This was my 3rd marathon. 2016 Chicago, 2017 Amsterdam. I was uncertain what to expect for the course. It was very flat. The roads are still open to traffic but I had no issues. I am a 4.5 hour marathoner and they had fully staffed water stations for the whole race and traffic police to see you thru. Yes, it was hot and humid so this is no PR race...but it was AMAZING! Running past rice paddies, people sitting in front on their home with little kids cheering you on, lots of selfies with random cattle, women selling skewers of food... and then the last 3.5 miles are all the temples!! My husband rented a mountain bike and biked 30 miles while I ran. He would randomly surprise me on the run. If you want lots of spectators and people - not your race. I was very impressed with the organization for the whole race. They had bananas easy on and frequently. Saw monkeys and elephants too (they were by mile 25). The medical tents have different products vs my past marathons. I stopped around mile 15 and thought I was getting sprayed with sun screen. A few seconds later the tingling started and it was like a Biofreeze! Unfortunately, it was also sprayed in my arm pit by the young volunteers. Good laughs now. Packet pick up was easy. We did not stay at the official hotel but it's very easy to get to the race start at the time and with all the tiktiks. Just arrange with your hotel. We did the dinner before and it's not pasta. Mostly Asian fare to cater to the masses. If you have a sense of adventure, I fully recommend it. No regrets!