I ran my first international marathon last weekend (5/13) in Belgium/Netherlands. I finished in 3:37:52 which was 10 minutes faster than my previous marathon in January. The race started in the small Belgian town of Vise and went along the Meuse river. We crossed into the Netherlands, went through Maastricht and returned along the other side of the Meuse river back into Vise. The race was picturesque - I couldn't have asked for better surroundings. The temps were favorable too, and the course was mostly flat.
I had some minor anxiety in that I wasn't sure how the hydration stations would work. They claimed that you needed to bring personal drinks (refillable bottles / camelbacks) in lieu of water stops. That turned out to not be the case. You had that option, but they had traditional water stops as well every 5 km. They also had "sponging stations," which I had never seen before. You got a sponge with your registration packet, and you could use that to sponge down at the water stops.
I was impressed by the overall fitness level of the participants. It seemed like everyone took running seriously, and the majority of runners were affiliated with running groups or clubs. In the states, I see a lot of people who are just checking the box to say they've completed a marathon and don't really care about their training leading up to it or their time. That definitely wasn't the case with this race, and I don't know if that's typical of European races or if this one just drew a more competitive crowd.
I'm taking a summer break and will resume a more serious training regimen this fall with Rogue. Looking forward to working with a coach for the first time and being around some runners that can push me to beyond what I think are my limits. And as always, I look forward to checking in on this thread and reading about everyone else's races and training.