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May 3, 2024

Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon) Runner Comments

Back to Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon) Information & Reviews

Course 3.8

Organization 4.1

Spectators 3.1

Number of comments: 147 [displaying comments 61 to 71]

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R. K. from KC, MO (4/12/2010) "Good, small marathon; improving." (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Nice, small marathon. Course is mainly flat, through residential and business areas, and paved trails. Don't expect many spectators. Wonderful volunteers, organizers and emergency people. Only negative: I was running with the 4:50 pace group and there was no water at the first or second aid stations. There was Gatorade only at the first aid station, and nothing at the second. I'm sure organizers will correct this error.
B. S. from Iowa (4/11/2010) "Good small-town race" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I made a last-minute decision to drive down and do this race, as I was scheduled for a 20-mile training run on race day. I had no expectations and came away satisfied with the race as a whole. Registration/packet pickup and location: It took only a few minutes to register and pick up my cotton t-shirt, number, and chip on Friday evening. There are plenty of hotels and dining options in the area. Course: The course is very flat, as advertised. The first 6 miles are a monotonous grind around a deserted mall and business area. Mile 6 through 12 are through average, if unspectacular, residential areas. Mile 12 to the finish are an out-and-back along a relatively nice bike path. The path is open to the public, so you must be aware of bicyclists, walkers, and pets! The loop around the high school just before the finish is desolate, and you have to run over speed bumps. If you're looking for thousands of screaming fans to energize you through the race, you're not going to find that here. Fan support through most of the course is nonexistent. The few fans there were, however, cheered mightily for everyone. Course management and support: The course is well managed, with a slew of police handling traffic and plenty of volunteers directing you in the right direction. There are ample water stops and 3 GU stations are the most I've seen at any race. One issue with the water/GU stations is that most of them along the bike path are staffed only on one side, meaning that you will have people going in opposite directions coming into them at the same time, which makes for some difficulties. Lastly, at some spots in the residential areas, the cones laying out the course barely give you enough room to pass another runner without stepping into traffic. Finish/post-race: Once across the line you quickly receive water and your medal and get your chip removed. You're directed to a tent to receive your finisher's technical shirt and a very nice Dri-Fit hat. A few minutes later you can receive a slip of paper with your race time/pace and placement on it - a very nice touch. The finish area had good food choices - bananas, bagels, and yogurt. The chips and cheese from Taco John's were a great way to get some salty food, although I passed on the tacos! They also had smoothies and the Boulevard beer was stellar. Summary: I thoroughly enjoyed this race. If you're looking for large crowds, this isn't for you. If you want a small, well planned race with very friendly runners, organizers, and support staff - and don't mind racing in solitude - this is a great race for you.
C. C. from MS (4/11/2010) "A great, small marathon event" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This year it was hotter than expected, but not too bad. The course is really nice. It is run in pleasant neighborhoods and on a trail that goes out to 18 miles and then returns to the finish. The trail is also used by people on bikes, and several older ladies were dangerous on their bikes, running me off of the trail a couple of times. All in all, the marathon was an excellent event on a beautiful day.
Michael Martin from New Freedom, PA (4/11/2010) "Kudos to Olathe!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was a thoroughly enjoyable, mostly flat marathon experience with just enough inclines to make it interesting. The substantial part of the race that is run on a paved nature trail was perfect for focusing on the task at hand and also for buffeting some of the fairly strong headwinds. Besides those winds, it was a perfect day for a marathon. The race organizers did a great job putting this one together. With the modest entry fee, free massages, bonus finisher's shirt, and baseball cap at the finish line, this is one marathon that should not be missed for anyone looking for a smaller marathon with a friendly vibe.
T. B. from Stilwell, KS (4/24/2009) "Expensive Training Run" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon) COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I had originally signed up for the half-marathon, which they re-scheduled for the following weekend. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: The Good: More than enough porto-potties. Since the marathon was not being run, there were fewer people than expected, so no lines. But even if the marathon had been run that day, there were enough units to keep the lines to a minimum. Aid-Stations were plentiful and very well run. Kudos to the volunteers. Course support by police. Awesome. There were more police keeping traffic at bay than there were spectators. The Bad: The course was boring and uninspiring. In the race literature, they evoke memories of the historic old west and the stage coaches that ran through this area. We had to run around a mega-mall parking lot, through an undeveloped business district, through very dull residential neighborhoods, on a bike path, and ended with a run through a high school parking lot. YAAAWWWNNN. Olathe does have some historically significant places, but we saw none of them. To make matters worse, in some of the residential parts the cones were so close to the side of the road that you could not run two people side-by-side. The wind. Nothing the race people could control, but its late March/early April in Kansas. Wind is all but assured. False advertising on the beer and smoothies? When I finish a race, the last thing I want to eat is something sweet to eat or drink. Give me something salty, or savory. They advertised free beer from a local brewery. On the course at mile 11.5, they had a sign stating this fact. When I finished the race, I bypassed the sweet items and headed straight for the beer table. To my great dismay, the vendor gave