The Crossroads of Indiana Marathon is a small race but there is no reason it should not be much bigger. Unless you must run for 26.2 miles on streets lined by screaming spectators, this is a perfect marathon. Yes, the field currently is small but that means each runner can receive more personalized attention.

I ran this marathon as part of my quest to run a marathon in all fifty states. I flew in from an area well known for its marathon, Boston, and I specifically chose the Crossroads because it was run the same weekend as the Boston Marathon. That way I could coordinate my training with many New England races established as preparation for Boston. Once in Lowell, Indiana, I was not disappointed.

Let's get into the details. I registered late for this race but still paid a reasonably priced $80 entry fee. There were water stops about every 1.5 miles. The course was well marked which is important because of the small crowd. A little breezy at the start, the weather was otherwise perfect for marathon running as was the course. Not as pancake flat as the Chicago Marathon course, the hills were gentle and rolling and rather than being a hindrance, they were more of a welcome change. The road is not closed but the auto traffic was very light. We had a cloudy day but the Indiana countryside offered a pleasant view, especially as we ran along some lake resort areas.

Now for the people; this was my favorite part of the race. I had questions regarding logistics and concerns because a previous runner had complained about a lack of water stops. My email to the race director was quickly answered and my worries disappeared - plenty of water stops. There were no sports gels on the course but most runners want to make sure they have their favorite brand with them and do not rely on having them available at the water stops. The packet pickup was convenient and I received directions to the start of the race while there. The morning of the race when I discovered I did not have a place for my large rental car keys while I ran, the race director's mother offered to hold them for me. I am a back of the pack finisher and sometimes things are sparse when I cross the finish line. Not at the Crossroads of Indiana marathon. There was plenty of water and food available for me, the people at the massage tent were still there and I could have enjoyed a nice massage if I hadn't been in a mad dash to catch a flight. Gathering my keys and my prize for finishing in the top three for my division (something that has never happened to me before), I said my thanks and jumped in my car.

For the many Marathon Maniacs and Fifty Staters, as well as people local to the area, let me encourage you to run this race. The drive from and back to Chicago was short and very easy. I stayed near the race in Hebron at a Super 8 which kept my expenses down. However, if you want something more upscale, there was a special race rate at a Radisson a little farther away. For the New England readers of this review, let me strongly encourage you to see a change in scenery. The open countryside is quite a contract to the wooded hills of New England. Enjoy the views but come for the race.

If you are looking for a great midwest marathon this one is it. It has some hills, but also downhills. Plenty of flat stretches as well. You go around a very nice lake as well. The shirts and medals were very neat.

The start was a little confusing. The full went one way and the Half went the other way. This would have made more sense if we could have heard the announcements. It was a beautiful coure. Not a lot of spectators. because it was a country course. But everyone cheered for you. They were great. All in all a 10 out of 10 in my eyes. If you ever get a chance and your in lowell indiana i recommend this run. Its a beautiful medal.

The race director should not be blamed for conditions. Head wind for 18 or so miles, but I do think there should of been more aid stations in the marathon. Was a 6 or so mile stretch with no aid station. Maybe offer gels in marathon as well. Gets pretty lonely in marathon, maybe have cheer spots or something. Hilly course, and windy. It was brutal. Pretty expensive marathon for what you get in return.

As only my second marathon, I do not have a lot to compare it to.
Compared to the Flying Pig, it's actually impossible to compare. Different races, I understand this. But:

Cons:
1) Terrible placement of water. There was a water stop somewhere around mile 13, which also was the next water stop, st around 18 miles. 5 miles of no water at 70 degrees? Crazy. There was one more longer stretch with no water.

2) The race is advertised as being flat. It is not flat. No way, no how. I realize I'm from Chicago and what's considered flat in Chicago is not universal, and while this was no where near as hilly as the Flying Pig, it is certainly very 'rolling'. The amount of change from minimum elevation to maximum is not a lot, but there are many small hills, and about 2 or 3 bigger ones. All that being said, the course is fine, just know what you are getting into.

3) No t-shirts at packet pick-up. Rumor has it we will get them in the mail.

