Okay, if the 35 mph winds could be removed, the marathon was perfect. Brookings is an inviting town that has a nice and varied course. There were plenty of scenery changes, with a beautiful stretch or two of tree-lined trail.

For a small marathon, Brookings produced huge amounts of course support. I don't know if anyone living on the course knew about the marathon, but the people on the course were helpful and enthusiastic in the face of sleet and an unrelenting wind chill. Hats off to all the volunteers!

The course can definitely be one to set a PR on, as it has barely any hills to speak of, and the couple inclines are short and not very steep.

Great organization, flawless from start to finish from what I experienced. Andy did a great job organizing things, and he was a very pleasant and gracious race director.

Anyone looking for a nice, quiet and well run marathon will be happy in Brookings, where you do not have to pay an arm and a leg to enjoy the experience. Post-race food at Cubby's in the downtown area is topnotch for burgers and beer. Oh, check out the University Museums of Art and Agriculture if you have time. Very worthwhile.

Brookings was my first marathon, and I have to say that it was an ordeal. Ok, I made all of the classic 1st-timer mistakes: I ran the first half of the marathon like it was a 10K, and I ran stairs the day before. I suffered.

The weather made it even worse, because the winds were blowing from 15 to 28 mph, and the temp never did get above 39. Phew! Nevertheless, the volunteers were great, and the course was scenic. Next time, I'll bring a hat, gloves, and spandex tights! And yeah, I'm doing this again.

These folks could teach the course on race organization. Just about everything you could want was there; hotel shuttles before and after, easy packet pick-up, lots of aid stations and remarkable volunteers. The course is flat, and varied in terms of parks and neighborhoods, making it interesting to run along. I loved McCrory Gardens, and the Historic District. It does twist a lot, but there are cheerful volunteers at every turn to point the way for you. It was cold, and they were standing still, but still managed to cheer us on with warm smiles and encouragement. Between them and the aid stations, you never ran for too long without getting support. They also had medical folks spaced throughout the course, and a team of bicyclists to keep an eye on us all. Massage therapists were standing by at the end of the race, no charge - thanks, April, I feel great today!

There was a half marathon, and the split off was very well marked - made it fun to run with them for 11 miles or so. There's also a relay division. Another feature: Only full marathoners wore an extra number on our backs - so you knew as you approached someone if they were in your race or not. Indoor bathrooms at the start and at spots along the way (in the parks), supplemented by porta-potties in good number.
Prizes recognized the WAVA Age-Graded quality times, and money awarded accordingly, which is fantastic news for all of us Masters runners - truly a thoughtful and most appreciated feature.

Billy Mills was the pasta dinner speaker - then on marathon morning was also out in the cold with us at the beginning and then along the 22 mile marker hours later cheering us on. It was pretty cool to have an Olympian clapping for you!

Even the shirt is classy; a nice, long-sleeved one, without all the advertisers all over the thing.
Brookings is a college town, about 50 miles north of Sioux Falls (there's an airport there), and you can stay for the weekend fairly inexpensively.

It was a little chilly and windy, but that's May in the Midwest, and once you warm-up, much better for running than is the heat. Note too, as the race director pointed out at the start: 'At least we aren't in Fargo!' [The Fargo, ND Marathon was the same day, and due north of Brookings; they had snow, colder conditions, and more wind.]

This is a race that should grow. I would love to return and see if I couldn't do even a little better next year, maybe a PR. I'd recommend it to first and to experienced marathoners.

The run along bike paths and through the parks was great. Well organized with lots of volunteers (who were also cheering)! There would have been no reason for anyone to take the wrong turn (and there were quite a few). Everything about this marathon was perfect - except the WIND! Brookings is a beautiful town. Thanks for the hospitality.

Fan-wise, the Brookings Marathon may be cursed by the weather gods. Today's wind (gusts to 35 mph out of the NW) wasn't good for anybody, but the cool temperatures and flat course made it possible to break the PR I set here last year by three minutes.

The course is well marked with plenty of volunteers. Naturally, a small marathon like this isn't going to attract spectators in this kind of weather, but several groups along the route brightened the overcast day.

The refreshment stand was well stocked, results were displayed quickly and plenty of traffic workers kept the course safe.

A bonus was the free talk by Billy Mills the night before the race. He stayed in town Saturday for the race to greet runners along the course and at the finish line.

A first-class experience all the way.

The 2004 Brookings Marathon was my first marathon and will always be special to me. I grew up in Brookings but have been gone for almost 9 years. This race provided the opportunity to run by my elementary, middle, and high schools, the university where I spent many nights watching Jackrabbit basketball, and down the street where I grew up. Thanks to the race organizers who developed an excellent course that allowed me to remember the good times I had in Brookings. I will be back for the half-marathon next year!

As someone who has run the Longest Day Marathon on its former course three times, I can say that the only thing in common was the distance.

The course was great. You never had miles and miles heading in one direction against the wind. It was well-marked on largely flat pavement that stretched through a number of neighborhoods, which brought life to the race.

The volunteers were helpful and encouraging, especially considering it was much better weather to run in than to sit and direct traffic in. The temperature was 36 degrees at the 7 a.m. start (a little cool, but not after a couple miles) and 44 degrees about noon. The weather and plenty of aid stations meant no one had to be concerned about dehydration.

The course was well marked and fast. The small town atmosphere made for a welcoming environment. The fans were supportive and friendly. I enjoyed running in town with little if no traffic. Great race.

I have run 11 different marathons and a total of 15. I thought the Brookings Marathon was one of the best I've run! The cool temperature, great organization, scenic course and wonderful volunteers make this race hard to beat. Thanks to the race director and all the many volunteers - you did a wonderful job! I enjoyed the weekend in Brookings; the size of the town made for a relaxing marathon weekend, if that's possible!

What a incredible turn around this race has made!! The former Longest Day Marathon was two loops out into the prairie where your biggest battle was always against the wind and there virtually no spectators. The new Brookings Marathon is AWESOME! They have a event for everyone. From the Friday evening Scotty Roberts 5K to the marathon, half marathon, and marathon relay. I can't begin to tell you how impressed I was with everything!

A great pasta feed on Friday night, a speaker to get people pumped up, a great course, wonderful volunteers, excellent aid stations, there were not a huge amount of spectators but the ones there were cheering very loudly. My hat goes off to Race Director Andy Stockholm, Bob Bartling, Doc Roberts, and the many other folks including the city of Brookings for making this event such a sucess! Without doubt I will be back to run this great event again, and I would say if you're looking for a race where you are not running elbow to elbow the whole way, is fun, excellent course, great volunteers, and very well organized, the Brookings Marathon is for you!!!

Dick Beardsley