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Marathon Details - Wichita Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > KS > Wichita > Wichita Marathon

Wichita Marathon

Wichita Marathon & Half Marathon, Relay

Wichita, KS USA

October 18, 2009

http://www.wichitamarathon.org

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By Year:

2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Top 3 Finishers

Race Details

Join us in 2007 for a spectacular finish at the lights and fountains of the Old Town Plaza. The finish, race hotel, pasta party and awards ceremony will all be in Old Town within one block the finish line. The race course for 2007 will be the fast, point-to-point course used for the past 2 years.

Contact Information

Name:	Clark Ensz
Address:	Wichita Marathon 6500 E. 21st #28 Wichita, Kansas 67206
Phone Number:	316-708-0808
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (57)

Course 3.7

Organization 4.5

Spectators 3.5

Write a review

Number of comments: 57 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 > ]

M. F. from South Caroline (11/1/2009) "Good Race to Run" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Look, I'm no pro at the marathon scene, but as a non-Kansas or Wichita resident, I thought it was a good race. The first mile of the course was the first mile I had run in the Wichita area. The organization "pre-post" was great. I didn't find anything boring about the race, which is odd considering all of the previous comments. Yes, the Air Force Base was quiet, but I wouldn't make it out to be such a horror that it almost made me fall asleep on the run. I would suggest those who were that bored should take an iPhone, Gameboy or PSP on the next running of this race. I'll finish up with this: You get what you pay for. I got a beautiful day, considering the previous few days' weather; I got to meet a lot of people; I got a T-shirt; I got a few more miles under my shoes; and I got a great day to remember, all for less than 50 bucks.
Amy Rockhill from Roanoke, Virginia (10/25/2009) "Very nice small marathon" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My sixth marathon and a PR. It is my understanding that the course will be changed for 2010; however, this course was very fair, and almost flat. Very well organized - efficient shuttle buses to the start, with an indoor facility for pre-race gathering. Good volunteers along course. Friendly, well stocked water/sports drink stops. Good mile splits. The medal and long-sleeved technical shirt were excellent. Very nice age-group awards. Nice logo! Post-race offerings were good, with a bag full of goodies and massages available. Awards ceremony had good food (pizza), but needed more chairs.
Jolene Walters from Idaho USA (10/21/2009) "Running through the Air Force Base was fun!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Great pre-race organization. Nice, flat course, with wind mostly behind us. Great people at aid stations, along the course, and at the finish line. HOWEVER, the Air Force base was delayed in letting us through the gates (mile 9). It was supposed to open at 8:30 and didn't open until 8:48. For the early bird starters, this meant standing around in the cold wind for up to 18 minutes. Our finish times were not adjusted for this. Very disappointing. The Air Force folks were trying very hard to get us in (required bolt cutters to get the lock off the gate) and they were very apologetic.
E. R. from Wichita, KS (10/20/2009) "More Boring Than Last Year" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Wichita Marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I ran this event this year as well as last year. Sadly, this year was even more vanilla, lonely, long, and bland. The awful wind kept the six City of Derby residents (who watched the marathon last year) inside this year. There is absolutely nothing visually pleasing about the route and nothing going on around the event. There is no media, no local high school bands, no humorous signs, no one serving beer at mile 22, and no interesting landmarks on the course (unless you count some sort of broken-down airplane). Pretty much nothing to get any type of adrenaline pumping. Just another long run that costs $80. The shirt this year was fantastic, especially compared to the ridiculous design they sold us last year. Long-sleeve tech shirt with a nice, simple graphic. Something someone might actually purchase in a store. Big thumbs up! The organization was good, as usual. Aid stations weren't exactly two miles apart as advertised, but close enough for me. They need bigger cups (or bottles) at the aid stations. The Dixie cups they used were small and I routinely had to grab two or three and littered them all over the place. The portion on the air base was boring and the portion through the park after that was desolate and even more boring. It was well marked, but I think I could have passed out and no one would have found me for a while. Only 240 finishers in this race. I hope the new course is better next year and the RD gets some local groups involved to drum up some interest (for runners, as well as spectators and local media). More food at the finish would have been nice as well. The only thing available was water and knock-off Gatorade, along with one bag per runner containing one banana, one bagel, and one candy bar.
S. R. from Lewisville, Texas (10/20/2009) "Excellent, small race; outstanding volunteers" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Windy (30+), but overall weather was good. This is an excellent small race with outstanding volunteers and the spectators really cheered you on. I've run three other mega-marathons this year, and the only one I would rank better is Disney. The course was well marked, and volunteers were at every major turn to make sure no one got lost. The people of Wichita and Derby were very friendly, and I must say they represented their cities well. I would definitely recommend this event to anyone. My understanding is that the 2010 course will be changing to include more sites within Wichita.
