The race was very cold and windy (duh, it's April in Kansas), but overall flat and enjoyable. The first half was uneventful around the mall and on the streets of Olathe, with the second half having great scenery through the bike trail. The support staff was awesome and the aid stations were well spaced. The finisher tech shirts were good quality with a great front design, only bummer was by the time I finished there were no ladies fit left in my size. Massage tent was great and the food was good. Overall, great first marathon experience. Small race, but good atmosphere despite cold, windy conditions.

This race was billed as The Oz Marathon, and it was a very cool theme and a whole lot of fun. Quite a few runners were dressed as characters from The Wizard of Oz. There were ample portacans on the course. Aid stations were well spaced with a good variety of fluids and foods, and volunteers were friendly. The course is mostly flat. A few miles are run around a mall, but most of it is an out and back on a paved bike trail that is largely protected from wind. Logistcally it was an easy venue as the marathon starts and ends in the parking lot of Garmin World Headquarters in Olathe, KS. There was plenty of parking and we found a space only about 50 yds from the start line. The finish area was not far away either, just on the back side of the Garmin building. The finisher's medal is not fancy but it is unique. The shirt is a decent tech shirt with Oz Marathon graphics on the front and a blank back, a nice difference from the usual sponsor billboard back.... We stayed at a LaQuinta which was less than 2 miles from the start, just up the street on West 151st St and they were very accomodating, would stay there again.

Hearing the wind howl outside when I woke up race morning made me question what I had gotten myself into! Bucking a 20 to 30 mph wind from the parking garage to the start line at Garmin HQ re-inforced the feeling that this might not really be want I want to do today! Running into the wind through a mall parking lot and jumping over rabbit roadkill made me wonder why Dorothy ever wanted to come back to Kansas!! But then we moved on to the residential streets of Olathe and onto the bike path along a pretty stream, sheltered from the wind and the run became more and more enjoyable.

The out-and-back on the path allowed you to encourage others and receive the same encouragement in return.

Just to make sure that I wouldn't forget the wind, the last half mile to the finish was out in the open and left me with a reminder of what Kansas is all about.

It was a fun race - well organized, small, friendly - and I would recommend it. There are plenty of hotels in the area and the Microtel I stayed at was more than accommodating for a late checkout.

I guess I missed out on the finisher's shirt, so it would be nice if they were near where the medals were handed out - or maybe they were and I just missed them, in which case, oh well!

Good stuff: Volunteers were some of the best I've seen even with the cold, windy weather. Plenty of water stations/Gatorade - even gummy bears, Twizzlers, and pretzels.

The course: although the first part was really windy, the second half was on a scenic bike trail out and back - well protected and relatively flat. The last mile was a little tough, with headwind and small uphill. Fun to see all of the Wizard of Oz costumes!

Plenty of places to stay and eat in Olathe.

Potential: course seemed to measure long on my Garmin Forerunner (and others), but not a huge deal. By the way: where was Garmin? They would have been a popular booth at the expo. I agree with other comments that it would have been nice to use their facilities before the race, especially with the chilly weather, but maybe it's a security issue.

This isn't a big-time marathon with a huge number of spectators... but if you're looking for a well organized, friendly, and fairly flat course in Kansas, this marathon is the one!

I'll be back, and maybe with Toto too.

I'll divide my comments into the three ratings categories:

Course:
The course is relatively flat, with just enough ups and downs to keep it interesting. I really enjoyed the miles on the running trail... very relaxing and scenic, if you like running in the woods with parks and streets every so often. The first several miles, though, are exposed if it is windy (as it was in 2011... gusts in the high 20 mph range). More notably, though, is that the course is quite crowded until the full and half split. This would be an area for improvement.

Organization: Olathe is well organized and offers a good value for the entry fee. We received both a cotton race shirt and a nice, tech, finisher shirt. The medal is quite nice, too. More importantly, perhaps, is that the race is well supported, with ample and well-stocked aid stations. If you are used to big races, though, keep in mind that the stations are shorter. More than once I skipped the first table, only to find that I had missed the water and was left with Gatorade. My mistake, of course. One thing I wondered is why Garmin, the title sponsor, didn't allow access to their HQ building before the race. That would have opened up some restrooms as well as a place to warm up a bit. (On that note... they do need more port-a-pots at the start.)

