I really enjoyed the challenging course due to the weather. The course was in town, in the county on gravel roads, and on the bike path and on trails that were muddy and slippery. I loved the scenic views! Even though my time was not my best, I thought the race was very organized and I would definitely run it again! This is a very small race with great support!

This was my second OTR4E Marathon. In my previous 85 marathons I have never taken a wrong turn or gotten off course, until this marathon in 2007. When running in a trail laden nature area, the course almost has to be "over marked" to avoid what happened to our 15-runner pack. There were plenty of signs, arrows and volunteers at most areas. However, this was a critical juncture without any sign, arrow or person manning this point. On other areas of the course I could not see a single runner in front or in back of me and I found some other areas suspect. There were arrows on the ground, but then they switched to the other side of the road, making me wonder at a few points (in the latter miles) if I was actually on the course. I'm not the brightest guy in the world, but I haven't been lost at any of these past 85 marathons. I felt bad for the one young lady running her first marathon. Otherwise, everything was fine; it's just too bad that one course-marking problem really soured me.

Delicious spaghetti dinner the night before the race. Goody bag included nice running socks and a beef summer sausage (I'm not sure what that was all about). Morning buses drop you off at an indoor mall so you can stay warm and use the very nice restrooms before the short walk to the start line. You come across some Frank Lloyd Wright homes early on in the race. The course has all surfaces: cement and asphalt streets, bike trails, gravel roads, and a significant portion of trail running. On the boring straight-away sections they had little "Burma Shave" signs posted to keep things interesting. This race had everything but hills, and the variety kept it interesting. Post-race offered hot showers at the high school - they even provided towels, soap and shampoo!

Here's why I didn't give all 5 stars:
Course: Lime Creek Nature Center could use some serious wood-chipping on loop portion (miles 16 and 17) - this was actually sloppier than any of the ultras I've run on. I know of one woman who face-planted (unhurt, other than pride), and another guy who just gave up and walked the whole section.

Organization: [Already addressed with race director - expect this to be corrected] Calmus Creek didn't have a sign pointing across the bridge. I wound up adding 6-7 minutes to my time by following a group that took a wrong turn along the river. Also, around mile 24.5 there was a split in the bike trail without signs and I lost another 2 minutes. The volunteers surfaced with signs for the guy behind me, and fortunately they called me back. Two wrong turns in one marathon - both preventable.

I ran the half for the first time in '06 and loved it! The course is great - flat, fast, and shows all of the best parts of Mason City (the miles through Lime Creek Nature Preserve were especially beautiful). Organization was great - buses to the starting lines, course was well marked, showers at the finish line. The fans were also energetic, despite the cold weather. I can't wait to run the race again in 2007!

I ran this in 2005 and I will admit I am a slow marathon runner, but the organizers of this event screwed up royally. The said the course would be open for six hours - it wasn't; they said that they would have water at certain places - they didn't; and the course was not marked well and me and my partner ended up running four extra miles!!!! They didn't even know we were still on the course and only figured it out when my two other running partners told them we were still out there (they had already finished). When we did finally make it to the end, they had taken down all the finish line stuff and were not sympathetic about it at all. This was my first marathon and almost ruined me on doing more, but I did Chicago and Des Moines and really enjoyed those. I would not do this event again ever.

My 9th marathon... and overall, a good experience, considering the cold and windy weather that day.

It's been almost two weeks since the race and I haven't seen the results. I may not be looking in the right spot.

2006 was my third consecutive running of this race...and I continue to be impressed. From beginning to end, OTR4E is a top-notch, though small, event. There's a great bus shuttle to the start; a warm place to gather just yards from the start line; an interesting, challenging, but fast course; and who can complain about the clean towels and warm showers just a few steps from the finish? Even more amazing, this is the only marathon of the 50 I've run where all the volunteers thanked me for coming. Amazing! If you want the sheer spectacle of marathoning with a huge field and massive amounts of spectators, qualify for Boston (which, by the way, you CAN do on the Mason City course). But if you want to run a marathon without the madness; one that will have you leaving with a smile on your face; give this one a try.

This is my 2nd half marathon. The first one I did was in St. Louis which was nice, but understaffed.
If your looking for a good small town half marathon, this is the one. I could not imagine a more beautiful half marathon, if there were leaves on the trees it would have been even greater.
I liked the variety of parks and streets, road and dirt etc. and running along the river was awsome.
The only reason why I gave 4 stars for spectators is because there isn't a lot, it's a small town. You may care about the crowed size, but I don't. The people who were there manning the water stations were great and encouraging.
I also loved the room I had to run, no rubbing shoulders with people.
This would be a good course for a first time runner because it is fairly flat (I mean, it is in Iowa) but still has variety.
The race was well organized and relatively cheap.
I would do this half marathon again in a heartbeat. I can't imagine a better course and the people were great.

I have been a marathoner for nearly 10 years and grew up in Mason City. I ran the On the Road for Education Marathon because I wanted to run a race in my hometown. I found the course to be relatively flat, fast and scenic--also, the course has been certified and can be used as a Boston qualifier. The route takes runners past all the highlights of Mason City, from Music Man Square to neighborhoods boasting Prairie School architecture, a Frank Lloyd Wright house, the Brick & Tile Building, cornfields, rivers, ponds and a large nature preserve. There were even ducks and cows along the course who seemed to be cheering for the runners! The 26.2 miles offer a great mix of dirt, gravel and paved trails and paved and gravel roads. Northern Iowa is beautiful during this time of October and the miles that take runners outside of town through some rural areas are lovely and fast. I have run 9 previous marathons, all in big cities, and although I enjoy the crowds, I found this smaller race to be equally enjoyable. Runners can really focus on running, while the spectators that do come out for the race are really enthusiastic and cheer for everyone. A really terrific surprise was all the personal attention at water stops! The race is extremely well organized with excellent community involvement--plenty of water stops stocked with Powerade, water and Gu in the later miles and a fantastic pasta dinner the night before. For those who don't want to run a full marathon, On the Road for Education offers a half marathon, 10K and 5K as well. This is truly a wonderful event and I will certainly be back to run again!!!

This was the culmination of a lifelong desire to run a marathon. I had picked this course by chance, having wanted to run a much larger one that was closed, and therefore started searching for a nearby race on an open weekend. This race was small, but extremely well run, with enthusiatic if sparse spectators, wonderful stops (every other mile at least, with water, electrolyte drink, and later on, Gu and other options). One well-meaning older volunteer even offered me a ham sandwich at about mile 23, which I have to say I turned down with all the energy I could muster. One of my reasons for choosing this race was the description of the varied terrain, which included city streets, country roads, dirt nature trails, and paved bike trails (along a small river with entertaining ducks and kids), and the race definitely delivered.

The only slight negative of the day was the conditions on the trail after the morning sprinkles, and I definitely slowed down to avoid slipping on mud or turning an ankle, but that also kept things from getting boring. There were fun people running and we definitely had a good time. The end had foil blankets (needed) and standard post-race bagels and fruit, as well as some great chili and hot cocoa. All in all, I would highly recommend this for other people who just want to run a beautiful run without all the hysteria of a bigger event.