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☰
Eisenhower Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Eisenhower Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 119 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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J. R. from Longmont, CO
(4/14/2014)
 "Missing some key components" (about: 2014)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Eisenhower Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Not a bad race all in all, but, it's missing a few key components in my opinion. 1) We started 8 minutes late so more people could use the bathroom. Obviously those that were in line were happy, but the rest of us were pretty annoyed as it was chilly and very windy. I've never seen a race wait for people, and in my opinion it's their responsibility to allow for enough time and if you didn't, sorry. 2) There was no finish line clock. That's something I've never seen before. Most of us wear watches, but for the spectators, combined with the late start, it was confusing to know if your runner was making their goal or not. 3) That is one confusing course.The park loops had 10k runners, half-marathoners, and full marathoners all over the course, often running in different directions. There were signs, but honestly, with so many people running in different directions, often straight at each other, it was pretty tricky to navigate and there were many people confused. 4) 48 hours later, the results still aren't posted, despite using chip timing. The pros: the course is pretty fast, with just a few rolling hills, and lots of water stops. The volunteers were abundant and very friendly. Running through the park, when not confusing, was really nice. I did not attend the pre-race pasta dinner, though the post-race pancake breakfast seemed to be a hit. I didn't eat any but others appeared to be enjoying it. Overall, I don't think it's a bad marathon, and it wouldn't take much to improve it. A clock, a few more volunteers in the park, and perhaps staggered starts to reduce congestion in the park. Those don't cost much money and would go a long way to improving the race. | |
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J. P. from Sioux Falls, SD
(4/23/2013)
"Nice small town event" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Eisenhower Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The city of Abilene puts on a nice marathon with friendly volunteers. But the course is nothing special and was a bit confusing to negotiate- I witnessed several runners that definitely went the wrong way on the second marathon loop. I even had to stop and ask course marshalls if I was going in the right direction. Mileage signs also added to the confusion by being nonexistent in some cases. Otherwise the expo, breakfast/dinner, and starting lines are all conveniently located with ample parking available... and the post-race pancakes were awesome. If running fifty states this isn't a bad Kansas option, but definitely not the best marathon to run because of the boring course. | |
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z. z. from San Diego
(4/23/2013)
 "I Like (Ike) This Marathon" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Eisenhower Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a fun day in Abilene, Kansas! Everything was perfect - organized, aid stations, great volunteers, packet, parking, finishers pancakes, super nice people, and the weather! I usually don't like doing 2 lap events but didn't mind here since it was a beautiful and relaxing course. | |
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R. K. from West Point, Nebraska
(4/19/2013)
 "Really enjoyed this race with small effect." (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Eisenhower Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Very enjoyable course and race. Especilly liked the miles through the park. I will admit 4 times over the same course gets monotonous, but the course was well marked and well staffed. The Big City venues have their own flavor and draw, but in my opinion you just can't beat these small town races with easy access, inexpensive accommodations and lots of local flavor. I would recommend this event for anyone qualifying for Boston, wanting a pr, or just wanting a friendly atmosphere in which to run. It is a flat, reasonably fast course. | |
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Joe Leiker from Topeka, KS
(4/15/2013)
"2013 changes not good" (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 4-5 Eisenhower Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It's a great marathon that is well organized by a very nice group of people but the changes they made for 2013 were definitely for the worse. The full marathon runners had to run the course twice, the new loop added in at the beginning of the course made it seem like you were seeing the same scenery for almost the entire race, and there was no mile marker at mile 1, 11, or 13. Thought they dropped the ball on this one, I've run this several times before and the course and organization was great, but I would think twice about running it again after my experience this year. | |
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J. B. from Aberdeen, SD
(5/22/2012)
 "A great small marathon" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Eisenhower Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 A very enjoyable and well-done small marathon. The organizers did a great job and the support on the course and at the water stations. The few spectators on the course were very supportive. Strongly recommend for a Kansas marathon. | |
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M. I. from Pittsburgh, PA
(5/14/2012)
"A great small-town race" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Eisenhower Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 My 25th marathon, and I loved it. Pros - Easy to get to packet pickup, easy to park on race-day. - I enjoyed the Eisenhower museum, a bit of a history buff. - Food & snacks before and after the race were great: I'd never tried pancakes after a full, and I liked it. Cons: - The rolling hills didn't get to me much, but combined with the headwinds in the beginning, you could burn yourself out if you pushed it early. - I stayed in Wichita, which was probably a mistake (2 hour drive each way). Getting a hotel closer means booking one earlier than I did. | |
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sabra cohen from Marietta, GA
(4/30/2012)
"over all a wonderful city to run a marathon" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Eisenhower Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Everyone was so nice and welcoming. The volunteers seemed to enjoy themselves! The mile marker/hydration stations were tops! Very well done for fueling the runners. The spaghetti dinner and the breakfast were just wonderful. The only thing that was a snag for me was not being told my chip was not in my race packet!! Panic at 10pm. Thank you June for calming me down. You rock. Thank you all. Kansas is great except for the tornados that night!!! | |
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J. T. from New York
(4/16/2012)
"Rolling Hills, Great course support Not PR cours" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Eisenhower Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 First, the volunteers are fantastic! The Pasta meal was excellent.. The food, fruit, water electrolytes were abundant. The course is well marked. The course is closed so traffic not an issue. For most of the race other than other marathoners and volunteers there are no other people... you are running with open fields on both sides... you can see a long way... The rolling hills are gentle, but there are a lot of them and some of them seem to go on forever... We had very high winds in your face for about the first 8 miles then about 8 miles of 90 degree winds and the rest on you back... The winds were strong enough and gusting enough so that effected balance at times. While the course officially closed after 6 hours meaning the roads were opened to traffic the state police escorted those still on the course the race organizers and volunteers were at the finish line to welcome all finishers and present them with finishers medal. | |
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D. T. from Florida
(2/27/2012)
 "One of my favorites!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Eisenhower Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is just about my favorite marathon of my 36. Small and fun. While hotel space is lacking (worth the short drive to a neighboring town), the race is fantastic. The pasta party is a must, not only because dining options are so limited in this small town, but because the Knights of Columbus put on a class act with their service. I felt like I was amongst family with this group. Midwest hospitality is no joke here. The crowds may have been thin due to this race being held in farm country, but the spectators were very enthusiastic. Rolling hills the whole way were not too bad, even for this Florida girl. Well marked course with adequate water, etc. I chose this race as a Boston qualifier and to check Kansas off my state list. Prooved to be a great choice. I comfortably qualified, as did many that I met after the race. If you go, poke around the Eisenhower museum afterward. There's not much else to do anyway, and it is quite interesting. |
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