the new course is great, scenic, fun but the first 6 miles or so are hilly. due to the crowds and the hills this is not a good race to peg for your PR but as long as you dont get caught in a monsoon like in 2011 then this is a fun course and a great run for a first timer.
the cons are it is tough to get to the start line without waking up 6 hours before the start time. and the finish line area is cool at the pier but there are too many stairs involved for those who just ran a marathon and getting in and out of santa monica by car is tough on the best of days much less when tens of thousands are trying to do so right after the marathon
