I was really disappointed with the Lincoln Marathon. It is clear that the support and organization is focused towards the half. While the on-course volunteers were great, the spectators were sparse and the GU was hard to find (and I didn't train with jelly beans, which I nearly choked on). Most disturbing was the lack of food post-race. I learned later that spectators were allowed to eat the bagels, which were gobbled up ahead of the runners. There was no post-race expo, which is uncommon (no vendors, activities, bands, etc.). Overall, I would stop at 13 next time; the full is just disappointing. Also, they began offering women's-sized shirts only on some websites - leaving me envious, with a men's cut. C'est la vie!

This was a good course with lots of change in scenery. There was a stretch on the bike path that got a bit congested, but the city did a great job of blocking streets for the majority of the race. Having relatively few hills made it easy to keep a strong pace the entire race.

I would have liked more water stations (they were present every 2.5 miles), but there was plenty of time to grab a drink at each station and lots of options (cups with and without lids and straws, Gatorade, and ice). The size of the race was good. I would have liked a little more encouragement from fans, but there were many of them along the way, which was fun. The weather was perfect!

I have heard rave reviews of Lincoln Marathon, and was quite disappointed. Logistics and the organization on race-day were quite lacking:

* There were no parking instructions. Maps of the course did not include side streets, so it difficult for spectators not from area to figure out where to go.
* No pacers.
* Too many runners for such a tightly-spaced course.

There were some positives, though:
* Having cups with straws was a great feature.
* The free pasta party was generous and decent.
* The City of Lincoln is a nice place to visit

Overall, what I expected to be a well organized and fast course was not. Running shoulder-to-shoulder with other runners for the majority of the race was frustrating....

Wonderful experience. The spectators and volunteers were great, and there was plentiful water/Gatorade. As it got hot, they offered us deluge cups and drinking cups. As a back-of-the-pack runner, I often came in solo and volunteers ahead would shout to me, asking what I wanted so that they had it ready when I rolled in.

The expo was a bit small and light on service from the vendors, but otherwise, it was an awesome race.

The start/finish was well-organized, with plenty of porta-johns and bathrooms open in Memorial stadium (where there were no lines).

Perfect choice for a first marathon!

This race was so well done. The organization was phenomenal, the support was outstanding, and the pre- and post-race events were out of this world. For the low entry price, I never expected so much from a race. The course was a little challenging in the second half, and the day turned hot, but it was a great experience. Aid stations were very frequent, especially in the second half, and there were so many spectators along the course. The finish line crew was very helpful, and there was not a wait at all for the post-race massage (at least for those finishing under 4 hours). Absolutely the best race I've ever done.

What a great experience. Super weather and a well organized marathon. The Lincoln folks are fantastic in every way and provided great support. Part of the course is an "out and back," but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was a little tough on the old mind when you saw a mile marker only to realize that it was for the other leg. It's basically a flat course, which is what I wanted. I am not an expert, as this was only my second marathon, but I would recommend it to anyone.

Most of the people posting comments are from Nebraska, and have run a minimal number of marathons, so keep that in mind as you read the reviews. It's great that they enjoyed their local race, but....

First the positives:

Lincoln is a nice, small city; my wife and I enjoyed the weekend there.
The police and volunteers did a fantastic job with traffic control.
The water stops were organized and well staffed.
The post-race massage was great.
The overall organization was very good.

The negatives:

There are a couple of interesting areas on the course, but by and large it is pretty bland - mostly through nondescript residential areas and along a couple of parks.

Since the half and full run together for basically the entire half-marathon, there are way too many people for the course. There are a few miles on a bike path where it was extremely congested. The second half was fine.

Overall, I'm glad that I came, and I had a good time. However it's definitely one and done, and unless you are looking to add Nebraska to your states, there are lots of better spring marathons to travel to.

Awesome in every respect! Organization, course, volunteers, spectators - EVERYTHING was perfect! Thank you for a wonderful experience!! I will be back next year!

This was my first time and I am totally hooked. The race seemed very well-planned out, the fans were amazing and the weather couldn't have been more perfect!

This was my first ever half-marathon (I am 16 years-old). I thought it was great. I almost felt like I was in a parade because there were people on the sides cheering you on for almost the whole course. The course was great as well - mostly flat with gradual easy hills. They gave times at numerous mile markers. Even though there were 6,500 people, they still made it very organized. The best part came when I got a plaque for being first in my division (19U). I ran a 1:30:56... not bad for a first-timer, huh? I want to do the full next year.