Vancouver USA Marathon - Race Reviews

I was pretty happy with this race, which was my 11th state. It was a pretty course that was nice and flat. Weather was a little warm and sunny, but it was pleasant for June. The criticism received by the directors in that the course was about a sixth of a mile short and thus no one could qualify for Boston is deserved. I noticed it while I was running... how could they not when they were preparing? Unlike the previous poster, I'm not returning to Washington to run another marathon. My watch said I ran over 26.2 miles (thanks to all the weaving, I presume) so I'm considering the state done! But, similar to the previous poster, I was annoyed with the t-shirt situation. I've never in all the various races I've run, from 5Ks to marathons, had to come back for a t-shirt after the race. That was just silliness. I registered well in advance. I'm generally only interested in the running aspect of marathons, but I guess there was a pretty good beer festival afterwards.

I came from the southeast to get some mild weather, and that proved to be true. Comments: -Weather was great for a marathon, especially for June. -The course was a good mix of rural/scenic, through town, and along the water. -There were plenty of water/aid stops and the volunteers were awesome. Traffic control was great as well. -We got stopped by the train at mile 21 for about a minute. It sucked to start running again at that point, right after getting some momentum back from the only substantial downhill on the course. -The course was 1000' short. I'm not affected for BQ, but am inching up in states and now would need to repeat. There wasn't anything done to try to make up for it other than 'it was short, we apologize and it won't happen again.' -I emailed the organizers a few weeks before the race (I think about 6 weeks out) asking about getting around downtown from other hotels after the host hotel filled. They emailed right back and said they'd send me some more information. I never heard from them again. I figured it out, but I didn't like that they said they would respond and didn't. -I signed up after the tshirt deadline (which I knew). At packet pickup, they said yeap, we'll have plenty of shirts, just stop by tomorrow morning before the race and pick one up'. Cool, I still get a shirt. Before the race, I stopped by the tent and they said, 'sorry, you have to come back AFTER the race'. So, on the third trip to the tent, now after the race, I did get a shirt. It's a nice shirt, but they made that harder than it had to be, and it sure felt like a long walk to get that shirt after the race. -I liked the set up with the half marathon starting 2 hours later. It meant that the course was getting fuller as the race went on instead of lonelier. This was a great idea and was so much better than starting with a whole bunch of half marathons only to have them peel off and leave us all alone. Definitely would hope they keep doing it this way. So, overall, I really liked the town and the course, but I won't go back to do it again due to the few minor organizational things. It's a good small town race, and I think the half is probably pretty awesome. They have a great setup in their downtown. If they can find a way to avoid the train, get the course dead-on, and improve communication just a tad, it will a really great event.

This was a nice, small race with easy logisitics, good support, great volunteers and adequate water stops. Second half was much more scenic than the first half. Big negative for 2016 is that the course turned out to be 1000 ft short and thus didn't count as a full marathon for Washington for those of us working on 50 States. Total bummer.

CJ from TX did a perfect review in 2015 with these updates from my 2016 experience. -Corral start was a normal marathon start with pacers evenly spread out in start corral -water stops were well staffed and prepared -shirts and medals were well above average. -stay at host hotel if you can as pointed out I would add if you are interested in running on Saturday the DAM marathon in Oakridge OR is a great race too.

Cool temps at the beginning and mild later. First 13 miles are flat and then it goes to gentle hills mixed with flats. The course is scenic for the most part. Organization is good, volunteers are enthusiastic. This is a pretty area and there is much to do for the visitor. Plenty of water stops. Nice finish area with a farmer's market for food and juice. Well done marathon.

Traveled from Mississippi to run an Oregon - WA double. This was my day 2 marathon. Its a great small -town race. Starts and finishes in the city center park. Course is pretty flat, nice, typical city marathon. Weather was perfect (but my summers in MS are hot hot, so I'm biased.) The selling point has to be the BEER BEER BEER at the finish! Literally about 250 beers on tap. My wife and I stayed at the Hilton (literally ten feet from the start /finish line.) and spent our post race time enjoying the BEER FEST! It was quite unique, and a race experience that gets a huge Thumbs Up!

