This was my first marathon and it was a good one to start with. The logistics were good, the course was fast, and the weather held out just long enough.

Registration and check in were easy. The expo had a number of vendors and the staff were helpful with questions; they pointed out tricky points of the course and helped identify the best area for my family to watch.

Organizers provided ample buses from the expo to the start. In fact, they may have had too many. They made a big deal about getting there early to make sure you had a ride, but I ended up sitting around at the start for about an hour and a half. It was chilly and a little uncomfortable, but it provided a bonding moment as runners tried to hang as close to the buildings as possible to stay warm.

The race started on time, and we left the at a park the park to run around the strip and then back over a bridge to the mainland. We looped around through a golf course community, and at the end of this the half marathoners split off to their finish. Those of us continuing on made a second loop on Wrightsville before entering the greenways and heading to the UNC-W campus, where we turned around and went back to the finish at the shopping center with the expo.

There was a marked difference between the first and second half of the race. There were more people and spectators on the first half, but when we hit Wrightsville for the second time and especially on the greenways they thinned out. There are fewer marathoners at this race, so that means you may be running a chunk mostly on your own. Students from UNC-W turned out to cheer us on at key points, which I appreciated.

It's not the most scenic marathon, but the course has a good variety of locales to keep it interesting. It is flat, but not pancake flat. Especially in the second loop going from Wrightsville to the greenways there was a long, gradual incline to wear you down a bit.

Organizers had plenty of aid stations, with most on the first half manned by local alumni groups representing their colleges. This gave things a festive atmosphere (especially passing the ECU crowd). Gatorade, water, and gels were easy to find.

The finisher's medal had an olympic theme, which made it a little subtle but I liked that. The shirt was more over the top but had a "beachy" feel that also was unique.

The course is changing again for 2017 and will become a point-to-point that loops around Wrightsville Beach and nearby neighborhoods then taking greenways to the UNC-Wilimington campus for the finish.

Overall, it was a really pleasant experience.