As a local, I've run this race the past two years, but I doubt I'll run it again... unless it is MUCH improved. I've run the Des Moines, Omaha and Wichita Marathons and Kanas City ranks as a distant fourth in this region. Obviously, the organizers of this race do not care to put on a marathon of any quality. Maybe that's why the marathon participation was down by 30% this year.

Complaints:
- NO expo, just a packet pick-up (at Des Moines this year they had a local Kansas City running store selling their wares... could not KC get this running store?!?).
- No pasta dinner.
- No marathon signs anywhere downtown.
- No pace groups.
- A terrible website that is not updated at all.
- For such a hilly course it really should have a course elevation map.
- No spectators (maybe if they had the course wind some of KC's scenic neighborhoods they'd have some people out there - like Trolley or Hospital Hill).
- The least scenic marathon course I've ever run. With so many great neighborhoods why do they run the course over the rundown sections of town?
- Being how small this race is, it is very easy to miss the signs for the out-and-backs. They need a volunteer at each out-and-back telling the runners where they need to go.
- Just Gatorade and water at the finish. NO FOOD. Being from KC, I had my wife drive me to the nearest Einstein Bros. so that I could start reloading on carbs. Apparently, I see from the comment below there was food on the 28th floor!!! How would anyone know this since there were no signs, nor did the volunteers I asked know this?
- Early bird race fee of $60. What does one get for $60? Certainly not food when I finished (or so I thought and was told). This is a bare bones marathon and should have a fee that is appropriate.

I really don't like complaining about a race considering that it is a volunteer effort. But this marathon is so inferior to any other marathon put on by cities substantially smaller. I really do feel sorry for out-of-towners that come to this marathon. You get more organization, support and amenities at most local 5Ks. I've tried to support my local marathon through my participaton, but no more... I'll stick with just doing KC's two other marathons - Gobbler Grind and Olathe.

Decided to sign up for this one at the last minute to use as a long training run for a marathon in early December. This was definitely a hill-packed marathon. You are either going up or downhill 90% of the time. I had been training on hills so I was able to handle the hills, because the aren't huge hills. My biggest complaint is aid stations - every two mile aid stations were advertised, but near the end where water is needed the most, they were few and far between. Also a volunteer near the end was saying, 'only 10 blocks all down hill'. What was that all about!?!?! That kind of misinformation can break you mentally at the end of a marathon - it is better as a volunteer NOT to comment on the course. I would run this one again!

This course should be rated as difficult due to the excessive amount of hills. I feel there is more interesting parts of K.C. that the route could include without so many hills. Organizers should consider moving this race up a month due to the bad weather year after year. Volunteers and spectators were very friendly. I didn't expect too many spectators due to the lack of advertising this marathon gets. No one knows about it, unless you're a runner.

I ran the 5K portion of the race in 2002 and thought that was challenging. This year I ran the 1/2 marathon and now I question if I will do this race again. It is good for experienced runners that want a challenge, but for beginners (like me), this course is difficult. KC offers beautiful neighborhoods and scenery and this course does not show the best of KC. There is limited sponsorship, therefore, there is pretty much nothing at the end. This year we had to take the elevator up in the hotel to even collect our goodies. Organizers needed to consider thousands of sweaty runners cramming into the elevators was not going to be pleasant (for the runners or guests in the hotel). This was not a well publicized race so there was not much crowd support. Though, those that did brave the chilly weather were full of spirit. The only way I will do this race again is if I decide to see if I can beat my time from this year. Otherwise, it is not a very fun race.

Good challenging course. It was hilly throughout including the uphill most of the last mile. There were several down-and-back portions of the course. Most won't find this appealing - the upside is you experience camaraderie with fellow runners.

Being a local, I expected the unpredictable weather and cool temps. I also figured on few spectators but the ones who would be there would be upbeat and friendly.

This was my roughly 10th different marathon - here are my expectations:
1. Scenic course showing off the locale.
2. Pre-race expo.
3. Some spectators.

