Let me start by saying this was my first of many marathons. I really enjoyed the race. There are only a few gripes about the race.

Pros:
The spectators were great on the busy areas of the course. The live music was a nice touch. There was plenty of water/gatorade stations. I liked the time clock at the finish. I don't know what others though but I think it was a pretty flat course. The runners were very friendly. The free services after the race were also nice. Last but not least the finishers medal is outstanding.

Cons:
1st half of the marathon was run in perfect conditions. The course was great and I think we should have finished the last half marathon on the first half route. It would make it less painful both mentally and physically. But I understand why they do it (traffic and the half and 10k also run it). We needed gatorade at the finish instead of just water. The expo was very crowded. I think they could have had it in a bigger room so you didn't feel rushed to get out. Also the pasta dinner needed to be longer 4-6pm isn't enough time.

Overall I really enjoyed this marathon and I plan on running it again in the future and improving on my time.

I loved the race. I dont understand the people complaining about the scenery. You run past rosenblatt, creighton, downtown omaha, carter lake, etc. In 26 miles anywhere it will be difficult not to find a rough spot or two. Organization great, finish along the river very cool, medals food and support along course all great.

As a local, it breaks my heart to be unable to recommend this race. I've never run such a poor event. Issues: Course was poorly laid out. ABSOLUTELY no vaseline or anything of the sort at any aid stations (I used Neosporin for chafing - that's how desperate I was). No gels or food, at all - not out, mind you... there just was NONE. The best part? Having to battle traffic during the last three miles, as roads were not blocked off/support was non-existent.

Good: The medal was neat. I think the race organizer spent all of the per-racer money on the medals; however, as this was my second time running this race (it wasn't this bad the first time), I hoped my hometown marathon had improved. Unfortunately, it didn't. I simply was embarrassed on the course, and apologized to other runners who asked me why it was this bad.

I will not run this race again, nor recommend it, until I've gotten confirmation that things have changed.

This was a well organized race with all of the things I look for in organization - nice tech tee, interesting medal, great volunteers, easy packet pick up, good size expo for the size of the race, well stocked aid stations, and plenty of porta-potties.

My main complaint with this race is that it has left me with the impression that Omaha is a singularly ugly place to live. The downtown area and the one park by the river were nice (so maybe 3 miles of the race), but the rest covered industrial/commercial park wasteland and poor neighborhoods on the edge of industrial neighborhoods. It also looped around and went back and forth through the same areas, so you got extra time to really appreciate the ugly areas. I understand that course layout is challenging, given traffic concerns, but I've been to many cities where they find a way to get the course through all of the lovely sections of their home town.

This was my first half marathon in my home town. I did it because it was the 35th anniversary. Sadly, the shirts mentioned none of that, and neither did the medals. Loved the unique medals made out of recycled glass... very cool! The expo was kind of small, and entering and exiting through the same doors made things crowded and confusing. Great support along the race; I loved the "human cones." With all of the beautiful places to see in Omaha, the course did not do Omaha justice. Running the race in loops was strange though it was nice to see the marathon runners loop back up with those of us who walked. Lots of encouragement among the racers.

Several friends and I traveled to Omaha for the 2010 race. The course has lots of rolling hills (as disclosed on the race site), but the grade isn't all that steep and we all ran well (including one PR in the group). The perfect weather definitely helped. Packet pick-up was well organized, the shirts were nice technical long-sleeved shirts, the medals were interesting, the crowd support was amazing (given the size of the race), all the people of Omaha were as friendly as could be, and downtown Omaha has plenty of hotels and restaurants that are within walking distance. My only complaints were that the pasta dinner was over by 6pm (before we even got there), and it would have been helpful to see a course elevation profile for the race. We all had a great time and I'd definitely recommend this race.

I ran this marathon because I knew I would be in town on business that weekend and I needed to add Nebraska to my list. I had prepared for hills but not for the kind of hills on this course. The elevation map I found online was not even close. After driving the course the day before the race I at least had some warning. The course itself, as stated by others, is not the most beautiful, but is a fun run just because of the variety. The hills between mile 7 and 14 are significant (6-8% grades at times) and provide a challenge (especially for a flat land runner from West Texas!). That said, they at least come at a good point in the race but definitely require some strategy to make sure you have enough gas left to finish.

The organization was great, though it is probably time to try and set up a corral system for the start. The first mile is pretty brutal trying to find a place to run with the 10K, half and full all mixed together with very little staging.

I was surprised by the lack of community support for this race given that this was the 35th anniversary. As we talked to people around town the weekend before the race, few even knew that it was taking place. The few fans on the course (probably family members of runners) were enthusiastic and GREATLY appreciated. The volunteers were also top-notch and did a great job at aid stations. And special thanks to the Omaha PD - great job with traffic control and even cheering for the runners!!

The expo needs some work. Location was terrible with not nearly enough room for vendors, runners and guests.

The finisher medal (made of recycled glass) will be one of my favorites!! Was fun to see all of the different colors - truly works of art! The shirt is also a top-notch, long-sleeve, tech material  but I would prefer a different shirt for each distance. Post-race food was the same as at most local 5Ks with bagels and bananas... but I was glad to see the chocolate milk!

All in all, I would not consider this a "destination" marathon, but has a small-race charm about it with a lot of the perks of a major marathon. Will probably not make the trip back but am very glad to have had the experience. Keep up the good work! And if you plan to run... do your hill work!!

This is my hometown marathon. I have run in other marathons, but I consider Omaha my every-year-have-to-do race. The course is challenging but not impossible. The race wouldn't be what is is without the great core of volunteers who assist year after year! The best part is seeing a familiar face as a "human cone" from the previous years. The bands were great! Plenty of water stops with enthusiastic volunteers! I LOVE this race.This year's finisher's medals were the best I have ever seen. I love the artistic component of each and every medal being unique! This years the expo was better than in years past. Awesome speaker at the pasta dinner. Looking forward to 2011!

The organization of this marathon was great. Plenty of free parking by the start/finish line. Friendly and very helpful volunteers. I'm glad I participated in the 2010 Omaha Marathon and would recommend this event to a friend. Omaha is my birthplace, so it was extra special to run this marathon.

Hands down I thought the run was much better this year than in past years. Maybe it's because I had already run the course before but I think there were a lot of improvements made such as:
-Expo - it was a lot better at DoubleTree. There was more room, better merchandise, and it had the feel of a bigger marathon.
-Medals/Shirts - the medals this year are unique. Not sure if I'm crazy about them yet (it's hard to see the Omaha Marathon logo on mine) but I give them credit for trying something new. They also went to tech shirts rather than cotton, which is awesome.
-Finish line - I love the finish on the riverfront.

Yes, the course is hilly, but it's Omaha and it's a hilly town. It's at least a good challenge.

There are a few things that still can be improved. You hit a few spots multiple times, which can be boring and it still goes through some areas that could use some renovation. But overall I felt it was much improved from last year.