Buffalo Marathon Weekend - Race Reviews

I chose this race because there were good reviews and I had never visited the city. I also needed New York for my 50th state, and I prefer smaller races. I have to say, it was awesome. This marathon is one of the best organized and best supported runs I have done. As with most races, there are more half-marathoners, so the field thins at the 13 mile point. But the course has lots of spectators and support at every mile on the back half. Aid stations are very well stocked and staffed by many volunteers. While the day began cool in 2023, temperatures quickly rose. Late mile stations offered ice as well as sponges soaked in ice water, something that was extremely helpful to me! There were bike-mounted course marshals checking on runners too as the heat rose. Spectators were plentiful along the route, and volunteers were gracious. The announcers made a big deal about my 50th state as I crossed the finish line... not too long after, I also got to see a proposal at the finish line, so that was super exciting. Bottom line: great race, lovely city on Lake Erie, lots of fun things to do, and great people. Put this one on your list!

A very well-run race on a fairly flat course. Absolutely worth doing if you want a mid-sized marathon in a decent town to visit. Crowd was thin this year but that was mostly due to covid.

I made a last minute decision to run this race to check NY off my list, and was pleasantly surprised with every aspect. Wonderful course with nice mix of urban, waterfront, & neighborhoods with fabulous architecture. Great expo, organized start/course, plentiful volunteers & aid stations and cool hoodie-shirt. I took a bus tour of the course the day before the race which was a delightful experience. I will recommend to EVERYONE!

This is a good race. I've run a lot of marathons in a lot of places, and this is definitely above average. I prefer smaller races outside of urban centers, but Buffalo did a great job of hosting a large event that was well organized and enjoyable. From someone who has run a lot of marathons in lot of different states, here are my observations: * This isn't a perfectly flat course, but it's pretty easy. * Organization was really good. It definitely did not feel like a race with over 1,000 marathon finishers (not to mention all the halfers). * Good vibe from the crowd from start to finish. Lots of people cheering on runners throughout. * Buffalo isn't the most scenic of locales, but there were nice stretches through a park and along the waterfront that broke up the monotony of city neighborhoods. * Lots of aide stations and great volunteers staffing them. * One thing that Buffalo did that I've never seen before is they had volunteers at aide stations holding out paper plates with pads of petroleum jelly on them. A nice touch! * I love my medal and the long-sleeve, lightweight hoodie I received. They even gave finishers a bottle opener/key chain that matched the medal. * The Embassy Suites couldn't have been closer to the start, but man, I did not have a good stay there. Dirty room, poor service. Definitely overpriced. * I noticed the line at the expo was super long for half marathoners. It was probably only 3 or 4 people deep for the full, but I would have been super annoyed if I had to wait in the half line which was maybe 30 people deep. And I got there pretty early in the morning too to try to beat the crowds! * Post race food was disappointing. Water, fruit, and pretzels.

A great race! The organizers have thought of everything and it is clear they love their runners. The free water, bananas, and energy bars (and indoor bathrooms) pre-start were so appreciated, as were the fireworks at the start. Beautiful views and architecture along most of the course. Lots of communication before the race and great race swag. Let's go Buffalo!

The website did not make mention (or if it did I could not find it) that the race was sold out. I feel sorry for anyone who may have shown up at the expo to register and been sent away The weather was nice this year, a little warm towards the end but much cooler than in 2016. Race day logistics and parking are super easy, with plenty of porta potties. The starting corrals are a bit crowded; if the pace per mile signs were spread out, it would alleviate that initial congestion. I was lined up about 60% of the way back, and could not hear any of the pre-race announcements and only the last few bars of the National Anthem. Fluid stations were plentiful and well managed, and were usually right at the mile markers, which is helpful. It would be even better if the aid stations were just past the mile marker, to allow us to hit the watch for that lap prior to slowing down for fluids. The course is flat but has quite a few twists and turns, so the extra distance you will inevitably run partially offsets the flatness. Good finish line area, and free beer after! A couple of the pace teams I was near at the staring line went out too fast, which kinda defeats their primary purpose. And please try to find another location for showers as you did in prior years, as it induces us out-of-towners to hang around after the race.

