This was only my second marathon - and boy it was a challenge, to say the least!

The morning wait consisted of moving faster than the skeeters in order to avoid giving an involutary pint of blood. It was very nice that the organizers passed around bug spray for the runners to use. The remote starting point was not organized in advance of the early morning time and appeared to be scrambled together just in time.

In my opinion there weren't enough porta-johns along the route; however the humidity factor didn't allow for one to muster the need to use them. The area along Highway 86 needed to have at least one more aid station due to the constant exposure to the sun and probability of high humity and heat this time of year... maybe an earlier start would alleviate this issue.

Water/Gatorade and minimal fruit at the finish??? Are you kidding me? Where was the food tent? I think we all earned a little more than a liquid diet.

I can't say enough about the medical staff. Experiencing great dehydration, they cared and watched over me for 30 minutes before "allowing" me to leave - thank you for your compassion and professionalism!!

The residents and spectators along the last 5 miles of the race were awesome!!! I truly enjoyed and took the opportunity of every offered sprinkler that was pointed in my direction!!! You guys were AWESOME!

A test of endurance, really. What else can you expect at a no-frills, summer marathon in the hottest part of the country?!

The expo was fine but more of a shopping excursion than an expo... I'd call it more of a "t-shirt and chip pickup" than an expo.

My family and I were vacationing in this cute lake community and I decided to run a marathon while we were there. It was just what I expected... except slightly warmer!

I passed the ambulance at mile 20 as they were loading an unconscious runner onboard, and I started to realize that the conditions were become harsher than I had ever run in. (I overheard the paramedics state that eight runners had already been taken to the hospital. Considering that only 118 runners finished, the odds were crazy!)

Running on blacktop from miles 8 to 18 was what really heated things up for me. There's not a lot they can do about it, though. The roads along the lake were so shaded that their hills weren't even noticeable. It was nice.

All in all, it was a nice marathon. You probably shouldn't expect a PR but it was still fun and do-able. There was water and PowerAde at the finish, but that's it. (I had no appetite anyway!) A jump into West Okoboji Lake afterwards was such a nice reward!!

Thank you for a solid event with plenty of medical personnel. I think I would run this again....

This was my second visit to Okoboji. Last time I did the half but this time I did the full marathon and I liked it. Challenging but still a thumbs up.

First, I love going to the Three Sons store. Everyone at the store was friendly. I called the store a few days before the race when I was looking for information and they were both humorous and helpful. I looked forward to shopping there after I picked up my packet and I was not disappointed. They have a great selection of sportswear and a wonderful discount area on the second floor.

But enough about the shopping; let's talk about the race. This year was tough. The biggest challenge was the heat. The temperature was 94 degrees at my noontime finish. The course has some rolling hills in the first 3-4 miles, which, since the course wraps around, are also the last 3-4 miles. You hit them when you are fresh and you hit them when you are beat. Since I run in New England, these hills were not overwhelming, but they are there. Many parts of the course are without shade and you need to be prepared for this.

This year the water stops were ample and had both Gatorade and water. In addition, volunteers drove around the course towards the end, checking with runners to see if they needed water. There is no gel on the course; if you need it, you need to provide it. Another thing not on the course are porta-potties. There are some at the start and some are at the start of the half. If you are a runner likely to need a rest stop, check out the locations of campgrounds along the course. These will be your best bet for a bathroom.

One welcome change to the course from my visit in 2007 is that less of the run is on Highway 86. A new walking path makes up part of the course, so you are away from the traffic. There are still some parts where you have to run on the shoulder of the road, but less than before. The course remains open, so you do have to deal with traffic, but the benefit is that, if you have a support crew, they have easy access to you. My friends drove along via motorcycle and provided me with ice at several points before the finish. This was very helpful.

So, if you want a hot, summer marathon, this is a great option. The people are friendly, the city is fun, and you will have a ton of bragging rights afterwards.

Well, after reading all of last year's results I had a bad taste in my mouth, but I came here in 2010 to see what it was like. Here we go....

The packet pick up is all about making money, and that is the bottom line. I have to admit we spent money in the store and it was nice. They have everything and anything you will ever need. Yes, we spent some money in there. They really need to make the WEBSITE more user-friendly. Finding the start of the marathon without a GPS is very hard. One of the owners in the store actually asked me if I had a GPS. The morning of the marathon was great; we got parked and started without any bumps in the road.

Now for the marathon. There were plenty of water stops both with Gatorade and water. The roads were well marked... not sure how anybody could have gotten lost. We had the marathon, half marathon, 10K, and tri all happening at the sametime and I never once encountered an issue. My wife was able to drive up to me take pictures, and hand me water and GU. They were able to pull over in several areas and give high-fives. No complaints. Now the 8.5/10 difficulty rating is TRUE. The course is very challenging and nothing but ups and downs. A suggestion would be to start the marathon at 0500 if possible. It gets HOT and HUMID fast, and there really is no reprieve from the sun. I hit the 1/2 marathon at 1:43 and then fell apart after mile 16. You have to run the hills twice and this really gets in your head. Not a lot of spectators, but enough. This is a low-key marathon in July, and there are not many of them. Now the finish line was a bit of a hiccup. Water and Gatorade, yes, but when looking for our finisher bags, all we were able to find were the 5K runners' stuff. Suggestion is to make markings for each race/runners so we know where to go. Overall, guys loved it... but I will not run it again because I will be doing the tri. THANKS!

