This was a fun little race. The course is flat to undulating with no major hills. It's a fairly fast course, but running up the ramps of the pedestrian bridges that came after mile 25 was challenging. Even so, this was my 10th marathon and my fastest.

It was a luxury to be able to stay warm (and use a real bathroom!) at the Hyatt and then walk out to the start line 10 minutes before the race. Then at the finish you can walk right back to your room again since it finishes near the Hyatt. The expo is also at the Hyatt so the organization and convenience is nice.

As expected at a small race, there are not a lot of spectators. If you need lots of music and cheering, go do a Rock-n-Roll. But the volunteers were superb; they were so enthusiastic! There were lots of kids with boundless energy, and people in costumes. They really helped keep me going.

I would run this race again in a heartbeat.

Having never run this, I wasn't expecting so much. I liked the course because it had a lot of variety of scenery with many changes in direction. The bike trails were ideal. The course volunteers did a great job in directing the runners on this maze. The small-town feel was refreshing. I will do this one again. Great job, Santa Clarita!

I ran the half-marathon. I found the course really nice to run. It was a little hilly and kept twisting and turning so that you never felt like you were just running in a long line to nowhere. It was very well organized. It was fantastic to be able to walk from the Hyatt Valencia to the starting line. Thanks to all of the great volunteers handing out water!

This is a nice small marathon, with few spectators, beautiful volunteers - most of them children, filled with cheers and support for runners. The course is nice; once it splits from the half, it gets nicer but lonelier. It needs to have gel on mile 18-20, but they had very good hydration fountains. I like this marathons where there is no waiting in the cold or rain, and once you're finished, in 500 meters, you're in your hotel room. Congratulations; I enjoyed it.

I really don't have anything bad to say about this marathon: nice, small expo; very organized registration process; and parking was super easy, right by the finish line. I was a little worried when I saw that the marathoners and half-marathoners were all starting together, but the pack dispersed quickly, and the course never felt crowded. Overall, a nice course.... mostly on smooth asphalt bike paths. I wouldn't describe it as a fast course, as there were lots of twists, turns, and a few hills (equal number of downhills and uphills), but a fun course to run nevertheless. Volunteer support was excellent, with lots of kids handing out Gatorade and water. No spectators really, but the volunteers helped cheer the runners on. Nice, shiny, colorful medal at the finish! I would recommend this race to anyone... not the best if you're going for a PR, but a really nice marathon.

This was my first Santa Clarita Marathon. The whole experience was great!

What made this marathon great was the volunteers. The kids on the course handing out water and Gatorade were amazing. I, for one, really appreciate people taking time out of their Sunday to cheer on others and hand out drinks and Clif Blocks.

I would highly recommend this marathon to others. I will definitely be back next year. I loved the close proximity of the Hyatt Hotel to the start and finish.

A big thanks to the organizers for putting on such a great race.

Plenty of water stations, and a flat and fast course - my best time in years.

Those looking for big crowds (whether on the course or on the sidelines) will be disappointed. But for those who care only (or mostly) about the running, this is a great one. Easy and convenient parking, race starts on time, no need to dodge slow runners or walkers who feel compelled to start at the front, flat course, and good odds the weather will cooperate.

To the lady who gave me some Clif electrolyte cubes (or something like that) after mile 18: I was so focused on not falling apart that I forgot to thank you. So here's A HUGE THANKS to you!

What I liked about this race was that everything was very convenient... from the hotel to the restaurants to the parking, everything was literally within a few steps away.

Like a previous reviewer said, it seemed like all the kids in town volunteered for this race. Great crowd support.

Concrete for a couple of miles around mile 17 was tough on the joints. A few out-and-backs made this course mentally challenging at times. Not terribly scenic... "peaceful" would be the best way I can describe the course.

I finished dead last... that's probably the only reason I might be back for next year's race. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, it's hassle-free (make that two reasons). If I don't get in the lottery for NYC, I'll try to get my "revenge" on this course.

Staying at the host hotel 200 yards from the start was great. There are advantages to being able to use your own bathroom, and then stroll over to the start line. There were signs up all along the main road where the marathon would be run the next day, which I thought was great for getting people excited. The start was a little crowded as the half and full marathoners started together, but it quickly spread out. This course is pretty fast, the only "hills" coming from paseos (under freeways and roads) and overpasses, but it was a little warm for a longer race. It could start a little earlier.

Pros: More than enough aid stations, well stocked, and a clearly marked (for the most part), relatively fast course. Great, small expo at the host hotel the day before.

Cons: Not nearly enough food and drink at the finish, especially for a marathon. After two hours, they still had not figured out results (and nobody knew how much longer it would take), so I left without official results or awards (I'd get a nice plaque in the mail... a month later). The first 3-4 runners in the half were sent the wrong way two miles in (not sure if this was fixed)... and after seeing them go one way, we were directed another way. Very confusing. Otherwise, the course was well marked.

Overall, it was an average effort. I'd do it again if I lived closer, but there are better run (and more scenic) marathons closer to Reno (Cowtown in Sacramento was great).