I was very impressed with the Buffalo Marathon. It's a solid mid size marathon with all the amenities of a big city race but without the crowds and wait times. Course is very fast. If you're in shape for a bq or pr you can do it here. I ran a bq time. Logistics are easy with lots of hotels and free street parking near the start/finish. I arrived an hour before start time and found a free street parking spot only three blocks from the start. It's a fairly scenic course too, with parks, neighborhoods and a beautiful lakefront stretch along Lake Erie. Enthusiastic crowd support for an event this size. Memorial Day weather is a crapshoot, but I like that they start the race at 6:30 to avoid mid day warmth. Temps were perfect this year, with low 50's at the start. Plenty of porta potties, gels and fluids on course. Free massages and nice post race party at the finish. Local brewery makes a special beer for the race, very cool! Volunteers were extremely helpful and friendly. You can tell the race management has worked hard and pays attention to detail. My only very minor recommendation for improvement would be to get rid of the 180 degree turnaround at Mile 26. I heartily recommend this race to anyone looking for a late spring/early summer race with a fast course and solid organization. Well done Buffalo and thank you!

Great race. Very organized, good course, after party food in convention center was spot on. It is a small race with less spectators for the second half of the course (after the half marathoners exit) but those who were spectating were great. I especially appreciated the neighborhood sprinklers. My only 'con' would be the 3:50 pacer was WAY too fast.

I have run many large and small marathons all over North America. This race is particularly meritorious given the top-notch organization and crowd support. Race day was a hot one, and instead of throwing up their arms and cancelling the race, the organizers e-mailed all participants a few days before, warning runners, in addition to ensuring that ice and sufficient water were available at many of the aid stations. Proving that they were ready for anything, they even still handed out heat sheets at the finish line. The clearly marked course through predominantly parks and residential areas treated participants to cheers from a never-ending stream of enthusiastic spectators and well-wishers, many of whom set up their sprinklers to keep us cool during the race. The flat course is amenable to PR times/Boston Qualifiers, as advertised on the website. Overall, this was a top-notch race experience that competes admirably and favourably with its bigger (but not necessarily better) siblings. I will definitely be back.

This marathon has really grown over just the past five years, and for good reason. Although mother nature didn't corporate with us this year, running Buffalo was a fun time. Pros: Flat as can be course. My garmin showed less than 100 feet min/mix elevation. Organization was the best of over the 20 marathons I've ran. Once we all knew the conditions would be hot and humid and that many of the runners, including myself were not acclimated (it snowed to weekends prior), the RD added many water stops, added ice cold towels and cups of ice to each stop and did everything they could to ensure our safety. Echoing the above,the entire community came out to support us. I had to have ran under 150-200 sprinklers on peoples lawns or hoses. We were all suffering out there but the community did all they could to guide us to the finish. 6:30 am start. I like this small change. No reason to let memorial day heat possibly become an issue, get er started early. Could park right at the start and finish for free and walk no more than five minutes. Hotels and everything you need is down there. Expo has grown in size with some good deals to actually be had. Pretty cool swag with the 1/4 zip longsleeve. Finisher march was Nike too. Buffalo bills handing out the medals. Pretty nice medal, I've definitely seen worse. Lots of food and chairs and tables to sit at right inside after the finish. Mile 27 beer,too. Cons Can't really dock this rave for the weather since the entire east coast was hot and humid. But just be aware that this is a later spring marathon. So you can definitely watch a warm day like this. Miles 17-22 kind of bake you with minimal shade. You do run up and down Delaware Ave three times, but it's a flat straight away so it's not that bad. Thank you, Buffalo Marathon. Here is to 55 and cloudy in 2017!

