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Apr 28, 2024

Marathon-to-Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.2

Organization 4.8

Spectators 3.5

Number of comments: 76 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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L. Z. from Lincoln, NE (6/14/2010) "Great, rural marathon!" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon-to-Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Major kudos to RD Al for this year's race. Thunder, lightning, rain, and the possibility of a tornado pushed the race start back an hour and a half, but everything still went beautifully once the show was on the road. The course is paved roads through the Iowa countryside. Cornfields, farms, and roadkill were the sights to be seen. If you need spectators, try another race. But, the volunteers at the aid stations, who'd been at their posts since at least 6 a.m. waiting to set up, were awesome! The Surfin' Iowa beach party aid station was awesome! Other stations had GU, bananas, watermelon (!), oranges, candy - all well stocked and super friendly. At the finish line the spectators cheered, the medal was nice, food and water/Gatorade were plentiful, and there was a good lunch for those of us arriving around noon (due to the late start). The course is flat and fast, RD Al proved his organizational skills this year, and since the only spectators were the volunteers, they get 5 stars. Highly recommended race!
R. B. from Wyoming (8/21/2009) "Something Special" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon-to-Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 No glitz, no glamor - just running through the cornfields. It is simplicity at its best. If you love running for the sake of running and don't need bands to drown out the pain, then this is the race for you. This is a special part of America; not many see it. The people and views are lovely. BYOS (bring your own spectators), if you need them. Tips for food: The carbs: Honeykissed Pizza all the way; they even give you honey to dip the crust into. Vegetarians: Unique Cuisine. It offers real-deal Thai and Lao food. Best breakfast and pie place: Lake Shore Cafe Best place to belly-up and watch the locals cry into their beer: Puffs. Best place to catch up on the farm report and the weather: Hy-Vee Deli.
C. K. from St. Louis, MO (7/15/2009) "A Great Experience" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon-to-Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I chose this race because of the 2008 comments and have to say that I was not disappointed at all. It was a very small race, and it had the spirit of running an ultra. I went to the pasta dinner the night before and met some really nice people - and for someone who traveled a long way alone, it was nice to make instant friends with some like-minded, down-to-earth folks. Turns out there were many there who were either "50 Staters" and/or "Marathon Maniacs." This race qualified me as a "Maniac'." The course was absolutely beautiful. I felt like I was running through the middle of a postcard. The view of the sunrise at the start was breathtaking and the weather was perfect. I can't say enough about the volunteers and their enthusiasm. There were funny signs along the road to read as you climbed a long hill, as well as dancing, costumes, music, freezer pops, fruit, and genuine happiness that we were running by their farm. I could have had a PR for this race, but I was having so much fun chatting with the volunteers (who all wanted to know where I was from) that I decided that it wasn't about my speed. It was about the joy of running and meeting people. The post-race festivities were way better than a big marathon. The townspeople cooked a feast and served everyone. Eating with other runners and listening to a local musician perform on a stage was unheard of. This is a top-notch race and everyone should try it out. I train alone, so running by myself was very peaceful out there in beautiful Iowa.
D. C. from Mountain View, CA (6/26/2009) "Great, Small Race. Excellent Value." (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon-to-Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Since the website is infrequently updated (twice per year), I was a little worried about race organization, but my fears were completely unjustified. This race is very well run and organized. I liked the easy packet pick-up (with pre-race option available) and inexpensive pasta party ($5/person). Big-city marathons wish they could offer perks like this race - easy access to a shower facility at the finish area, and parking within spitting distance of the finish line. For such a small race, I was surprised by the excellent shuttle transportation options. Early start times (6 a.m., and 5:30 if desired) allow runners to avoid some of the potential heat and humidity that can occur in June in Iowa. The course is very flat and potentially fast, but it has very few spectators. Water stations are properly spaced, and they even hand out GU at two locations. Faster marathon runners will catch up to half-marathon participants, which helps break up the monotony of the landscape. Don't worry about difficulty getting around other runners; you would be surprised at just how quickly 180 runners can spread out on the race course. Depending on your finish time, an all-you-can-eat omelet and pancake breakfast (before 11 a.m.) or lunch is provided. Who should run this race? Inexperienced runners tend to benefit from large crowds of spectators and fellow runners, and thus I wouldn't recommend this race for first-time marathoners. For marathoners attempting to run a race in all 50 states, I would strongly consider this race for Iowa. It's held on a Saturday, allowing the opportunity to run two races in the same weekend; and most other Iowa marathons are held during prime fall marathon season. Finally, for experienced runners hoping for a small, well organized, fast race at a tremendous value, I wholeheartedly recommend the Marathon to Marathon.
