Big kudos to the citizens of Fargo! The volunteers and spectators were fantastic. It made running into the wind and the 26.2 miles not only tolerable but fun. I live in Seattle and you can run for miles with barely a spectator for our marathon. For those who don't run - believe me, the spectators are really important.

The volunteers were great and there were wonderful diversions such as the Blue Zone (even though the Blues Bros weren't there when we passed and we couldn't figure out what the blue zone was). The belly dancers and Margaritaville were amazing. Two comments - it would be helpful to know in advance where the toilets will be on the course and one more station of Gu would be nice.

The course was beautiful and finishing inside the dome with the big screen was a thrill!

Thanks Fargo! I'll be back (maybe for good - I fell in love with Fargo!).

The Fargo Dome is a great site for the expo, pre- and post-race activities. I was most impressed by the signage (the huge signs inside the dome that showed the race routes, rules, start times, etc.). And, the mile markers, arrows, and directions on the course were second to none. We stayed at the Hotel Donaldson in downtown Fargo. Recently re-done, very nice. Our room had a soaking tub/whirlpool that filled from the ceiling, king-size bed and two hi-def TVs. The meal at the hotel restaurant (HO DO) was great, as well. All in all, a great weekend for this flat-lander from MN.

Congrats to the organizers and citizens of Fargo as you people put on one amazing event. The local support on the marathon route was truly inspiring and gave me the juice to keep moving even when my legs felt like they had givin up. The shouts of "Go Canada" as folks saw my maple-leaf singlet were great, and the friendliness of everyone involved made this the best marathon experience I have had to date.
YOU ROCK, FARGO....

I have always enjoyed the Fargo 1/2 Marathon, so I chose the Fargo Marathon as my first and only marathon because I wanted see if I could finish it. I still feel that this may be my one and only marathon because it was so great that I think if I did another one, I would be disappointed. The people were great. The weather was great (especially because of no snow this year!). It was just a tremendous experience that I wish everyone could enjoy!!!! I never once had the feeling of... "I can't wait to be done." Thank you for an experience of a lifetime!!!!!!!

This was my first marathon and I absolutely can't wait until next year. The crowd support was awesome and running into the Fargodome with the jumbo screen was very cool.

The support from the community was unbelievable!! The course was beautiful. I will definitely be back next year. I was told "Welcome to Fargo" at least a hundred times throughout the weekend. The city was glad to have us there and I was glad to be there.

The finisher's medal was the nicest that I've received. A+ on design and quality.

Having the finish line inside the FargoDome was awe-inspiring. When I came around the corner and saw the finish line with all the people in the stands and heard my name being announced, it was a feeling I will never forget.

Hats off to the organization staff and the people of Fargo. It was nothing short of a pleasure to run your race and be in your city. I will see you all next year.

This is my 4th marathon this year, and this was by the far the best organized. These people know how to run an event. I'd run it again if I ever get these 50 states done. Plus I touched a troll!

It got even better than the near perfection of last year! Great course, wonderfully well organized event, and the most enthusiastic, friendly crowds you could imagine! Awesome shirts and medals too! And I can't forget the volunteers - second to none. I will be back!

Well run event! Beautiful course. City is great. Spectators and volunteers were exceptional. Everyone was so nice! Everything was easy except maybe running the 26.2 miles!

Overall I was pleased with the organization of the event. Beginning and ending in one place is a plus, but finishing inside the FargoDome was less than convenient. Who wants to run down an entrance ramp after 26 miles? And once across the finish line, the reception was less than warm. I cannot recall one person saying one word of encouragement. Considering the size of Fargo, there were as many spectators as I expected, but the majority were just spectators. Not a lot of noise or entertainment, but it might get better as they gain experience. Or the course should be run backwards so that spectators can line the street next to NDSU supporting the runners as they come down the stretch. The course itself leaves something to be desired. It seems that the course was designed to show everything the booming metropolis of Fargo had to offer, which isn't much. A school, park, one nice neighborhood, and a stroll along the river all within the first 16-17 miles. Then the final 9 miles was nothing but plain neighborhoods. Every runner gets to a point around 20 miles where they need something extra to pull out the last 6 miles. Not everyone has it in them to do it internally so I am sure that the last 9 bland miles, which were sparsely spectated, were miserable for many runners.

This event seems to be more popular for the relay and half marathon than for the full marathon. Once the half marathon split from the full, it seemed that only about 25% of the runners were left in the full marathon and many of those were relay participants. I am glad I participated and hope that the course is tweaked and fans step up to the organizers' effort level in the future. For now, I am going to recommend that runners such as myself stick to large city events. Fargo is a tricky-weather city where you are going to have cold rain/snow as in 2005 or brutal wind as in 2006. Rolling the dice on the weather is a little too much to ask for a commitment to travel and train for a trip to North Dakota.