This was my first Lincoln full - I ran the half last year. By far the best organized of the three full marathons I have run. This would be five across the board if they would get off the bike trail at the 10k mark. The out-and-back to Holmes on the back gets boring, but at least it is flat for the most part. I know there aren't a million people lining the streets like Chicago. But when this race gets three times the size of Omaha, you should know they are doing things right (I ran Omaha last year and this marathon is twice as good - with three times the people!). I'd like to see this race get off the bike trail and expand to 10,000 people some day! Good job.

This was my 36th marathon, and an opportunity to "check off" Nebraska from the 50 states. I was very impressed with the organization and the University of Nebraska connection. What a gorgeous campus, and how wonderful that they opened it up to us for the packet pickup, pasta dinner, pre-race waiting, start and finish, post-race showers, and post-race lunch / awards! My only criticism was that stupid bike path in the first half. Maybe the size of the race has outgrown that course, and an adjustment should be made to stay on the streets (versus cutting to the path). Do NOT miss the lunch / awards after the race: delicious pork sandwiches, pasta salad, chips, cookies, ice cream, cake. If only they'd had beer!

This was my second half marathon in Lincoln and this one was even better than last year's. The spectators and organization are first-class... not to mention the cups with lids and straws. I intend to run Lincoln every year - and you should do the same.

Well organized, nice pre- and post-race meals (free for family supporters), friendly and flat course (two small hills), highly organized, massages, showers... and these are just a few of the highlights. YOU get a lot, for a very reasonable entry fee. There's a 6,000-runner limit, but you can hardly tell it's crowded. See you in May. Run on.

After running in some of the bigger marathons, it was nice to run in a smaller marathon. No hassles with parking or transportation from start/finish, etc. We stayed at the Marriott downtown and walked 6 blocks to/from the finish. Could not have been easier! Course was mostly flat. The second half was an "out 'n back," so being a slower runner, I got to see the faster runners coming in, which was nice! Lots of gel and oranges were available. Volunteers and police were great!

This is the fourth time my husband and I have run the Lincoln Marathon (Our previous participation was in 2003, 2004 and 2005). We were a little worried when we heard how much it had grown, but the race was more organized than ever. The pasta-thon was good, the parking was good, and the course was excellent. I was a bit disappointed in the sports expo - I was planning to buy lots of cool marathon stuff, but the room was small and crowded with few vendors. However, we loved seeing Dean Karnazes and running with him the next day. Thanks for everything!

This was my first half-marathon, and it was really enjoyable. I LOVED that there was huge support; it seemed like the entire city of Lincoln woke up early to cheer us on! The course was really nice, and VERY flat. I didn't particularly like the probably mile-long stretch just after the 10K stretch; it was a bit narrow for so many runners. Everything else was great, and I highly recommend it!

You do not see the results for the wheelchair racers. It took a lot for the three of us that wheeled it. People just do not know what the wheelchair people have to do to prepare; we train harder than the runners do.

Lincoln has really moved into the upper class with this race. My first Lincoln Marathon was 2001 and I didn't want to ever come back. Now I have six Lincolns and 22 total marathons under my belt, and I'd recommend it to everyone.

Pros:
The organization
The low entry fee
The not-so-tacky technical shirt
The awesome "Honest Abe' references
The FREE pasta feed for runners, families, and spectators alike!
The first half of the course
The frequency and length of water/Gatorade stops
The straws!!!!
The added GU tables after mile 15 were a lifesaver!
The roses to the female finishers
The depth of awards and the side awards (Lucky 13, 7, Masters...)
The post-race awards party for EVERYONE!
Fairly flat course...
THE FREE MASSAGES!!!!


Cons:
Not really a bad thing, but the expo needs to expand to accommodate the numbers... both in square footage and vendors.
Also, because of the increased popularity, maybe alter the route to run on the road instead of the bike trail.
The 2nd half of the marathon is always the most difficult and especially here, while improving, the wind factor and limited fan support on the out-and-back is still tough.
The brick finish area gets tougher every year... Finishing in the stadium would be the BEST!

Other than that... awesome race! Awesome qualifier for the National Guard! Awesome community support! And it was awesome to see a marathon that still puts the runners and spectators first - versus making money and feeding the corporate sponsors!

Thanks for everything! See you in 2009!

This is the second time I ran the Lincoln Marathon. I ran the 1/2 marathon last year and that is an experience that I will never forget for the rest of my life. The supports I got from last year spectators and the volunteers gave me the motivation to run the 2008 full marathon.
I can honestly say this year event was incredible.I can't really find words to describe its characteristics.
I come to enjoy running in the street of Lincoln Nebraska in a very personal way. The course,the organization, the spectators and the weather my Lord were awesome. The volunteers were courteous and very very supportive.
During the course of my run, I tried to grab a Gu from a young lady volunteer who was stationed near the Lincoln High School. Unfortunately I missed the Gu because I did not want to slow down for it. This young lady actually ran as fast as she could after me to hand me the gu. I said to myself "she really cares." What a performance. I could not find a word to thank her, and to let her know how much I appreciated the gesture.
All water stations were excellent. There were more than enough supplies ( water, orange and Gu) to satisfy the thirst of every runner. I would recommend this exceptional event to anyone, whether to a person who has just started running or to an elite runner to consider running the 2009 Lincoln Marathon. This is one of the lifetime event a person must never forget.
If I were to grade the whole event in my book I would give it an A+.