The race director and the town of Keene do an amazing job supporting this race. Roughly 500 volunteers were involved in 2019, for a field size of ~400 marathoners and ~450 half-marathoners. The overall support is exemplary. The final third of the course runs around and through the town of Keene. This is local race and the town comes out and supports runners. There are plenty of well-wishers and locals cheering you on.  Learning about the history and life of Clarence DeMar is inspirational. I read his autobiography pre-race and recommend it.  The medals are big and cool.  Heading up to Keene for this run makes for a rewarding and fulfilling weekend. Good luck if you run CDM (you won’t be disappointed!).

I can’t get over how smooth the entire process was! This race had the best support, even for the back of the packers. All volunteers were still out and enthusiastic! The first half was breathtaking New England beauty, and the second half had the best support. I loved every mile. This was my first full, and I truly plan to run it again.

Excellent point-to-point race. Very well organized (packet pick-up, bag check, shuttles to starting point—and for the half marathon, a shuttle back to the starting line, if you parked your car there). The announcers shout out the names of runners as they approach the finish line, often including special notes that you can submit on your registration form (“this is his 30th half marathon!” or “this is her 42th state”). There’s a massage tent with a lot of people working there, so you don’t have to wait too long to be seen. Fantastic post-race food tent (the best food of the 5 different half marathons I’ve run). The race has made an effort to reduce waste by handing out very nice reusable DeMar water bottles instead of the usual disposable water bottles. They have a station in the finish area where you can refill it.

Iconic New England scenery finishing up on the campus of Keene State College. This race was one of the best organized marathons I have ever participated in. The volunteers were amazing and everyone went above and beyond to make this race a safe and awesome experience. The announcer at the finish line even calls your name out as you cross the finish line. I cannot say enough about this event and would highly recommend the Clarence DeMar Marathon for anyone looking for a great New England marathon. Also, even though I didn’t earn my BQ yet, I plan on making another attempt at it on this race in the future!

Clarence DeMar was my first full marathon. The experience was absolutely amazing! The area is beautiful with farms and country roads. The leaves were at peak it seemed, and as we ran the leaves were coming down like confetti. There were lots of water stops with happy people and the locals were out helping as well. I felt grateful for one woman who supported me when I had to stop to stretch, offering me a water. It meant a lot! This event seems well supported by everyone and when we stayed at an Airbnb there were other runners there as well and our host was knowledgeable about the race. I must also add that my finisher photo was stellar!!! I highly recommend this race!