I recommend this race for people who want a challenging marathon. There are quite a few hills that will certainly slow you down, and the most challenging hill comes at mile 18 or 19. The course takes you all over Madison. It's a small enough race that there are no start corrals and we were able to hop up front about one minute before the gun went off. One issue I had with the race support was their use of plastic cups at aid stations. Not only are they nearly impossible to drink out of while running, but they are also bad for the environment. One bright note was the swag: I signed up online and clicked some option for a free dry-fit shirt. In addition to the regular race dry-fit, I received two other different ones in the mail about two weeks before the race. I'm not sure if this was a mistake, but I'll take it!