This was not my first inaugural marathon, but this one was better organized than some that have been around for a while. Nicely done.

Packet pickup, the expo, very nice. Though there was no group spaghetti dinner the organizers did suggest having reservations at one of the many available restaurants. And the downtown area looked to have a lot of very nice menus on the windows.

The morning started a litle disorganized in that not all volunteers knew where the porta-johns were, and as they were out of sight and a fair distance from the starting line I'm glad I arrived early. Other than that, the race started on time and without a hitch.

As for the course, yes it was hilly but for the most part manageable. There was one steep hill through a park between miles 13 and 14 during which I didn't see a single runner actually running up and over. Every last one of us walked up it. But there were many very scenic views along the route, particularly in the first half. Second half was a bit flatter (yay!), but also less shady. There were lots of direction changes during the run, and as the heat had me a little glassy-eyed I would have preferred more straight-aways. But the volunteers, numerous and very friendly, always made sure I was pointed in the right direction. And thankfully there was plenty of fluids along the route, with perhaps the best water station volunteers I've enjoyed at any race.

Yes it was hot, but in June you'd best be prepared for that because it can happen. The days before and after were actually hotter, so I think we got lucky with what we had.

I was more than a little happy when I finally finished. Slower than any prior marathon I've done, but by the looks of the results there were people who dropped out of the race (smarter people than I LOL!), so I'm certainly not going to complain about my finishing time.

If I had to make one suggestion, I would say you could consider running the entire thing in the other direction. That would get the mall area out of the way early, and some of the nicer parks and shadier areas late in the run. Just a thought.

Once again, nicely done. I was happy with it.

Pros: plenty of parking at high school and restrooms available. Never saw lines at porta-potties along routemost were almost immediately available. Nice post-race and water mister helped cool runners down. Very nice race shirt, medal, and volunteers.
Cons: The course. Too many out-backs. Miserable tour of Briarwood parking lot came far too late in race-if need the miles, could that not be early on? Heat and humidity were a big factor. No ice or wet sponges available along course. Little plastic cups of warm water late in race were nauseating. Very few spectators and fewer runners than anticipated.
Hope it returns next year bigger and better.

Very well organized, especially for a first time effort. Specially liked the shirts, the medals, and the graphics work on the finishers' certificates. The results were posted almost immediately after the race. There was plenty of water on the course and at the finish.

Things that could improve:
1. The course - Are there no parks in AA that we could have used to run with less traffic? That run around the perimeter of the mall and past the finsh line could maybe go somewhere else.
2. The Date - Fathers' Day Sunday is very busy in downtown Ann Arbor. Earlier in the month would be better.
3. The Expo - Somewhere that people are not trying to shop and wondering what we're doing there.
Thanks to everyone who worked hard to put on a first class event.

The elevation chart was RIGHT!!
The course was tough.
I think organizers did a great job!
There were enough water stops, volanteers were GREAT!

I want to run this race again to test myself!!

As someone who grew up and attended college in Ann Arbor, but lives elsewhere and has run other large marathons including Chicago and Boston, I can confidently say that this is a well-organized race that is up there with the big ones, without the hassle and the masses of the huge races.

The course does have some hills, but they are almost entirely long, gradual hills and are nothing to be afraid of. The course does a good job of showcasing the city, with runs through campus, main street, some downtown neighborhoods, Gallup Park and Ann Arbor's gorgeous Nichols Arboretum. The course has a lot of variety to keep things interesting. The challenge is that the actual downtown area of Ann Arbor isn't exactly marathon-sized, so the course has to stretch out into some less-interesting areas (Briarwood Mall) to reach the marathon distance.

The race itself was extremely well-organized. Plenty of aid stations with water/powerade separated (this is the kind of stuff new races often mess up and I was happy to see considered), at least 4 bands playing music along the course, and a decent smattering of spectators. Overall a great experience.

I loved the feel of the event. The start at the big house, the runs through state stree, main street, through campus. The ducking in and out to the parks, including Gallup and the Arb, were very nice. The finish was great to have pizza and chairs to sit at. Lots of race officials were there. The crowd was sparse, but I expected that, but they were at sections which was very much needed.

The parts I didn't like:
Don't have an expo at the mall. It was terrible. I needed body glide and there wasn't a drop to be found there. In general, going to a mall to pick up a marathon bib just isn't right.

