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Rails to Trails Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rails to Trails Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 62 [displaying comments 31 to 41]
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A. S. from Lake Elmo, MN
(11/7/2011)
 "One of my new favorites" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a hometown marathon with a hometown feel. I don't have one complaint. Great meals which where included in the race fee. Packet pick up was a breeze. Getting to the start line was super easy. Waterstops were well stocked. This is the most beautiful course I have ever run, the tunnel added a great touch. I smiled the whole way thru it both times. The addition of a free beer at the end this year made the race even better. There was a bonfire at the end to keep people warm, we sat around for hours enjoying the bbq chicken, beer and stories of the marathon. When I signed up for such a small marathon, I never would have guessed I would come back, but I'm already recruiting people for next year. | |
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M. S. from Eagan, MN
(11/7/2011)
 "Great small town race" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Although I did not see one black squirrel anywhere, the race was terrific! The 3/4 mile tunnel was a one of a kind and awesome experience (well I guess you go through it twice actually). The aid stations were well stocked and very close together. At one point there were 2 within a mile of each other. The first 1.5 miles was a little crowded with the skinny trail and then lead runners hitting the first turnaround, but overall a great trail. Plenty of food at the end and the chocolate milk hit the spot!! Anyone looking for a late fall marathon without crowds - this is one to look at. | |
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B. S. from Chicago suburbs
(11/7/2011)
 "great small race" (about: 2011)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Went to Norwalk looking for a low-key end to the season and was not disappointed. Scenic out-and-back on an easy-on-the-legs dirt trail with no cars to deal with. The 3/4 mile long dark tunnel was awesome. All the things you like about a smaller race - short walk from your free parking spot to the race start, no need to line up until minutes before the start, short porta-potty lines. Good picnic-style food at the finish. The only minor gripe I have is that they were using undersized cups at the aid stations, so you pretty much had to grab twice what you are used to. Definitely will be recommending this to Chicago area runners looking for something low-key. | |
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Lucas Heart from Wausau, WI
(3/19/2011)
"How is this race possible?" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is the smallest town that I've run a marathon in; it was my 13th overall. It's unique in that the race is super organized and run like a pretty polished machine. Pre-race pasta dinner was really fun. Completely quaint and wonderful. The little town was inundated with foreign-made cars and I assume yuppies from IL, but here's the strange part - there were no stores open to sell anything. This race doesn't make a lot of sense. I assume the race director is from a much larger community with experience and contacts. The course is unique in that it features some tunnels to run through. Fun, out-and-back course on pretty level ground (railroad grade). It seemed like the runners were pretty serious types, which made the competition strong. Nice shirt and finish medal. I was disappointed by the post-race meal, but that is a similar complaint for most marathons (I'm a vegetarian). Overall, if you are a serious runner, this is a great event. | |
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R. S. from Pecatonica, Il
(11/20/2010)
"perfect and memorable" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran this half-marathon with my 14-year-old daughter. This was her first. The location, the weather, the shirt, the medal, the ease of parking, the quickly posted results with the chip timing, the course, the food, and everything about it made her mind up. She had me sign her up for another next year in Chicago. We enjoyed the B&B we stayed in. The entire area is beautiful and I would recommend this half to anyone. Her favorite part was the well lit tunnel. Can't say anything bad. Good job listening to remarks each year as it seems it's almost perfect. | |
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R. D. from Chicago area
(11/16/2010)
 "a good-value, "small" marathon" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Overall, this was a decent marathon. I would not say it had any exceptional qualities, but it did have adequate organization and support at a very reasonable price. Race day packet pick up was greatly appreciated. The course was beautiful and the tunnel was obviously the highlight. The only miles that "felt" like they were downhill were 22-25. The rest "felt" like they were uphill. The only real complaints I had were about the aid stations - almost every one was understaffed and, as mentioned, the cups were small. I would definitely consider running this race again for no other reason that the scenery and ease of entry. | |
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M. O. from Coralville, IA
(11/12/2010)
 "Beautiful, fast course!" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 3rd marathon, with the previous two being big-city races (MCM and Chicago). I was a bit nervous about a small race and the lack of spectators to help the time go by, but my worries were for naught. It was a beautiful fall day (40s to start, 60s at the finish). The course is flat and fast on a compact dirt trail. I was able to run a 35-minute PR and finish under 4 hours. I did bring my iPod, and was glad I did. The spectators who were there, though few in number, were enthusiastic and wonderful. Aid stations were well stocked (though I could have used a few more... they seemed sparse from after the tunnel to the turnaround). Biggest negative to me was having HEED as the sport drink; ANYTHING is better than that. The tunnel... so cool! And nice that it was cooler in there with some condensation to cool off a bit from the sun! Last comment:I really liked the small size of the race. I was never crowded on the course, but never felt too alone. Made it easy to spot my husband at different parts of the race, and made it easy for him to find me. And since the course was never crowded, it allowed him and our pups to jog with me for a few yards. A nice energy boost! | |
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A. G. from Wisconsin
(11/12/2010)
"Another pleasant WI run" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Rails to Trails Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I enjoyed my second Rails to Trails run. A scenic course on forgiving ground with the extra bonus of a 3/4-mile tunnel. Good aid stations and well organized. Two areas to work on are minor, but could make this race even better. Amount of water given at aid stations is very small - bigger cups would help! I was taking as many as I could carry. The finish area only had oranges left when I finished (under 3:45). I understand they had a large number of people register on race day, but I was hoping for a bagel/banana/something. The chicken dinner looked nice, but my legs would not handle standing in the long line to taste it. Put this one on the to-do list. The drive to Norwalk is beautiful and the race gives you a great small-town experience. | |
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C. C. from Racine, WI
(11/10/2010)
"Fun small-town race" (about: 2010)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Pros: Well organized - help for parking, spectator view points, fire pits ready when we arrived (cool morning). Plenty of aid stations. Scenic country trail. Early mile loop was good for spectators. Cons: Tunnel was dark - lit with coleman lanterns - and flashlights were ineffective. Surface was rutted with potholes and puddles from the drips. You couldn't run in a straight line because you were avoiding them. It was the slowest part of the course by far. And don't plan on using your GPS. Spectators don't have much to do in town if they are waiting at the finish line - Norwalk has a population of 600. The start of the race was very crowded - 300 runners on a trail about 10 feet-wide. Overall, I had a good time at the race. It is a fun course, although not a fast one. The people and the scenery were great. The trail was mostly sheltered from the wind and the weather was perfect. | |
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S. C. from Madison WI
(11/10/2010)
"Beautiful course, mostly flat" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It was the neatest experience to go through that tunnel. We lucked out with perfect weather in 2010. |
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