Here's what I saw in KC:
1. We drove some beautiful parkways in KC - we didn't run them. Since the course was very hilly, I don't think it would be any less hilly to get to anywhere in KC.
2. No expo.
3. Barely anyone on the course, even with about 1,500 participants in the marathon, 1/2 marathon, and 5K. Afterwards, the 3 people in our group stayed overnight and talked to many locals. No one knew about the marathon.

Here's why we chose KC:
1. Saturday marathon (can stretch out a day before hitting the road).
2. Could drive to it.
3. Happens in late fall.
4. Certified course.

The course is hilly, which, even though it's hard, that's fine. Worse though, is the dullness and plain ugliness of the course. There are so many beautiful areas of Kansas City, I find it hard to believe this is the route chosen. The finish line is practically an alley, many areas of the course are places I wouldn't feel safe driving through any other time and there aren't many good spectator opportunities.

The pre- and post-race activities were non-existent. I've run in first-year, small races with better food and drinks afterward. I had to ask three people where the post-race activities were (the 28th floor?) and after getting there, there were a few apples, green bananas, some juice and coffee. And this wasn't at the tail-end of the day either. I don't know what the later marathoners found when they got there.

I hope that the organizers can tweak the route - keep the hills, at least they're a defining feature. But certainly there are some more pleasant places to show visitors here for a race.

There is no reason that KC can't host a major marathon! The organizers need to decide that the marathon is the jewel and the 5k and 1/2 are merely add ons.

Course: The course is brutal and organizers should market it as a difficult marathon. There are a lot of hills and very few flat portions of the course. I can't recall running for more than a mile where it is flat. The hills are not all that difficult, but they are constant. Things were great for me until mile 24. I maintained an even pace until the last 2.2 miles - much uphill. I ran the last 2.2 in 25 minutes because of the difficulty of the course. I set a PR by 12 minutes and finished 3 minutes off my ultimate goal, but I finished a very challenging race.

Organization: The marathon felt like a 1/2 marathon with a marathon distance tacked on to it. There was only one aid station that was not on the marathon route. The out-and-back portions of the marathon were lonely. And, at mile 22, someone started letting cars and trucks on the route (I was at a 10-minute pace). Kudos to all of the volunteers at all of the streets that did their job and blocked traffic, you were great and your encouragement was appreciated! The website should have a map with mile markers and an elevation map. Market this thing as it is, a difficult marathon where pacing is the key because the hills will break you. The website also needs to be updated. (On the Thursday before, it still had messages that said start training now and more events are planned - come on.) Local newspaper coverage was not good - if Jason Whitlock (KC Star Columnist) wasn't covering it and participating in it, it may have been non-existent. Thank you Jason!

Spectators: If it hadn't been for my family who cheered me on at mile 4, 8, 11, 13, 21 and the finish, there wouldn't have been too many.

Overall: I feel a great sense of accomplishment for finishing this marathon. It could be so much better and, as someone who grew up in KC, I hope the directors continue to make improvements.

I have run the Kansas City Marathon three times on three different courses and this one was the worst. This town has so much to be proud of, but the race showed little of it. The medical staff that helped me after the race was first-rate, however.

Being from Kansas City I obviously have a different view than some out of towners. Unfortunately, I think several things could have been done better. The last third of the course is totally depressing. Especially on a cold rainy winter day. Who wants to run through a warehouse district with little chance of fan support or scenic vistas. Kansas City prides itself on miles and miles of beautiful parkways and boulevards that would make a wonderful course, but we never saw them. The miles of downhills aren't very joint friendly either. My last complaint deals with the finishers medal. Although the sponsor made sure their name is prominently displayed, nowhere on the medal does it say Kansas City. It looked like the name of the city was Humana. I don't mean it to sound all negative. I just feel it could have been so much better. Hopefully it will improve each year. A different course would be a huge help.