My wife and I ran MCM and are running Richmond.  I highly recommend it to anyone looking to do a midsize marathon  (Richmond was 22nd largest in 2007, but 10th is 6000 runners and 22nd is 4000 so is there any real difference).  Richmond is fast and freindly with slight hills, we are a little biased because we live 20 miles from the course but I don't think you will find a better organized marathon of similiar size.  I will offfer to pick anyone's packet up in advance but I don't think it is allowed without ID.  However I belive if you contact www.sportsbackers.org and tell them that person xxxx is picking your packet up they will allow it if you have a ligit excuse.   Although I have only been posting for a little while I will also offer to host any regulars at my house which is about 15 miles north of Richmond off of 295  (about 45 minutes to F-burg) if anyone needs assistance Friday night.  However if you ride with us you have to agree to go to Sine's Irish pub immediatley following the race.  Let me know if anyone is interested.

Wood

Yeah, what Holly said.  The Express is right in the airport and works like freakin' magic!  You get your ticket (in advance from Disney in the mail) and when you get there they "check you in" and tell you which line to get in and you just get in the velvet-roped line and wait for not very long.  I've used it twice so far and I'll use it again this year.

As for the shuttles for the expo and the race, they work well but the expo is CROWDED and it does take a while to get around.  Walking is NOT an option between venues at Disney.  Too far and no sidewalks.  However, they do have good inter-venue transportation including buses, boats, and the monorail.  All free. 

I reserved my room back in August I think and I'm staying at the Pop Century for something like $67/night.  They tried to sell me the marathon "package" which was $99/night and included a free round (or 2) of mini-golf and some plastic luggage tags.  Um, no thanks.  I'll take the $67/night AAA rate and buy my own round of mini golf.  And I'm in from the 8th to the 13th if I remember correctly. 

I LOVE DISNEY!

And in other news, US Airways is flying there for $181 this year!  I waited until last week to book that so I could get a sub-$200 ticket.  That worked out very well!

Now, about Richmond...   I'm in.  It's going to be a tough race at this point.  My knee feels fine but my 13.1 miles yesterday went well but not what I'd call "stellar" and the legs are definitely fatigued.  So I'm going into Richmond with the hope of finishing first (at all, not place), sub-4 second, and a PR third.  I haven't made up my mind about the expo yet but dinner on Friday may get me to leave work early to meet for dinner.  Otherwise I had planned on going down there on Thursday to miss traffic -- or actually enlist the help of someone here or elsewhere to pick up my crap.  Of course there's nothing quite like going to the expo yourself and spending a little money!

Craig -- call them!  Tell them you want the AAA discount.  They may or may NOT have run out of rooms at that rate.  But I can't understand how they even HAVE a cancellation fee right now when they're so underbooked.

Pop Century and All Stars are all "value resorts" but Pop Century is newer.  Not that it really makes much of a difference since Disney tends to keep up with maintenance.  The thing is, for a "room", I was VERY satisfied at $67/night vice the "premium" resort I stayed at for $200+/night where I felt like I was inconveniencing them just to stay in a nicer building with only a moderately nicer room.

Craig,

Can you try thru Shades of Green?  Do you have military? Or civilian service connections?  They overflow into other places.....

Len did some good legwork on this and its not well publicized.  If I weren't a cheapskate, I'd stay there but they're over $100/night and when I can get a "just fine" room at Pop Century for $67/night, I'm going to stay there.  If I weren't running and just wanted to stay at a nice hotel at Disney, I'd go to Shades of Green.  But then again, I'm an honorably discharged vet.