This was my first marathon and it did not disappoint. Registration is nice and easy and I had no trouble parking, finding bag drop and heading to the start. The walk back to my car definitely felt longer after the race though! The starting pens weren't cornered off from each other so it was up to runners to stick true to the wave they had been given but it seem to take longer then 10/15 minutes to cross the start line which wasn't too bad. The race itself was great. No problem with navigating the course and it was a nice one lap route so no repetition. I stuck with the 4.30 pacer for half the race and it was on point with his pacing and shouted encouragement as we went. The support we got from the crowd was amazing, the amount of people who came out and supported us was just fantastic and they really help to keep you going. There is one quiet period just before you head back into Manchester but it only lasts for a mile or so. The lead up to the finish was great and the buzz after you'd finish was amazing. Good medal and snacks at the end, the only thing which was disappointing was the t-shirt design and they had run out of small so had to settle for a medium which was massive. Overall this is a fantastic race and great for a first time marathon as it is super flat. Should be on any runners bucket list of races to do at some point!