a very apologetic speech saying that Kansas rules prevent the serving of beer before 10 a.m. The race started at 7 a.m., so unless you were running a 2:30 -3:00 half, you either were not getting beer, or you had to wait in the windy, cold weather until 10 a.m. If you waited, then I see a 12-step program in your future. Grrrr. I did not get my beer. I also never did see the Smoothie King vendor that was advertised. The Ugly: Lack of spectators. As I mentioned above, there seemed to be more police than spectators on the course. Those that did show up were very much appreciated. This was the first race where I could honestly say that I thanked EVERY spectator from mile 2 - 12. The medals. Very cheap looking. There were basically pre-printed stickers stuck to both sides of the medal. Bottom Line: The entry fee for this race was $50-$80 for the half depending on how far out you registered. I definitely did not feel like I got my money's worth. I would do this race again ONLY as an expensive training run, and nothing more. I would give it a D+ or C- grade.
c. b. from k.s. (4/10/2009) "A great race." (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 In the beginning I was disappointed the race was rescheduled. I understand now that the race directors had a very difficult decision to make and I believe they made the right decision. The course was very well marked, with plenty of aid stations. The volunteers were awesome and I never had to wait more than a second to receive a drink at any of the aid stations. Hats off to the fabulous job the traffic officers did. Every intersection was controlled and I felt safe the entire time. The course is very flat and fast. The course is a huge improvement from the old route. Only thing I would recommend changing would be the medals. The medals are small and not that attractive. But, I personally run the races for the memories, not the medals. I will be back next year.
D. R. from Iowa (4/9/2009) "Disappointed - not flat, weather issues" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I ran the half-marathon. This was my eighth. The favorable items include: great traffic control, perfect starting time, easy packet pickup, GU at mile 8 (not always for halfs), plenty of aid stations and porta-potties, and awesome pacers (almost) - the one I wanted was 10 minutes off pace (behind). The staff was very willing to respond to earlier emails I had in the months before the race. Main complaints: I drove 4 hours (twice - once for the first and then the final race), got my packet and was watching TV in my hotel when I found out it was rescheduled (not more than 2 hours after I picked up the materials). I wish that they would have mentioned they were considering postponing when I got my materials. The shirt and medal were cheap. There was no food at the end. I'd like to know what my entry money went for. The clock was broken, so I didn't know my finishing time. The weather really hurt what could have been an enjoyable time. First snow, then wind that drastically drained me. I know they had to make a difficult decision to postpone the race, which I feel was warranted, but those who came long distances had to shell out many extra dollars to enjoy this race, without many perks. I have run many flat half-marathon courses, and those that think this is flat are definitely wrong!! The course is a challenging course with a few hills and many inclines. At least now I can cross Kansas off of my list of states!!!
W. M. from Kansas City, MO (4/5/2009) "Disappointed" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I ran the half marathon on 4/4/09. The course was very narrow - at some points it was less than 6' wide. It was very boring, and when I crossed the finish line, there was no water. I guess it was gone?
D. M. from Kansas (4/5/2009) "Great first-time half" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Last November I set a goal of running my first half marathon and chose Olathe. I loved it. With no previous experience, I found every step - from registration to packet pickup to the race itself - to be easy. For what it is worth (from a newbie), here is what I liked. - I have Type I diabetes and I had some questions. The organizers returned phone calls and answered my emails. Great responsiveness. - I loved the new course. Much of the race ran through residential areas of Olathe. Unlike comments about previous courses, I didn't find the new course boring. - Excellent traffic management, with volunteers or police at every intersection on the entire course. I didn't see a single car slow down a runner. - The start was great. Since the full marathon was canceled due to bad weather on 3/28, parking was easy and close. Porta-potties were available in abundance. The Garmin location offered wind protection for my family as they waited for the race to start. - The spectators were few but almost every volunteer offered encouragement and smiles. My favorite: the Bikers for Runners aid station. Something about Harley riders offering encouragement, handing out liquids and picking up the trash made me smile. - The pacers from Runners Edge were abundant and encouraging. - Call me goofy, but I loved hearing my name announced as I crossed the finish line. The runners, runners' family members and volunteers were cheering. Very fun. So... in summary: I loved the event and I only have two negative comments. The t-shirt and medal are cheap. I know it is a cost issue, but I would have loved to get a better shirt that I could wear when I run. I will run Olathe next year.
R. K. from Overland Park, KS (11/28/2008) "Decent Race" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I moved to KS in February, and have run both the Olathe and KC Marathons. Both have an issue that I don't care for: a marathon course that merges with a half-marathon course to finish. If you are running sub-3 or thereabouts, you will be dodging and weaving walkers and joggers, often in pairs or small groups at that point, especially in the aid stations. This could be an easy fix (e.g., split the finish, which would be logistically more difficult for organizers; or split the road in half, and put marathon aid stations on left, half on the right). The course was fine, but definitely be prepared to suffer through the Kansas wind. The food at the finish was lacking. I know they were sponsored by Krispy Kreme, but when I asked for someone to open a box, the person said they were for sale! That was silly, to say the least. Finally, the massage line was long, filled with half-marathoners, so it would have been nice to split that line as well. I will run again; I hope they will iron out the kinks.

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