This is my second time running the Buffalo Marathon, I also ran in the 2013 edition. I didn't think it was possible but somehow the organizers improved an event that I felt was pretty awesome back in 2013. The 2016 race was run in very hot weather but that didn't stop me from enjoying the beautiful course and tremendous spectator and volunteer support. It was so hot that had it been a training run I would have called it quits after 15 miles. The course support was nearly perfect when it had to be and they all helped pull me thru to the finish. There was plenty of water and Gatorade and gels, ice,cold towels and much needed encouragement from spectators, volunteers, and Police & Fire personal who were working the course. I have run the NYC Marathon several times and the Mohawk Hudson River up in Albany once and in my opinion the Buffalo Marathon is New York States best Marathon. Most runners had to slow down this year due to extreme heat but in cooler weather that course is very favorable for the runner and should definitely produce fast times. The expo was very easy to navigate and not overcrowded. A great race shirt and finishers medal. Awesome hotels, bars and restaurants in downtown Buffalo. If you haven't run the Buffalo Marathon you should. I will be back again, hopefully next year.

Having just come off of a negative experience in Nashville, a friend and I decided to register for Buffalo 4 weeks out of race day. I contacted the race director who helped me take the place of a deferring runner (even got my name on the bib!). Expo was well-organized and well-attended. Starting line was easy to find with free close parking. Course itself was rather repetitive (there was one track we ran 3, maybe 4 times), but what was amazing was the community. It was such a hot day, and that can spell disaster for runners, but the race and the community came out HUGE: spectators had hoses out, the race put out extra carbs and water stops, each stop had gatorade, tons of stops had ice and wet washcloths, and there were multiple medical tents along the way. This race and the city cares about the marathon, and cares about the runners. We got emails all week about race day expectations, running the heat, and keeping ourselves safe. I was very impressed with the organization, support, and spectators. The only reason the course gets 4 stars is because of how much doubling around we had to do... and having to do 2 laps around an unshaded golf course was not pleasant. Highly recommend, perhaps one of my favorite races to date.

On a warm day, the race organizers and the people of Buffalo were ready. Plenty of official aid stations most of which had ice and many kind neighbors with water, food, and hoses to cool us down. The pre-race communication was excellent and the organizers shared much helpful information. The expo and post race festivities at the Convention Center were well done. Anything that you could want was available post race including a specially brewed craft beer. A nice course through downtown, neighborhoods, and parks that was pretty flat. Excellent shirt and medal as well. A very good bargain. Visit Big Ditch Brewing Co for carbo loading before or to rehydrate after your run.

The 2016 race was warm, with 2nd half temps in the high 70s, partly sunny. The race organizers did an amazing job of ensuring plenty of fluids and ice. To the best of my recollection, there was an aid station every mile during the 2nd half of the race. Amazingly the last 6-8 miles each had a 2nd aid station just past the halfway point of each mile! The ice helped a lot, the volunteers were plentiful, and thanks to the homeowners on the course who were kind enough to set sprinklers. That's all I wanted to say - job well done.

