Congrats to Fargo on a job well done! A very small, but very well organized marathon that was as advertised, 'flat and friendly'. I can't speak to the billing of 'fast' as miles 10-23 were run into tremendous head winds, but I imagine that on a day where there are reduced wind speeds, the course is indeed fast. The residents of Fargo and Moorhead provided tremendous crowd support over virtually the entire marathon course---probably the most enthusiastic marathon crowds that I've experienced in the over 20 marathon cities that I've visited (and I've run large races like Chicago and NYC---numbers aren't everything, as Fargo proved). The race volunteers were also fantastic. The only problem areas experienced were the large % of concrete surfaces in the first half of the race and the generally poor condition of the roads (pot holes), again, especially in the first half of the race. Parking at the FargoDome did not appear to be adequate for the number of race participants, and getting out of the FargoDome after you had completed the race was difficult---you had to climb stadium stairs to get to street level and it was difficult to get to the rear parking area without exiting the building and walking around it/or through the finish area. Overall a really good marathon. Hopefully 2007 brings more favorable weather conditions than the race has experienced the last 2 years---it deserves it.

I am a very slow runner, and was very impressed when at mile 25 the volunteers were still waiting for me with water and gatorade. Never does this happen at any other marathons. Although you can't control the winds, it was blowing at me for a long, long time. My only complaint was that the EMS was not able to provide me with Tylenol and I had to look for them. Shouldn't they be on their bikes or carts and stock up on pain medication? The people in Fargo and Moorhead were friendly and came out even to cheer for me!

Ris (Doris) Ng

This race was great!!! The crowd support was amazing and so much more than I expected. They were so friendly and made such a big deal of every step you took.

The course was very well laid out. I really appreciated the fact that the 1/2 marathon group split off at mile 6 instead of mile 12 (it is a mental thing). Really I can't say enough about this race, the volunteers, and the spectators. You have to do this race.

The only negative was how crowded the start was. The street was just not wide enough to hold all of us. They could have staggered the 1/2 and full start.

Overall, great!!!

The 2006 Fargo marathon was awesome. I thought the half course was very scenic and not at all boring. The fan support along the half was tremendous even with the very cool and windy weather. Gels at mile 7 were a nice touch. Using the Fargo Dome as the epicenter of the marathon was a definite coup. Fans could wait inside for their runners in comfort. Package pick up and the expo were well organized. Maybe it was just me, but I had no idea we would be finishing inside the Fargo Dome. I could not find this piece of info anywhere. It was fantastic as 4 big screens captured your moment and your name was announced. The only thing I did not like were all the sharp turns heading into the final chute. If you are sprinting it out, it could be very difficult to navigate. Otherwise it was great, and I will definitely be attending next year.

Wonderful experience. I only ran the half, but would definitely like to run the whole marathon next year. I never thought I would have such a wonderful time running. Thanks to the 1000+ volunteers, wonderful organizers, great fans, and 6000 runners.

You will be amazed by this new race; it will mushroom in popularity as soon as the word gets out. The folks in Fargo have put on THE friendliest race in the nation.

The size is just right and there's room to grow. It is 'hometown' all the way but the organizers are no small-time operators. This is a race that doesn't do anything fancy; they just do it incredibly friendly and pretty much have thought of all the things required to stage a successful race.

Entry fee is low, medal is terrific, the volunteers are second to no one, and the entire town knows there's a race going on. Media coverage is very good and citizens, time and time again, kept thanking us for coming to Fargo--incredible. Hotels rooms are very plentiful and the rates are very moderate. Shuttles are available for pre- and post-race pick-up. The expo is quaint but has all the souvenirs, etc. you'd want and there's a good mix of sports vendors.

The course is marked well. There are volunteers at every turn--you can't go the wrong direction--and that's important because this course has dozens of turns and it shares a good part of it with the half-marathoners. The relay stations do not hinder the flow. There are adequate water/Gatorade stops and many, many local residents handing out fluids and candy along the way.

