Cherry Blossom Festival Marathon - Race Reviews

Beautiful course with the cherry blossoms in bloom. But, it was a mental challenge after being told by a police officer to go down the road until it dead-ends, then turn around. Sounds easy enough, so as I ran past an aid station (unattended) I just kept on going like everyone else. By the time I turned around and saw the aid station again, everyone else that was behind me was now in front, turning around at that point. And, to add insult to injury, there was now a sign flipped up that read "Turn Around." Ha! Well, no personal best, but it was a great mental workout.

Not well organized, and the pace car did not know where to go, so we ran about 2 miles farther than we were supposed to. The course was very hilly and sometimes you had to get your own water. There were no porta-potties along the course and it was easy to get lost on the course because it was not well marked.

Well marked, more than enough police presence, and plenty of aid stations manned by friendly volunteers. Sure, it had hills, but that can't be avoided. I didn't have any problems with course direction, and I was by myself a lot. There was no "crowd support," but I don't run marathons for the crowds, I run them for me. This was one of the best supported marathons I've attended.

I was totally impressed with the start-line volunteers, how smoothly everything ran, the hospitality of the crew. Very nice. After the start (a few minutes late) I couldn't believe the police presence; there must have been more cops on the course than marathoners! I followed the signs for a well-marked course - no problems there. The aid station workers were no less than perfect, even for us back-of-the-packers. As I continued through the miles and aid stations (they did a wonderful job), I was impressed with the traffic control, even on the side roads with little vehicular traffic - truly the runners had right-of-way. Coming back into town, it was nothing less than even better traffic control - every intersection had authorities to manage cars, and, once again, the runners were first priority. Safety for the runners was obviously the number one concern. Available at the finish: Showers, food, the locker you used at the start, very helpful crew members. Parking was no problem. I thoroughly enjoyed the race. A first-class event. I'll run it again.

I decided to run the Cherry Blossom Marathon as a part of Boston training. I was aware of the challenging course and lack of spectators so that never bothered me. The course was actually perfect in my opinion. The hills were rolling and challenging at times but the last six miles were either flat or downhill. I was able to run a negative split, in fact. The course was absolutely beautiful. I enjoyed the winding country roads, woods, pretty houses, both large and small, and donkeys staring at us! The volunteers were wonderful and provided everything that we needed including GU, which came in handy when I was too tired to unzip my back pocket to pull one out. I hope that more and more people find out about this marathon. It really was very pleasant and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

The course is beautiful, but quite hilly. Fan support was pretty light and scattered. As others have mentioned, cars were not well contained and they drove past runners too fast and impatiently. Overall number of marathon runners was probably around 100. The biggest problem, though, was poor organization on the course between miles 6 & 7. We were all supposed to turn down a side road and quickly turn around at an aid station. But, there were no signs and no officials at the aid station to tell us where to turn. So, 15-20 of the fastest runners all ran to the end of the road. When we got back to see mile marker 7, we had added 10 extra minutes onto our times. What an awful feeling to deal with on the course, and what a HUGE screw-up by the organizers. No doubt this took medals away from a number of runners. Very disappointing to have 1.5 miles added on to my first marathon.

This was my sixth marathon. It was by far the most mentally and physically challenging one. Good news: I achieved a personal best time, despite the rolling hills, which probably added up to a total of about 3-4 miles. I came in first in my age group. Also, the course is very scenic, especially towards the beginning. Most of the course is on wide country roads, so there's lots of space to move. BAD NEWS: At least 10 people I know (including me) missed the turn around near miles 8-9, which meant we ran roughly an extra 1.5-2 miles. NO ONE WAS MANNING THE TABLE AT THE TURN-AROUND. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE SIGN. You can imagine how frustrating this was for all of us, but we all hustled until the end and made the best of it. Also, I was disappointed that the Macon Telegraph did not run any story in today's paper about the event. This was an amazing accomplishment for all entrants and it would have been great to get some coverage/recognition.

