To all the people in Apache Junction and the organizers of the Lost Dutchman, THANK YOU. This was a very hard course - however, it was the best 1/2 marathon I have ever experienced. The organizers and the spectators get 10 stars from me!!

I love the course (combination of trails and road) and the wonderful support of all the volunteers. This marathon is well-organized and well-supported by the community. The CAMPFIRE was really special. It is definitely one of my favorites and I like the variety on the course! My husband and I will surely run this beautiful and well-organized marathon again! See you next year!

With the exception of a long delay in getting results and awards out, this is an excellent event. I did the half, which is an out-and-back on the last 6+ miles of the marathon course. It is gently rolling and relatively fast. The surface was part on dirt and part on pavement, which made it a little easier on the joints. Beautiful staging location at Prospector Park for family members to enjoy while the race is going on. If they fix the awards/results delay, they are getting close to perfection.

Holy smokes, that course was/is harder than I thought it would be. Hills and heat. We had great (though warmish) weather this year. It's hard to find a rural race with cooler scenery than this one. The first six miles are downhill and the rest of the course is rolling... though the uphills seemed especially grueling. Maybe it was just me.

They really take care of you. Good instructions. Easy in/out at bib pick-up. Easy shuttle to the start. Campfires before the race. Great and plentiful aid stations with potties - which were important in this race. The Accelerade was simply nasty. They notified everyone before the race repeatedly that this would be the fluid utilized and provided the classic instructions: train with it, don't experiment on race day. I didn't train with it, and it is my fault that I suffered. Just horrid stuff.

Post-race refreshments were fine. They had an interesting ceremony with tons of 'door prizes.'

Do not expect lots of cheering spectators. Do expect to run along a major highway for about 2.5 miles. A lane is blocked off for you, but you'll be sucking exhaust for a little while. Alas, I don't see how they could do this any differently, so consider it a 'you need to know this before deciding' thing and not a ding on the race.

I may not do this one next year because it conflicts with another race, but I will definitely return to this course... hopefully many times.

It really was/is great.

We ran the 8K trail run and the mountain/scenery was absolutely awesome - very friendly, organized race. Expo small but real nice. We stayed around for a couple hours to cheer the halfers/marathoners in and just had a blast! Everyone seemed to really enjoy their race, no matter the distance. We'll be back, hopefully to run the half next year. My only regret was not being able to partake in the pre-dawn/race bonfires, which were just for the marathoners but not advertised that way (that I could see). Oh well, they deserved something special anyway!

This was my first marathon and I couldn't have picked a better one! Everything from parking, bonfire, the course, aid stations, everything was great. Everyone was wonderful and made my first marathon the best!

I have run close to 80 marathons and The Lost Dutchman ranks with the best of them. While the course is challenging, it also offers a beautiful tour around the Superstition Mountains. You arrive at the start and are greeted by camp fires, coffee, water, etc. The first 6 miles are a gentle downhill on a fire road and then you start a series of long gradual climbs that do take their toll. Every mile is clearly marked and aid is available every two miles. The volunteers as well as the locals are extremely accommodating and vocal in their support. Everyone is there for the runners and it shows.

I would highly recommend this race over any of the mega races that have become so cold and impersonal. The Lost Dutchman has a small-town feel and offers the personal touch that seems to have been lost by so many other races that focus on the bottom line. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in experiencing a great time with wonderful people who really are there for you. This is my second year and I will be back in 2006.

This was my first Lost Dutchman Marathon. Anybody thinking of doing it should really do it; the area is so beautiful and the volunteers are so great. Even though it was a tough course, it was so much fun. It got a little hot for me, only because I am from back east. But I was totally surprised how well this marathon is put together. All I can say is: Wow. The people gave us water and the banana really help us. I will do it again even though my time was about 10 minutes slower than my normal marathon - it was fun.

Well, see you next year,

Robert Metzger from Akron, Ohio
Bib number #79, time 3:54

My first marathon was this past October at Mount Rushmore, and Lost Dutchman was my second. I was eager to participate in the Lost Dutchman because I could now begin to see how various marathons compare.

What better place to run a January marathon than in the AZ desert?! Nice, warm weather accompanied the runners. There was wind here and there, but the course went in various directions, so runners weren't always traveling into the gusts.

From reading all of the feedback about the course, I was bracing for frequent hills. Perhaps my coming from a somewhat hilly, and 3,500' higher altitude prepared me for the ups and downs; but I really didn't notice any of the ?after mile-six? hills. In fact, I didn?t seem aware of any hill until after mile eleven when the course had turned onto Kings Ranch Road. Even then, they were mostly gradual, except for, of course, 'The Wall' at mile 23.

The entire community of Apache Junction embraces this annual event, and I liked that. I don't think anyone could say they didn't feel welcomed. I have a lot of appreciation for everyone who helped make this happen. The aid station I liked a lot was the one with the person in the Pink Panther costume. And of course, the purple ladies had a great setup too. But every station had a bunch of really great, encouraging people. Great food and snacks after the run. My only qualm with the post-race event was there was no sport drink to be found. Although there was a lot of sport drink while we were running, it?s equally important, in my opinion, to have access to quickly hydrating fluid afterwards, not just water.

Okay, now, not every marathon has to be the same; and I really hate to mention any negatives because I don't want to sound unappreciative and overly critical. I have to say, however, there were some things about the Rushmore Marathon that could serve as a good example for Dutchman. There should be no offense taken with this observation, though, because Mount Rushmore Marathon is on its 26th year while Lost Dutchman is only on its 4th. Conversely, Mount Rushmore could benefit from some aspects of the Lost Dutchman!

At the Mount Rushmore Marathon, though, all cups given to runners were paper. At Dutchman, it varied between paper and Styrofoam. I learned it's easier (and more environmentally friendly) to drink out of paper cups when you're running. The best way to keep water from splashing out as you?re moving seven miles an hour is to pinch the cup to where there is just a little opening, and it doesn't all splash out. A stryofoam cup can't be squeezed without cracking!Secondly, Mount Rushmore?s halfway point was identified, and in fact, a timing chip counter was there so runners could know their halfway times. They were included in the overall results. That was a big plus. Thirdly, registration packets at Mount Rushmore came in a big brown bag with your name, age, bib number, etc. printed on a label that was right on the bag. You could then use the bag directly as your drop-off bag. At Lost Dutchman, a plastic bag was included to be used as a drop-off-bag, but it?s difficult to write on plastic, and I didn?t have a marker available. Lastly, at Rushmore that brown bag included a bottle of water. Very handy and courteous to have on the bus ride up to the start line!

But, really, the main point that should be taken from this review is not about what kind of cups were present and an issue of paper bags over plastic. Come on! The event could be set up the exact same way next year, and it would really be just fine! What I want to stress more than anything is that the marathon was a lot of fun. There were helpful, friendly people all along the way, and it was a splendid, beautiful, second marathon for me. Oh, and I beat the time I had at Rushmore; so you won?t hear me griping about that! I hope to make it back to AZ for another one! Next goal: First annual marathon in Fargo this May!

The Lost Dutchman is a smooth running operation with fabulous scenery, great support, road marshals and a gorgeous medal. The breakfast burritos hit the spot. This marathon has SO many fine tuned perks, you'll want to do it every year, I know I do! Best Western had shuttles to and from the event and everything was just grand. Skip the hoopla of the other marathon ... PF Chang and do this one...it's a winner!