This was my first marathon, and despite me stressing over everything I thought could go wrong, it went so well! I picked it because it's pretty flat (only about 20' elevation fluctuation) and not too cold (I wore a light long-sleeve shirt and leggings, which felt great). The interstate section isn't as bad as reviews all over the internet led it out to be. The worst part was actually the out & back between the interstate sections, where there were like NO aid stations. There were times, in my exhaustion and lack of blood running to my brain, the thought crossed my mind to pick up one of the many gummies I saw on the road (no worries I quickly snapped out of it lol). They really need to up the aid stations for that section of the marathon, or maybe I need to run with a water bottle. The other crappy part was that I completely missed the headliner, which I believe my entry fee helped pay for, even though I finished 2 hours prior to the marathon cutoff time. The last con was the terrible tshirt design (and the fact that it's gray - sweaty workout people know to never wear gray!), but the beautiful medal almost made up for it. Also was annoying that they didn't let others grab your packet for you. Packet pickup closed at 8pm Friday, making it impossible for everyone from Atlanta (large amount of people) to make it in time without getting permission to leave work early. The expo also had zero free items, unlike other expos I've attended. They also did away with the marathon finisher's jacket, stating that they instead beefed up course support/experience, but I don't really see how they did that... Luckily I'm moving across country and can try flat courses over there for my next one!

This is an extremely hilly course. It's run along the 7-lane Buford Highway through the cities of Atlanta, Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Doraville, but it's in November so it's not too hot. There is no opportunity to get on grass or any other surface besides the pavement. The food (free with registration-included tickets) offered afterward at Plaza Fiesta was outstanding.