The start times were in question as the print and internet materials did not match. The staggered start for the full and half marathons were confusing and led to the race being less of a "social" event - i.e., you wound up running by yourself much of the time. Parking at the event was not well marked. The worst offense was that long stretches of the course were on public roads without cones set to create a lane for the runners - cars often just whizzed right by runners, mirrors just inches away!

There are few marathons in Georgia, so it's nice not to have the expense of travel. Cherry Blossom is a beautiful but challenging course with lots of potential. It becomes quite obvious how important and needed the volunteers are in a race; especially in a marathon. I was competing in the top positions in the race and my first concern was to keep the police escort vehicle in sight, to keep from getting lost, since there were no volunteers at the many turns throughout the subdivisions - only small white signs in people's yards with arrows pointing which way to turn. This is really insufficient for those of us who become "directionally challenged" while running, especially a marathon. I was also really disappointed not to have any fluids for the first 8-10 miles, when early hydration is really important. Larger crowd support was missed, but the small, enthusiastic crowds were appreciated! It was great to take a shower afterwards, awards were fantastic, healthy snacks were nice, and it was a nice place to bring my family while they waited patiently for the finishers. Again, this is a beautiful marathon with lots of potential, and I will always appreciate volunteers - more now than ever before.

First of all,the event is worth it, and I will run it again. The course is very pretty. The hills are challenging, but not impossible, and the organizers did their best, but it is obvious some volunteers let them down. Case in point, up to mile 10, only one water stop was manned. The other two were staged, but no one was there! On the flip side, traffic control was excellent. Law enforcement folks were all over the course, and ensured everyone was safe. Good job! A suggestion, maybe organizations such as 4H, Boy/Girl Scouts can volunteer. That way there is some reasonable assurance they will show up. Again, many more pluses than negatives, but the comments are meant to promote improvement, not to put the organizers down. I'm sure next year will be better.

Hills: think back country roads with significant rolling hills. Frequently. If your version of a hill is an overpass over a highway or river, you need to get out more. Hillier than Baltimore and Richmond; much more than NY, Disney, Miami, or MCM. I wish I had trained for them, for they cost me. But a good, and educational experience about range of possibilities. Pretty run, quiet and peaceful. Organizers friendly and helpful. Macon mostly unaware, which was fine, made it peaceful. Two early tables unstocked, a serious issue, but stuff happens. Everybody friendly; thanks to all for their time and sacrifice; a nice day.

Very enjoyable marathon. The hills are challenging, but not overwhelming. Excellent traffic control. Plenty of liquids and GU at the correct mile markers.(Having a marker at every mile was a PLUS, thanks.) Fan support was light, but enthusiastic. This marathon will remain on my 'to do' list each year that I am healthy enough to run it. 2002 - 5:00:04. 2005 - 4:16:41. I will return.

Great course! Tough hills through mile 7 make you really focus. Beautiful scenery throughout. Lockers at the start and showers at the end a MAJOR plus! Race organizers did a great job getting Weslyan College to host, as well as having city and county agencies to block traffic and cordon the course. The volunteers let down the race staff. You can tell they were planned for but the execution was embarrassing. Water points were unmanned/supplied until mile 10; when they were manned, the folks were helpful and did well. Thanks to those who showed up! Porta-potties not availible until mile 14(?). Will run this again but a few suggestions to the race directors: get boy/girl scouts, national guard, 4H, or some ORGANIZED civic organization to be the volunteer pool so you are not let down again. Love the hills being the first part of the course. It is a shame that the race goes through very nice neighborhoods, but virtually none of them came out to cheer on the racers. Almost as if they didn't know or care about the community event. Course map could be a little more clear. Several of us became disoriented several times trying to navigate the course. So much went right with the race and it is easy to point out what went wrong. Overall the race was fun, challenging, and has a lot of potential once the citizens of Macon get behind the event.

