Hilly but not disappointed with the scenery. Very nice staff and support. Good sale at the expo.

Fantastic course with lots of nice scenery. Pretty hilly with over 1200 ft of elevation gain. The large portion of the course is off the main roads either trail (6-7 miles) or paved bike path. If you don't mind hills this is a great race for the local support and course. Given the time of year you can probably count on cool to cold temps. Unseasonably cold in 2017, 24 degrees at the start with a high of 40.

Expo was small but had everything you could need. Start line was very organized and aid stations had nice volunteers. The course was great with different running surfaces. Lots of turns throughout the course and yes it’s hilly. I only missed one turn but we didn’t have to backtrack too much. I stayed at the Doubletree and it was right across from the start line which was perfect. Medal was huge and long sleeve tech shirt was very nice.

course had a bit of everything including hills, trails, gravel sections and dirt trail sections

Millennium Running does an awesome job putting this marathon on each year. Great people, excellent support and always a really enjoyable experience. This year they had to redirect the course to accommodate a college graduation. In the process, they added on way too many hills. Even my brother who lives there was talking about how hilly it was a week later and he runs ultra marathons! To the credit of the race director they sent a feedback email out the morning after the marathon asking for input and noted up front that they were aware of the hills and plan to reduce the number in 2022. What more could you ask for? There is ample parking, easy bib pick-up before or day of race, free photos and finish video. For those of you that like the swag - there is a tech shirt and HUGE medal.

I've run this 3 or 4 times. 2020 was extra special. The Manchester City Marathon organized by Millenium Running put in place comprehensive COVID-19 safety measures, social distancing and mask rules for the start -- runners were handed masks immediately upon finishing. They used a time trial start format to ensure only 2 runners went at a time. The used 10+ starting groups - also to limit the number of people at the start - each had his/her own numbered cone to start. I even got to talk with the BAA's Dave McGillivray who was at the start checking the procedures out maybe for use in Boston. The course seemed tougher this year - modified to include more trail running - my brother lives next to and runs the course often - he laughed when I called them trails - I'm used to roads - but you do need to exercise extra caution to avoid the rocks/roots.

I really enjoyed the race.
Yes, cold, hilly and (partially) windy, but feasible.
Pumped up musics (live on local TV) at the staring lines.
Great supporters on parts of the courses. Volunteers are excellent; kudos to those young scouts at the aids-stations. Fun to see young children, giving you high-five.

Easy pick up in the morning of the race. I did not go to the Expos (far away from my hotel on Saturday).
I stayed at Hilton Garden Inn (one of two hotels mentioned in the website): Reasonable, nice, clean with excellent staff. Walking distance to the starting race and the grocery store. I was able to check out in the morning but to leave my bag in the hotel.
(free shuttle pick up from airport (Manchester), but no shuttle on Sunday prior 5 pm).

Oh, great (free) photos and finishing video.
Overall, nice race with dedicated volunteers and organizers.
Strongly recommended (check off NH state).

Did this to cross off New Hampshire. Really enjoyed the course. There’s hills but for just about every uphill you were rewarded with a downhill (kept it interesting). Great race if you’re coming from out of town. Airport close by (EASY in and out also and used the Airport shuttle and avoided car rental /parking). Stayed downtown right at the Start/Finish, nice little downtown with PLENTY of local places to check out for something to eat/drink all within walking distance. Packet pickup is a little further out at a local running store - nice if you need anything last minute. We Ubered out and even found a local taphouse to enjoy. They offer race day pick up so you could avoid that altogether. The race was REALLY well run. Great course support, photos, finish line video, nice area for finishers. Race supports Veterans Count a great cause. All in all a nice little runcation weekend. I would highly recommend if you were coming from out of town and looking for NH as a state.

The race is only about an hour from Boston. It is a well-organized and friendly race. Be prepared for cold weather. You can pick up your bib before the race and the race start is 8:50 AM. The course has gentle hills that combine road and hiking trails. Nice race medal. The race director responds quickly to inquiries and he provides a discount to vets. This was my first Manchester City Marathon. I have registered to run again next year.

Overall, I really enjoyed it. I think race organizers really try to make it a great race, while benefitting veterans. I loved the several miles along a trail through the woods. The soup served at the end was a welcome treat given the cool temps outside. I wish there were a couple more food options at the end though. The warming house was a great idea too. For the expo, since I did not rent a car, I had to Uber to Millennium running store and it cost me over $30 round trip however I could have just gotten my bib the morning of the race as another option which was appreciated. I also get that they are a huge sponsor and I enjoy supporting the sponsors.

The RD gave me a nice Veterans' discount. Military/First Responder friendly.

The first half of the race involves quite a bit of mild climbing. This all given back in the last couple of miles to the split at 13.1. The 2nd half of the course has 5 miles or so on a trail. This was mostly okay but October in New England means lots of leaves on the trail. I tripped and fell over a hidden tree root in the leaves. I saw two others do the same this. Race had a good start and finish.