“Boone Marathon Series – Spring Marathon”
The BMS marathons are free races set in a small park in Boone. The course is a 3.75 mile out-and-back course which you repeat 7 times, making the logistics really easy. The course is a pedestrian path that is surprisingly flat; my watch claims 200 feet of ascent over the marathon, but I suspect it is slightly less than that. The races are small, friendly and well organized.
The series contains a lot of race (http://boonemarathon.blogspot.com/2009/12/boone-marathon-series-2010-race.html) including a 50 mile ultra. Many are setup to be ‘doubles’ (two marathons on two consecutive days), such as ‘Flatlanders’, which is the day after Grandfather Mountain Marathon.
So is BMS for you? If you need crowd support or want a ‘big city marathon’ experience, this is not for you. If you need a certified course for Boston Qualification, BMS is not for you. However, BMS will appeal to a number of segments of the running population:

If you are working towards a Marathon Maniacs level (http://www.marathonmaniacs.com/), then BMS is perfect. BMS alone can get you to Ruthenium Level (three marathons within three days).

If you are an ultrarunner, then BMS marathons are great training runs. It is much easier to do this distance with company than on your own. There is also the 50 miler ;}

If you are a competitive marathon runner, then a BMS marathon can serve as a great training run. By covering the marathon distance in training, you can overcome one of the psychological problems associated with marathon racing – fear of the distance. Doing the marathon distance (or a 50K) with walking breaks can help build up your endurance.

Note that while the races are small, they are growing as word spreads. Flatlanders for instance, is close to hitting its cap.

How did my race go? Let’s just say ‘fatigue is cumulative’. Doing the 100 last weekend and 20 the day before meant the legs got tired fast. But I had a great time, as the out-and-back nature of the course allows you to see the other runners several times. I finished strong, and feel good the day after. What more could you ask?