I ran the full marathon in 2012 and 2013, the 5K in 2014, and the half marathon in 2015. So I haven't run the back half of the newest course, but the changes since 2013 have been relatively minor. Pros: Organization is good and getting better. You can tell that the race directors are trying to build the race into something that can compete with big-city marathons. The expo has grown exponentially in recent years and includes an impressive roster of speakers and tons of vendors. The course is beautiful and very flat. It shows off all of Buffalo's best neighborhoods, parks, and architecture, including a very pretty stretch along the Niagara River. I've never had a problem with the aid stations, but I'll admit that I always carry my own GU. Parking is easy if you do your homework before the race. Crowd support is pretty good for such a small city - what we lack in numbers, we make up for in enthusiasm. Buffalo is known as the City of Good Neighbors, and that's definitely true on race day, from the screaming crowds along the major parkways to the people parked on lawn chairs in their driveway (beer in hand, possibly), you can tell that people here care about the marathon. Cons: Weather is a huge gamble. Memorial Day weekend in Buffalo tends to be hot, so it isn't unusual to see temperatures in the 70s or low 80s by the time late morning rolls around. There is some shade on the course, but a huge amount of Buffalo's trees were destroyed in a storm about a decade ago, so a large portion of the course is in full sun. Also, running the first half of the race with the half marathoners is depressing, because they outnumber the full marathoners by at least 5:1. It's demoralizing to hear 'You're almost there!' at Mile 12 of a marathon, and to get incredibly close to the finish line only to turn off for another 13.1 miles. It also gets pretty spread out once all those half marathoners finish, and the crowd support gets a little lean for some long stretches. And yes, the little out-and-back with a hairpin turn just before the finish is incredibly cruel, but at that point, you are SO close, so you just have to grit your teeth and keep going. ALSO, as a local, I want to clear up a couple things that I've seen in the comments... First, the course is not long. It's very common for your watch to measure a few tenths longer than 26.2 miles, because very few people run perfect tangents. I'd be concerned about a short course if I measured exactly 26.2 miles on my GPS watch. Second, yes, most of our highways are 55 mph. Pay attention to the signs. If you get pulled over going almost 20 mph over the speed limit, then of course you're going to get a ticket. As a Buffalo resident, I'm happy that our speed limits are occasionally enforced, because most of our highways are not designed for a 65 or 70 mph speed limit. Third, parking. METERED parking is free on weekends. That means street parking anywhere you see a parking meter. The lots run by Allpro or Pay2Park or whoever they are will NOT be free. In fact, they often jack up the price to $15 or $20 to take advantage of the marathon runners. I would advise people to arrive about an hour, hour-and-a-half early and look for a spot on a side street. You can scope out good spots on Google Maps, or you can hop in your car the day and do a bit of exploring the day before the race. Driving around Buffalo is incredibly easy - the downtown core is small and relatively free of traffic outside of rush hour, and the surrounding neighborhoods are generally easy to navigate as well. You can scope out a parking spot, drive the course, and be on your way to the pre-race pasta dinner within the hour.

Overall I believe that the The Buffalo Marathon was a great experience. Weather was perfect and the spectators were awesome. The only thing that I would recommend moving forward is that the marathon pacers be a bit more consistent. I went out with one of the pacers and the first mile (which was slightly uphill) was a 15 second negative split, and very inconsistent from there. For us marathoners, consistency is everything. I understand having to pace the half marathoners as well, but when the group is made up of mostly marathoners its not smart to bank. Most of the marathoners ( Including myself) had a hard time picking it up in the later miles. Other than that, I will definitely be back!

First time running Buffalo. Stayed at the Hyatt the race hotel, which was a short walk to the expo and start. So everything was right there and very convenient. I took the valet's advice and parked in the parking garage catty-corner from the hotel for $5. Saved about $20 by doing that. Skipped the pasta dinner and got take-out from Osteria 166 which is right at the start on Franklin. Got a house salad, bread, and spaghetti for $12. Salad was great, spaghetti was pretty good, bread was ok. Filled me up and I'd eat there again. Got to the starting area about 20 minutes prior and had no problem getting into a port-o-john, waited maybe 2 minutes. Tried to make my way up front to the 3:10 pace group, but stopped at about the 4:30 pace group as it was too crowded. Didn't really care at the time as all the other 27 marathons I've done post age group results based upon chip time, not gun time. Weird that Buffalo places by gun time, especially since they don't have starting corrals based upon projected finishing time. There were what seemed like several timing pads on the course, but the results don't show any splits so not sure what's up with that. Mostly flat course with some elevation, but nothing significant. A bit warmer than I would have liked (mid 50s at the start). Course got kind of congested on the paved paths in the park, but really opened up after the halfers finished. Volunteers and spectators were great and enthusiastic. They make all the difference. I could use a lot less cow bell though. Does anyone like cow bells? Didn't have a great running day but easily BQ'd. Finished at about 10:20, ate a couple of oranges, walked straight to the Hyatt, showered, packed, checked out, walked to my car and was on I-90 heading west by 10:55 even with road closures, so everything is centrally located and very convenient if you stay at the Hyatt. I enjoyed the experience. Would recommend this marathon, and glad I did it. Pros: Flat course, expo well organized, centralized location, plenty of port-o-johns at the start, enthusiastic volunteers and spectators Cons: No corrals, start congested, crummy results format, results based upon gun time, congestion on paved paths

I am wondering... since I read comments from other years... and taking into account that apparently the course was modified... as I reached the McKinley obelisc - where it seems other years marathons ended there - my Garmin showed 26.2 miles. At the end my Garmin showed 26.6 miles. That is a significant difference and talking to other runners they had similar readings. I am talking of at least 2 minutes. Anybody out there can corroborate? ¨Please comment'. Other than that the race was spectacular and very friendly.

