Yeah, I was dead last, but I did finally finish and that was so worth it! This marathon was my 17th and about the best one yet. The organization and spectators were incredible. A special thanks goes to my timer and lap counter, Nellie Adams, who stuck around for about 5 hours to cheer and keep me going. This is truly an incredible marathon and so worth braving the chilly temps and snow to run 150 laps. I have made some wonderful friends that I will see again somewhere in my next marathon. Kudos to Dick, his staff and the "gorilla man" for an awesome event.

What a hoot! As unusual as it sounds, this is a great event. Dick Daymont does a fantastic job and really keeps everyone going. While 150 laps in a field house sounds odd, it means 150 cheers from the lap counters. Perfect temperature, soft surface, and no wind. I had a great time. Few spectators, but what spirit!

WOW! There were 39 runners, 39 lap counters, 1 running gorilla, a tireless cheering crew, and 150 laps of people yelling "Happy Birthday" to me. Dick Daymont and his race crew did an excellent job along with the St. Olaf Women's Track team in making this an awesome event. (Special thanks to my lap counter, Makayla, for her unwavering support and cheer during the run.)

What a truly unique experience - running with faster and slower runners the entire morning and cheering them on as they did the same.

Thank you, again, to everyone who organized or supported this great event.

When was the last time you had a race where you saw the first place runner finish? Or knew precisely, exactly where each of the aid stations were? Or heard your name and saw your biggest cheerleader at least 150 times during the race? Here's the biggest question of all - when was the last marathon where you saw every runner smiling - one, two, even three hours after the starting gun was fired?

If you think such a race doesn't exist, then you haven't run the Zoom! Yah! Yah! Held on an indoor track on the campus of St. Olaf College in beautiful Northfield, Minnesota, this is one race you will never, ever forget for all the right reasons. From the perfect weather (indoors) to the aid stations (one in each corner of the track where you take whatever drink you've provided, whenever you'd like), the race offers no cruel twists. If you think 150 laps will be difficult, you haven't factored in the presence of your own personal lap counter, who will be cheering you from start to finish. The only quality that exceeds the dedication of these women (who are members of the St. Olaf Women's Track and Cross Country teams) is their enthusiasm. Having done all of the big races (New York, Chicago, Honolulu, Marine Corps, etc.), I can say without a doubt that all of those races pale in comparison in terms of crowd support.

Finally, if you have an questions or concerns, the race director is responsive and open to even the most minor needs. From the pre-race information to what fills its billing as the best pre-race dinner in the business, he has built this event to one where you come with few worries. It's no wonder that you'll see all of those smiles along the way.

Any marathon can try to cover its flaws with a bigger medal or a bigger expo or some top-notch speaker at the pasta dinner. The great ones, like the Zoom! Yah! Yah! just keep putting out the same high-quality product. This race is not just the best of the indoor marathons, but perhaps the best marathon, period.

To the race director and my fellow competitors: I agree 100% with the comments posted by other runners who said it far better than I can. Great race, great organization, great support, great pre-race supper. I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and look forward to running this race again. Big thanks for a job well done to Dick Daymont and his race team, the St. Olaf Women's Track Team and the St. Olaf campus, and special thanks to my lap counter, Kala, for sticking around with me to the end.

(Now, I'm going to stop telling the truth and inform the rest of the world what this race is really about. That's right. I'm going to start lying about this race. Why? Because I don't want others to take the precious few slots available in this race.)

To those of you who turn your nose up at running an indoor marathon: You're right. I have lost my mind. It is boring, drab and dreary running inside. It is a miserable experience. Yuck! Please do not run this race. You won't like it. Let me tell you about it. To start, I was so bored by the end of the second lap that I just about called it quits right then. Looking at the same stuff over and over. I might as well have been running on a treadmill. Boy, I was thirsty during the race. If only I could have found something to drink. Where is that next aid station? And why aren't their any spectators to cheer me on? I could really have used some support during the race. Maybe with encouragement from the spectators the race would have been more tolerable. I didn't know there were hills indoors?!?! That hill at the half lap mark is a sneaky killer. And you have to run up it every lap, and there's no decline. Unbelievable! And the wind. As the HVAC system cycled on and off, the National Weather System probably issued tornado warnings. They certainly didn't tell us about that during the pre-race instruction session. Finally, the race would have been a lot better if there would have been some music. I mean something other than Kenny G that is. (For those Kenny G fans out there, I'm not knocking Kenny G. He just doesn't play good running music.) I was just bored, bored, bored, but somehow managed to struggle on. So those of you who questioned my intelligence for doing this race, you are correct. I'm insane. You wouldn't like it. Please stay away.