The course itself is a mix of concrete, blacktop, sidewalks, etc. and you do have to watch your footing in many areas--the winter snow and salt has affected many roads there. A fair amount of the route is gentle downhill, too. There are some camber issues along the way, especially on the paths through the parks. Much of the path is tree-lined or canopied and you run through beautiful neighborhoods, parks, and along the Red River. There are a few bridges you go over or go underneath. Wind is the issue here and we had a lot of it this year--but some of it is mitigated because some of the course is protected somewhat--however, the wind batted us around for about 50% of the day.

Race started right on time and there were many spectators all along the course--in fact, they had more here than in my hometown of Phoenix--this town really gets into the race. Local businesses were friendly and struck up conversation all the time about being there for the run.

The airport was a breeze and there's hardly any traffic in the Fargo area. Renting a car (also cheap) helps as things are a bit spread out. Temps were good--in the 50s/70s.

If you're looking for a very well- staged race, with an army of very friendly volunteers, and you want to avoid the big-city mobs, THIS is your race. I'm sure many pick this race for the 50-state club, but this race stands on its own. Thank you to all the volunteers, the staff, and the citizens of the Fargo-Moorhead area.

This is the second marathon I have run. Fargo should be PROUD and BOASTFUL of the incredible marathon it has produced. While the wind was strong, the volunteers and spectators were hardy. Runners were thanked along the route for running and coming to Fargo. The finish line is AWESOME for runners and spectators as finishers are viewed on Big Screens in the Fargo Dome and each finisher's name and hometown is announced allowing for spectators to be sure to see their runner finish. While a few more (ok, several more) port-a-potties could be used along the way, the overall event was a wonderful experience. I truly see the spectator support only increasing as word gets out about this fantastic marathon. And for those wanting to qualify for Boston...even the wind couldn't stop most from scoring their personal bests!

As a person trying to run a marathon in every state I was very excited to add Fargo, ND to my stash of metals. The course is flat, this is true but most of the time you are running on concrete and I almost felt that it was too flat (did I just write that?). Having said that it was very much worth running, the crowd support and volunteers were amazing and the organization was outstanding! The Fargonians are very proud of their state, as well they should be! This marathon is affordable, the people are outstanding and I met a lot of Fifty Staters along the way. The weather and the ending are the only other factors to consider. The first year it snowed, this year we headed into winds for most of the race (but as a nice turnaround we had the wind at our back for the last two miles). The fargodome was a great place to start and end and the bathrooms and food in the beginning and end were plentyful. I however felt very 'closed-in' at the finish and had to wait to clmib up the stairs and outside for fresh air (which I desperately needed!) for over ten minutes and I was extremely overheated from 'pushing' myself against the wind!! All in all though this is a wonderful race and a perfect opportunity to run North Dakota!

The 2nd Annual Fargo Marathon was great! The course was nice and the spectators were energetic. The 'Blue Zone' at mile 20 was a great pick me up. I will be back again. A great PR course.

I must admit that I was skepitcal about flying across country to run this marathon, but I really wanted to collect North Dakota for my quest to complete a marathon in each state.

The race was very well organized in general. The course was very fair. The weather good aside from the strong winds you had to run through during the course (my time was slower than expected because of this). The official support tables during the race had only gatorade and water (with only goo at mile 17) but the private citizens of fargo who lived on the race course set up their own 'support tables' in front of their houses offering gatorade, fruit, candy, even alcohol! So at practically every mile there was something offered to the runners. Some people actually camped out on their lawns playing music grilling steaks and cheering you on. I was touched by this because I've ran marathons that people didn't even acknowlege your presence.

The expo was great! Package pickup organized. The finish was in the fargo dome where they announced where you came from and your age. After the race they had table and chairs set up so you can set down and eat and also mingle with other runners. The food was good. The honey bread was awesome! I remember when I finished this guy came up to me and told me you marathoners made our day today. This has been the most exciting thing that Fargo, North Dakota has seen all year.

My only complaint was that I had to wait an hour for the shuttle buses to take me back to the hotel. I would recommend this marathon to anyone.