Fun course, challenging rolling hills through pretty rural setting. Last 3 miles on a busy main road were a little unpleasant, but the pain distracts you anyway... Sadly, the organizers blew things in two key ways - there were two or three of the water tables in the first 10 miles had NO FLUIDS available, leaving only 2 aid stations through mile 10. Also, the porta-potties in the first 15 miles or so were on their side, like somebody dropped them off the truck and did not set them up. Luckily, I stashed Gatorade bottles at a couple places on the course - a must if you plan to run this race, which, I am sorry to report, I do not recommend unless the organizers commit to fixing their mistakes. I suppose if you are coming from not to far away, the pretty run is worth a drive, but not the cost of a flight. Also, don't bother with the Cherry Blossom Festival after the race - extraordinarily overpriced and an overall weak affair, also with terrible organization. As a Georgia resident, I hate to be so negative, but it is what it is.

The Cherry Blossom was my first marathon, and it was great! Yes, the course is very hilly, but the scenery is gorgeous--lovely neighborhoods with blooming trees, and we ran by a beautiful white horse at one point (it galloped alongside from behind its fence). Nice shirt, and BIG finisher's medal--a smashing first marathon :)

This was my 27th marathon and I rate it in the top 4 or 5 as far as having the worst hills. To make it worse, those of us in the back of the pack at the beginning had to endure the fumes of an ambulance for the first 5 or 6 miles that was right in the lane with the runners in spite of the fact we kept telling him the fumes were getting to us. The course was through some very nice areas and helped distract from the numerous hills. Support was good and the crowd was typical of most small races. The last 4 or 5 miles did not have the lane blocked and we had to jump off on the side of the road when a car came by. Nice shirt and medal. Thought the age group was unfare to the older runners by having the age group 65 and up rather than a separate group for the 70 and up. There were at least 3 in this age group. The last race I ran in had about 1,000 runners and there were 10 runners 70 and above.

Time to end the myth. This is a very hilly course, not slightly or moderately hilly as it has been described. It is no wonder that an elevation profile of the course is nowhere to be found for it would scare runners away. At the same time it was one of the most beautiful courses I've ever run. The flowering trees were in full bloom and the course ran through some of the nicest neighborhoods you will see anywhere in the country. Traffic control and aid stations were outstanding and the finish line support was first-class. The medal and t-shirt were also very nice.

This was marathon 21 for me and I had a good experience. More water stations and porta-potties than advertised and great traffic support. I knew that there would be hills in spots, but running the course backwards from previous years was a big improvement, if not problematic for the police. The medal was large and the t-shirt was nice. The course has beautiful scenery and passes through a quaint rural town. Great job Macon! Best marathon of its size that I have run!

This was my first marathon: 3:40. The hills were difficult but not as bad as I had been led to believe. The course was good in parts (beautiful residential areas with tough rolling hills) and awful in others (narrow roads in poor condition with no shoulder and light to moderate taffic). The aid stations were very plentiful which was a bonus as temperatures reached the low 80's on the last half. However, the cherry Powerade was like bad cough syrup. The green was better, but I much prefer Gatorade. Its a small marathon and the fan support was pretty thin but those that did show were very enthusiastic. The worst part of the race was around mile 18 where the course turned back on itself for a mile or so and we ran down a large hill only to turn around at the bottom and run back up it. Very painful to the psyche. Also the start could have been a bit better organized as we were all milling about and someone randomly shouted 'GO'. It caught our police escorts off guard as well and they had to barrel through the starting crowd to get to the front. Nice shirt and medal, great aid stations and excellent police traffic control at intersections. Overall, a great first marathon experience.

Very interesting course - a little bit of everything. Hilly residential neighborhoods full of spring blooms, wide open fairly flat country roads, and a return on city streets with a designated lane for runners. Well organized, thank goodness for an abundance of fluid stations (got pretty hot in 2004), and enough porta-potties to prevent long lines, for a change! Lots of hills but they are manageable. Good organization at the finish line and plenty of food and drink. T-shirts, awards, and medals were well done. Used chip timing this year, and results were posted quickly and cleanly. Only problem I had was finding the starting area - not well marked from the access road that was suggested. All in all a good race, will come back again.

