Houston Marathon - how is the course?

any thoughts / experiences there would help.

Organization was very well done - the only potential mix-up was starting the half marathon and marathon at the same time in the same direction, but a block apart. Getting around / through one crowd to get to the right start is something you want to plan ahead for.

Weather was mostly good - hard to avoid humidity in Houston, but it was cool and didn't affect Hall for the half.

For the full marathon, there's a small rise at the first mile, and under pass around mile 8, then another overpass somewhere around 15 miles. The keys to look out for are the underpasses in the last 5 miles, and then be ready to wonder where the finish line is when you get into downtown. You take a few turns before you see the homestretch.

It would be hard for me to imagine a flatter overall marathon, and January in Texas, while occasionally rainy, can usually be counted on for a starting temp in the 40s or 50s, if not a little cooler, and staying under 60 for at least a couple of hours.

cool

If you're hoping to run it this year, though, it's sold out. They're allowing bib transfers this year, though, so if you can find someone to sell you a bib, you can still get in.

I ran is three times and hated it. Hot, ugly, concrete, slanted roads. Yech!

I've run Houston 9 times, and for 8 of them it was in the high 40's - 50's. (In 1997 it was 30 and sleeting.) You can count on the weathermen to be wrong. Last year they predicted 40's and raining (which would have sucked), and race morning, it was in the 50's and cloudy, and stayed that way all morning.

Nice!

Except for the start, which is crowded (but what do you expect with 20K runners?), the marathon is well-organized and has good spectators. It's a closed course, so we (runners) have the road to ourselves. The first couple of miles are crowded, and we do run with the halfers for 9 miles. Then you can get communion (bread only) and holy water from a Catholic priest along the way. Near Rice University, you run along a street with old oak trees that kind of make a canopy over the street. Then there's the overpass, around 15 miles, and Elvis at the Galleria, and belly dancers, and folks from the New Orleans Marathon passing out mardi gras beads. The best turn is just after the 18 mile mark, when you turn to head toward downtown. Underpasses on Allen Parkway are annoying, since they come around mile 23 - 24, but otherwise it is rather flat.

Here -- check it out:

http://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/marathoninfo/marcourse1a0b.htm