The inaugural 2002 Des Moines Marathon was my 12th marathon, and this race will definitely be added to my annual race calendar. The course gently rolls through some of the most scenic & picturesque neighborhoods in the Midwest, and became an instant favorite of mine as soon as the race began. Normally I only run Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, MN, but now we have a fantastic race closer to home which I can participate in during the fall months. I cannot wait to jump back into this classic in October - a giant kudos to those who have made this beautiful Iowa course a reality for Midwest runners!

This was my first marathon, and I enjoyed it, although I didn't plan for the electrolyte imbalance that I suffered. Nothing major, but it might be good to have pretzels available at some of the aid stations, especially for us first-timers who often have to live and learn. I thought the Powerade they provided might have been watered down too much. Other than that, I thought it was a great run for the city of Des Moines and I'm glad they revived this tradition!

Awesome course lay out. The elevation characteristics are prime for a PR. The community put on a festive marathon. The timing method some are concerned about was not an issue for me and it sounds like it will be addressed in 2003.

This was my first marathon at age 46. I thought I wanted to support my home state, and I thought I would not have a closer event to run in. There should have been an American Flag at the start of the race for the national anthem, and I thought the crowds were sparse on the Waterworks park and Grays lake section. I thought the aid stations were well placed and for a first time event the crowds were OK. I too echo the great Urbandale CC team station, they provided a big lift at a weary part of the race. Snacks at the end of the race were good and I finished towards the end (a little more than 5 hours). I was disappointed in the time it took to post the results on the website and also the lack of an age group breakdown and no 1/2 way point time, and I too would like to see a 'town crier team' at the mile markers helping to note the mile markers and split times. The DAM to DAM run does this well and perhaps the marathon can add this next year. OVERALL this first timer rates this experience as a solid 'A'.

This scenic, tranquil route in the Heartland with 1,000+ runners was a pleasure to run. Plenty of room on the course but there were always runners nearby and never felt alone. The course had more hills than anticipated but by no means were they overbearing. Ran a personal best despite them. The race organization from the expo to the volunteers was excellent...especially for a first time marathon. Staff members were very cordial. The electronic chip was not ready at check-in (I was not alone) but that was rectified very quickly. Other than nominal growing pains, an outstanding race and should only get better with experience. The crowds were small but strategically interspersed throughout the course and vocal. The split-start for marathon and 1/2 marathoners was wonderful. A great race.

This was my third marathon and my best time. I worked hard to get to this point and was delighted with how the course was laid out which helped my goals. It has some challenges in the first half and not boring with a good flat course on the second half, when you need it, and with a slight downhill to the finish line. It was a fun race as I did qualify for Boston on this course. There was plenty of water stops and the spectators great in certain spots. For an inaugural race I really enjoyed this race and recommend it to anyone. The t-shirt design was better than most but again on a white shirt and short sleeves. Not having the results up sooner was a downer, and I hope they will become offical. Overall I was delighted to run this marathon in the state I grew up in and hope it will suceed for years to come. I don't know how many marathons I have in me but I will be back to at least run the 1/2 marathon. Try this one in Iowa and you will come back. I want to add my THANKS TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS, without you we could not have this race to run. THANKS FELLOW IOWAS FOR THIS RACE.
Bob - 49 from Iowa

Course was mostly very scenic, as good as TCM. Spectators & volunteers provided exceptional support. Some rather steep downhills (tough on quads). Uphills mostly gradual. Very nice t-shirt & finisher metal. Gu was great, power-aide seemed watered down too much. Ran near PR time at age 46, qualified easily for Boston. Would like to see age group results posted.

A nice urban marathon: some hills, but no problem if accustomed to running on hills; lots of pleasant park running. Spectators pretty good for a small urban marathon, and they were enthusiastic.
COMPLAINTS: no age group awards; drab T-shirt that said simply 'Des Moines Marathon'; scattered porta-potties; few mileage markers; the timing chip was used, but we had to verify it at the crowded start line rather than at the small expo.

This was my 4th marathon, I ran Grandmas in Duluth 3 times a few years ago, and I thought overall this was a really well done event. I enjoyed running through the various neighborhoods as well as downtown. The route was gently rolling with only one major hill. The part of the route I did not like was running through Water Works Park & Gray?s Lake area near the end of the race because fan access was limited when you need it most. Maybe next year they could rearrange the course a little. The course was marked well and easy to follow and an easy run for a marathon!

A couple of minor complaints are as follows. I did not see any timers along the course. At Grandma?s there were clocks or people giving times periodically. I was also disappointed in the T-shirts in that they did not say ?Finisher? on them to distinguish them from ones fans just purchased. The fans were very good, but sort of sparse in some areas. That should improve with exposure though. For the most part the law enforcement staff did a great job, but I too experienced being stopped to allow cars to pass. This did not affect my time but I think it might be better to close a few more downtown streets.

Overall I thought it was a great job, not quite as classy as Grandma?s but a really good start. I plan to be back in 2003.

God Bless every hand that held out a powerade, or stopped a car, or clapped for us. Thanks to Helen Kline who inspired us, my dear ones who cheered for us and the dancing boys on picnic tables who made us laugh at mile 20. Congratulations Helene, Laura and all the rest of the organizers and volunteers. You are insane. You did such a great job, we'll be back...along with the guy in sandals, the barefoot guy, the guy in the kilt, the guy dressed as a cow...