This was my second time running the Buffalo marathon and it did not disappoint. An overnight stomach bug left me dehydrated but the wonderful support, great course, and fantastic weather got me through this one. Thirty minutes from Niagara Falls only adds to the appeal of this race. We're already planning a return next year!

The course is pretty easy with some scenic landscapes - actually very nice. Organization was pretty good too if not the top. The after-race food and beer is among the best - unlimited beer and pizza! Cannot complain about that! Overall I think the race team did a fantastic job. It is definitely one of the best races I want to come back ...... only if I hadn't had the worst experience in my life with the cops in Buffalo! I had my first speeding ticket in my life by this freaking cop who wouldn't show any leniency or compassion! Plus another parking ticket during race day! A double punch for coming to a marathon! The speeding ticket was because I didn't see the speed limit (honestly) in the dark after I came into Buffalo from Canada. It was my first time in Buffalo, and as soon as I entered Buffalo from Canada, I thought I could drive a bit faster at the normal speed as in Michigan (which is 70mph for freeways) without realizing Buffalo's speed limit for freeway is only 55mph. When I was stopped by the freaking cop, I didn't know why he stopped me. He told me I was driving at 74mph. I explained it was my first time here, and hoped he would give me some leniency. But no! The freaking cop just issued the ticket! Now I have to plead guilty because there is no way I'd drive 5 hours to go to the court in Buffalo for a hearing! To tell you the truth, I was caught for speeding 4 or 5 times in my life time (all out of state), but no officers issued a ticket to me. They would only give me a warning and let me go (I thought in all cases the cops realized my out-of-state driver license and didn't want me to go through the trouble, which I appreciated very much). But this guy was terrible! I came to Buffalo for the first to run a marathon, for god's sake! That was Friday night, May 22, 2015. Then on the race Sunday, May 24, 2015, I came early to a parking lot (suggested by the race), and asked the other two drivers who were already there (also runners) whether it was OK to park there. They all said OK. But when I came back after my full marathon around noon, there was this freaking parking ticket on my windshield (good it was only $12)! I believe the freaking owner of the parking lot - Allpro Parking just wanted to take advantage of some uninformed runners. We were told in the expo that all metered parking was free during weekend, and that parking lot is a metered lot. If they wanted to collect money, they should have staffed the freaking parking lot, knowing that a lot of runners were going to park there. These people should be shamed for taking advantage of the runners! Oh well, no complaint about the race, only about that freaking cop and the parking owner! I guess my relationship with Buffalo is dead forever! Too bad it was a bad ending!!

