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May 19, 2024

Des Moines Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Des Moines Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.3

Organization 4.4

Spectators 4.1

Number of comments: 295 [displaying comments 71 to 81]

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A. S. from Cincinnati, Ohio (11/18/2010) "This was a well organized and wonderful marathon." (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Des Moines Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have run 16 marathons and this was one of the best. Good support along the course with volunteers offering tissues and Vaseline along with water. The food at the end was plentiful and good (beer, barbecue, potato chips). However, I would like it to start an hour earlier.
M. R. from South Bay, CA (11/14/2010) "Nice Course!!!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I read previous comments on this race: "The course had some early hills, but the gorgeous fall colors helped to distract from that." This year, 2010, we really had a perfect weather and I really enjoyed all of that. Lots of shade. YMCA let us use their shower. Easy start area. No wait at porta-potties. Good race!!! Good job!!!
R. V. from Des Moines, IA (11/1/2010) "Fun run but not a must-do." (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Ran this as my first "real" marathon (PR by 1.5 hours). Hills were not as bad as feared, but I was gassed by the end. Was disappointed many halfers had cleared out food and clogged massage tables when I finished (in top 10% finish, even). The 3:10 pace team was awesome. There were lots of fans at the start and end, but it was very quiet between miles 16-22. Will run again because I'm local, but it's not on my must-do list.
C. H. from Aberdeen, SD (10/31/2010) "A real gem" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Des Moines Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race did a great job of highlighting the beauty of Des Moines. The route was a nice mix of neighborhoods and parks. This was the 11th state/marathon that my wife and I have done together and it was the best organized thus far. This race is a real treasure. If you are looking for a great fall marathon this one should be on your list.
K. J. from Nebraska (10/29/2010) "Great fall marathon in a great setting!" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Des Moines Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Perfect weather in 2010 to run. Hills in early part of race were tough, but scenic through very well established neighborhoods. Cool to run around Drake Relays track. Great, flat, back half for running fast, but a little boring. Would be great to have more spectators in the back half. Well organized with a nice medal but cheap shirt. Two years in a row for a cheap shirt! Finish line food is tasty and plentiful. Volunteers are great! A well-run marathon with great Iowa hospitality. Host hotel is 15 steps from the start line and is a nice place. Who needs Chicago's crowds? Run Des Moines instead!
M. L. from Denver, CO (10/28/2010) "Proud to be from the Midwest" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Des Moines Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great work, Des Moines! This was my first marathon and I decided to drive the 10 hours back to where I grew up: Des Moines, IA (from where I currently live, in Denver, CO) and I couldn't be happier with my decision. Sure, I could have stayed in Denver and run a marathon the exact same day that boasts "music every mile" after the Denver Marathon sold out to the Rock N Roll series. I would have literally walked to the start from my apartment in Denver, but I would have missed the Midwest hospitality and fuzzy feelings that a small marathon in your home town gives you! Ok, so maybe I'm a bit biased, but in all honesty it's a great race. Packet pick-up was easy as pie with two full days of expo and a host of speakers. The expo was standard... I've always wondered what people are expecting when they say expos aren't good enough. You go pick up a race number and look at running gear; what more do you really need? Getting to the start was hassle-free (thanks for the drop-off, mom!) and there was an entire block of port-a-potties, which was great for us first-timers with pre-race jitters. One area that could be improved for next year regards the space at the start. I was trying to line up in the 4:00 pace area and ended up kind of on a side street because there just wasn't enough room. Perhaps another block for the start would be good. I felt the course highlighted the City of Des Moines very well! Props to the spectators; they cheered loudly and had funny signs. And so what if they're a bit spotty in places... if you need someone cheering on the side of the road for the entire 26.2 miles then perhaps a 5-hour drive to Chicago would suit you better. I felt the aid/water stations were well staffed and supplied. I never had to slow down to grab water or Gatorade and I loved the GU stations: lots of varieties! The gummy bears around mile 17 in Waterworks park were heavenly.... I'd never eaten gummy bears while running before, so it was a bit of a gamble on my part but now I can't put the darn things down! The finish area in Nollen Plaza got a bit congested, which isn't really surprising, since it's the same area as the start. Again, another block would be good, as people were backed up into the finish area waiting in line for food. But oh was the food good. BBQ sliders after a marathon? Yes, please! A very nice variety of post-race food, from ice cream to pizza, and everything in between. You can bet I'll be back to Des Moines every October for as long as my knees will let me. Great job and thank you to all the amazing volunteers and the race director. Des Moines should be proud to have its name on this great race.
C. B. from k.s. (10/27/2010) "What a race!" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Des Moines Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have done 10 marathons and this by far is my favorite. The course was awesome; I have never seen so many porta-potties on a course before. The finish line food was fantastic. I was nervous about the hills, but they were actually a lot easier than I expected. The spectators were every where on the course. The pacer I used was awesome. Only complaint is the shirt. Great design, but it's about two sizes too small.
J. G. from Cedar Rapids, IA (10/25/2010) "Great Volunteers!!!!" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Des Moines Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I was extremely impressed with the whole event! The volunteers and spectators were great and gave the runners the impression that they were returning from landing on the moon! Great course, great fans, and the best volunteers. Thank you!
P. K. from Minneapolis, Minnesota (10/22/2010) "Beautiful but hillier than expected" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Des Moines Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Third marathon - very impressed with organization and city support. Only complaint is that the elevation chart does not reflect how hilly the first half truly is. Expected the hilly part to compare to Twin Cities Marathon, but I thought it was much hillier. Thankfully the hilly part was the beautiful part of the run. The second part was less scenic but still enjoyable. Combining the marathoners with half marathoners worked well - made the field seem larger than it was but still not too crowded. Glad they didn't cap registration, but wish I could have received a technical shirt for last-minute registration (only got a lousy cotton shirt). But, less complainin' and more ravin' - great marathon!
K. M. from Durham, NC (10/22/2010) "Great, mid-size Boston qualifier" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Des Moines Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 All in all, I was very pleasantly surprised with this race. The first part, though hilly, was beautiful and the residents were out in decent numbers to cheer the runners on, which was great! The aid stations were all well-stocked and well-staffed, even with a much larger field than expected. The post-race food options were also great, with a little something for everyone. In fact, my only complaints were a couple of mismarked miles around the middle of the race (one short, one long), the fact that they ran out of bags at the expo, and the fact that the breeze picked up as I was slogging my way through the park and up to the finish from mile 21 onward. When all is said and done, though, I was very happy with the experience and would definitely recommend this one to anyone looking for a flat-ish, fast-ish course. :)

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