Besides the heat and the sparse crowd, this marathon was excellent. The course wound around the city through residential areas and through a very welcome shaded park. My most vivid memory was when I had finished and sitting on a chair and a woman that I did not know, came up to me and brought me a drink and an orange - exactly what was needed.

One suggestion is to start the marathon either at 6 or 6:30 to avoid the heat somewhat or move the marathon to early May or late April. The hills were a bit more than expected, but not terrible.

Course was not as flat as published although the trail was flat. Hills were mainly normal residential type hills but certainly the hills were not just on the overpasses as they described in the brochure. They ran out of water at mile 6 and I got there at the 1:01 mark. There were a lot of people behind me too. It was the closest water stop to the 15k turn-around and that may have been the reason they miscalculated how much water to have out but with the water stops only at every other mile, it was too hot and too long to go from 4-8 miles without water. For a race at this time of year they should have water at every mile which would be easy because for the most part it's an out and back course. Although volunteers were great with lots of encouragement and music, there were hardly any spectators to cheer you on unless your family was there. Police officers were great. Sometimes as many as 3 in each intersection.

This course is very well marked, taking a wrong turn or getting lost should not be a concern to anyone who runs this event. Miles and miles of pylons to assure the safety of the runners, mile markers clearly posted at every mile, and plenty of volunteers to assure that runners are going in the appropriate direction, Olathe PD did an excellent job of providing traffic control. Spectator support was sparse but of those who were present were very vocal and supportive. Aid stations were well organized, and the aid station volunteers were vocally supportive to the runners, I was especially impressed with the volunteers at the finish line, they were very accommodating, and attentive to any potential needs, and several volunteers shook my hand and congratulated me as I passed through the line. I was quite taken back by all the attention at the finish line.

Overall this was a well organized event, I would like to commend the race director and the volunteers who worked hard to provide an organized and safe event for the runners.

PS...Prior to the start of the race the National Anthem of Japan was performed (in addition to the American National Anthem) in honor of a participant who had traveled from Japan to compete in the Olathe Marathon... A very classy gesture. Again, thanks to all who participated in this event.

This was my sixth marathon and the most organized I've been in. The aid stations were manned by energetic volunteers serving ice-cold water and Gatorade (plus fruit and GU at several stops). Miles were clearly marked and the course was easily accessible for family and friends. The trail portion of the course is a nice change from most marathons. The traffic control was tremendous. If the run took place a month earlier, it would be a treat (it was 78 degrees when I finished).

The race was a little more hilly than the description that I had heard (flat & fast), however, the changing terrain made for a fun and interesting race. From 2 lane roads, to 4 lane roads, to bike trails. The spectator morale was great and helped to push me to finish. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that they lumped myself, a wheelchair racer, in with the handcyclists. The handcyclists have an advantage in that their chair has 27 gears, where as my chair only has 1 gear... me! I would suggest that the organizers split up these two different chairs because of this disadvantage/advantage and to make it more fair.

I think the organization of this race was excellent as well as the course. It was flat and well protected by the city.

My only gripe, and it's an important one, is that there wasn't enough water in the last leg of the race. From about 18 miles on I really needed fluid, but they spaced the stations too far apart. That's the easy one to fix. The other points are more important and I'd still recommend this race highly.

For a first time marathon, you did an outstanding job. The course offered just enough elevation changes to keep it interesting without being difficult. The course support was strong. Finishing on the track was a nice touch, even though the stands weren't filled.

This was my first marathon. It was a great course, very flat. It was very well organized with plenty of water/Gatorade stops. Some of the stops also had fruit. The weather was perfect. Great volunteers and police support for intersections. Spectators were sparse, but I believe that will improve with the next runs. I am looking forward to running this in 2004 also.

I just wanted to say thanks to you and the City of Olathe for hosting the marathon. I loved it. I was looking for my first marathon to enter and the Olathe Marathon was a perfect fit. It was close to home so if the race did not go well for me physically, home and friends would not be far away. Races do not always go that well for 52 year-olds. An additional benefit turned out to be the fans than cheered me on during the race. They were great! The race was small enough my cheering section met me at five different locations. I loved the course and the volunteers did a fantastic job. The Police Department did an excellent job working the intersections. I was pleasantly surprised when my sister from Humboldt, Kansas called me later in the afternoon to congratulate me based on the results that were posted on www.olathemarathon.com. Nice job, extremely quick! Based on my experience in the Olathe Marathon, I intend to return next year and run in other marathons as well. Later in 2003 I ran in the Des Moines Marathon and was successful there, but I still like Olathe the best. See you in '04.

The only regret I have about the race is that I didn't finish faster. Next time I'd like to see you please shorten the last 6 or 7 miles, as I think that would dramatically improve my time.

In all seriousness, though, I thought they put together a *great* race. I can't say enough about how well protected (from traffic) and how well marked the course was. The aid stations were great, and you could tell the volunteers had been uniformly trained so you could always count on 'water in front, Gatorade in back' at every aid station (about every 2 miles).

I gave the course 5 stars. How could I not? It passes within a mile of my house at several points and my wife and little boys came out to cheer me on all over the place!

I have run 4 marathons (all fairly small) & this one was probably the best organized.