The Cherry Blossom Marathon early-morning packet pickup at the Wesleyan College (the first college in the U.S. opened for women only) start/finish area was well organized with many traveling runners taking advantage of the Saturday-morning pre-race convenience. I got my goody bag, found that my bib number was #1, and wondered if this would be a blessing or a jinx; Champion Chip would be handling the timing logistics and offered to enter my private chip info into their system. The race started with a chuckle from the crowd of a couple hundred runners since the starting gun was absent and the marathon commenced at 7 a.m. with the Race Director just yelling, 'Ready, Set, Go' without the assistance of a PA system. The mid-fifties starting temperature was perfect to get the event going, but upper temps for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Macon, Georgia, (the timing coincides with the same festival in the sister city, Tokyo) found the eighty-degree mark in some parts of town that were sheltered from a little breeze. The course had been reversed from that run last year so we experienced the radically hilly terrain following the first mile; the hills are severe from either direction but taking them on early in the run is definitely better than at mile 24. The neighborhood was well kept and cherry trees lined our route; a gentle breeze blew the delicate petals from the blossoms and caused a beautiful shower of light pink to welcome the runners. After that neighborhood, the number of mature cherry trees diminished, but a few years growth will certainly transform the younger trees into a cheerful welcome committee for all to enjoy. The course would take us through many small neighborhoods of finely kept yards and a few ponds with waterfowl doing their thing (take-offs/landings/eating). The water stations were spaced about two miles apart and primarily stocked with PowerAde (a couple had Gatorade instead), water, and friendly volunteers; the only minor problem was that the tables were set up on the left side of the road (placement was perfect for last year's course direction) and the county sheriffs wanted us on the right side of the road (the roads were open to traffic but most of it traveled at a sane pace for shared pavement). The law enforcement efforts were friendly and more than adequate at intersections to protect us as we crossed. The course was pretty much out in the country and away from the major downtown Macon tourist attractions; the wildlife and flowering trees (cherry, dogwood, and maybe apple) provided the distraction from the miles and hills that were being covered. The five-hour time limit (probably why there were fewer runners this year) was not enforced, but the sheriff escort asked runners to move to the sidewalk after 5.5 hours so that they could have the orange cones picked up; and the Champion Chip folks were planning to have the finish mat out beyond six hours. Bib #1 had covered the 26.2 miles and brightened a few faces and souls along the way (LA Legger tradition). The finisher's medal was in the shape of the blossom and looked good with the bold pink ribbon. The post-race grub consisted of bagels, apples, oranges, bananas, cookies, Snickers Marathon bars (turning up everywhere these days), and the blue PowerAde for a change in taste from those flavors on the course! The day had proven to be quite a washboard of terrain, but friendly smiles, conversation, and determination had brought most of the runners full circle!

Yes, the course is VERY challenging, especially if you're training in South Florida, but it is BEAUTIFUL! If you want to escape crowded, noisy city life and run away to the country with friendly people and fresh air, head for Macon. This was my 15th marathon and I rate it right up there with Vermont City and Twin Cities for scenery. They used the chip this year (and reversed the course)... which was helpful, but I would recommend putting race instructions into the bags and making elevation maps available to participants. Other than that, water/Gatorade was available every 2 miles with VERY friendly volunteers (and gel at many stops!) This race has great potential for getting big... if you want some peace and quiet, get in now!

The course was beautiful, yes. And HOT (80 degrees before noon). The hills weren't that bad, but this course would be a lot better with more runners. Running 10:00 miles though, and there were so few runners I looked both in front and behind me at mile 11 and couldn't see a soul. A little demoralizing... There was really no fan support, but the water stations were well spaced and great to have every mile for the last 6. All in all, good course, just be prepared to run alone for long spans.

