Martian Marathon

It's a small race so if you are looking for a big crowd then this isn't for you. The course isn't anything remarkable either. However, the volunteers were incredible. The course is very well marked and the bike pacers were truly outstanding. They provides loads of communication and directions. Absolutely the best I have ever ran with! Packet pick-up was easy and efficient. The expo is even a little bigger than I would have expected based on the race size. Plenty of bathrooms and parking for the start/finish area. Considering the low cost, a nice little race for the price.

Course: this is not a super flat course like Chicago or Erie but there's nothing overwhelming. A few rolling hills (1% ers) on the out and back portion on Edward Hines Pkwy. We had a 15KM/h or 9Mph headwind on the way out which is west and southwest bound but got it at out backs on the way home. The road camber or slant isn't bad at all...just move around a bit to adjust. You'll get a mix of left and right camber so you'll be fine. Lots of aid stations and well stocked. I guess some call the course boring but I would argue that it was interesting until mile 10 and then out and back predictable from that point on so as to allow you to focus on running. The course actually takes you by Henry Ford's house... that's not boring! Nice shack BTW. Organization: top notch. Kudos to the race director who I think was the guy who personally thanked me for running their marathon as I crossed the finish. How classy is that! Lots of emails in the home stretch to make sure we were well informed and each email referenced the previous emails to allow you to catch up if you missed one. Premium parking for the early start marathoners which was sweet. No problem exiting either. Food: worth a quick mention because they had the usual bananas and bagels but they also had chips and chocolate chunk cookies. If they had a coke, I would have been in heaven! Spectators: like 40 people total over the 26 miles. No one yelled 'looking good' or the other usual lies we don't want to hear when we look and feel like sh!t. If you need crowd support (and that's totally cool if you do) you need to go to a bigger race. That said, you'll make 20 new best friends with the 10 that finish ahead and behind you. Noteworthy: the race announcer (Dave, I think) is a dead ringer for Forrest Gump and a super nice guy and full of energy. I'm getting a selfie with him next year. BTW, I send the poor Director about 5 emails with all sorts of silly questions and they all got answered promptly. Overall: a hidden gem that Runners World should profile.

Running Fit puts on a good race, but the Martian Marathon is a mindnumbingly boring course. At 10 miles you turn left on a road until a turnaround at 16+, then you race back down the same road for another 7+. In total half the marathon is on a single, boring road that is completely slanted. Even prior to 10 miles runners are just winding through suburban neighborhoods. Nothing to see. No landmarks.