This marathon:
-offers limited scenery
-has a very small field
-is well-organized
-is embraced by the town

Abilene is a very small town that opened its arms to folks from all over the nation.

PRE-RACE:
Friday evening the check-in was easy. A pasta dinner was offered across the street at the local church. Wonderful food and a great chance to meet other runners. Well organized!

RACE DAY:
The church was opened up for runners to stay warm in prior to the start. They had a great place to check your gear bag, which was nice. They also offered pre-race food (bagels, cereal, etc.) prior to the start. Promptly at 7 a.m. we were off.

COURSE:
Rolling hills with not a lot to look at. As a city-boy, I would call these "back roads." Once past the half-marathon turn-around, the course offered more hills and more wind. The nice thing was that the wind would be great on the return. This course runs out and back.

The aid stations were awesome! Gatorade and water at every stop. Can't recall the number of stations, but it seemed like every 2 miles we had something offered to us! Also, port-a-johns were scattered perfectly throughout this course.

POST RACE:
Back to the church for pancakes, sausage, PB&J sandwiches, fruit, cereal, and just about anything you wanted... WOW!

ORGANIZATION:
These folks in Abilene are wonderful people! They made the entire visit seem too short. The roads were safe to run on, the aid workers were upbeat and supportive, AND the folks checking us in were welcoming. Everyone seemed to have a smile on their face, which was refreshing.

LODGING:
Stayed at the Super 8. Great rate. We asked for a late check-out. We were told to keep our things off the beds and they would get into the rooms to get the bedding linens. They did this so that we could come back and shower before heading out. They did this for all the marathoners. It was an awesome gesture on their part!

THINKING ABOUT THIS RACE:
If you are a 50-stater and you need Kansas, this marathon would be a great choice. You are not a number in a big crowd. From entering the town until you leave, I really think you'll be impressed... I was!

Nice "out and back" course - not flat but lacking any really steep hills. Moderate headwind on the way out, but that turned into a tailwind coming back. Well stocked aid stations and some spectators provided extra water along the course.

The course is rural, so not many spectators, but the ones that are along the course are enthusiastic, especially in the park area.

It was pretty well organized, except the start was a little haphazard. The 5K and 10K was supposed to start 30 minutes after the marathon and half, but no one announced that and some of those runners started with the marathoners. It was listed on the website as starting 30 minutes later, but should have been clarified by the race officials. I didn't particularly like the bibs with the chips because they seemed heavy, but I didn't really notice it during the race.

Overall, a good experience, and I would recommend it for anyone who likes small marathons and small towns.

The course is primarily rural and flat, travelling through farmland with long, straight stretches of road. About 4 miles are spent running through a park, which is quite pretty. The volunteers are among the friendliest I've ever encountered, real sweethearts. If you need the hype and energy of a major urban marathon, you probably won't be considering this one anyway, and shouldn't: you're alone for long stretches of the race, and the announcements at the finish line stop after the winners finish. The race is small, and has the same supportive, community feel as does Boston (many signs in front of homes, people sitting in lawn chairs in the front yards who stand and cheer you as you pass...). This race is a class act, and I would definitely do it again.

I ran the 5K on April 5, 2008. It was my first 5K, and I thought everything went very well. The brunch was delicious. The volunteers were excellent.

The only thing I disliked was that the participants' names, phones, and addresses were available to everyone on a handout.

It would be great if this race had more participants. However, the fact that it is small is good for beginners because that means your competition is less, and you are more likely to "win."

My friends and I participated for fun - and fun we had.

This is an outstanding little marathon. The course is pancake flat - there are inclines and declines, but they are long and gentle, so hardly noticeable. Wonderful volunteer support with aid stations at every mile. You run primarily on a nicely paved highway, which they shut down completely for the runners. The pasta dinner the night before is good and quite a bargain. They also stuff you full of pancakes after the race. Unfortunately we had some pretty strong headwinds for half of the race this year, but this is a PR course for anyone as long as the weather cooperates. I couldn't give higher stars for spectators just because there are never huge crowds in a small race, but those who came out were very supportive. I would recommend it to anyone.

What stands out the most about this race are the friendly people. From the gas station attendant, when I first got into town, to the packet pickup, course volunteers and post-race activities. What great people - the Violas should be proud to have their name associated with this race.

The course is an out-and-back that runs South of town. A small portion of it runs through a park, with the majority of it in a typical Midwest Country setting. There are hills along the course; it seemed like I was either always going up one or down one. But they were of low-grade - nothing steep, just gentle rolling hills. The course was completely closed to traffic. We owned both lanes from start to finish, with only an occasional farm truck slipping in from the gravel roads. Overall, the course would have been easy, if it wasn't for a strong southerly wind.

The organization was excellent. Picking up the packet was fast and easy. There was plenty of parking, close to the start/finish line. They even had a shuttle service to the local motels that would pick you up in the morning. There were more than enough aid stations along the course. The "Welcome Runners" signs in people's yards and in front of businesses as you drove through town was a neat touch.

The spectators where mainly near the start/finish, and in the park, with an exception of a few scattered throughout the course.

A special thank you to the Viola family member who assisted me after the race. She covered me in a Mylar blanket, walked me into the church (where they had an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet for the runners), sat me down and brought me my food.... Will you adopt me?

Mike from Wichita and the Hotel neighbor from Illinois: Good luck in your future runs and I hope to see you both again.

The folks in Abilene are about as good as it gets for small-town marathons. The organization is first-rate, the support on the course is superb, and the day goes by fast. This was my third at Eisenhower, and the one thing that is constant, and shouldn't surprise anyone, is the wind. No matter, it will get you on the way out or on the way back. Still, wind or not, this is the best kind of marathon. A community effort that comes off well.

The City of Abilene is also wonderfully accommodating. Most of the motels offer runners' discounts, and while it's a small place, it has a nice charm. It is a western city and looks and feels it.

I'll be back (maybe it won't be windy next year... nah).

Drove 12 hours from Wisconsin and got my 9th state with a smile. Still PR'd even though it turned out to be a record cold and windy day in Abilene. The race was very well organized and the volunteers were great. I just wish that this race was closer to Milwaukee and I'll be running it every year! Thanks for a great race and keep it small!!

People back home asked me why I went all the way to Kansas to run 26.2 miles. What better way to see and experience somewhere that you have never been? The course was very pretty, rolling and spectator-friendly if you like being in the country. If you want a big-city race with one million spectators, then go somewhere else. Of my 33 marathons (including Boston and New York), I rank the Eisenhower near the top. Very friendly people from packet pick up to being wrapped in a Mylar blanket at the finish. Volunteers were wonderful with plenty of water, PowerAde, Gu, etc. every mile. It's the only marathon that I have ever run where I could see the next water stop from the one I was at. The town definitely supports the race with welcome banners and signs. I did witness one volunteer at a water stop take off her gloves and give them to a runner who wasn't wearing any. Also, in the park, a small boy handed me a cup of PowerAde and said, "Here, drink this. It's good for you." He was still there handing out PowerAde on my return trip. A wonderful experience for me and my family. My son loved looking at and climbing on the trains. I would definitely recommend this marathon.

It was 21 degrees at 7 a.m., as the race began - and with the wind chill, it felt much colder. Things warmed up fairly quickly as the sun was rising. Beautiful sunrise! Kansas sunrises are the best on earth.

I ran the 1/2 marathon. There were lots of water stations - but all had icy water. Organizers need to find some way to keep the water warmer. I got a brain freeze at one station and then couldn't drink until the finish. Not what you want when you are out in 20-degree weather. A later start would have been nice - maybe 8 or 9....

Nice course. I will come back next year.