Hoping to do Chicago in 2016 or 2017, keep hearing great things about it.
But I can now speak with "authority" about Richmond after completing it this past weekend.
The race starts downtown and you run parallel with the half marathoners for the first 3 miles or so on Broad Street before splitting up.
Great run through historic neighborhoods, VCU, lots of crowd support, music, cheerleaders, water stops, snacks, and atmosphere. You cross the James River twice. Not too many hills and after passing the Arthur Ashe Center and the Diamond it seemed to drag, but that might be because it was around mile 20 or 21.
Great turn to the finish and the last half mile is downhill which is a nice change from most marathons that seem to end UP-hill.
We received an average race shirt, but medal, blanket, and hat were nice, water, powerade, banana, and free pizza and massages at the finish at Brown's Island (also very nice).
Thumbs up and would probably run again once I get over the whole "Never Running a Marathon Again" which I tell myself every time. After a day or so, the feeling subsides and I am ready to do it again.