There were definitely a lot of stretches done just to get the needed number of miles in, and this meant some weird course tangents on some barren area. Specifically, miles 4 to about 7 or 8. I actually didn't mind the briarwood portions, which many complained about, since it was flat. Yes, the hills caused tons of carnage. Pace group leaders finished by themselves.

Overall, I just loved seeing the city through the eyes and minds of one in the throes of a marathon, and let all the memories sink in. I saw the Ghost of Shakey Jake, and smelled the left over fumes of hash bash smoke from years ago.

This marathon is going to need a catch to keep going, since most folks simply won't have the same desire to run as I had, but I have nothing but kind words for the director, and, in fact, went to the expo looking to find him and send my gratitude. Run The City is a great catchphrase, the parks and streets full of history and life, and as runners hear from other runners they may jump in. The challenge of the hills, and the inevitable cry for a Big House finish are some things that can make it a growing success in the future. Unfortunately, the mayor came out the day after and already called it too disruptive. Maybe he can start training now, and run it in 2013, and change his whole tune.

This was a very nice effort for an inaugural race. There's room for improvement but I'll put this down on my list of races I'll come back to run again.

THE GOOD: The course was a hilly challenge....loved it, just wish it was 25 degrees cooler. Would have liked to see some of the scenic parts along Geddes or around campus used to better effect and seen less out-and-back. The mile 25-26 out and back leg has to go away, as does the mile around the mall. The volunteers and the police doing traffic control were among the best I've seen. The hydration stations were well spaced and well organized. The finish area was comfortable and well put together and the post race vittles were good. No issues with parking from my perspective.

THE BAD: The crowd support was lacking...I know the students were probably gone and it was hot as blazes but still....very quiet. Props to the guy with the wig and the cowbell. He tried to make up for the volumes of silence by himself. The medal is 'meh' and the expo needs work. Get it out of the mall! Where was the post-race beer?

THE UGLY: No porta-johns at the start...really? Dozens of us just chose the co-ed woods. A half mile walk up and down hills to the nearest porta-johns was not a shining moment, especially when there was a parking lot where a row of 20-30 would have fit right next to the starting line.

Nice job for a first attempt! Cooler temps would have made this a better race but that is beyond the RD's control. Some tweaking and this will be a first-class small-medium race.

I will be back next year.

Overall I enjoyed this race. I wasn't in the greatest shape for the hills or the heat, but that comes down to being my fault.
I actually liked the out and back portions more than I expected because it gave me a good feel for where I was with respect to the pacers. The part around the mall was a bit rough, but then again after mile 20 everything starts to run together.
Throughout the course, and definitely at the start, there were not enough porta potties. I would also have like to have seen some vaseline at a couple of the water stops. Also, some fruit during the race would've been nice. At a certain point Gu just gets tiring. The finish line was great, with a nice crowd, a misting tent, and heaps of food.

Overall, it was a great inaugural event, with some small improvements that could be made. I will definitely consider coming back !

Good thing it was cloudy or the day could have been worse. It was warm from the start and got warmer. There was plenty of water and powerade and even GU at three stops. The volunteers were great! I really liked the water stop with the girls in the hula skirts!! The course was hilly as expected. They should change the course in a couple of places, the steep uphill trail section could prove disastrous if it rained heavily and the lap around the mall. The mall lap was boring and there was a lot of people in cars who were not thrilled about runners. There must be more rolling, scenic, hilly sections you could use instead!
For an inaugural marathon, the organizers did a great job. The only real problem was the porta potties at the start. There was not enough of them.

A beautiful, scenic run through a diverse course, including park pathways along the water, university landmarks, and the heart of the city of Ann Arbor..I was impressed with the organization, especially for a first marathon. There were plenty of well spaced water/gatorade stations and 3 GU stops spaced nicely before the water. It was a warmer day with some challenging hills and hydration was well addressed and taken seriously. The time and effort that the organizers put into the run was obvious. I am sure small things will be tweaked and improved, but again this was amazing for a first time event. Pacers were available, and course marshals were plentiful to direct runners. You could really get a feel of Ann Arbor throughout the run. Ann Arbor is an amazing city to visit with plenty of great restaurants and other activities, from canoeing on the Huron River to many cultural events and museums. I will run this one again!