I ran the 2015 Vancouver USA Marathon as part of my attempt to run a marathon in all 50 states. I very much enjoyed it and would strongly recommend it for anyone needing to cross Washington off their list or are just looking for a nice low-key June marathon in a great area. Not everything was perfect, but they do most things right, and there a couple of things the organizers did that I wish other events would emulate. Details below: Logistics: Downtown Vancouver is a short, easy drive from the Portland airport. Both the expo and the start/finish are at a downtown park where there is ample free parking. I stayed at a hotel within walking distance, but I think you can stay pretty much anywhere and park near the start with no problem. Expo: There was a farmer's market and the Summer Beer Fest going on in the same park where the expo was held. So you could easily pick up your packet, a beer, and some cucumbers, if you were so inclined. The expo was small, not a lot of vendors, if you care about that sort of thing. Start/finish area: The course started and finished at the same place, on a street next to the park. Again, plenty of free parking options close by. Starting corral: Here's one thing they did that I wish other races would do: The marathoners and half-marathoners started at different times; the marathoner went off at 7:00 am and the half-marathoners started at 9:00 am. There were fewer than 700 runners total in the full marathon, so there was plenty of room in the corral. For some reason, however, they felt the need to do a '2-wave' start, where everyone running a sub-8 minute pace started first, and everyone else started about a minute later. It was all done a bit haphazardly and, in my mind, it was completely unnecessary. The course: After starting the marathoners took an immediate left and traveled West on a country road for about 7 miles, looped around in a park, and then headed back to town on the same road. It was just your basic boring country road and I didn't really care for this portion of the course at all. The highway was not closed to traffic and at times the runners were shunted off onto a narrow sidewalk. At around mile 14 the marathon and half-marathon courses merged, but (and here's another thing they do that I wish other events would do) the runners from the 2 races were on opposite sides of the street, so the marathoners were not forced to bob and weave their way through a mass of slower half-marathoners. The two halves are kept separate for what seems like a couple of miles and when they eventually merge it is totally seamless. The 2nd half of the course was quite a bit more scenic than the first. You actually run along the Columbia River in a couple of spots and through some nice parks. There were some quirks, however; in far too many places the runners were forced to run on narrow sidewalks, and there are odd points where the course makes a little side-loop (like out on a short peninsula on the river) and then heads straight back. You get to see other runners going in the opposite direction on many occasions. The 2nd half of the course is also much hiller than the first. There is exactly one hill in the first 14-mile section the marathoners take; there are a couple of rather hilly areas in the back half. None of the hills are killers, but this is not the 'basically flat' loop the website advertises. On-course support: The water cups were tiny and usually only about half full, so it took several just to get a good drink. The Gatorade was very diluted and tasted awful. Some of the water stations were undermanned, and at a couple of stops toward the end I had to wait for someone to pour water into a cup. I did not notice any porta-potties on the course but I never looked for any. Crowds/Spectators: I don't really care about this so I didn't pay a lot of attention, but I would say the spectators are a bit sparse. The only living beings I saw on the first half of the course (other than race volunteers) were cows. Finisher's area and food: Much of the park was fenced off for runners only; there were multiple drink/food options and as far as I could tell runners were free to take as much as they wanted. The Jamba Juice stand was a really nice touch. The park was very shaded and there was lots of room, but it would have been nice to have some place to sit other than on the grass. Weather: I know they can't control the weather, but it is always a consideration when picking a race. The temperature wasn't ideal - low 60's at the start, in the low 70's at the end - but it wasn't hot by any means. There was supposed to be overcast skies all morning, but the sun came out early, while we were on our out-and-back journey down the country highway and I ended up overheating a bit. I'm more sensitive to that than most, so it probably did not have much of an impact on most runners. For a mid-June marathon the weather really wasn't bad at all. But just be aware that there is very little shade anywhere on the course and on a bright sunny day things could get a bit warm. Finisher's shirt: It's . . . I don't know . . . pink? Something reddish/orangey/pinky. Ok, it's ugly. And I think it's made out of wicking material, but it seems very thin, like cheap cotton. I'm not wearing that sucker. Medal: I really like the medal; big, heavy, and all metal - no cheap plastic highlights or hanging goo-gaws. This is how a marathon medal should look. Overall impression: It's got its quirks, but I have to give Vancouver USA high marks overall. Plus the Portland/Vancouver area is a great place to visit and running this race would be a good anchor for a longer trip to the Pacific Northwest.

I ran the half here, had to downgrade from the marathon as did not finish the training. There was no problem doing this. The course is the best half marathon course I have ever run. It was scenic throughout and the parkland and trails were beautiful. Organization was good, medal and shirts excellent. Good small expo and town market attached which we really enjoyed. Stayed at the Red Lion which was within walking distance to the start line. Loved everything about this race. Definitely would run it again. Nice presentation of medal for award winners.