The course is not spectacular but it has some pretty points near the water. The organization was also not that great - there were not a lot of details about the race on the website, especially for travelers from out of town. This is not a very easy place to get to if flying in - the nearest airport is at least 2 hours away in another state! Also, post-race stuff was a big let-down. No food or even drinks at the end! Also no photography along the course! However, the people who organize it are fairly friendly and helpful. The spectators are few and far between - mainly a few dozen at the end. It was nice to do a rather low-key race, but some aspects should be attended to better, to ensure a better race.

Having grown up in the area, I knew the Iowa lakes region well. It was exciting to come back and run around Lake Okoboji.

Positives:
* There were plenty of water stations with enthusiastic volunteers.
* Scenic course around the lake with no major hills.
* Six o'clock start and cool weather were perfect for running.
* Nice medal and shirt - and very enthusiastic fans at the finish.
* Staggered start for the marathon, triathlon, half-marathon and 10K was a unique and different experience.

Negatives:
* Running on Highway 86 was a bit scary - more for the bikers in the triathlon than the runners. It would be nice to have the road closed for an hour or so, but logistically it probably isn't feasible for a small race like this.

Bring your own GU or equivalent, as they don't hand these out along the course.

I definitely would run this marathon again.

This was my first full marathon. I did a large 1/2 (Lincoln) this year and can say that this small marathon is a wholly different - but wonderful - beast. I read the comments from previous years and was concerned, but my concerns were unfounded. They had PowerAde and water every 2 miles, the miles were all marked well, the organization was great, and there were support teams from local Red Cross, law enforcement, and fire/rescue teams if anyone needed assistance. People also had oranges and fruit along the way for us spontaneously, and the finish was good. The race is a bit hillier than the "rolling hills" I read about: in town there were a few more quick/short uphills, and outside of town there were rolling hills. Still, the course is not difficult.

The quasi-valid grief I read about from previous races is the lack of large shoulder on the highways for running. That was not a problem for the marathon, but more so for the triathlon: at this point in the race (mile 13-18 in and out) there are bikers and half marathoners and marathoners all occupying the same space. The highway isn't traveled much, but I can understand how people used to having whole streets blocked off for their enjoyment would be concerned that you actually have to pay attention to where you're going. Personally, I had no fears, nor did anyone I spoke to, but if you really want 20 feet of space on either side at all times, then I understand your issue.

All in all, a fantastic race, a great course, great (but small number of) supporters, and a fun, energetic atmosphere.

I grew up around the lakes area and really wanted to make Okoboji my Iowa marathon, and am glad I didn't get scared off from the complaints.

Course: I loved the rolling hills; they made it a bit tough but interesting. The water/PowerAde stops were more than adequate for me. The biggest hassle in running with the traffic along the highway was getting rocks in my shoes from the shoulder. But I didn't think it was particularly dangerous; you just needed to pay attention. I would not run this with music. The reason for giving it 4 stars (as opposed to 5) is that I didn't like running through the parking lot on the way to the finish. Maybe they could have better signs to let the drivers know we're coming through? Also, it's true about the shortage of bathrooms. There were porta-johns at the half, but only two, so there was a bit of a wait.

Organization: 4. I would make sure that the finish food and water are roped off for runners only. There were only 3 bottles of vita-water left when I finished and were several runners due in yet. Food was gone. They did upgrade the medal; there's now a great U of O emblem engraved on the back.

Spectators: 5. Not many, but the ones that were there were enthusiastic and supportive. (Remember, this is a small race, with 90 finishers.) The volunteers were also fantastic.

Fun day; my only regret is rushing off without stopping for a nutty bar. Yum!!

I ran this race in 1999 and 2009. The course has rolling hills in the first six miles and the last six miles. I think they did a good job. The traffic was not an issue for me. I never felt unsafe. I have two negative issues. For us out-of-towners, I had some trouble finding the start. Fortunately, I used free time on Friday to work out the logistics. I thought they needed many more Gatorade stops and fewer with just water. The number of stops was adequate, but most were just water. I also would move the packet pickup and start to Arnold's Park. It was easy to find and would be less of a hassle for those of us who live outside of the area.

I ran U. of O. to get Iowa crossed off the 50 States list. Two years and a cross-country move later, I had lost the finisher medal. The race organizers sent me one from '07 free when I called and asked to buy a replacement. I am most grateful. Thanks. This race is not fancy. So what? It is a solid event.