This was a great race. It was my first marathon and everything went really well. There's no big hills, but be prepared for long inclines.

Things I liked:
The start and finish are at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. You finish on the beach next to the boardwalk. Since the finish was on the beach, my wife and son had something to do while waiting for me, plus the quick dip in the ocean was just the ice bath I needed. You have ocean views through most of the race. There's plenty of affordable hotels in the area.

Things that could have been better:
There was a lack of real food at the aid stations. There was water, Gatorade, and gels. It's a road race but there were a few miles on a dirt trail.