If you like small events, this will meet your needs. The crowd is small for the half, full, and 50K. You can meet the race director personally to ask any questions, the pasta dinner was down to earth and simple, you can park close to the start/finish line, the route is easy to follow (easier than it seems from the website map), you get to know your fellow runners by seeing them at several points on the course, and you get the small-town personal touches. This is the complete opposite of the mega marathons, which made it appealing to me. Very memorable!

I liked the course very much. Three laps of loops was fine and there was almost NO traffic. After the first time through, the little inclines are less bothersome. Family was able to see me 5 or 6 times from the same spot (near the finish line), which was nice. Many children volunteers, which is always fun. The extra miles for the 50K were confusing for me, but I missed the Friday night dinner where it was probably clarified; the volunteers steered me along. This year it rained - so what? And I PR'd both my marathon split and the 50K (so of course I like it. :)

I chose this marathon because it was one of the few marathons with positive comments on MarathonGuide.com meeting my schedule and the need to add another state. It is a small-town marathon; definitely low-key, in a great location for bringing and entertaining small children (starts and finishes in park with playground), great amenities (expect to eat well), more than enough water stops, and a nice atmosphere. The course it not exactly all flat, but any small inclines were met with declines of equal and greater length. It is a fast course and the loops were not as daunting as might be expected. I would recommend it for these reasons.

It was not the best run small-town marathon (too many little snafus), but I really liked that the race director and volunteers were so friendly and supportive (all except the friendly but not-so-supportive one who let me and another runner run past, making a wrong turn, adding nearly 3 minutes to our times by the time we returned to the point where we ran off-course). However, I do blame myself as the course was clearly marked and I just got caught in the zone. Just warning that you better pay attention as there are a lot of turns and there may be few to no runners within sight to follow.

This was my first time running an open course that also consisted of running the same loop three times. I thought running the same loop 3 times would be boring; however, it was quite the opposite. The aid stations were well-stocked, the course directions were clear and the small number of runners was exactly what I was looking for. My goal was to run a 3:25 and I ran a 3:28:xx.

The only two things I would have done differently are to not have an OPEN course (dodging traffic at 18 miles in is not fun) and allowing runners to use headphones/Mp3 players.

Thanks, Mike, for having a great race; and I even saw you several times along the course checking on all of the runners. The FREE post-race massage was wonderful!

I would definitely consider running this race again!

I must also thank Kevin and Chris (two fellow LCM runners) who helped me "cruise" my way to a PR.

What a terrific event. As other runners have mentioned, if you are looking for vast crowds of "fans," large expos, etc., then  go to Chicago or New York. This is a small-town race!

Positives:
1. Boston Qualifying event.
2. Good course - three "loops" but through nice neighborhoods, bike trails/woods, and near the lakes.
3. Organization - very well organized.
4. Number of runners - approximately 50 in total, which allowed PLENTY of room simply to run!
5. Photo - after completing the race, a framed photo of the finish is sent to each runner.
6. Support - terrific support from the local community (water stops, bagels, etc.) on the course and very supportive volunteers.
7. BQ - qualified for Boston.

Negatives: why runners focus on the negatives of a race is beyond me. It's a blessing to be able to run 26.2 in roughly 3 hours and have people support you in that quest. No complaints here!

The email I received today with three race photos (at no charge) was the icing on the cake for this gem. So, for those keeping score, $45 got you pasta dinner with speaker Hal Higdon, shirt, bag, post race meal and photos. And a PR! Lots of love for Lake City.

I qualified for Boston in this race with a good portion of the credit going to the support and enthusiasm along the course. Great volunteers. It has has a few mild hills and inclines, but is essentially flat. Although the course was complex with many turns and three laps, it was well marked and I had no problems. The pre-race dinner was all-you-can-eat pasta, with a Hal Higdon dessert, and the post-race food included pizza, chicken, sandwiches, watermelon, etc. The massage was just what I needed. The winners received framed pictures of their finish along with signed copies of Hal's new book. Quite a deal. Please don't change anything. The only problem may be in handling a larger turnout next year.

I also ran this race to get Indiana as a state. Amazing bang for the buck - a $40 entry fee got you a pre- and post-race dinner, Hal Higdon (no less) as a speaker, a t-shirt, a duffel bag, plentiful and well stocked water and food stops, cheerful volunteers who went out of their way to offer assistance, an enthusiastic race director, an incredible post-race massage with no wait, and a flat, fast course. Sure, the course has three loops, and many twists and turns, but this kind of low-key pampering is unheard of at any mid-to-large-scale race. Bravo to all involved; it deserves a higher turnout in 2010.

This was my first Lake City Marathon and fifth overall. Having run Milwaukee, Chicago (twice) and Grand Rapids, I wanted to try a smaller one. Though I was hoping for a few more runners, I found the course (triple loop) to be enjoyable and scenic. The runs through the bike trail were very peaceful and shaded, which was very nice.

Negatives: Few runners. Very few spectators other than those who came with runners. It was hard to hear the directions given at the start of the race. A small p.a. system would have helped. They took a little long to get the awards out, but that didn't bother me much. I waited 30 minutes but finally had to go. They said they'd just mail them.

Positives: The course was well marked, enjoyable and scenic. The workers were fantastic and helpful, and those handing out drinks were near the corners to make sure you stayed the course (they helped me once as I was getting tired the last loop and almost turned left rather than right). There were drinks about every .8 miles. The looped course made it easy to know where I was and what to expect.

Despite running alone most of the race, my time was just off of my personal best. I wish they would allow iPods. The race information said runners would be "disqualified" (I had planned to wear a "Shuffle"). I left it in the car, but noticed that the first female to finish and at least a 2-3 others had ear phones. I really didn't care that they did, but wish I would have worn mine. I think it would have helped the "loneliness" a bit, and it's not like it would have caused any problems because we were so spread out most of the race.

Great marathon for families who support their "runner" as my wife got to see me pass 6-7 times at the park. Needless to say, that gave me a little "spark" each loop. If one was to stand near the corner coming out of Loop B, you could see them another three times.

I would run it again, but hope for more runners in the future. Still, with the loops and running back and forth through the bike trail, it seemed like there were actually more than there were.

Nice job overall. Weather was fantastic. Director did a great job and asked me personally how the race went. He obviously valued our opinions.

With a little more local support (as spectators and runners) this could be a real nice small marathon.

As it was... overall... a nice experience.

I have run a lot of marathons before, and this was my first ultra/50K! I ran with two of my friends, which made it nice. I will have to say that this is the BEST supported run I have ever done. It is more important if you are a slow runner; we finished at 7:29, and the organizers/ volunteers were still out getting us cold water, ice, and food. They never let us down - even at the end we had our picture taken and had food to eat after the race. I cannot thank them enough for this wonderful support. I wish more marathons offered support to slow runner, encouraging them to finish and having the support necessary. Thanks, Tracy!!! And to the volunteers: you are great.