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☰
Sioux Falls Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Sioux Falls Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.9 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 35 [displaying comments 31 to 33]
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K. H. from Woodbury, MN
(9/16/2010)
 "A great marathon with room to grow!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Sioux Falls Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I've run in 7 previous marathons of various sizes including Twin Cities, Little Rock, Oklahoma City, Charlotte, and El Paso. I'm generally not a huge fan of small races because I finish typically around the 4:45 mark and that leaves me running alone a lot of the time. But this race was a great experience despite the small size. Had I put in a little more mileage before the race, it would've even been a PR. Here's a breakdown of my opinions about the various aspects of the race: Registration/website - this was the first year of the full marathon, but the website is still "siouxfallshalfmarathon." This somewhat confused me at first but otherwise the website was easy to navigate. I couldn't get the course maps to print correctly though. Pre-race Communications - I received periodic emails in the weeks leading up to the race. They were generally helpful and I had no additional questions. Packet Pickup - there was no expo, just packet pickup at a Scheel's store. Took fewer than 5 minutes to get my packet. They will want to change the location in the future if the race expands. Printed course maps would have been nice too. Host Hotel (Sheraton) - very nice hotel, great price, right across the street from the start! The marathon starts early (6:45) so I was even able to sneak back into the hotel and shower even though I didn't get there early enough to get on the late check-out list. Course - it is billed as relatively flat and I think that was mostly accurate. I think I was actually expecting something more flat. There were no dramatic changes in elevation but there were slight uphills and downhills. I think that is a good thing though (good for the quads). Compared to the other South Dakota marathon options out west in the hills, this is about as flat as you'll get. The second half of the marathon course was more scenic than the first half. The first half included a boring stretch along a levee, and running past both the airport and a prison. The second half was unexpectedly lovely though - we ran through downtown and several parks including a beautiful area with waterfalls. Volunteers/water stops - the volunteers were phenomenal. Pretty sure they had every high school student in the city of Sioux Falls volunteering at this race! And they all clapped and cheered as we ran by every water stop and the major intersections. As another reviewer mentioned, there was a group of very enthusiastic guys at the 20-mile mark and that was a lot of fun. Even though the spectators were sparse, the volunteers more than made up for it. There were water stops approximately every 2 to 2.5 miles with both water and Gatorade at each. No gels that I noticed. Post-race amenities - the finish line actually had a good number of spectators. The food wasn't anything amazing. I think there were bagels, bananas, cookies, water and PowerAde. They had computers to look up your finish time. One of the best parts of the finish was the race is small enough that spectators can park literally right next to the finish line. The finish is not within walking distance of the start. They had shuttles but I didn't use them because I had people meet me at the finish. Swag - for the marathon, we received a gray short-sleeved shirt. Pretty plain, but on the bright side, it wasn't cotton. The finish medal was nice... but it doesn't have the date (year) on it! The weather was absolutely perfect but obviously the weather isn't something you can count on year-to-year. Overall, this was a great race and a good pick for South Dakota if you're looking for a relatively flat course. They could make a few improvements as I've noted above, but I think you'll be very satisfied if you choose to run this race. A big "thank you" to the volunteers for making this a very nice experience! | |
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D. D. from Sioux Falls, SD
(9/16/2010)
 "Great event for the first running of the marathon" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Sioux Falls Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 For the first running of the Sioux Falls Marathon, the committee did an outstanding job in setting up the course and coordinating support. Sioux Falls is a beautiful and vibrant city. This race is only going to get better with time. The course has a few rolling hills, but for the most part is flat, providing a fast track for anyone looking for an opportunity to set a PR. | |
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B. S. from Mebane, NC
(9/12/2010)
 "A good race" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Sioux Falls Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran the half, and overall, this is a nice race, provided that you understand it is a relatively small event. The course is advertised as "relatively flat," and that is an accurate description because there are a few minor inclines that can surprise you if you are looking for a totally flat course. There were a couple of areas where we had to run on the wet grass, but thankfully, those areas were short in distance. I especially thought that running through the various parks (Falls Park and Spencer Park) added a nice touch and provided great scenery. The weather couldn't have been better, with temperatures starting out in the low 50's without a cloud in the sky. As for the spectators, this race had quite a few and they were all very enthusiastic, especially a group of teens who banged on barrels and cans as we passed by and provided a huge lift. All of the volunteers were very nice and the baggage claim was easy to get to at the start and finish. The post-race food could have been much better though. I stayed at the Sheraton, which was a block from the start line. They provided free airport shuttle but it is not near anything else, like restaurants, shopping, etc. It is, however, near a bus stop, and you can take the bus to the packet pickup and a shopping district for only $1. As long as you understand from the beginning that this is not a huge event (no expo, no pasta dinner, no large city with a lot to do), you will be pleased. If you need a race to fulfill your South Dakota requirement, this is a good one to pick. |
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