The organization of the race was great! A great starting atmosphere and great support at all of the stations. Unfortunately, its run as a double loop (why its 3 stars), the first being shared with the half-marathoners. Because of this, the field really cleared out at the half and at times I felt like I was running alone. Beautiful scenic course that really shows off Northern Minnesota.
Beautiful weather (start in the 40s, finish in the mid 60s) with snow on the side of the road.

I've run this race the last three years and the organization wasn't as good this year. I was pre-registered and was told my finisher's shirt would be sent in the mail. The shuttle bus never showed up, so we were taken to the starting line by volunteers' cars. The race started 15 minutes late. The course was very well marked with cones and the two loop route was just fine. The weather didn't cooperate as it rained the entire race, which is nobody's fault. I feel the post race events should've been moved into the community center if possible versus the tents outside with mud around them. The food was very sparse and every runner seemed to disappear after the race due to the cold rain and lack of direction. If you want to run a small race with a good course and don't mind running without crowd support, I'd recommend it. A few tweaks could improve this race greatly though.

This was the third straight year that I've ran this marathon and planned to make it an annual event but with the new, two-lap course, I won't be going back. I really enjoyed the original route and encouraged others to join me on my trip to Nisswa each year. I hope they ditch the two-lap plan and go back to the long loop.

Overall, the organization is very good and the participation numbers were up from a year ago. Fan support was a little down this year, but only because it was raining throughout the race and very cold. Those who showed up were great.

This was my first time in Nisswa and I was extremely impressed with how well the event was organized. I used it as a training run for a "competitive" offering scheduled next month, and it really fit the bill. Saturday packet pick up was easy and much appreciated, given that I drove up from Minneapolis that morning. The course is what it is - quiet country roads and rails to trails  but if you expected something different, you've never visited the area before. The fans were sparse, but if you expected screaming and cow bells, you picked the wrong place. The volunteers were awesome, especially on a cold, rainy morning, and the announcement of each name as we crossed the finish line was fun. Echoing the earlier comment, it would be nice to have something salty to eat post-race.

Net, even on a cold, wet morning that this fair weather-runner didn't like, I was impressed. Thanks.

This was my first experience running this event. I ran the half marathon. There were shuttle buses that took us out to the starting line, which was the half-way point of the marathon. We then ran the second half of the marathon course (loop course). The shuttle buses were timely and convenient and nice and warm on a cool morning. The race course itself was perfect for me, but I like the feel of a small, rural race. It was on country roads and around small lakes. There were a few small hills around mile 16-22 (3-9 if running the half) and the last 5K are on a paved trail (converted railroad bed). The fans were sparse, but again, it's what you prefer. The fans that were on the course were really enthusiastic and the volunteers at the aid stations were great. The organization was fine for an up-and-coming, small race. I was fortunate to be part of the pre-race panel discussion, and I found it to be informal and fun. My only critique would be to offer something salty as part of the post-race food, and to consider rerouting the last mile of the course to avoid that last hill! :) The announcement of nearly every name as we crossed the finish line was a nice, personal touch.