This was my first Buffalo marathon and there were many highs and some lows. When I add them all up, the biggest 'low' outweighs the biggest 'high'. I realize the race management had recently suffered two tragic losses, so I keep those in mind here. First the highs - Buffalo is a very friendly city. People were nice all around and the expo was no exception. Bib pick up was a breeze and most of my course questions were answered by volunteers. The half / full ran together but it was not too crowded (yet both sold out). Awesome technical shirt that integrated a classy recognition of the two individuals that had recently passed away. I liked that splits were recorded every 5K. Lots of water stops/ friendly volunteers. Relay exchange areas were not congested. The start also had a wonderful color guard presentation and live National Anthem, plus a moment of silence (again for the two individuals that had recently passed). Course elevation was as advertised. Starting temps in the low 50s. Good crowd control by police and volunteers. Parking was not a big deal, although two large surface lots (Chippewa and Washington Streets) were surprisingly closed on race day. I stayed across from the airport and drove about 15 minutes (on 33 West) to reach the starting area on race morning. Super easy and much cheaper than staying downtown. Plenty of porta potties. Now the lows - the start was a bit anti-climatic - an air horn blown by a Buffalo Bills player (sorry - no idea who he was) and a bit of confetti. The emcee seemed to be winging it before the start. Pacers were not really spread out that much in the corral so it was not easy to find your spot in the beginning. The U-turn at mile 26 was also a bit annoying. However - by far - the biggest problem with this race is how miles are marked (or not marked). The mile markers were not always on the same side of the road, they were not uniform in size or color (some white, some yellow) and they were not nearly big enough (maybe 2.5 feet tall). I missed the first two and really struggled to find the others, which was a huge distraction for me. I am not even sure all miles were marked. Not knowing where I was on the course really threw me off and my time suffered badly because although I knew my time I didn't always know where I was. The race needs to invest in proper (tall) markers for each mile. Sorry, Buffalo, but I won't be back.

Buffalo Marathon 2015 has to be one of the most enjoyable marathons I've done and this one was #208 for me. The EXPO was extremely entertaining ending with a fabulous pasta dinner on the same site. The entire marathon course was supported by jubilant viewers, the course was very well marked, the intersections were very well controlled by the volunteers and on-duty police, aid stations were in abundance and the timers at the finish line were in no hurry to shut down. Great organizational skills were very prevalent.

Thank you for a spectacular experience!!! I highly recommend the half and hope to sometime soon run the full!!! Love the city, course, fans, and volunteers. I clearly see a huge effort to improve the experience as my last time running the half was almost ten years ago... Go Buffalo!!! Thank you!!!

I ran this race after running the Pittsburgh Marathon 4 years in a row. Based on that experience, I was disappointed by how meager the event amenities seemed; however, what they lose in size they make up for in enthusiasm. The organizers, volunteers, and spectators are all entirely focused on making sure the runners enjoy their experience. They are friendly and helpful. Pros: They say your name as you cross the finish line and someone puts your medal on your neck. Street parking on race day is convenient and free. (We only arrived 1 hour before the race started.) The course is flat, flat, flat! The medal itself is a neat design and well-made. The design on the t-shirt is cool. Cons: The course in my opinion is mentally exhausting. You run on one street 3 times, two other streets two times, through the same park twice, and the last .2 miles involve looping around a monument and then an out-and-back of 1/2 a city block before swinging around the monument again and making a turn to the finish line. (One runner was crying and saying 'I don't see it. I don't see it.' I didn't break down that much, but it was exactly how I felt.) Course support was also a little lackluster. They had the water before the gatorade at every station. Gels were only offered at 15 and 19. Vaseline was supposed to be at 10, 15, and 19, but when I asked for it at 10 I was told I would have to stop and wait because he had to get it from his car (what?!?). Luckily, 15 had their stuff together and I got it there, but again they handed me a giant jar of Vaseline that I had to run with as I applied it and then hand the jar back to them. While doing so I was unable to grab water or gatorade and ended up not hydrating again until the next station. No SWAG in the goodie bag. Unisex shirts (we all know unisex means cut for dudes, right?). I definitely wouldn't tell you to skip this marathon. It's an experience for sure and not a terrible one. Just go into it knowing that it's a smallish race on a 'pretty' but not 'exciting' course. I'd probably recommend you shell out the few dollars for the bus tour of the course they offer the day before. I didn't take it, but wish I had so I could have mentally prepared myself for the monotony.

Fantastic race! The spectators and fans made this race the best race I have ever run. Literally fans along every single part of the course. The water stops were plenty and had gatorade at every stop. The volunteers were friendly and enthusiastic. The course was almost completely flat and very scenic. I lived in the Buffalo area my entire life and experienced a part of Buffalo that made me fall in love all over again during this race. Running along the waterfront of Lake Erie was fantastic, so much so that I was tempted to stop and take pictures. The organization of the expo, etc. was very well done. The post-race refreshments were good - beer, pizza, and nutritional things such as bananas, bagels, etc. I didn't attend the pre-race pasta dinner but heard great things about it from others that did attend it. I will definitely be making this a yearly race, as I cannot say enough good things about it. This is my favorite all time race and recommend it to anyone looking for a flat course with a great overall experience.

