Erie Marathon was a great setting for my first marathon. 2 laps around Presque Isle . Some very slight grades, but overall flat. Beautiful scenery with trees, plants, beach, and of course Lake Erie. Very well organized race. Friendly pacers make the miles go by quickly. Pretty good fan support as well. Good post race snacks and nice medals.

Course was excellent, taking you all around Akron, from the Goodyear HQ, through residential neighborhoods, through industrial areas, and even on the Goodyear test track! There are some small hills. There was very good crowd support, especially for a smaller city. Parking was easy since we could park in the Goodyear lot. It so happened there was wicked construction he weekend of the race, so it was tough getting there on time, but I don't blame the organizers. The expo as small, but most races I've been to don't have one at all. You can tell the organizers and the residents of Akron take pride in this race. Great finisher medals. Side note: I ritualistically eat pancakes the night before a race, and the best pancakes on Earth are at Waffle Wally's in Akron. Go peanut butter and banana!