This is a really beautiful race. The weather can be a bit sporadic but it's stunning with the fall leaves, lakes and rivers along the route. The crowd support really is unusual in that people will have marathon parties. There's pretty much support from start to finish. The run up summit--yes, it's a long hill but it's generally pretty sloping. It wasn't as bad as I expected. The parking is a bit difficult at the finish, but drop off and pick up was great at the start and finish.