This was my first Casper Marathon and it definitely exceeded my expectations. It was fun and well marked, it had great volunteers, and the post-race food was the best I have experienced in a race of this size! I would highly recommend it.

The nicest, frendliest people that can be found anywhere around a marathon. Pasta dinner was a real bargin, one of the best I've ever had. Plenty of water stops, with Gatorade and other goodies at every one. Plenty of food at the finish, even well after 6 hours-plus of walking. Nice course with some hills, but none too significant. There's one between miles 1 and 2, and a couple of steep but short ones near mile 15 - very manageable.

A word of caution: at high altitude, it is easier to get sun-burned (which I did), so use plenty of sun-blocker - a large part of the course is out in the sun with no shade.

Bottom line: terrific marathon. If you want to be treated like a king, this is the place. Many thanks to the organizing committee for an outstanding job. It sure looks like they put their heart and soul into it.

Very, very highly recommended.

I LOVE MARATHONS OF THIS SIZE!!! The organizers were SOOO nice and on the ball! The pre-race dinner is the BEST I have EVER had - what a deal. The race is so affordable. Casper, WY is absolutely beautiful and perfect for a June run. The host hotel had some negative comments, but it was way beyond my expectations. It was clean and affordable, and the service was 4 star.

There was food - still plenty of food - available for the very last person crossing the line. I cannot think of one negative thing to say - absolutely fabulous!! I loved finishing at the hotel; how great is it to change into some fresh clothes and then celebrate!

Oh, and the age group prizes were awesome - one of these years I am going to win one!

I ran my first Casper Marathon this past weekend and set a personal record. But, don't let the course fool you. It is a challenging course mixed with road and hike/bike trail running. There are hills - some steep - and also some flatness along the river. The loop around the golf course was grueling since this is in the last few miles of the race. The scenery is gorgeous: the flowing North Platte River, the mountains, and the plains at the start of the race. Post-race was great, with fresh berries, grapes, melon, cake, pizza, and cookies (for the sugar high). There was also bottled water, energy drinks and beer. The organizers and volunteers worked the water stops very well and looked happy to be out there. Race conditions were great: no wind, sunny and cool to start off but warming up at the end. Overall, a great experience and worth the trip out there. If you go to Casper, add a few days on before or after to discover what the state has. You will be glad you did.

I had a fantastic time at this terrific little race; it has so much going for it! Huge credit to the race directors. Well done - there are some "big town" race organizers who could learn a thing (or two) from you.

The course is really pretty. The beginning is the best, running down the hill, and watching Casper at the end of the sunrise. The clean air and gorgeous cloud formations were just stunning. Nice to be in bike path the rest of the race - no fighting traffic. A few hills, but nothing major; they made the course interesting. Only suggestions: there were no porta-johns until about mile 7 that I could see. If possible, adding one at an earlier point would be good. Also, after mile 24, the course had almost no volunteers directing racers, and no course markers. There were a couple points where I really wondered if I had strayed from the course. If possible, a few volunteers placed between miles 24-26 would be good. Unfortunately I did not see a pronghorn; maybe I will have to come back!

Organization was excellent - Dawn, amazing accomplishment! Easy packet pick-up, and the transportation to the start, finish line and awards ceremony all ran like clockwork. This race had about the best finish line food I have seen. There was more than I could eat. The medal and shirt were both beautiful. With it being such a small race, I managed to place in my age group, and got the very cool folding seat. I love it.

Spectators were there, but sparse as expected. When they were on the course, they were terrific in cheering us on, and the volunteers at the drink stations were friendly and did a great job.

Casper is a fun part if the US to visit. I really, really enjoyed the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center; it is a must-see. It was so interesting to learn about what the pioneers endured in the quest to go west. Made me feel lucky to just be running a marathon!

State #10 is off of my list, and now I get to register as an official 50-Stater. I guess I am really in to do this! So encouraging to meet many others chasing the same goal - friendly, interesting people, each with such a story. I'm still smiling over the whole weekend experience.

Very well organized marathon. A great experience. Worth the trip to Casper.

I ran my first Casper Marathon today, and it was fantastic. The race organizers did an outstanding job and considered all of the details. I finished in just under 5 hours, and there was a ton of food available - even fresh strawberries, blueberries, and melon! The volunteers were friendly and helpful, even giving me cups of ice chips when the sunshine got to me. The only spectators seemed to be there to support other runners, but they were enthusiastic for everyone. My only suggestion: put in a ramp to cover the curb right before the finish; I tripped but righted myself as I was trying to make a strong finish.

Beautiful area, great people, and outstanding organization!

I ran the race in 2007 and found, for the most part, a pleasant experience overall. The course is run primarily along the North Platte River on well-maintained bike trails, which makes the run scenic and quiet. Only a limited number of fans. A few hills, and temps will warm up the later in the day it gets. Potential for viewing wildlife is good, although all I saw during my running experience was a few cottontails. Post-race food was excellent, with a variety of Coke products, beer, pizza, sandwiches, and fruit. The volunteers in the tent made it feel like a home away from home, and the finish line is literally right outside the host hotel.

My only major complaint of the race is about the medals, as everyone (marathon, half marathon, and the relays) all received the same medal. Although these were nice, I would like to see some size and/or color differentiation on each of these to distinguish one race from the others.

Pros - Great organization and friendly, hard-working volunteers. Water stops were excellent. The host hotel was very accommodating and good to work with. Nice medal and shirt.

Areas for improvement - Chip timing is virtually meaningless with no start mats or timing mats on the course. The main section of the course runs along the river on both sides, and then around a golf course, which I personally don't find very exciting. It just seemed like you're always switching or crossing from one piece of sidewalk or pathway to another. They advertised 10% concrete, but I'd say there's a lot more than 2.6 miles of concrete, so if you don't like concrete, you've been warned.

The spectator rating is low because you're running in areas where there simply isn't going to be anybody. As such, the only spectators are friends, family or volunteers, but that's OK; unless it's NYC or Twin Cities, the spectator issue doesn't matter to me. Don't pass on this race; it's a good one.

This marathon was one of my favorites.The volunteers were wonderful, very friendly and always of assistance. The course was beautiful, and I had the best time ever. Thank you so much for putting on this amazing event.