This was my first marathon and I was warned about the hills in the first half. These hills, while daunting, are dwarfed by the breathtaking views they present and the sense of accomplishment you feel when reaching the granddaddy of them all. I think more of a warning should be given for the last 6(ish?) Miles of the course on route 9 which are more rolling but (sorry) boring in comparison. At this point in the race, you're tired and have nothing to distract you from those hills that 'do not quit.' that said, I loved everything about this experience, especially the pacers and the camaraderie along the course. I really had such a great time and will, without a doubt, be back next year. Also, if you run this race, be prepared to say 'wow' out loud - the beauty of the Adirondacks is at its peak this time of year.

My day began with a small black and tan wolf sighting and I thought it was a totem that I would finish this race. He attempted to cross the road but there was a fence on the other side so he sidled back and sat by the roadside like a domesticated animal and watched us drive by with his cresent eyes.The Adirondack Marathon run is astoundingly beautiful!

The first thirteen miles of dark woods were juxtaposed by rippling sunshine and hills that descended skyward into blueness. The next thirteen miles were visions of Schroon Lake which kept the heart of my soulo runner soul and sole going. The energetic spectators were stupendous and the young people as we passed through the Word of Life Camp filled us with equanimity. However, the last six and half of the highway run needs to be changed.Had we continued on this pastoral Arcadic oval it would have been the utopic run. Change the last six miles to keep it how it began...highway running made it souless. The massages under the tent were like a buoy that kept me floating...hands up to the Massage Therapists who came down from Saranac Lake on downy wings to massage my IT band, as I learned from two astute students. The Adirondack Run was amazing,but somehow you must alter the course with one more country road to make it the silver dollar it should be.

Having trained and prepared for hills, I found the hilly section (miles 4 to 12) challenging but quite reasonable. The other two thirds of the course were flat, the whole thing closed to traffic, 98% paved (short dirt stretch at mile 3) and the weather was cool. All in all, it made for a pretty fast track and I scored a PR by a couple of minutes.

Every aspect of the event was fully organized and well managed.

It is what it is: this is a small-town marathon. The area is beautiful and the course features farm, forest, quaint village and lakeside scenery. The expo and finisher's medals were modest but appropriate, and spectators were sparse at times along the rural route. But those spectators and volunteers were raucous and enthusiastic, especially at Word of Life (approaching and through mile 18). Water/Powerade stations were conveniently at predictable two mile intervals, and every mile from 20 onward. Then the largest variety and quantity of post-race food I'd ever seen. Really, no downside. I had a great experience, and recommend this to anyone seeking an early-autumn marathon.

Top to bottom well run. Very smooth.
Great course, challenging. Good time of the year. Leaves were changing color, the lake is beautiful. Everyone is helpful and friendly.

Simply put, this race is everything you want in an event weekend without the crowds. The packet pick-up, pasta dinner, and post race set-up were great. I mean, the organizers know what they are doing. There are not going to be many more courses as serene and tranquil as this one. Take your family on an extended weekend and enjoy it.

Pros
* Friendly, small community that gets behind the race
* Excellent fan support on course in those places where there was space for onlookers (much of the run is over rural roads with beautiful scenery)
* 1st half of course - beautiful, serene
* the best pasta party I've seen in my 20 marathons

Cons
* Medal is fairly pedestrian, although I received a nice wind breaker in my registration packet
* 2nd half of course - boring (maybe it suffered from the first half being so gorgeous)
* Not necessarily a con, but the course is fairly hilly, particularly the first half ... beware and train smart

OVERALL = GREAT! Thank you Adirondack for a wonderful time!

I ran the marathon for the third year in a row. This race keeps getting better and better. The organization is great and the support staff(aid stations, road marshals, spectators, Word of Life individuals) are unreal. They scream for you like you are their family. Their enthusiasm is unbelievable. The course is challenging, especially the first half, but you 'get it done' and move on to flatter roads for the second half. In addition, an excellent assortment of foods await you at the end along with massages from college students. Please run this race - you will not be disappointed!

Ran this yesterday and really enjoyed it. While the first half was along country roads with infrequent yet cheerful spectators the second half had a lot more crowd support. While there were some rolling hills I didn't find it as hilly as I had expected.

Very well-organized, packet pickup was a breeze and the volunteers were incredibly supportive. Wow, were the kids at Word of Life loud; no chance of running a slow split through there.

The course was beautiful, with a small enough field that the first half just felt like a training run. More company once we caught up to non-competitive runners and half racers, but never too much.

Yes, there were hills (it's the Adirondacks!) but nothing that had me sucking wind. Train on hills and you'll be fine. This was my second marathon and I earned the BQ that eluded me the first time.

I would absolutely love to come back here in the future, such a different vibe than a big-city race.

I have run the half 3 times and completed the full marathon this year. It was a beautiful day, a perfect journey and I can not wait to do it again. Thank you Schroon Lake for putting on the best race I have ever been in and it gets better every year.