Great course to BQ. Gentle roll downhill, with a couple of "hills" in the first 6 miles, gentle roll to 20, nice drop and then flat to the finish. The "hills" are more like "risers"--roughly 55, 60, and 90 feet on the first 3, then nothing terribly noteworthy after that. The grade is super manageable, and I found it delightful to be able to change the muscles I was using. Just run even effort up and down and you'll come out pretty even in terms of your splits.

Road does angle the first 13 miles through the winding valley road, but not an issue once the road flattens out through to the finish--just be aware of it, but it won't hurt your prospects for a fast time.

Other comments are right that the crowds are not huge, but they are fun and more than you might expect given how remote the road gets at times. So sure, not a "crowd will inspire you" marathon, but great for a BQ, which is why I flew a long way to get there. The race delivered there.

Agree it could use more bathrooms at the start. Being able to drop your own bottles along the route is amazing. Never had that before, but it is so, so nice.

Race management is top notch, and it was one of the nicest gear check bags I've seen.

If you are looking for a fast course and don't mind the small town feel (I liked it!), then I highly recommend it.