My favorite marathon conditions are temperatures in the mid 50's to mid 60's with overcast skies or light rain - and Vancouver was right on the mark this year. Race organization is superb and this is the first time in over 50 races that I didn't have to wait in line for a porta-potty. Vancouver is a beautiful area and we enjoyed driving through the Columbia Gorge and up to Mount St. Helen's on Saturday. The race course is beautiful with a combination of open fields, views of the Columbia River, and running through parts of town. It got a little crowded at times when we joined back up with the half-marathoners but nothing impossible. There were very few spectators but the waterstop volunteers were enthusiastic. Register early and stay at the Hilton - only steps from the expo, start, finish and brew fest.

I really enjoyed running this course. It was scenic, had some hills, but they were totally doable, some crowd support and the festival going on in the down town section where the race started and finished was fun. My only complaint was that the marathon website stated that they would have pace groups for every 20 minute increment. That was the main reason why I signed up for that race. I was trying for a BQ, but instead of every 20min, they had them for every 15 minutes! So, I just wish they could have kept with what they had stated on the site. Otherwise, I enjoyed the course and will put it on my list of marathons to run again!

Extremely well organized and an uplifting race. A great size for easy access, for multiple spots for spectators to follow the runner and an encouraging finish with good refreshment! Thank you!!

Thank you race officials for a solid race. Thank you medical staff who insisted on giving me an I.V. post race due to severe dehydration. (Only 2nd I.V. in 23 marathons :)) The med team was kind, caring and had a sense of humor! If the dixie cups were bigger and I was smarter, I might have avoided the med tent. Race officials had no control over muggy temps. But after Boston this year, it felt reasonably cool. Stay at Hilton across from start; You can relax in your hotel room until the final minutes before the race.

This was my first Marathon, and I did it for fun, and was not disappointed. This is a great destination race, and will grow to be even better if the numbers improve. A competing Rock and Roll one month earlier and a spartan race the same weekend probably hurt the numbers, but the race itself was a classy event. It started with the Expo- Friday night had free food for all who attended and plenty of great booths. They also offered a super cheap price to prepurchase the next years race. Saturday the farmer's market, booths, expo, Beer Festival, and bands made for a festive atmosphere! Sunday the weather was a bit humid, but the course was great. Getting a chance to see the country and downtown, as well as the Columbia river in two areas. I felt the course was well supported in water stations, but the aid stations needed to be clearer. I missed having someone out with vaseline- so hopefully they add that next year. Spectators were not as plentiful as I hoped, but the atmosphere more than made up for it. It was great to have Bart Yasso welcoming me in at the finish line. The food after consisted of Fruit, PB, BRead, and Jamba juice. The best part was the ice baths! They have several kiddie pools filled with ice which as a nice touch!! We received two beers on our bibs, and the Farmer's Market was selling flowers which my husband surprised me with after the race. Again lots of vendors, bands, and a great atmosphere makes this a great choice for a destination race. I am signed up for next year's HM. Pros: o Festive/Weekend experience o Expo 0 Great coordination and volunteer support o Ice baths! o Very nice medals! Negatives: o Shirts were made by Puma and sized really small. I got a females extra large and it will not even fit over my chest. o Not as many spectators as expected o There is a train track that runs on the course and did stop some people.

Vancouver USA had about 500ish participants. It had a very small race feel. They were motioning people to come closer to the start line since the corral was very empty. The staff was great and volunteers. The water cups were too small and gatorade too diluted. The weather was muggy and when the sun came out kind of decimated the field. Lots of runners turned into walkers in the second half. There are few supporters throughout the race but the ones that showed up were enthusiastic. Course is kind of boring since the first half is a long out and back along a less travelled road. A few hills towards end made the hot day worse. Overall, I'm glad I did the marathon but the heat made it not a fun experience. Possibly moving up the marathon a few weeks would be good.

I give high praise to Energy Events. This is well organized, well thought out race. I know 2012 was unseasonably warm but this still is tough course on most days. You need to be a real self motivator, there aren't many spectators and I found myself running completely alone for most of the race. The first half is nice and flat but the second half is kind of ridiculous. Too many turns, running on sidewalks sucks too. If you want to run a well put together but small local race this is a good one. If you're looking for a fast time stick with Newport or Eugene. Also, what's up with the dixie cups for water? Tough to stay hydrated slamming 2 oz. cups every three miles.