Very nice, rural course, once you're out of the commercial strip mall area near the start (about two miles) but be prepared for a lot of hills... up, down, up, down... there's even an out-and-back section at 9-10 that is nothing but up a hill, down to the bottom, turn around and back up... and the hills at mile 24-25 are INSANE. I doubt the RD actually ran this course at his best speed. They were cliffs, and very long. The finish area is great, parking easy, volunteers nice, medals wonderful, and the simplicity of the whole thing is a giant plus. The showers at the end were GREAT, what a treat, especially before a 6-hour drive home in a tiny car... and beware the never-ending road work on I-75 will lengthen that drive considerably, massive traffic throughout Georgia. One negative about the volunteers is that the aid stations were sometimes two or more miles apart - in the heat, that's too far, so drink up when you get the chance. And be ready for the hills at the end. RD really should find a way around them, it's not a trail race... In all, a fun experience (at least we all had something to gripe about at the end after those hills).

While I was running this course, I thought that it would rate as one of my favorite ones (this one was my 23rd marathon). However, the last couple of miles of this course were ridiculous - hills were straight up. Some may call it challenging; I thought it was unnecessary. Outside of that, I loved the rolling hills and the rural vistas. The organization was a little shaky, especially the part where I had to fill out a card at the end with my finishing time (!?), but I've experienced worse. Luckily, it was perfect weather. I'm glad to have done this race as my Georgia marathon.

This was my second marathon, first in 16 years, so my experience with different courses is limited. I found the course challenging, especially the last 10K. The aid stations were well spaced and staffed with friendly volunteers. I had no problem getting water or powerade and was often asked what I wanted as I approached. The showers at the end were much appreciated and made the ride home much more pleasant. I love the medal - heavy duty and great looking. My only gripe is with the t-shirt. It seems to be of lesser quality and the large is really large. The 5K racers got the same one and this marathon was no 5K. It's also on the feminine side, but I'm secure enough in my manhood I'll still wear it. Overall it's two thumbs up, just be ready for a hilly course and run accordingly.

I was looking at my results and I am listed as number 111. My number was 103 and the results say 'no runner.' What happened? I agree that this course is difficult and not a good run to qualify for Boston although I did. My husband is trying to qualify but after the start of the run, he decided it was too hilly and too hot. We both enjoyed GA (we are from Wisconsin). I would run the race again. I would like to see water and Poweraid at all the stations starting with mile 13.

Overall, the race was well organized, and the volunteers had a great heart. As many others have commented, the course runs through very scenic rural areas. Between mile 13 and 16, runners had to watch out for large dump trucks whizzing by. Miles 24 and 25 were a bear. From my perspective, the hills were Monster Mountains. Everyone I was with walked these “hills”. It was NOT fun after running 24 miles. The volunteers, although very helpful and well intentioned, were not well instructed. The helper at Dick’s Sporting Goods did not, and could not find the time for the pasta dinner. The helper at the finish line stated when asked where I could take a shower, “This is an all girl’s school, there are no showers for men.” So I believed her and drove home smelling and feeling pretty bad. My biggest gripe is with the T-shirt. The same shirt is used for the 5K and marathon. This is a BIG deal for those who run. I expect the T-shirt to say marathon, not 5K. In addition, the T-shirt graphics are a bit amateurish. Despite these criticisms, I enjoyed the run and recommend the race.

Macon is such a pleasant town in spring. Lots of trees along the course so lots of shades. But the 'Cherry Blossom' doesn't seem to fit: there weren't many blossoms left and the green leaves were flourishing! What I love about the marathon was the small size. It makes getting there and parking there so easily. Not many cheers along the way, but running is a solidary sport and I always run alone. So it didn't matter very much. Although I have to admit if there were some spectators at the 25th mile hills I probably could have run better!

