I previously ran the half marathon on this course 5 years ago. The out-and-back course of the full marathon lends itself to boredom especially late in the race. I think this event may have overwhelmed the organizers since the KC Marathon was canceled; I think some first-time marathoners jumped on this event rather than leaving town. This was my 5th marathon and I would agree that the sharp switchbacks going over or under major roads was hard on my legs, especially late in the race. The good thing... Kansas is out of the way in my pursuit of 50 states.

This was my 6th marathon, and it is a small marathon. There were 1000 participants; most were 1/2 marathoners. I had read all the bad things on here about this marathon. So I bought my water bottle - but water stops were great; there were plenty, and some later in the race had food as well. Had plenty of volunteers, they were great and supportive. I liked the course with all the out-and-backs, it gave me a chance to see the other racers and see who was ahead of and behind me. It did start late, but that was not a problem for me, the only thing that I don't like is that there is no place that I can find to see the race results online. All in all I would not recommend this for first-timers, but it was a good run. I will do it again.

The good:
-Water and Gatorade at each aid station. Each aid station was about 2 miles apart.
-Pretty, somewhat flat course.
-The start was very close to the designated hotel.

The bad:
-The course was not well marked, as several of us got lost and went off of the course. The volunteers did not know where we were supposed to go. Navigation should not be a concern to participants in a marathon.
-The race started almost 30 minutes late.

If you are running a marathon and don't care about what time you get, this would be an okay marathon. If you care about your time, I would recommend running another marathon.

Although there were few spectators except when coming back through the starting area later along the course, spectators are not the reason I run marathons. The course was a bit confusing with all the loops and turns. Appreciated the early start for the slow runners/walkers. The course in not exactly flat, but not a large number of long hills. Very relaxing fall run and I hope it continues to grow. Would do it again.

This was my first marathon and was rather disappointed with the results. I wasn't a fan of the out-and-back course because having to run a marathon is hard enough, but at least I could get some new scenery in. The race started 22 minutes late. Aid stations were spread apart by more than 2 miles, and often time mile markers weren't up or at least they weren't visible. The packets were rather disappointing also. I have been to 5k's with better packets. I was rather disappointed with this race and don?t' recommend it for first-timers.

This was my first 1/2 marathon and the only thing I was pleased with is the fact I finished much faster than hoped. The race started late, there was little fan support, and poor sponsorship (freebies) at the finish line (we only got water or Gatorade).

The WORST PART of the event is that it filled up 2.5 weeks early and there were no notices posted ANYWHERE (active.com, gobblergrindmarathon.com, etc.) that there was even a chance that registration might fill up. In fact, they still advertised 'race day registration' up until the day of the event. A friend of mine was told by the organizers that they 'had turned away hundreds of registrants' and there was no way he could run. This was a terrible experience for him. Plus the benefactor of the race ended up losing out on revenue due to poor event planning by the organizers. In my opinion, this is unnacceptable and I will never participate again.

Despite the late start, I felt the race went well. The aid stations were great, nice people, and the overall atmosphere was good. I'll agree with the other post about awards -- it would be nice to receive them at the end of the race instead of being told they'll be mailed. The course is challenging, a few 180 and 270 turns to stop momentum, but little or no noticeable hills and a clear and clean path off the streets made up for that. Overall, it was a positive experience for my first marathon.

One other thing to point out, many runners that ran the full marathon cheated on the course by cutting across a short cut in Roe Park park at around the 13 1/2 mile point; the course was clearly marked and directed runners to run a loop on the outer edge of the park, and this was about 1/4 to 1/2 miles in length. While I was on the course, I noticed (and others on the course noticed) several people completely bypassing the outer loop and taking the blacktop directly to the wooden bridge that led runners out of the park towards the 14th mile...

The race needs to have someone stationed there to monitor this from happening, as many of those that took the shortcut probably ended up winning awards and possibly qualifying for Boston on the short course that they chose to take...

I think some runners are being extremely critical of this race. I thought that for a smaller event it was organized well enough. I do agree that the 30-minute late start to accommodate some runners who were registering late was not appropriate, as over a thousand people were held up standing in 34 degree temps waiting for a few late arrivals to get their packets, etc. These people had ample time to get their packets prior to the event, and with this race having timing chips, they should have just had to start after the bulk of the runners started the race.

The course was very scenic, and for the most part flat... I heard some complain of the hills, which I can only assume refer to the trails and off-ramps. I don't know if those could be considered hills as they were only about 20 to 30 yards in length, but I guess it depends on where you are from. I broke my personal record by about 5 minutes at this course and thought it was a good race overall.

The water stations were well organized and well stocked. Spectators were few, which I actually prefer so this was not a factor, but those who were there were very supportive. Probably should have better support at the finish line, as myself and others were very wobbly after crossing the finish line and no one was around to assist. Also, better info on post-race snacks and massage area would have been helpful, as I didn't know they had anything to eat or drink until accidentally walking by the building that it was located in. The course map online could be improved some for spectators to know where to go along the course. Bib colors or specifications could be different to specify event that runners are competing in. Host hotel location was ideal! Great location and very accommodating! Overall a very good smaller race! Keep up the good work and keep striving to improve it, you are on the right track!

As a first timer, I was disappointed in the organization of the event. I have been to other running events and felt discouraged by the late start, lack of communication about awards, and minimal spectator turnout.