(Dick Daymont, my fellow competitors: Those were a bunch of lies. What a great, unique experience, but don't tell the rest of the world. Don't spoil it for us. Thanks.)

I wish I could give the The Zoom! Yah! Yah! Marathon higher than a 5-star rating. The race (course and field size) is unique. The organization and support are exceptional. This was my 88th marathon and as a rule I don't repeat marathons. This race is one for which I would make an exception to that rule. For me, the experience at Zoom! Yah! Yah! rates right up there with Boston, NYC and London. Thank you to Dick Daymont and St. Olaf's Women's Track and Field Team (especially Liz - my lap counter) for putting on an OUTSTANDING MARATHON!! Congratulations to the other 40 finishers this year!

...and run this one! I had a great experience running the indoor marathon in St. Olaf. The weather is, of course, not an issue; the shirt and medal are top-notch; and best of all, the women of the St. Olaf Track and Field team volunteer to keep count of each runners' laps and time! My scorer was a lovely woman named "Allison," who had a big smile and boundless encouragement for me each time I came around the track. Thanks, Allison!

Race director Dick Daymont not only puts on a great race, but he runs in it as well (and passed me MANY times, ha), and he cheers on all of the other runners by name. What other marathon does that happen in?

This was my 21st state, and despite the fact that I vowed no repeats until I do all 50, this is a race I would absolutely run again.

Since the field has to be limited because of the size of the track, my advice is to sign up sooner rather than later. This marathon is bound to become one of the "must do" races very soon.

If you live in the north, a bit of fun and a run in shorts and a singlet in January can't be beat. The organization of this race is top-notch, and the dinner, at the college dining hall will show you how far college dining has progressed over the years! Ya, ya, it may be boring-sounding to run 150 laps, but the St. Olaf Women's Team is dynamic, smart, and AMAZING! Caitlyn was my scorer, and that means that she tracked my laps and cheered me on every time I passed, which was less than every 2 minutes. You have your own personal cheerleader, and lots of other scorers helped her cheer me on as well.

Music was great (well, they need more Motown and some early Frank), and since no one had iPods, we all got to chat with each other. Really, a unique experience I'll cherish.

There are plenty of marathons out there - big ones, small ones, city ones, rural ones. But if you're looking for a good one, and one that is completely unique, your quest will be rewarded at the Zoom! Yah! Yah! Marathon.

The race is 150 laps of an indoor track on the beautiful campus of St. Olaf College in southeastern Minnesota. Before you wrinkle your nose at the thought, consider the benefits.

Being indoors, there are no weather concerns. Being on a track, there are no elevation concerns, course surprises, or huge demoralizing hills. With 150 laps, there are 600 aid stations - one in every corner - where you control your refreshment and when you want it. With only 40 entrants, there are no traffic problems or long stretches of boredom, and with music playing, you lose yourself in the running experience.

Perhaps best of all, you are not alone in your quest. The race director and his family plan for every aspect of the race, including the dinner, which is held at the school cafeteria. If the thought bothers you, realize that this is no typical "school cafeteria." The race director isn't kidding when he says this may be the best pre-race meal around. He will also go out of his way to see that all of your needs are accommodated.

Also, keep in mind that each runner is assigned a lap counter, a member of the track team whose sole mission is to count and record your 150 split times. The women who make up the lap counting team become more than your statisticians; they become your cheerleaders and your driving force around the 282 meter track. What other race can claim a vociferous cheering section every 0.17 miles? As one runner put it, "I'd slow down this lap, but I don't want to disappoint my lap counter." For the first time in more than 100 marathons, I was almost sad to see the race end.

Whether you need a January race or just want to experience what all races should be like, the Zoom! Yah! Yah! Marathon is a true gem.

Whether it be the director's family, the family of the university, or other racer's family members, I thoroughly enjoyed the entire atmosphere of the night before expo and pre-race dinner, and the morning of pre-race preparations, as well as the race itself.

Thanks to everyone who helped organize this wonderful event.