I ran the Cleveland Marathon back in 2010. It was my second marathon. The course was flat and fast, the aid stations were fine; the expo was actually really good. The course was pretty boring though. There were a lot of bands, which is sort of their gimmick. There was at least one long stretch on a highway that was super lonely. There was a little kid standing on the median giving high fives though and he was the only person for miles. That kid made my day. Also, the course went by a water treatment or sewage plant or something, it smelled terrible. I just don't remember this race being remarkable in any way. If you live in NE Ohio and you only run one race a year, I would go for the Akron Marathon over this one. But they are far enough apart to do both, so if you need a Spring race, it will do, especially if you're looking to PR.