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Apr 29, 2024

Swan Lake Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.1

Organization 4.8

Spectators 2.7

Number of comments: 52 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 > ]

Michele Baron from Las Vegas, NV (6/11/2012) "An Excellent First Marathon Choice!!" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Swan Lake Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Just ran the full marathon (my first!) yesterday. I chose this race due to the excellent reviews, and they were 100% correct! The price was right, the people were SO friendly and accomodating, the pre-race meal was tasty and the portions plentiful, and the setting was idyllic! it was a mostly flat course with a few mini rollers. Volunteers were cheery and encouraging, and they had my favorite...BLUE Powerade! Some stations had pretzels, bananas, GU, orange slices...yum!! Roving vehicles checked on us, offering cheers and ice!! Course was clearly marked. If you are the type that needs lots of crowds along the course and cannot deal with running solo for long, flat, treeless stretches, this race is not for you. Definitely more for the introspective runner, which I am. Bring your sunscreen and apply liberally...there was cloud cover but it was hot and the sun did peek through at times. The only negative was the wind...in our faces for the beginning miles. Of course, there's nothing anyone can do about wind! The post-race spread looked amazing: I couldn't really eat, but I wished I had an appetite! Stay in one of the rooms in the main camp building...the Start line is literally steps away! This is a small race so lots of the inconveniences, like busing people in, do not exist here. I rang the cow bell at the end, and they have showers for post-race freshening up. This is definitely the country...saw (and smelled!) lots of cows, sheep...and one guy even had a few bison on his land! I am very glad I chose this race as my inaugural marathon. Thanks Russell, Mary, and all camp personnel and Viborg residents!!!!!!
V. S. from NJ (6/18/2011) "Great little race out in the country" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Swan Lake Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is wonderful small race that is superbly organized. Since I'm a slow runner, I loved that it started at 6am to beat the heat of the day. The course is about half pavement and half gravel/dirt roads. There were some muddy spots, but the gravel roads were a great soft running surface. The area is mostly farms and fields, with a couple turns around the lake and a short trip through downtown Viborg. Other than the sheep, who seemed quite interested (and surprisingly vocal), the spectators were pretty much limited to the volunteers manning the aid stations. If you're looking for a beautiful run through the country and don't need a lot of hoopla to sustain you, this is definitely a must do. It's also a great second-day race if you're combining it with Marathon to Marathon in IA.
C. G. from Lincoln, Ne. U. S. A. (6/15/2011) "This is a good small, rural marathon!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Swan Lake Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I have done this marathon twice. Can't help but like the small town atmosphere. People are friendly, food was great and the shower after the race was great!
George Southgate from Calhoun,GA (6/15/2011) "Outstanding marathon that I will do again." (about: 2011) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Swan Lake Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Great scenery, and location on country roads. People were outstanding. I rang the bell, and plan on doing it again.
J. L. from Kansas City, MO (6/25/2010) "Marathon for back-to-basics runners" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Swan Lake Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I ran this to check off South Dakota and couldn't have been more pleased. I've run quite a few marathons, including all the big ones - Chicago, NY, London, Boston, etc. - and I find these more intimate adventures much more satisfying. There is no rock-and-roll hoopla. You get to ring a bell at the end of the race. There is no expo with famous speakers. You get Judi providing a great technical t-shirt. You also receive a medal that is one of the best that I have collected. There are no fancy restaurants for your pre-race meal. You get a wonderful pasta dinner served in the dining room of the camp. This is a race for runners who run for the joy of it. It isn't for those looking to have people see them running or claim to have finished a famous marathon. It is extremely well run and just plain fun. The group organizing this race couldn't be nicer. I arrived early on Friday night only to find out that there was no local restaurant still open in town. I was immediately invited to join the camp staff during their nightly meal. You don't get that in some "rock and roll" run. I am well past the halfway mark of my trek through the states and will remember Swan Lake as one of my favorites. Thanks to all of my friends at Swan Lake.
Dave Graves from Volga, SD (6/15/2010) "Small marathon done right" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Swan Lake Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Beyond the few folks driving the course in support of their favorite runner, I counted five spectators. That's OK because it isn't fans that make this a great marathon. The organization is top-notch. It is run by people who know marathons and can organize people. The marathon is at a Christian camp four and a quarter-miles from town, which has 832 people. A fair share of those were working an aid station or helping to prepare one of the two meals associated with the event, which also has a half marathon and a 5.3-mile run. The marathon is a haven for doublers, as it is only a couple hours from Storm Lake, Iowa, which holds a Saturday marathon. The course travels country roads, goes around its namesake lake a couple of times, and heads into town on a little-traveled highway. Its 6 a.m. start would be necessary some years, but this year was cool and damp, which kept me fresh. I would consider Viborg the best-kept secret in South Dakota distance running. I only live two hours away and have run marathons for a decade. I didn't know what I was missing. Overnight accommodations are available in the bunkhouse. For a luxury stay, you will have to drive a ways.
D. W. from Littleton, Colorado (6/15/2010) "Fun First Marathon" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Swan Lake Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This is the first marathon I have run. I have done a number of half marathons and dozens of shorter races. The things that really impressed me were the organization and the other runners. The staff of the race remembered my name and my needs and took care of them. There was no shortage of aid stations and volunteers, though spectators other than family and friends were extremely limited. I considered the cool, drizzly weather optimal for the race, though I know some runners would have preferred drier conditions. The course had to be changed due to flooding but it was well marked; as a result, we ended up with less gravel road and more pavement. The gravel was soft without out being clingy, and added a bunch of weight to your shoes - my hips and knees appreciated that. The other participants were among the friendliest I have ever met. I talked to at least a dozen while running and nearly all of them saw me after I finished and congratulated me on finishing my first marathon! I was really surprised by that. It was a great experience, even though I have no prior marathon experience I would recommend Swan Lake as a great place to experience a first marathon!
L. Z. from Lincoln, NE (6/14/2010) "Course change due to flooding handled beautifully!" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Swan Lake Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Thanks to 5' of rain in the week of the marathon, the back half of the full course was underwater this year. The full course was rerouted to run the half course twice (with a little extra O&B). Everything went wonderfully - the rain even quit right before the start (though, it came back a couple hours later). This race is always a nice run. The camp counselors are wonderful as course workers, the townspeople of Viborg running the aid stations are super nice, and the medals and tech shirts are good quality. There aren't any/many spectators, but the race is very runner-focused.
S. H. from Minneapolis, MN (6/14/2010) "Great, Small-Town Race" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Swan Lake Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The organizers of this race do an excellent job! Great race packet pickup, started on-time, excellent course marshaling, well-trained aid station volunteers (they held the cups on the bottom), post-race massage, etc. The list goes on. If you're looking for a great, small-town race, this is it.
V. D. from Omaha, NE (6/13/2010) "Awesome, small, local race - hidden gem." (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Swan Lake Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the 2010 half marathon. I only gave the course 4 stars because of the gravel roads. The area had about 8" of rain prior to the race, so the roads were incredibly muddy. In fact, they had to close down the back half of the marathon course because it was under water. That's Mother Nature's fault. Otherwise, the course was flat and fast. Great, small, local race that really is a hidden gem. Great dinner the night before and lunch the day of the race. Awesome tech shirts, really nice medals, and cool A/G awards. Just a really awesome experience. I only gave the spectators 3 stars, only for the numbers. Simply put, there are very few along the course, but they all cheered loudly when we ran by them. Another nice thing about small races: you have a much better shot at an A/G award. I would have no hesitation recommending this race to any of my friends.

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