The first half of the course is beautiful - a wonderful tour of the most scenic parts of DC. The second half is, um, not scenic. The back half also has a rather long there-and-back stretch that makes those late miles that much harder psychologically. And oh yeah - that's about when the hills start, which end up knocking a lot of folks out.

That said, the race is well-managed and a good time overall. It's not the kind of marathon I'd travel to run, if I'm being honest. Also it's very early for a "spring" marathon, so expect a cold run.