I am commenting here so others with my same goals will know better. Don't try to qualify for Boston on this course!!! (Though I did manage to squeak out a qualification.) I did think it was a decent course - but humbling. If you drive it in a car ahead of time (even drive it twice) expect it to be worse. It is surprisingly hilly - the hills for the most part are longer than those in Nashville (Country Music Marathon) and Atlanta and that makes a big difference. Train on hills before you do this one and you'll do fine. It was warm this year - and I was thirsty - but there were plenty of places to get beverages. My comment here would be: make gatorade/powerade available at every aid station (the first two aid stations only had water) or make a note on the map of what fluid will be available at these bevereage stops. Also to the volunteers - tell us what you're handing out - water or powerade so we can grab it and go. Also thank you for having additional GU stops out there! All in all I considered finishing this marathon and qualifying for Boston to be quite an accomplishment! Good for all of you who also finished this marathon no matter how long it took. It was a very big challenge and a true test of a runner's spirit.

This course is very challenging. It is NOT relatively flat, but rather relatively hilly. Mile 24-25 is awful. Even some moral support would help there. The course was at times overcrowded by TRUCKS. There was potential for serious injury. Think about moving water stations to the tops of hills; it is difficult to stop midway. Sounds negative, BUT it wasn't. It was great!

This was my fourth marathon, and my favorite thus far. No expo but easy packet pickup at Dick's Sporting Goods the day before or pre-race at the start. Pre-race parking was easy and very close to the start/finish. No need for a bag drop, as I used my car trunk for that. The course is very rolling but extremely scenic, going through a small part of Macon's commercial area, but we ran mostly in rural areas and suburban neighborhoods. I tend to disagree with the runner from last year who said that the course is much flatter than Atlanta; I also ran Atlanta, and while the hills in Macon aren't as significant as the ones in Atlanta, they are more numerous. The ones around mile 25 are killers! The course was run in reverse this year. I'd say that the course probably is of similar difficulty, but Macon was an added challenge taking into account the temperatures we had this year (60 degrees at the 7 a.m. start and 72ish by the time I finished a little after 11:30). There's not much in terms of spectator support, but there were some very enthusiastic fans--lots of cheers and thumbs up from passers by in cars, with whom we shared the roads. The intersections all had traffic being directed by the police. Volunteers were wonderful--very helpful, and plenty of water, electrolyte replacement, GU at the aid stations, even for those of us finishing in 4:30 or later (Macon has a 5-hour time limit). There were portajohns at several locations along the course. A nice touch was being able to shower post-race at Wesleyan College (the place of the start and finish). Nice T-shirts and medals, too (a little on the feminine side, but as a woman that's good for me). The only problem I noticed is that a couple of the later mile markers were missing, mainly those that were in the subdivisions. They had been in place the day before when I drove the course, so I'm wondering if the homeowners removed them prematurely... and when you're at 19, 20, 21 miles you need ALL of those markers to pull you along. However, this likely was not the fault of the race organizers. Also, please put the pasta dinner tickets in the race packets for preregistered runners; I didn't realize that mine wouldn't be in there and didn't feel like driving another 45 minutes to go and pick them up once I reached the hotel (this is a minor complaint, though). The finish line celebration felt like others at small, hometown races--very nice and personal. I'd highly recommend Macon to those who enjoy scenic, small marathons and who don't mind hilly courses. I plan to return, and hopefully take advantage of some of the events at Macon's Cherry Blossom Festival next time, as I've heard great things about it.

This was my first time running the Cherry Blossom. I liked it, for the most part. There were the correct number of water/powerade/gel stations at least every two miles (a HUGE PLUS) and the scenery was, for the most part, beautiful. The first 13 +/- miles were in the country and was fantastic. We did get into some higher traffic areas where I had wished they had blocked portions of lanes off for us (not too bad though). There were two hills toward the end that seemed like a 30% grade (I ran up the first and only made it 3/4 up the second - I passed quite a few runners along that stretch). The finish line was nice - everyone was cheering all runners on. I did run a personal best on this one (not sure why, but I did). All in all, I give it a four out of five. Well organized and started on time with pleanty of water/gel stations.

