Aesthetically, one of the most scenic races I've done. I would say it's impossible to run the tangents due to staying on one side of the cones for the duration of the race. Therefore, the course will measure long, I had it at 26.42 miles. As far as the speed of the course, know you will be about 3-4 minutes off your marathon goal time in the first 4 miles due to the wicked hills. With that being said, you should be able to settle into your pace very comfortably for the rest of the race. If your body holds up for the last couple miles you're golden.