I enjoyed running this race, especially for its simplicity and well-organized structure. The course is fairly flat with a few small hills. The section along the Columbia River, Lake Vancouver, and Fort Vancouver were the highlights for me. As mentioned before, the water cups were small but was fine this year due to the cooler temps. Course had to be re-routed due to flooding, so I would look forward to even more scenic and wider areas to run on to accommodate both full and half marathoners. The finish chutes for half and full marathoners was also a pleasant surprise at the end, and the post-race eats and drinks were very enjoyable. Volunteers were also plentiful throughout. It's a race I would do again, as it has even more room for improvement in the coming years.

For a first time event, this was a really great race. The first half of the race was very fast and flat with an out and back. The second half was more scenic, through the fort and down by the river. At around mile 15, I started to run into the walkers on the half marathon. While this seemed like a major inconvenience, my two fastest miles actually ocurred here as I sped up to get around all of them, so I guess I can't complain! Just to make sure you knew you were running a marathon, they through a nice big hill at mile 20 and another smaller one around mile 25! Pros: Flat fast first half Challenging second half Good organization Jamba Juice at the finish! Vancouver and Portland are wonderful cities! Improvements: Mark the pillars! Different start time for the half?? Split times at the half point? The distance after mile 26 seemed off, I had it measured at .4 miles instead of .2 and my time reflected it?

The most important aspect of a marathon is the course. Forget about the expo, medal, crowds, shirts and other give-aways. What will keep people coming back is the course. The organizers made some BIG mistakes on the one including having uneven concrete sidewalks as part of the course. Running in a pace group of 10-20 made this challenging. Runners were having to dodge metal dividers/barriers, I almost fell after being tripped up getting back on the side walk after crossing an intersection. As part of the 3:20 pace group we were held up at a train crossing and lost 2 minutes. Our pacers tried to make up the time but several in the group including myself were not able to regain that lost time. My advice to the organizers - please pay more attention to what is really important to runners, that is the course.

This was my 12th marathon, and my fastest ever. Though my training definitely contributed, the flat, fast first half of this course - and the several small rolling hills on the second half - felt like the ideal recipe for success. Other pros: " Small field " Good range of pace groups " Festive finish line party " Varied course scenery - first half was quiet along a lake/nature area, next section through town, next section by river/fort " Helpful course volunteers Opportunities for improvement " Post directions to bag check area near host hotel " As other runners have noted, put flags or cones on cement posts (there were many of these in the sidewalk/path sections of the course, and packs of runners made them difficult to spot until too late) " Mark halfway point " As other runners have noted, change start times so that marathoners don't get stuck in half marathon walkers at mile 16 or so " Ask volunteers at the finish line to be more assertive handing out medals and blankets - I had to ask for mine. Not a big deal for me, but could be for first timers " Post signs to finisher photo area - I didn't know there was one until the next day I've run several inaugural races, and this one was by far the smoothest. I'm looking forward to next year when hopefully everything is fine-tuned!

I was very impressed with the organization of this race. Having run over 50 marathons, the organization of this race ranks in the top, for a marathon of this size. Logistically, this was an easy marathon to fly into, stay at host hotel, and drive to local attractions. There were ample pre-race communications, even included a flood update as they had to tweak a little of the course at the last minute- and even re-certified it. The race had great amenities I thought, and aid stations were plentiful. I was not a huge fan of the course, but it was not bad. The first half was nice because there were only marathoners on it, however it was contained on bike paths with little scenery. The pace groups made this a bit tricky as they run many people-wide. You had a little of a crowd coming back into the city which was nice, then you ran into the half marathoners. At least the second half had some hills (a plus for me) but negotiating the half marathon crowd with some of the detours the race had due to flooding was tricky at moments. I was very impressed with this inaugural event but do think if it grows, some course alterations may be needed. What I liked the most is that you can tell it was put on by runners. I like races of this size and this easily ranks in my top quartile. Thank you, race director and volunteers!

