Bonner Stadt-Marathon

I ran the half marathon. It was extremely well organized and had good fan support all around. The half marathon course runs back against the starters of the marathon course on the bridge which sort of "squeezed" runners together a bit on the bridge. Be prepared for larger stretches between water breaks, as is common in European marathons and half marathons. If running a race in Europe, plan your training to reflect this. Lots of activities pre- and post-race. The city center is very nice and quaint. Lots of help and assistance everywhere. I'd run it again.

This is a small-city race with all the frills of a big marathon, such as the Marine Corps Marathon. There is a decent expo, a nice technical shirt, a medal at the finish, and a rockin' after-race party. The course is flat and runs through the districts that make up the city. The start is understandably staggered due to the narrow streets. I ran at a 5:30 per KM (9:00 per mile) pace and never once felt the field was too crowded. There were plenty of volunteers to provide bananas, water, tea, RedBull, and Coke at every drink station. The spectators are out in force to cheer you on (quite literally, since your first name is printed on the bib), making you feel that the entire city is really excited about the race. For runners with small children, there is even a place to drop the kids off while you run the race. I would recommend the race to anyone who is interested in trying something a bit more low-key but still exciting, wants to set a PR (I finally broke the four-hour barrier), or who needs childcare during the race.

Superb medium-sized marathon. Hot weather was not a problem, as the race is held in early spring. Bonn has a small-town feel; it was very friendly and the citizens came out in force to support the race. Well coralled start - we were ushered into side street areas when the quicker runners started; this led to an uncongested run, which was on closed roads and excellently marshalled. Nice after-run party (free beer or cola and a plate of pasta). The expo was in the city center and there was tons to buy. The goodie bag a bit poor; the website was only in German but easy to suss out, and I thought the course could have incorporated the Rhine a bit more.