Fans: Although Olathe is a Kansas City suburb, this felt a lot like a rural or small-town race. As such, you won't see big crowds of fans. The path, in fact, is sparse except for the aid stations. However, those who turn out are energetic and friendly. Some residents in the neighborhoods had stuff like water and pretzels for the runners. That is always cool to see.

All in all, Olathe is a fun, enjoyable race... well worth the trip to the Kansas City area.

Even though it was very cold, the marathon course was enjoyable and the 3:40 pacers were good. The packet pick up should have had a table for buying throw-away gloves due to the cold weather. Also, we should have been given space blankets at the finish. And, it would have been nice if Garmin would have been present before or after the race. I think the Oz theme is fun and more can be done with it. I am glad I ran it even though I was so cold that I didn't stick around to pick up my third-place age group award.

I brought my iPod and never turned it on; the runners and crowd were way more fun. Watch out for me next year. I'm going for the full marathon.

My husband and I stayed at Holiday Inn Olathe Medical Center and they were very hospitable and courteous, allowing for a late checkout.

Small "expo" at packet pick-up - mainly a few vendors handing out information and deals.

Shirts are a big hit! Nice design on gender-specific fit. Thank you! AND all marathon finishers also receive a tech shirt. Cool!

The course is "open," however the city of Olathe did an excellent job protecting us from any traffic. The first half is through town, while the second half is on a paved trail. There are a few minor hills, but certainly nothing to panic about.

Volunteer support on the course is impeccable.

What the spectators lack in volume they make up for in enthusiasm, but there really aren't too many.

I am looking forward to running this race again!

Well organized event. For those who like small races, it is perfect. Folks are extremely friendly and I really am grateful for the lady at the package pick-up who let me get my packet even though I was 30 minutes late and they were already packed up. That's the willingness of these folks to make your experience great. Wind was incredible as you traversed the high school parking lot during the last mile, but hey, it wouldn't be Kansas without wind! The post-race chicken sandwich was great, but I think they ran out of smoothies. I recommend they save some for the marathoners and don't give them all out to the 5K and 1/2 marathoners.

Waiting in line at Bass Pro Shops just to get a race number that could have been emailed seemed silly and a waste of time. Marathoners, half marathoners, and 5kers had to get in the same line. They needed emergency contact info before they could give you your number. The area was tiny and there wasn't much to exhibit unless you wanted to buy a bass boat. The race seemed to run a corner every block until the half and full separated and then the full was one long run out and back on a bike trail. Didn't get to see much of Kansas or Olathe. The white cotton t-shirt at the expo was a bit disappointing and 'all in one'. Fortunately there was a finisher's tech shirt after the marathon. Post race food although advertised as 'a taste of Olathe' turned out to be grilled chicken teriyaki (not bad). And that was it for the food that I saw. There was free beer and canned tea. The beer (BL Lime, BL, Mich Ultra, and Shock Top) was good for those of us who like beer.

Conspicuously absent was Garmin. Although the race started and ended at Garmin HQ, Garmin was nowhere to be seen. What a missed opportunity to push their products.

Whatever the downside, the folks of Olathe were simply great. Super nice and super supportive. And although I wouldn't consider Olathe a destination, the flat course was a plus even if the weather that day was a bit of a challenge.

If you like small, homey, and want to knock out 26.2 miles in the middle of the country, this is a good race. Water stops were plentiful and the volunteers were as good or better than any other race.

The bling was nice. Not amazing and not terrible. Just a nice addition to the collection. I was a bit surprised the race was using the old tag/chip technology (not even Champion Chip).

Changes I would make: different t-shirts for each race. Different location for the expo. Different lines for each race entry. More post-race food/options. Use the 'new' d-tag or b-tag vice the 'clip and return' chips. Get Garmin on board!