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Apr 29, 2024

University of Okoboji Marathon Runner Comments

Back to University of Okoboji Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.6

Organization 3.1

Spectators 2.8

Number of comments: 74 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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K. C. from Milwaukee, WI (7/23/2008) "Nice small-town race." (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I thoroughly enjoyed running this race. The cool temperatures and rain on race day made the race much more enjoyable than it would have been had it been 80 degrees out. The rolling hills on the course were enjoyable rather than difficult, and this made the race quite lovely. There are a few things I would change though. 1. Add porta-johns on the course. I only saw one porta-john on the entire route and was forced to take a bathroom break that consisted of more than liquid waste in the woods along the road. 2. Close off the highway. With runners and bicyclists from the tri, and all the cars on the road, it is not only distracting but dangerous. 3. Make the aid stations spread out more evenly. 4. Offer XXL shirts, for the larger marathoners amongst us. Overall I would recommend this race if you like small-town races, with small crowds and small numbers of runners, and can handle doing without some of the amenities you would get at a larger marathon.
J. L. from Sioux City Ia (7/23/2008) "Summer Marathon" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 University of Okoboji Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Also ran this race as a training run. A friend and I are doing a 50-miler in August. This was the 2nd time that I have done this race. It was humid at the start but not bad temperature-wise. For me, the rain and thunder started at the halfway point. It rained for about 6 miles. This is a low-key marathon without a lot of fluff. You get a small medal when you finish. You do finish right by the pier on West Okoboji, which is kind of neat! The people involved with the race are friendly. Allsport Central always does a good job with the timing. It is a low-cost race - 55 bucks!!! A person can always do Twin Cities or somewhere if they want the big marathon with all of the stuff!
T. P. from Minneapolis, MN USA (7/22/2008) "Low-Key Midsummer Challenge" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Disclosure: ran it only as a training run; dropped out at start/parking area between miles 20-21. Essentials are covered, sometimes barely adequately. Enter it for a tour of a unexpectedly nice area and friendly people. Don't run it if you want or expect nice amenities, thorough and smooth race basics, or ideal conditions. Glad I didn't plan to run this as a goal marathon. The '08 edition of Okoboji had surprisingly cool weather, thanks to rain and some lightning. Unpredictability of aid frequency and contents was a little annoying - first aid station was past mile 3, some aid stations had energy drink, some did not, and some aid stations were close together. Most had fewer than four volunteers, so slowdowns or self-serve was part of the experience.
Joe Timmsen from Muscatine, IA. (4/21/2008) "Inexpensive, unique, small-town race." (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 There is a lot of complaining going on about this race.... It is an Iowa marathon in July with a cheap entry fee. What do you people expect? Look around and see how many marathons are run in July in the Midwest.... Not very many, are there? Why do you think that is? If you are not hungry to do a marathon... maybe you should look somewhere else. If you are a marathoner who looks for flat and fast, a big finisher medal, tons of people cheering you on, and someone to hold your hand and fill it with sport drink every mile... go to Chicago, Minneapolis, Des Moines, etc. Shell out $90-$125, buy the perfect outfit, put on some makeup, wait forever in line, pose for the pictures... and have the cliche marathon experience... but stay away from this race. Go back to the Y. We are fortunate this race happens. The organizers are doing what so many people do not: Put on a race for people who just want to do it. Thank you.
Tresafaye Libra from Boston (2/9/2008) "Minnesota Girl Comes Back to Her Homeland" (about: 2007) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I love Okoboji - love it, love it. I even love saying Okoboji because I am familiar with the area. Confession - I ran the half, not the full marathon. I will start with the complaints: Not enough water stops for a hot race. That is my only real complaint. I would have rated the spectators higher but there weren't many of them. The ones that were out there did their best to cheer us on. Before the half marathon started I was a support person for a full marathon runner. Coming from Boston I appreciated how easy it was to move along the route and how easy it was to find parking (not something you will ever say about Boston). I really enjoyed seeing the Wisconsin crew come by with their cheers about the Packers. The number of runners was low and so it got a little lonely at times (I am not a particular fast half marathon runner) but it still was a beautiful simple course with rolling hills. The stretch where there were three dead raccoons on the road was a bit unusual, but hey, this is Iowa, where roadkill happens. The people were very nice and we found a lot of fun stuff to do during our visit. Other than adding more water stops and better mile markers, it was just about perfect for me.
J. S. from South Dakota (7/24/2007) "The directors are doing this course a disservice" (about: 2007) 2 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 This marathon could be so much more than it is if the race directors would put some money where it counted. I realize that the entry fee is $35 but I'd rather pay $10 more for a higher quality organization. To be fair, I would say the following are the pros and cons: Pros: - Pretty course, lined with beautiful houses, fields of corn and soybeans, and views of Lake Okoboji. - Volunteer staff at the water stations were really friendly. - The people that show up to run this are all awesome and I felt like I was on a group run with all of them. Most people were locals. - The finish line was adequately staffed with plenty of fanfare, and despite reviews from previous years, there were medical staff there. - There was PowerAde on the course this year. Cons: - The website sucked. I had to do massive research to find out information that