Very scenic with lots of rolling hills. The topography kept my mind off the running. I was a bit disappointed in the water stops, they were sporadic but very nice people working them. Other than watching a guy shoot a bunny in his driveway and getting attacked by two terriers (yes they got away from their owners and tangled my legs up with their leashes), it was quite nice.

I had read a lot of feedback on this site before deciding to participate in the half marathon. Needless to say, I was quite unsure of how well it would go. There was a lot of negative feedback. Despite all of it, I registered, and I had a wonderful time.

First thing is first, this is a SMALL marathon. There weren't many runners at all, but the fact that it is a triathlon, 10k, half-marathon and full marathon with staggered starts means you won't be running alone. Some people say you are running alone, and well frankly it's not a big city marathon, but you aren't isolated. There are others around you.

I was a bit nervous about the stretch of 2 lane highway, but it turned out well in my experience. Cars slowed down and I had no trouble, nor did I feel worried at any point. I didn't even notice anyone speed by too quickly.

I would have preferred the highway be coned off, but I don't think it's necessary. I ran on the side of the pavement, but there is ample room to run on gravel if you are really that worried about being run down by a car.

I finished the half in a decent time and didn't have a problem with the lack of electrolyte drinks... but then again I could see it being a big problem for full marathoners (though I think I drank about 5 or 6 Powerades post-race).

The finish area was probably the best portion of the course... it is on a nice 200 meter drive ending in a circle directly on West Okoboji Lake. To your left is the amusement park (Arnold's Park) and to your right are plenty of shops.

In addition to the runners who have finished and the fans, there are many curious onlookers to provide ample applause at the finish line.

My MAIN complaint with the race was the beginning of the half marathon. I think it was miscommunication, but they announced 5 minutes till start over a loudspeaker. So I waited a minute and slowly made my way to the starting line (which was in a fenced in sort of area). Not 30 seconds after I got there, I heard the two men running the race say something to one another about 30 seconds to go, and then I heard a shout, '10 seconds!' None of the runners knew what was going on, and after a few moments passed there was a gunshot and startled gasps of, 'It's starting? What happened?' It wasn't a big deal for me, but I kept thinking to myself how lousy it would have been to have taken only a moment more to relace my shoes or check my watch, or something like that.

That needs to be fixed.

Otherwise, a good time. :)

The vast majority of the course was great, winding around beautiful neighborhoods and around the lakes as well as a foot bridge over a lake. The only drawback was running a few of the miles along a two-lane highway. There were no accidents, but with runners, bikers (a simultaneous triathalon) and drivers that weren't content to slow down, there was the potential for an accident.

The course was well supported. While there was no Powerade, I had my personal support crew to help me there, and the weather was decent for Iowa in July.
As one might expect, there aren't many fans at a race like this. But there was a good crowd at the finish (Arnold's Park amusement park) and it's always good to have cheers when you finish.

Organizers deserve a lot of credit for staging a marathon, half, triathlon, and 10K so that all finish at the same finish line over the same period. The area is, I suspect, one of the prettiest in Iowa.

Packet pick-up and chip timing were both well-coordinated. Buses from finish to various starts were nice touch. Volunteers at water stops and potentially confusing points on the course were helpful and cheerful. Finish area was beautiful, well staffed, entertaining; results came up quickly and awards ceremony too. Those are all positives.

Several miles of the marathon, half, and tri course were on open highway (a few signs, no police, no cones, with slower runners being passed by faster runners being passed by tri bikers, etc., with vehicular traffic overtaking from behind).

An 'ambulance chaser's' dream. No sport drink on the course (given publicly available info on risks of hyponatremia, hard to understand in a July marathon). First marathon in which I had to carry my own sport drink. No 'portolets' on the entire marathon course, much of which is in residential areas (I don't like peeing in someone's front yard, and doubt they like it either). Not my hilliest marathon, but hardly flat.
I can understand difficulty finding enough volunteers in a resort area (locals working for tourists, tourists having fun), but absence of coning, etc., seems risky, even if need to import cones. Absence of sport drink and 'portolets' is harder to understand.

Enjoyed it but won't repeat it and wouldn't recommend it until they add cones, sport drink, and 'portolets'.

As long as you know going into this marathon that it is small with very little extras, you shouldn't come away disappointed.

The course is mostly a very pretty one with rolling hills on paved roads and lots of shade on about 3/5 of the course. The weather this year wasn't hot, but it was humid. There aren't too many entrants in the marathon, so you'll be running by yourself much of the time (which I kind of like anyway). The aid stations have only water but are adequate in number and spacing. There was a very long wait for the post-race bus to return the runners to their cars at the starting line. The short sleeve T-shirt design is nice, but the medal is pretty meager (measuring about 1' x 1 1/2').

If you do this one, consider hauling salt with you or stashing electrolyte drinks along the course. I would recommend bug spray for the pre-race wait - the mosquitos were plentiful and very hungry.

I recommend that they up the entry fee by 5 bucks and supply electrolyte drinks and get another bus for post-race transportation. If you like small rural-type marathons, this is a good one for July. If you're into crowds and lots of amenities, then pick another.

Many thanks to the organizers of this wonderful, small-town marathon. I was a serious (head-case) kind of runner 20 years ago in college, and now that I'm taking over a college men's cross country program, I'm trying to revive my career. It was a thrill to do it in Okoboji.

From the individual attention I received (as a novice marathoner) at the time I picked up my packet at the amazing Three Sons clothing store, to the friendly faces at the waterstops, to the festive finish line, the Okoboji Marathon exceded expectations. An unspectacular effort on my part (to me at least) was genuinely encouraged and honored by all involved.