My husband and I planned a vacation from Florida around the Buffalo Marathon. We had a wonderful time. He ran the half and I ran the full. I just loved running through Buffalo. The architecture is so much nicer than Orlando's. Forest Lawn Cemetery was beautiful to run past. When we met up at the end we compared notes on what we saw. We both finished with a PR and enjoyed a great post race party.

Everything about this marathon is first class. The expo, packet pickup, social media, the pre-race communications, the shirt, and most importantly, the course. The course for 2014 was altered to avoid ongoing construction. The result is a fast, PR worthy course. The hills and steel grate bridge have been replaced with long stretches of straightaways and minimal turns, meaning you can actually run the tangents on this course.

This marathon is about as perfect of a marathon as you can get in a big city. The course had several sections of the city and everyone was absolutely beautiful. From the parks to the zoo to the lake side to the old architecture downtown to the beautiful green neighborhoods this marathon can't be beat. The only complaint that someone could say was there was some potholes on the roads but with the city getting around 100 inches of snow that is understandable. The volunteers at the aid stations were totally awesome. Aid stations were every 2 miles and some seemed even closer. The spectators out on the course were plentiful for the first half and were loud. The second half was less people but picked up as we got closer to downtown. And downtown was awesome coming into the home stretch. The post-race food included cold beer and cold pizza. The pizza was probably hot for the half marathoners but was cold if you came in after 4 hours. No big deal but it would have been nice hot. Plenty of fruit, soda, water, etc. I didnt see any chocolate milk which I love after the marathon. The race shirt was a black with white stripes down the side. Nice. Medal was nice but small with a buffalo on it. Very appropriate for this city! The packet pickup was downtown at the convention center and was easy to find. Expo was small but you could find everything you needed. They also had a free pasta dinner which was really good. All you could eat pasta, beer, bread, and salad. Some suggestions for runners of future Buffalo Marathon Runners and Race director: I stayed at the Red Roof Inn at the airport for 3 days for the price of one night downtown. It was 12 miles to downtown and easy to drive Stay an extra day or two to go to Niagara Falls and or Toronto. Provide some chocolate milk for the few non beer drinkers. Have the city fill in the potholes on the streets. In summary, as I am now over 1/4 through the 50 State quest, I am glad I ran I got shut out of NYC and picked Buffalo for my New York Marathon.

I was looking for a late-spring, BQ attempt within driving distance to my home in NE Ohio. Buffalo may not be a glamorous destination, but the race and city were awesome. The course was so beautiful and diverse. The crowds weren't huge, but the enthusiasm was apparent. Staying at one of the downtown hotels made logistics so convenient. Minor rolling hills were sprinkled throughout, but were not tough. And yes, I did BQ!

This was a well put together race. The expo was very spacious and easy to maneuver to pick up our packets. Parking was free for the expo and only $5 for race day. Both days were very easy logistically. We attended the free Carb Load Party the night before and it was wonderful. Wasnt sure what to expect, but was very happy we went. Weather for the start was a perfect 53 degrees, though you cannot give credit to the RD for weather. I think the temperature only got up to about 60-65 degrees by the finish which is the ideal marathon weather in my mind. Getting into the corrals is one of only two cons of this race in my opinion. Everyone was required to enter through the back and were not allowed to walk the sidewalks to enter the proper corral. We were stuck at the 5:30 hour pace group and would not have been able to get to the appropriate group had we not jumped the barricade fence. Please fix this for next year as it was a mess. The start through mile 6 was very congested, but that did not bother me too much as you can expect congestion at the start of a race. Course was phenomenal! Very fair and was beautiful throughout. The course never seemed to go through a visually poor stretch. The finish area was excellent as you eyed the finish line with a couple hundred yards to go. This seemed like a great course to PR (it just wasnt my day). The course provided tons of support pretty much the whole way with plenty of food and water/Gatorade at all stops. My second and final negative was the medal&very small. The design was cool enough, but in my mind needed to be bigger to be considered a good medal. Tech shirt is the nicest I have received in my 10 total races. Overall, great job Buffalo Marathon! By far my favorite marathon (out of 4) I have run.