MARATHON PROS: 1. Gently rolling hills for the most part. I thought it was a fair course until the two monsters at the end. 2. The race takes place out in farm areas and through neighborhoods, so there are pretty trees, horse farms and homes to see. Though admittedly, not a lot else. This was the first race I have ever run with a headset. I was by myself, knew there wouldn't be a lot of 'stuff' to see, so I figured I might need it to entertain myself. I really think it helped to have it. 3. Plentiful water stops and support. This is the only marathon I think I've done where there was water/powerade at mile 23 AND mile 25. It seems like no one ever has support after mile 23, so I was surprised. 4. Great volunteers. 5. Very good on the signage around the course announcing the race and alerting drivers to proceed with caution. The signage was also very good in directing runners which way to go as well. 6. Even with the 5 hour time limit, there was still a lot of support and goodies for the late finishers. The Powerade, water, fruit and cookies were still waiting on us as well as the time clock and the small but enthusiastic crowd to cheer us in. 7. The showers!! Hooray for Wesleyan college for allowing us stinky, sweaty runners to bathe before our 2 hour return ride to ATL suburbia! How awesome-- they even provided clean towels!! 8. The medal!! I love the pink ribbon and the cherry blossom medallion (as an added bonus, I think it is the heaviest medal I've gotten yet and will serve nicely as a weapon if I ever need to defend myself. . . :) If you know how crazy Maconites are about their Cherry Blossom Festival, you realize immediately it is the perfect medal to symbolize their race. MARATHON CONS: 1. Mile 24 & Mile 25: What the @#$@ were they thinking sticking those hills in there at the end like that!!?? 2. The course was open to traffic-- though admittedly, there wasn't really a problem with this. There were volunteers and cops to direct traffic at intersections and most cars veered out of our way. I understand now why last year's runners requested the race to be run in reverse: we got through the busy roads in the beginning of the run when most of the city was in bed asleep. So there were very few cars to contend with in the early miles. Then, our final 6 miles were run through a quiet neighborhood and the college, so that made a lot of sense. Really, no cars to deal with there, except where we crossed Forsyth Road, where there were a slew of cops to direct traffic. Also, even though the race director said to run WITH traffic (okay, isn't that like #1 on 'The All-Time Top 100 RUNNER'S FAUX PAS List'??), most runners paid attention to the traffic and ran against traffic on those windy country roads (as we should have!!). 3. Not a lot of 'fan support'-- but of course, those who were there, were great! 4. Darn, it was hot!! 79 degrees by mile 16 and 83 as I was leaving Macon!! The bad thing about those Spring runs is you just never know what kind of weather will greet you. Guess you can't blame that on the race director though, eh? : ) All in all, I thought it was a great run. I enjoyed it, got a good time for myself, even got a little sun burn. Look forward to doing it again and would recommend it to any of ya'll out there.

This was my second marathon, and I had been a little misinformed about the hills - as there were plenty - but that just made the run more challenging and made the accomplishment of finishing almost 2 hours better than my run in Fl in january. I will run this course again next year and I hope that they get more people to line the course - as it was bleek at parts - but all in all the people who coordinated it and the volunteers did a wonderful job. On the down side i was told by a fellow runner that a police man directed a car into a shopping center that almost hit me - anyway - I think that the kinks of the first time can easily be corrected - oh yea - one more thing they need more portable toilets along the route

This was my first marathon and I was very pleased with my overall time due to the challendging hills. I loved running the back roads and the weather was perfect. There wasn't much traffic except towards the end. Very pleased on how it was organized.

Not to bad for a small marathon. Great weather(30 degrees to start) for running. Loved running out in the country. Hated running along the busy road at the end. The race organizer told me this was a relatively flat course. I guess she just ran Pikes Peak. The course has lots of hills. All in all, it is a marathon that I would recommend.