The biggest negative for me was the part of the course run along the highway - at one point an emergency vehicle involved with the race (it was parked at a waterstop later on in the course) passed by me within inches at highway speed. Yes, I was running on the edge of the pavement, but no farther onto the road than other runners who were strung out far ahead and behind. Don't let that keep you away... I'd just run it differently next time, that's all.

I'd have to say the course was hillier than I expected. It really wasn't bad, probably typical for Iowa, but the comments I'd read from other runners had me thinking there were hardly any ups at all. The repeated portion of the course (first 5-6 miles and last 5-6 miles) definitely has some rolls to it.

The 6 am start (and a pleasant summer day) all but eliminated heat as a factor, at least for me. I did see one runner specially ask for an electrolyte drink at a waterstop, and although it delayed him a bit as they poured it for him, they cheerfully complied. I used carbo gels and had no problem.

There was lots of shade and many sections of the course were scenic and beautiful; maybe not quite as much as other runners' comments had me thinking, but still quite lovely.

The spectators were few, but hardy and experienced in helping runners along - the little boys and girls here and there with garden hoses were a complete delight.

Overall, given all the events run in a single morning, and the personal touch I couldn't have received at a larger marathon, I consider the day to be a remarkable achievement by the organizers. I really appreciate the energy, spirit and goodwill they brought to my first marathon experience!

The race starts at 6:00 a.m., which allows most participants to finish prior to the higher July temperatures. The course is fast, not hilly, and well organized. I enjoyed the home-town atmosphere, and it is located in a community with recreational activities. I recommend this marathon to those looking for a marathon in the middle of summer. The organizers do a good job. I thought the University of Okoboji bus that returned me to the start line was neat.

I read some negative comments on this marathon from past years. After completing the 2003 race, here are some of my feelings. First of all, I am a back-of-the-packer, so I was out on the course for 5 hours and had time to think about the race. The race was well organized, had plenty of water, and was well marked. Yes, there was only water and no sports drink. This is not a major problem. One negative is having to run on a busy road for part of the race. There was a large gravel shoulder to stay on, so this was not a major problem either. The corners were well marked with arrows, and it would've been pretty hard to take a wrong turn. The race organizers staged a marathon, half-marathon, triathlon, and a 10K. They did a great job with the organization and coordination of four different events. Great job!

This was my first Marathon and I was ready for it because I read the comments about what this race offered. I'm totally amazed at all the negative feedback about the race, it was a great course, well run and the people were very friendly. It seems like the same people keep running the race just so they have something to complain about. Face it guys you don?t have to run the race. You sounded like a bunch of whiny school girls who didn?t get their chocolate milk.
First of all the course is not hilly, a few rolling hills and a couple short ups, but come on people where do you guys run that there are no hills? Next as for the sports drink issue, although it would mark a tremendous improvement to the race, everyone knew that there would be no sports drink before the race, so bring your own; its not that hard to plant bottles, have your spouse/friend bring you some, or as I did carry some in powder form. (They did have sports drink at the finish) As for the safety issue, it is possible to develop an electrolyte imbalance from running a Marathon but it's very unlikely if you have healthy kidneys and are smart about it, eat something that morning and after the race not just water and don?t run if you have health problems. You paid 25$! This race is cheaper that some 5Ks, it?s a total bargain! And if you?re like me and like to do a lot of different events during the summer this is an easy one to fit into your schedule and your budget.
Port-a-potties would be nice, but tell me again why you can?t pee in the woods? (Side note: I was standing 10 yards away face to face to a deer on my pee break in the woods, very cool!) Please stop complaining about the heat, if you don't like it move to Canada and run! I'm not even going to touch the comment that the 'medals were too small' this isn?t the Olympics fella!
I think that it was a great race as first timer you weren?t pushed to run faster than you wanted and were able to run your own pace without having to go around slower or constantly feeling in the way of faster runners. I thought it was really cool to be one of only 89 that actually did the race and to tell people I took 5th in my age group out of 5, but who?s telling?
Overall this was a great race, its about a scenic as Iowa gets, I thought the shady rolling hills along the lake by far made up for the highway running. If you want to run this race just be prepared, running a marathon is rewarding but also serious business.

I don't want to beat a dead horse, as my comments reflect many of the other comments posted here.

I am attempting to run 12 marathons in 12 months, and this was my July marathon.

John from WI was right on with his positive comments. Pretty course, helpful volunteers, nice t-shirt, etc. I also agree that the race was a bargain: $25 is a cheap entry fee for just about any race, and unheard of for a marathon.

Here's my suggestion: raise the entry fee by $5, or even $10, and provide the electrolyte drink, and other aid station amenities (sponges, bananas, gels, whatever) that are sorely lacking ($35 for a well-supported marathon would still be a bargain). A woman died at Chicago a couple of years ago because she OVERhydrated, and then drank nothing but water. It screwed up her electrolyte balance, and she went into a coma and died. It IS a serious issue, not just a matter of comfort (particularly in HOT weather).

Overall, I would recommend this race with a few qualifiers:

1. know what you're getting into: it's Iowa in July--chances are it could be hot and humid

2. be prepared--if they continue to have no sports drinks, carry your own, or stash some the day before

3. come with low expectations--it would take a Herculean effort to run a PR here with the weather and the hills

Lastly, it is a pretty, and scenic resort-type area (lakes, water parks, amusement parks) so bring the family and plan to spend a few days to fully enjoy the whole experience.

June marathon: Grandma's Marathon
Next up in August: Paavo Nurmi Marathon