A very scenic course through beautiful neighborhoods, nice parks, lakeside roads and a very cool finish downtown. Course was generally flat with a few gentle hills. A great staging area in the convention center with indoor plumbing and chairs! It was very welcoming before, and especially, after the race. Perfect running weather,but a little cool before and afterward. This race was quite a value at $70, including a really good shirt and medal and free pre-race meal. On- course support was more than adaquate, with good community support. My only complaint is the difficulty I had getting into the very congested starting area from the back of the corral. It made it quite a challange to get near my pacer. Maybe next year have a few different openings into the starting area. A really good experience through a very nice smaller city.

My girlfriend ran this marathon and it was fantastic. I jumped in and did the second half with her. I was completely blown away. I did Boston a month ago and although it didn't have the 'specialness' of Boston it was a vastly easier/more pleasant experience. We stayed at the Hyatt (really nice) which was 200 yards from the finish and start. It cost about 60% what our hotel cost for Boston, which took us two hours to get to after the race. Course was great/fast, volunteers were friendly, post-race/awesome. Good fans. Expo was great. Bart Yasso gave an amusing talk. Free beer and pizza!! Complete home run.

I thought there were a number of positives and a number of negatives with this marathon. Let me start with the positives... 1. Very easy to get to the start and parking was no problem which made getting out of the area after the race much easier 2. Nice marathon shirt 3. Flat course - I felt as if I was going downhill much more than uphill 4. Adequate number of water/Gatorade stations as well as vasoline, gel stations, fruit, etc. And now for the negatives... 1. I thought the organization was a little spotty. I had to pick up my number on Sunday morning before the race and all I received was my number and shirt - no goody bag? My friend actually asked one of the volunteers for a shirt and she gave him one! I didn't feel that there was adequate leadership directing us around near the start and finish 2. Medals - seemed a bit cheap looking and small. Not like the one on the website. 3. pacer - I started the race with the 3:50 pacer and was going along well with him but then he switched with another guy about halfway and the new guy was going much too fast. 4. A little too crowded for the first half of the race until the half marathoners finished. There were a few points where the course really bottlenecked. The second half was much lighter crowds. Almost too light. Felt like most people only ran the half. Overall I was happy with race and I would run it again. I guess I'm more used to running bigger races and might need to change my expectations when dealing with a smaller race. If you are looking for a small city race with a nice scenic flat course this is nice race for you.

Warning: roads are terrible. Potholes, large cracks, chucks of asphalt missing. Have to pay a lot of attention to the streets. The mile markers were displayed at ground level and are easy to miss. Only a couple clocks on course. It's flat. But there is no way I would do this race again. Post race refuel line was the worst I've ever seen for a race this size. Just had water, bananas, and a pretzel bag. My recommendation: find any other race if you are looking for a New York marathon.

I have run this marathon 3 times. The course is awesome! Its relatively flat and fast-paced. Miles 16-22 are a little boring but the last couple miles are great! I'm definitely going to run this again

Awesome time had by myself and my wife. She actually got a PR in the half and I was 8 minutes short of a PR in the full.

I was so lucky to get to run in this race. I was originally going to run the Madison Marathon that day, but because of the heat, it got cancelled. Since I was able to register at the expo, I decided to travel to Buffalo to do this marathon instead and I was so lucky to get in and run it last minute! The course was beautiful at some points (such as along the lake and in some residential areas), but I didn't enjoy running next to a factory or in the park. I could have used more crowd support throughout the last half of the race because I got quite lonely at times. I am so thankful that I was able to run this race at the last minute. Thank you Buffalo!