4) No GU along course, no response from race director when emails were sent asking if there would be.

5) Incredibly mean looking dog almost attacking runners at mile 23. Not race director fault, but just want to mention it.

6) No spectators. None. Maybe 10 total, and they were obviously there to follow a specific runner.

Pros:

1) Course was a little above adequate. I actually enjoyed the rolling aspects of it, and there were portions in which it actually was decent scenery. I kept waiting for the 'breathtaking' views, but maybe I missed them. Lots of bad pavement and lots of traffic.

2) the other runners. THe nice thing about small races like this seems to be the sense of camaraderie with other runners. A plus.

3) the merging with the half marathoners, pretty cool twist

Overall, if you need an April race to qualify for Boston, or you live in Lowell, this might be a good race for you. Otherwise, with Schaumburg now hosting a race a few weeks later, this may become obsolete. This is unfortunate, and in my opinion shouldn't happen. I believe the town of Lowell/ Hebron needs to get more involved. I stayed overnight in Hebron and couldnt get a checkout past noon!! Thats crazy. I got to drive back to the west suburbs to take a shower. Yummy.

If you got this race entry on Groupon, probably money well spent. Otherwise, it was about the same as my twenty mile, self-supported training run.

I thought the race was great for a first time marathon. Well organized. I ran the full and I love the overlap start with the half marathon. Very unique. The weather was rough, which made for a tough course, but living in the area, I have run this course several times and if the wind was from the Northwest, which is predominant here, it would have been an entirely different story. That gives a tail wind for the second half and for most of the hills. In fact, when the wind is from that direction, you barely notice most of the hills. I also like how the course intertwines with the half marathon enough to see those folks and encourage them and get some encouragement. That's as good as spectators if not better. There were still some stretches that were quiet where I could focus on my pace. Just enough turns to break up the monotony but not be confusing. Awards were great, very unique. Cool race, I'll definitely be back in 2012 for the second running. Great job!

This was my first ever road marathon, and despite the constantly rolling hills, and the 20-30 mph winds, I blew my goals out of the water and BQ'd... all in all, a great day! I usually run trail races that could be classified as "self-supported," so coming into this race I was really surprised by the level of support and the frequency of aid stations - it was awesome! If you are used to road races, you may disagree, but I was very happy with how many water stops there were, which meant I didn't need to run with bottles - woo hoo!

One thing I would change would be porta-johns... I didn't see any, but supposedly there was one at mile 13. The volunteers and race staff were wonderful and very encouraging. Plenty of water and Gatorade. Almost no spectators due to the very rural course, I'm guessing. Results were posted very quickly (I'm used to waiting a week or more for those!), and photographers seemed to be everywhere, so there are a ton of pictures. Course was very easy to follow, except in one spot near the end of the marathon course where it was unclear which way to turn (a police officer/course official stopped me from going right and said to go left :)) Not pancake-flat like Chicago, but enough rolling to keep things interesting. The final mile or so of the course was uphill, and while it's probably not much in reality, it certainly felt like climbing a mountain after 26 miles of redlining, ha! I didn't notice the mile markers until halfway through, but they are there and were close to what was reading on my Garmin. Nice to have those, but not necessary. I would definitely return to this race. I like the smaller field and more intimate race experience. Very fun, and very easy to get to from Chicago!

There should have been porto-toilets at points along the race. Markers should have clearly identified each mile point. At a few points there should have been a timer with stop watch telling runners their time. Car traffic interfered with runners and vice versa along the Cedlar Lake Road. Most runners would not object to paying a little more for better service.

Event was run very well. Course was a little more hilly than I was expecting, but it was a great course with many water/Gatorade tables. I wish there would have been bathrooms to use along the course. I would also have liked if chip timing were used. All in all, it was a great race with wonderful post-race snacks. I hope to do this race again next year.

A very windy day, and the flat landscape didn't provide cover from the wind gusts; but they can't control the weather. The course was relatively flat, but enough gradual climbing at the end to kick your butt. Easy access for spectators; I saw my wife and kids 8 or 9 different times. A lot of fun, and it's run well. I see you next year.