You really do run with the antelopes - I experienced 3-5 sightings of graceful and fast pronghorns along the very scenic course, which goes on bike trails along the Platt River and crosses the Oregon Trail at several points. Mostly flat with a few rolling hills. Great organization and aid stations - all stocked with PowerAde and gel packs, as well as water. Nice shirt and medal. Excellent pasta dinner. Easy access to start and finish (once you get to Casper). Very friendly, knowledgeable organizers. We were lucky this year, with ideal weather conditions and very little wind. Excellent overall.

I would highly recommend this race. It is very very well organized and so friendly. The route along the river is great and could be classified as a flat, fast course. Aid stations were well stocked, and every two miles or more. The finisher's medal is beautiful, as are the event shirts. Finish line food (and beer) was great. I gave five stars to spectators even though there are few; the reason is that the aid station volunteers make up for this, cheering as you approach their stations. Also the out-and-back section of the course lets you see the other marathoners who cheer you on. Run this marathon; you will not be disappointed.

I agree with the positive comments provided by other runners regarding this year's marathon in Casper. Would like to add that the event is very well organized and well supported, and it offers a nice race route through Casper and its surrounding communities. I have run a few of the "bigger" or "prestigious" races such as Chicago, Toronto, Seattle, Eugene, Napa Valley and find this event compares favorably. Post-race experience was excellent, with a variety of food and beer-carb options available (appreciated!). Wyoming is a scenic and enjoyable place to run (despite this year's headwind and 5240' altitude), provided that you are not seeking a PR. Highly recommend this race and commend the organizers for doing a great job!

Casper 2008 was a glorious experience for me. It was my first marathon, so I was unsure of what to expect even though I had run 5K and 10K races earlier in life. It was a return to running begun a year previous after a 15-year hiatus of bad habits. My oldest and youngest daughters were both in attendance; the oldest lives in Casper and used to run along with "Daddy" 20+ years ago. Along with my wife, brother/sister-in-law, the two daughters and a handful of nephews held up handmade posters along the route to lend encouragement. Grand motivation and a tear in my eye for the support of an old guy in his nutty venture. I could not have been more satisfied with the experience (other than the wind at Three Crowns) of Casper 2008; the race directors, support people, hotel accommodations, and post-race feed were all outstanding. I look forward to running this race again next year, but next time with my oldest daughter alongside "daddy."

This was by far the smallest marathon my wife and I have run, and by far the most personalized experience. From the moment we checked in, we were made to feel at home by the wonderful organizers and volunteers. It seemed that everything within their control was flawless - now if they can only get control of the wind! We should have noticed that the local running club was called "The Casper Windy City Striders" - the day certainly delivered on that!

Even with the wind blowing away our goals, we still had a great time. The start being housed at the event center was fantastic, as was the finish line at the hotel.

One tip - fly in to Denver and drive up to Casper (about 4 hours). The drive gives you a good glimpse of the vast openess of Wyoming.

This was my second marathon, so I don't have much experience to draw from, but it easily trumped the bigger Deseret News Marathon in Utah. The organization was excellent. The pasta dinner the night before was well worth the $12.00 I spent. Don't skip it. The course was relatively flat. The aid stations were well stocked by friendly volunteers. The orange slices near the end were Heaven-sent. Excellent tech shirt (Brooks black, long-sleeve) and the post food was satisfying. Not much spectator support, but honestly I don't run to have others cheer me on and consider those who complain about this aspect of marathons not true runners. Ninety percent of my training is done solo without any fan support; therefore, I don't need it. Overall, this is a GREAT marathon and will highly recommend it.

For a small marathon, on its 6th anniversary, they did a great job. The start and finish are at the host hotel, the expo is simple (great shirt and pasta), there's plenty of water, PowerAde and GU on the course, each mile is well marked, every turn had a volunteer at it (plus the route had arrows on the ground), and the finish was filled with food, drinks and beer (I thought New Orleans only did this). The marathoners (full and relays teams) start together and the halfers are delayed 15 minutes. There are two good hills to contend with at mile 2+ and 15+/17. I appreciate all of the volunteers, policemen and organizers for all of their hard work in putting on a great marathon.

Only negatives: Windy (not much you could do about it other than lower your head and dig through it) - at the start it was 15 mph, and about halfway through it kicked up to 20-25+ mph. The golf course is were everybody lost time. The finish line has numerous turns to it, so be prepared to do some 360's when crossing the bridge prior to the finish.

Never had a marathon finish right at the hotel.... Can't beat that.

This event is as close to perfect as you can get (assuming you do not require a lot of spectator support). It is very personalized and focused towards the runner. The start is a five-minute shuttle ride from the host hotel, and you can stay inside until 5 minutes before the gun. No-fuss pick-up of bib/shirt at the host hotel (great value) followed by an excellent pasta dinner. Course is varied and generally pretty. More paths than roads, much of it along the river. Many 50-state folks there as well.

They even try to personalize your bib number to represent the number of marathons you've run! Wind was a factor (maybe just this year) but it was refreshing nonetheless.

Plenty and varied food at the end.

But the best thing about this event is the overall organization and runner-focused attitude of the folks involved. Awesome attention to detail. Well done and thank you.

The Casper Marathon was one of the best organized and executed long-distance running events I have participated in. (I ran the half marathon.) For a small marathon, it was outstanding. Everything from the host hotel and pasta dinner to the finish line and post-race food was excellent. The spacious indoor facilities at the start were much appreciated (especially on a cool and windy morning). The "Run with the Herd" logo for the race had extra meaning as a group of pronghorns ran between runners shortly after the start. Much of the course was along a scenic asphalt bike path next to the Platte River. Fluid stations were frequent and staffed by enthusiastic volunteers. The shirts were high quality and the finisher medals and award winner fleece vests were extra special. The Casper Marathon was obviously an event put on by runners for runners. I highly recommend it.

Information about this race being a small, boutique marathon was right on the mark. I have yet to run in a mega-marathon, but this one, by far, had the fewest participants.

Don't run Casper expecting it to be your number one summer destination, or if you expect applause by hundreds along the sidelines. It's relatively no-thrills in that regard.

DO run this race, however, for its small-town hospitality, great-individualized attention, and superb organization. The Casper Marathon doesn't try to be something it isn't, and it doesn't make any false promises. It's kept simple, but it fully delivers. Plus, the pre- and post-race accommodations (as far as food and shelter) are the best I've seen. Transportation and the affordable host hotel were both very convenient. From talking with other participants, I got a sense that we were all a part of something special because of its limited size. People from all across the country, with different stories and different reasons, chose this small race - and I truly got a sense of camaraderie among the fellow-runners, more than ever before, because we were all in it together.

Despite this race's size, it offers nice medals, face towels, great t-shirts, prizes, and again, good food.

Other boutique runs I do yearly should take note of Casper - you don't have to offer big thrills to have a great event.

The relief stations were well stocked with water, sport drink, energy gel, and friendly volunteers. The course itself stayed interesting, mostly following the Platte River, with a few neighborhoods and parks here and there.

If I had to nitpick, or make any type of suggestions, here they are:

1. Perhaps one or two more water stops (maybe it just seemed like they were spaced out farther toward the end because I was getting tired!).
2. There's a college in town, and Casper is home to the Wyoming Symphony Orchestra - how about getting a little more of the community involved by having a band or choir or something at some point along the course just to offer a little more spirit? (I know I said above not to expect huge crowds, but I think a little more local flavor could easily be spun into this run.)
3. Don't order the fierce, tremendous wind! It had us all beat! Deny it entry!