathon in less than 4 hours. This year the rain actually stopped just in time for the race start. The roads at aprox miles 8-18 are at a slant. I ran in the road when traffic allowed to get a flat surface because my knees ached after a few miles. Also, not much food left for marathon runners as the 1/2 marathoners finish first.

Overall would suggest this race to anyone looking for a quiet, small, well run race.

I have done the Half marathon the last two years and have have many friends that have done the half and the full! A quality event that is very well organized! Fan support is spotty in parts but for the most part for a 2 year old event, its well attended.
My only knock this year was the water bottles seemed to run out for a while. I got one when i finished, but alot of people finishing behind had to go search for water.
The expo is very nice and will try not to do a full 3 weeks before this next year, so I can do the full course here!

If you're looking for a great first half marathon to run, this is it right here. Flat as a pancake, but a nice scenic view along Onondaga Lake, first over a parkway road and then through a county park for miles 3-10. It's an out and back course, good crowd support in the park, great refreshments afterwards, well organized. I have run it in both 2011 and 2012 and it's a great place to set a PR for the half. Tough to beat autumn in upstate New York, great foliage and pleasant weather.

This race is well organized with great support form the community. I highly recommend this race.

I was surprised by how well this race was organized for just a 2nd year marathon. It was very easy to get to, the aid stations were well managed, and the course very scenic. I felt that the volunteers were extremely friendly, well prepared and did an excellent job. The course had rolling hills but I wouldn't consider it overly difficult. Central New York is picturesque in the Fall and an excellent place to stage a marathon.

Overall, I thought this was a great marathon. It was very well organized and I got to meet Dick Beardsley and Katherine Switzer at the expo! Although there was not huge crowd support, there were aid stations every mile with very encouraging volunteers. The scenery was beautiful. Even while running through Baldwinsville the shops and streets were nice to run through. I run in Western, MA where it is almost impossible to find flat roads so I didn't think the hills were more than slight elevations. Honestly, it provided a nice break from flat running. Also, there was about a mile decline at mile 19 which felt great both physically and psychologically.

Things to improve:
There were several DJ's and one band who were great, but it would have been nice to have more music in the middle of the race. Also, from what my fiancee told me at the end, the announcer was being a little condescending with some cf the comments he was making. Saying people looked tired, and that they took a long time to finish the half, etc. 26.2 is long, but 13.1 is nothing to sneeze at either! People work hard for what they accomplish and being told you look bad and finish slow is nothing you want to hear at the end. She also told me at the end that it's not a very 'spectator friendly' race. She was able to catch up to me around mile 13, 20 and the finish.

Overall, the race experience was positive and the finisher's medal and tech shirt are both very nice.

This was my first marathon, so I had no clue what to expect. I've since done a second (Buffalo), so I have a better grasp on what was amazing about Empire State (medals, having name called finish line, lots of portajohns, ample on site parking), what was okay (park in Liverpool, neighborhoods in Baldwinsville and seeing the farms around miles....6-10) and what wasn't good (out and backs kill me, so running through the park again was killer. ESPECIALLY in final 20-26.2 where things just get hard, so heads up if that's your MO), running with traffic in Bville (scary and those snow lanes are slanted - murder on ankles) and the missing signs toward the end (22-24). Not many fans, but the water aid people were amazing and had lots of spirit. This was my first marathon and I love it so much. I hope it improves in the next few years!

I ran the half with a friend, and it was flat, a little boring, but I imagine it'd be fast if you were trying to run a fast time. Expo and crowd support were okay for me. Anyway, after I finished, we waited for another friend and watched runners come in at the finish line. The metal structure at the finish FELL on a runner. EMS came and people tended to the person hurt, but this is not something that should have happened.