Rob Klein from Aurora, Colorado (6/17/2009) "A Run Through the Cornfields" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon-to-Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was a laid back, low-key marathon, and it was fun! It had rained pretty hard in the area on Friday, but by evening, the rain had ceased. Still, everything was wet. Friday night, the race organization hosted a spaghetti feed at the high school. It was where packet pickup was held too. The high school was easy to find, and the organization was good. After picking up the packet, you could eat for $5.00. The food was spaghetti, bread, and dessert (but no salad). Also, Al Pierce, the race director, was at the high school until evening. He coordinated a 30-minute early start for those who were interested. And runners who wanted a shower after the race were instructed to send clothes ahead - kind of like we do with warm-up clothes for races during the cooler months. The early starters gathered at the start line in front of the high school. Al briefed us, then sent us on our way at 5:30. We looped the high school grounds, then headed out to the east. Right then, the sun came over the horizon, and it was a spectacular sunrise. Wow. An interesting thing about the course was that the map on the website showed Storm Lake in the upper center, with Marathon (the destination) in the lower left, connected by course lines. If this was the only map you saw (like it was for me), you'd think Marathon was southwest of Storm Lake. But that is not the case. Marathon is actually northeast of Storm Lake. So when we kept running legs going east, then north, then east again - with the sun in front of us or on our right, it became apparent that the map was upside down. This was a country marathon - and a great event. Still, there were no spectators to speak of. The aid station workers were the biggest encouragement to the runners. Their service was great, and their encouragement was well received by the runners. The most difficult thing about this race was that from about mile 15 to mile 25 was a straight shot on Highway 50; lots of farms and cornfields, and a very straight road. At Marathon, the race ended in front of the community center. They had snacks and cold drinks for us there; then, in the community center, they were serving turkey BBQ sandwiches (with fixings), cold drinks, and dessert (marathon participants had a ticket for free food). Also, they had showers available adjacent to the gym. It was a well-coordinated event, and well supported by the community. And Al pierce was at the finish area, available to the runners, and coordinating bus rides for the runners back to Storm Lake. This was a small-town marathon, where the folks took care of the runners like you might expect for some of the bigger races. And it was a great way for a 50-stater to check off Iowa.
S. L. from Knoxville, Iowa (6/16/2009) "I will do it again!" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon-to-Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I thought the race was great. The after party was not as big as I had expected. Also, my watch had me two minutes faster. I am wondering why?!
A. G. from Minneapolis Minnesota (6/16/2009) "Great Race" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon-to-Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 A small, well-organized marathon. The course is mostly flat. It follows county highways through some lovely rural farmland in northwestern Iowa. Because it is flat, and because there are not too many runners, the race is conducive to running a personal best. The volunteers did a wonderful job at the aid stations. The party at the finish line was a lot of fun. Prior to entering the town of Marathon, there are not too many spectators; but the ones that are watching are quite enthusiastic. I had a great time and would recommend this race to anyone.
N. P. from St Charles County Missouri (6/16/2009) "Friendly, Well Organized Marathon" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon-to-Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was a great, little, small-town marathon - and I love the name. I chose this one based on previous reviews and location (close enough for another marathon in SD the next day - my first double-marathon weekend). The race exceeded my expectations. Very friendly organizers, volunteers and fellow runners. Very peaceful, relatively flat course - and luckily the weather was nearly perfect. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a great Iowa marathon.
S. F. from Washington DC (6/15/2009) "A wonderful change from big-city marathons" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon-to-Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've run about 40 marathons, so I have a bit of perspective now on both big and small races. This was a wonderful little race - about 200 or so marathon runners this year. Other than getting to Storm Lake, IA, logistics couldn't be easier - there's a start line right outside of high school, no frills, few spectators, and enthusiastic volunteers at the well-spaced water stops. Bring your iPod, since there won't be many runners to talk to. All you'll see is corn fields as far as the eye can see over a flat course. You even get used to the pervasive cow manure smell, which is broken up occasionally by the lovely skunk scent. Throw in a free breakfast or lunch in Marathon, IA, and you have the ingredients for a great little race. Lois is a wonderful organizer and deserves a lot of credit for her efforts.
P. P. from Oklahoma (6/14/2009) "Fantastic Marathon!!! Definitely a PR & BQ Course!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marathon-to-Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The course is great, fast and runner-friendly (almost no traffic)! The organization is great, and the people are wonderful!! Both towns - Storm Lake and Marathon - are very nice, quaint towns!! The water stops were in perfect locations, with plenty of water and Gatorade! The volunteers who manned the water stops were awesome! They went all out to entertain us and cheer us on! One lady was dancing on a table! There was a hill before mile 13 and some of the volunteers put out some well placed, funny signs about old age! Reading each sign kept our minds off of the hills all the way up! I gave the fans a 5 because, even though there weren't many, the few that were there were awesome! I wish we could have stayed longer to enjoy the people and towns. I had a PR and qualified for Boston! I highly recommend this marathon to everyone!!

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