It was obvious from the updates on the event site, as well as the facebook page that the event was extremely well-planned. This is a logistically easy marathon, as you can fly into Portland and stay within walking distance of the start/finish. The expo and post-race events were incredibly well run (other events could learn from this one,) and the volunteers were great. As others have noted, the shortcomings were the transitions to and from the sidewalks. From the course map, I (and probably most people) figured we'd be running on the road, or possibly on the shoulder. It was surprising to find out that perhaps 1/3 of the course was on sidewalks. Not only is hopping off and on the sidewalks slightly distracting during a race, but the cracks in the sidewalks, and overgrown weeds on the sides added a bit of weirdness to the course. I'm guessing crowding was probably a real problem for some, as the sidewalks are quite narrow. In addition, I know that the half marathon/full marathon traffic jam was made worse for some by the narrowness of the course. On the positive side: a well-run event otherwise, and the course seemed to be well marked with accurate mile markers (a rarity sometimes,) and many, many aid stations. The tech shirt is pretty nice, and it's a logistically easy and inexpensive event. As I mentioned earlier, you get the idea that RD Brian and his team (including volunteers,) really poured all kinds of time and effort into the event, and I'm sure it will be a great marathon in the future.

This was my 4th marathon in four months and for the most part I found the marathon enjoyable & it is a relatively small marathon (less than a thousand runners) but the course did overlap the half marathon course during the second half & the course is relatively flat except for a killer hill at mile 20 (Approximately 160 foot incline over a half of a mile on the course)& who came up with that idea??? The weather cooperated (overcast with temps in the 50s with a nice breeze)..For a small marathon, I thought the number of spectators and volunteers were great & I did set a PR by 16 minutes since my last marathon&In addition, I enjoyed the opportunity to meet and chat with Bart Yasso. Of course there are a couple things that this marathon course needs to correct. First, there only existed chip readers to record your running time at the beginning and end of the marathon & there existed no chip readers at any point during the race&True, this is not Chicago, Boston, or New York, but many of the course miles overlapped and this was a Boston Qualifier. For the obvious reasons, this needs to change & second, either the mile markers were off or the course was actually 150-200 meters longer than an actually marathon&Once I passed mile marker 26, I thought there was only .22 of a mile left to the finish&It turns out this was not the case&If you were gauging your running time by these mile markers and attempting to beat 3 hours, 3:30 or 4 hours and you were on target throughout, you may be disappointed when you do cross the finish line..I have an e-mail into the race director (Brian Davis) regarding these matters who has yet to respond.. However, despite than the issue above, I did enjoy this event & the people were great, I beat my PR by 16 minutes and had a chance to meet and chat with a running legend & how cool was that???...Very Cool

I tend to prefer smaller to mid-size races anyway, and this one didn't disappoint; as others mentioned, it's clear the racer organizers did their homework, and even delayed the first race by a year (I believe) to make sure they got it right. The first half of the course which heads west of the city is quiet, flat farmlands, with a nice view of the Columbia River at the turn-around; if it had been clear and sunny, I am sure the view of Mount Hood would have been great. No spectators out here apart from the aid station volunteers, but in the first half of the race you don't really need crowd support anyway. A few modest uphill slopes as you had east back through town about halfway through the race, but there are more spectators by now. The second half does have a noticeable hill from mile 19 1/2 to 20, and shortly after that a short but sharp drop back down to the river (one person chose to walk backwards down the hill, to save her quads) There's a railroad crossing at the bottom of the hill, and although there weren't supposed to be any trains, there was. And it stopped, blocking the crossing. Eventually a group of us walked down the tracks, around the end of the train, and back to the course on the other side. Everyone seemed to take it pretty well, no real grumbling. Kind of a fun anecdote to embellish the story when telling friends about the race. Only suggestions I might have... in the first mile when we go on the trail by Mill Plain, there are cement posts in the middle of the trail at cross streets... on an overcast day, they weren't easy to see, especially since the runners were still in a large pack; perhaps an orange cone in front of them? And at the aid stations, water and Gatorade were served in half-full Dixie cups. Luckily it was cloudy with a light breeze, to cool us off. If it had been a sunny and warm day (it is possible in June in Washington), this could have cause some problems - heat exhaustion, dehydration. Bigger cups, maybe? Otherwise, a really nice first race.

