I enjoyed the marathon and was glad to see the weather cooperated. It was small enough that you did not have to work for your own space. There was active traffic on the rural roads during the race but most vehicles were respectful of the runners.

What a great race for those wishing to complete 50 states. If you like marathons along rural roads with river and farm views, this one is for you! The organization was great and what little crowd support that was available was enhanced by the unique water station gimmicks along the way. A race director mentioned to me they were considering bringing the route into the city but I would suggest they just leave it as is. You can't buy the type of tranquility that we experienced along the current route! The temperature was perfect for a September marathon (45-65 degrees).

Bismarck is a cheap city to stay in and it is easy to find transportation to the events no matter where you stay. I would definitely recommend!

I enjoyed this race very much. It was my first trip to ND, and I couldn't believe all these nice, beautiful trails were at the capital city! Everyone was extremely nice - the volunteers and other runners. This was an out-and-back, so I met the frontrunners as they were heading back. This was the first time (in 22 marathons) where I have seen the first few leading runners giving encouragement to slower runners on their way back to the finish. Of course, all these marathons have not been out-and-back courses, but still it was great to be cheered by the leaders.

The finish area was great and the organization was great. I cannot stress enough the friendliness of everyone I met. I would move to ND if it weren't for their long, cold winters!

North Dakota is really an underrated place. The Missouri river and woodland areas made for a beautiful course (which was really flat except for a slight incline in the first mile). Unfortunately, the only port-o-potties along the course were at the beginning, mile 5, and mile 21- which is a huge gap and makes for discomfort unless you're willing to become extremely familiar with those woodland areas. The people of Bismarck were very friendly and held a cosy pre-race pasta dinner and post-race pizza party. Despite the glitches, I would recommend this race to anyone trying to attain their 50 state + DC.

If you want crowds and lots of runners, this isn't your race. If you want a flat course with plentiful aid stations, you'll probably like it. Note that it is an out-and-back, so be ready to see everything twice. The weather was good for running this year... overcast and low 50s. It rained for a few minutes, but nothing bad. Once you got used to checking the pavement for directional arrows and mile markers, the course seemed reasonably easy to follow.

They don't do traffic control. This isn't that big a deal because you don't cross any really major intersections and the race is early in the morning... but it is a Saturday (as opposed to a Sunday) race; on the way back to the finish, there was a bit of traffic. Drivers were mostly friendly and swerved out of your way, but folks in North Dakota seem to drive BIG vehicles. There were less than 200 folks in the full marathon (there's also a flat-and-fast half); everyone was especially friendly. Good choice for 50 staters, and let's face it, one of only a couple ND choices anyway. But overall, it was a well-run race that I'd consider doing again.

Normally I can't stand out and back courses, but this one was great. The course is essentially flat and is bordered by green fields, trees, and nice yards so it is never really boring at all. The course was mostly well marked but there were a few turns that had no directional arrows at all, and the turns were not all manned by volunteers. I would drive the course the day before so you know where you will be going. The aid stations were well stocked with water, Powerade and orange wedges. This race is small and pleasant but with very few spectators (if that's your thing).

If you could pick a marathon to run on a very bad day for yourself (as I had, unfortunately), this would be the one since the course is not challenging as marathon courses go. Make sure you book a room early; I had to stay in Sterling which is about 22 miles to the east. All in all, I would definitely recommend this marathon.

This was my fourth marathon and by far the smallest I ran. The orginization was excellent. My packet was ready when I went to pick it up. There were plenty of bathrooms at the start. No problems finding parking. The water stops were well run and had plenty of everything you need to replenish yourself. The course was beautiful, running along the river and through some neighborhoods. My only problem with it, was that it was very flat. I like a few hills once in a while to change the pace, and there were none on this course.

When I was finished, some parts of me hurt real bad, but others were hardly sore. I blamed it on overuse due to the flat course. Because there is no local advertisement of the race there were very few spectators. Only those friends and relatives out to support the runners. It made it easy for my wife to see me in about 6 different places on the course, which was nice, but very tough toward the end, when some spectators can really help push a runner through the final few miles. I found myself running almost the last half of the race by myself, with nobody very close to me. I don't want to sound negative about this race though, because overall it was a pleasant experience.

This was a great race. The weather was nice/comfortable, a bit cool at the start - a bit warm if you were slow and on the course for 6 hours. I read somewhere that this course was ranked as one of the fastest fall marathon races by Runners World magazine - and I agree with that; great, flat, fast course. More spectators on the course would help, but the new finishing area was a lot of fun with announcers and fans cheering as we finished through a park area. This was an enjoyable event - wonderful volunteers, lots of aid stations, lots of bathrooms at the start, medals, long-sleeved shirts and a pizza party at the end. Smaller? The race director told me they were up 25% over last year. I'd expect this race to keep growing! I'd pick this race over a lot of bigger events.

This race had all the markings of a very difficult race with the not-so-typical hot weather predicted. The out-and-back course was relatively flat, and except for the first mile (a gradual ascent), there was nothing to really tax the legs. However, they did mess up my finishing time by adding over 1 hour and 55 minutes.

This is the third year I have run this race. It seems to get smaller each year. The weather the past two years has been extremly hot. Nice flat course with friendly people at each water station. The did not supply rest facilities anywhere during the race, which was differant from other years. Not sure why. The pizza party is always good, and I will run this race again, as it is close to my home and helps me get ready for an October marathon.