I have run over 30 marathons and this ranks as one of the best. The support from enthusiastic schoolchildren and cheering villagers was amazing, with gamelan orchestras playing and even girls scattering flower petals on the road in front of us at one point! The start point is at the Bali Safari Park, a good place to stay if you want to avoid an early morning bus transfer. The first 10km of the full marathon are along the main road towards Sanur - a dual carriageway with one side closed to traffic for the runners - and after that, the route leads off through villages & rice fields and past temples. 2012 was the first year for this race so some organisational hiccups were to be expected; however, only one of the aid stations was lacking water and I know the organisers will resolve this next year, as they are keen runners who also arrange races in Jakarta so they know what is needed for a good race. Highly recommended.

There were several hiccups for this inaugual. The day of the race was just brutally hot and humid. Despite the fact that we started at 5 am it was really hot mid-way through. Like upper 90F really hot. There was insufficient sports drink at crucial stops well-into the race and it really caused some discomfort.

That was the main flaw. Another was the bus drop off and pick up was a bit chaotic, but understandably so...and I was also disappointed that there was no food or massages available for some of the slower runners (me). Beyond that, the organization was pretty brilliant and it was just an amazing way to see some neat parts of Bali.

The spectators were mostly school children and they were simply adorable! This is a neat opportunity to experience Balinese culture and geography. Go for it in 2013! You won't regret it! Sanur is a nice part of Bali. I suggest you stay in Sanur. Plenty of reasonably priced places to stay.