Course is mostly flat. The hills at Mile 19.5 and the last mile look a lot tougher on paper than in reality so don't fear them. The things that didn't have to do with the race itself were well executed such as the expo and pre and post race setup. The free beer at the end was appreciated. However, what was lacking a bit was the race itself. A good part of this course (in my estimation 1/3rd) is on narrow, concrete sidewalks. Most of the other part is on asphalt roads and a small portion was on a paved trail. Hopping on and off sidewalks is a bit offputting and tiring. The problem is exacerbated if you are a marathoner slower than say 3:30 as you will run into a stream of half marathon walkers who start 1 1/2 hours after the marathon. The course simply isn't wide enough to easily accommodate marathoners and half marathon walkers. If you look at the half results, a good portion of them were walkers and many of them were walking side by side creating human barricades. Overall, I do feel it was well organized. The volunteers were fantastic and the logistics are pretty easy. I do disagree with some previous posters as I didn't think the course would be classified as scenic but then again, that is not why I would choose to run a race. A small portion of the course had to be rerouted due to flooding. We also lucked out with cool weather which was cool even for Vancouver on June 19th. (start 57 degrees and ending in the low to mid 60's) Pros 1) Easy logistics 2) Great volunteers 3) Nice post race setup with marathoners and half marathoners getting their own finish chute and free beer! 4) Relatively inexpensive with reasonable registration fees and affordable hotel options. 5) Nice city and also a stones throw away from Portland Suggestions to Race Director 1) Have to find a better way to accommodate both marathoners and slower half marathon runners/walkers. I realize you can't start everyone at the same time due to the course can't accommodate it so maybe start the half marathon 2 1/2 hours later and cut the half marathon time from 5 hours to 4 hours. 2) Too much of the course is on sidewalks. Hopefully this can change a bit to show off more of the city. 3) The cups given out at the hydration stops were too small. They were the size of bathroom dixie cups. In addition, it would be beneficial if there was a banner or a volunteer say 100 feet ahead of the hydration stops alerting runners of them. 4) Try to move up the race a bit earlier in the year as we got lucky with the cool weather. Also having the event on Father's Day makes it tougher for some to run it as well as getting enough volunteers.

This is the one great marathon race with good organization. A small and intimate marathon (~800 marathoners & 1400s 1/2). The course is very scenic and fairly flat except a couple of hills. There are a few little shortcomings for the inaugural. (1) They announce gels available just a couple weeks before the race and did not designate gel stations. Only one station (M13) actually hands out gels and I saw just one other station (18?) have gels on the table. (2) running out of gatorade at mile 20 and after. (3) Food after race are so-so: Costco bagel & PB, orange slices, gatorade, Jamba juice.

This was my third marathon. I was going for PR around 2:45, and got 2:46 to come in 2nd. There was not a lot of competition below 2:50, except for #3 who came back quite strong in the last mile or so. The first half of the course was flat, scenic, and mostly out-and-back around Vancouver Lake. The second half was tougher, with a bridge around mile 15, and a big 'heartbreak hill' followed by some rollers around mile 19-20. Punishing but exciting, as I was able to push ahead from 4th to 2nd after the hill. Friends with GPS watches thought the course was 2-3 tenths too long. There were a decent number of spectators at a few points downtown, but otherwise quite a sparse crowd. The post-race refreshments were the typical stuff, handed out by friendly and generous volunteers, and the race T-shirts are simple and attractively designed. The aid stations were pretty well-placed, but volunteers did not indicate clearly whether they were holding water or Gatorade. Overall, a great first marathon for the city of Vancouver, and I expect the race will only get better to run and watch next year.

It was clear from the beginning that the race directors had done A LOT of planning for this race. I signed up for it as I was going to be in WA and still needed it in my 50 state quest. The course is very flat particularly over the first 19 miles. There is a pretty big hill at about 19.5 and another shorter one at 25 (probably seems bigger than it is). There were lots of water stops, at least every 2 miles. They could have used a few more volunteers at some of them, but I had no trouble just grabbing a cup off the table. My suggestions: (1) in the early miles, the course is on the sidewalks rather than the roads. If this race gets any bigger the sidewalks will not be big enough. Also the cement is much harder than asphalt. (2) At the expo, don't make us walk through all of the booths to get our bibs and goody bags. I felt like a rat in a maze. Overall I'm glad I chose this race. Great job and best of luck next year.

just wanted the organizers of this event to know what a fabulous job they did with a first marathon. The course was beautiful and fast. the aid stations were very well handled and the people were very enthusiastic. As a 'fifty stater', I highly recommend this marathon and would love to do it again!

for an inaugural marathon, this was very well done. the expo was amazing, well organized (although a touch loud), and the swag (sponsored by puma) was quite nice (i may have spent my allowance and then some!). the course was pretty good, it got a bit narrow at times, especially after the half marathon runners joined the course. there were also a few points where the aid stations were a bit understaffed, and not too far away were cheering sections of other volunteers - i'd recommend bulking up the stations so it wouldn't be as hard to get water at some of them. however, overall, i think for a first time marathon this was an awesome course, i had a great time and would highly recommend it. it was by far better than some of the well established marathons i've run in my life. i highly recommend this race, and am already confident they will improve in future years.