most marathon websites make easily available... uhm, such as HOW TO GET TO THE START. - The medal was a complete POS. It was a generic cheap looking medal that was on par with what you give a 5th grader for winning a spelling bee. It has a light engraving on the back that says, "U of O Marathon Participant." I don't need a manhole cover but give me something that I actually am not embarrassed to show people. I think I would have rather gotten nothing. - The starts were timed so that everyone in each event finished in a smaller window. This resulted in several bikes whizzing past me at high speeds as I ran down a road that had no shoulder. So you have bikes dodging cars - by running runners off the road! A couple of people who I spoke to at the finish even mentioned that the race directors are basically millionaires and they put ZILCH into non-critical parts of this race. That is a shame. If this marathon was better organized I could see it being a great destination marathon because Okoboji is a beautiful place and I think I will go back - but not for the marathon.
D. M. from Utah (7/23/2007) "After 30 years, still a lot of potential" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I know it's only $30 for the entry fee; but, participants spend so much more to travel and participate in a marathon, the organizers should do just a little more to make it a first-class event, even if it is necessary to boost the price a few dollars. This is a terrific venue. Lake Okoboji is a beautiful setting. I was surprised at how nice a vacation community the lakes region of northern Iowa was. The weather this year also participated and gave us relatively cool temps and a nice breeze. Of my 25 marathons, this offered the absolute cheapest of all medals. There are no Gu stations, no bananas, oranges or any other food on the course. In the finish area, the half marathoners drank all the water and ate what little post-race food there was (there was still PowerAde left, thank goodness). The markings on the course were marginal. All signage was spray-painted on the road. I almost missed one turn (mile 11 or so) because I was running on the shoulder (gravel) and the arrow was painted in a very faint paint on the road a few feet to the left. There were no other runners near me (a common occurrence) and I almost went right past the turn. I did make it and did the approximately 2-mile loop that took us back farther down the highway. Toward the end of the loop, a marathoner was running in the opposite direction - obviously having missed the turn and was now running the loop in reverse to make up for his error. There was no expo, of course, but it's a small event that one would not expect to have an expo. I wouldn't even mention it except that the packet pick-up is at the organizer's store - way in the back. We were all encouraged to come back and shop after the marathon. It was just a little too self-interest motivated for my taste - and all the while several critical components of the marathon have been neglected. The volunteers were great. The course is particularly suited for family and friends to get to various points on the course to cheer their marathoner on. The venue, as I said, is terrific. I also think this course is suited to a potentially fast time (except, perhaps, for the many twists and turns the course takes). I must say - I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend. I hope the organizers think hard about the potential of this event going into the future.
E. R. from New Jersey (7/23/2007) "A marathon for people who like running" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Course marshals and aid stations were top notch. The course was well marked; there was not a single place on this course where I was confused about where to go. Course was a true rolling course; no big hills, but plenty of medium and small ones! Some of the improvement opportunities appear to have been addressed from last year. This year, there was PowerAde on the course and there were medics at the finish. Keep in mind that you're running a local race and the directors don't have big-money sponsors to give you fancy things like custom medals, technical shirts, etc. This is what a $35 registration fee gets you! This is a very small field; approx. 120 runners, and very few spectators, so you have to find your motivation in the fact that you enjoy running (what a concept). Field was composed mostly of Iowa locals and 50-staters. Okoboji is a beautiful place and I wish I made a longer weekend of it. Who would have thought you could have a summer getaway in NW Iowa?? (Not this guy from New Jersey.) Run this race if: - You like small fields and rural courses. - You are comfortable running in high 70's to low 80's weather. - You need to check Iowa off of your 50-states list. Do NOT run this race if: - You need spectators or bands to motivate you. - You want a fancy finisher's medal. (This was the equivalent of a smooshed penny on a ribbon, and it was a generic medal that had nothing to do with the course) - You don't like running in heat or on rolling courses. - You expect a technical running shirt for signing up.
S. M. from Brookings,SD (4/13/2007) "Great marathon in Midwest" (about: 2005) 3 previous marathons \| 3 University of Okoboji Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I enjoyed Okoboji as it is a very beautiful town, with very friendly people. Not a lot of spectators. Some lady was chasing her dog without a leash, and asked me to hold the dog so she could get it.... Maybe some people don't know I was running it? Great view of the lake and beautiful weather make it a nice course to run!
Jeff Gordon from san jose, ca but born in Iowa City (11/13/2006) "AWESOME, but have your own support staff" (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and i had planned ahead for the heat and the lack of water and gatorade stations. I had my mom, dad, and girlfriend sation about every 2 miles. Being 275 pounds, i had to plan for about 13 hydration points. It went great for me. I finished, which was my goal, and i thought the course was great. It allowed me to station my family whereever i wanted. The fact that there were only 70 marathoners was great because in training i had gotten used to running alone. It was extremly hot by the end of the race, but the course was awesome, it had minimal hills, and nice scenery. It was great for a first timer, who was well prepared for the heat and lack of support. Big thanks to my parents and girlfriend!

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