K. L. from Kansas (10/20/2009) "nice, flat, fast marathon" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I didn't think the course was that bad. It is not scenic, but it's very flat, it doesn't have many sharp turns, and it runs mostly north, which usually means a tailwind. It's a well organized race, with plenty of volunteers and a well marked course. There are aid stations about every two miles, with water and Gatorade, plus bananas, etc. starting at mile 20. It's nothing fancy, but it's a good, solid race where you can set a PR.
David Hurley from Roanoke, VA (10/19/2009) "Much Better Than Previous Reviews Indicate" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Having read the previous reviews, I was beginning to have second thoughts about running the marathon. However, my friends and I were pleasantly surprised that we loved most aspects of our entire trip. Actually it did feel like a tour of duty since we were running so long on the Air Force base. We had been warned about the wind, so as a whole, my friends and I enjoyed the course. The shirt is one of the top 10 of all the 58 marathons shirts that I have in my collection. The runners were in the top 10 of being very friendly during the marathon. The host hotel was definitely in the top 10. The volunteers did a great job at the water and sports drink stops along the way. However, toward the end in the park area, the volunteers disappeared. That is when we needed them the most. At the post pizza luncheon, we definitely needed more chairs. Does anyone realize how hard it is to get up and down from sitting on the floor after running 26.2 miles? My friend and I were looking for a place to sit. Being two of the oldest runners in the marathon, we were very tired. Finally, we noticed there were empty chairs in an adjoining room. As soon as we entered the room, we were asked to leave since it was only for volunteers. My feelings were hurt, but I will get over it. I am happy that I completed my 50 states in the Heartland of America in Wichita, KS. Thanks to the race committee for making it one of my most memorable.
J. M. from Wichita, KS (10/18/2009) "Most boring marathon EVER!" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 There's not really anything I can add to the comment right below this one; it's pretty accurate. The air force base was brutal! Very boring. The good news is that this is the last year of this course, so it can only be better in 2010. The organization was great; the medals were awesome and there were a ton of volunteers. This has the potential to be a great race if the course is right next year.
A. L. from Wichita, KS (1/6/2009) "Change the Course!" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 First let me say that the race was well organized and went off without a hitch. For Wichita, the spectators weren't even that bad. BUT, as a Wichita native and a novice marathoner, I was extremely disappointed with the course. Why would half of the WICHITA Marathon be in DERBY? I don't understand why we had to take a 10-mile detour just to run under a silly airplane with no spectators. There are a LOT of Air Force bases in the country and there is certainly nothing unique about ours. So, instead of perpetuating our self-proclaimed Air Capital status, race organizers could tout Wichita's parks, history, and architecture by keeping the race strictly in the downtown/midtown/Riverside/College Hill/Delano area. As it stands now, I would think very poorly of Wichita if I were an out-of-towner or 50-stater experiencing our city/race for the first time based on this ridiculous route.
E. R. from Wichita, KS (10/31/2008) "Not bad - could use some changes" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 COURSE: We started off running 9 miles through the town of Derby. This was by far the best part of the race. There were prevalent spectators and the streets were nice and wide open. The next 10 miles were through the air force base in Wichita. This was terribly boring, as no spectators are allowed on the base. The road surface is also chunked/grated/rocky asphalt for a few miles. No fun. The last 7 miles were on bike paths leading to a street, and then to a brick road. The bike paths were off the main roads, so not many spectators. The brick road was killer on the legs coming in to the finish. ORGANIZATION: Awesome! There were easily more volunteers than runners. Aid stations were always stocked and fully staffed. They were all playing music and appeared to be having a good time. All were cheerful and supportive. They had water/Gatorade and some had snacks. SPECTATORS: Not many, especially after the first few miles through Derby. This really disappointed me, as it really made the race more fun when they were around. The spectators who were out were fantastic! OTHER: The race shirt was name-brand, long-sleeve, tech shirt. Very bright yellow. GIANT silk-screen busy/complex logo on the front... not my cup of tea. I'm not sure why they have to make these nice shirts ugly. The race medallion was perfect. I think there would be more spectator participation if they kept the race off the AFB and bike paths. Running through side streets and neighborhoods was more fun.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 > ]



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M. F. from South Caroline (11/1/2009) "Good Race to Run" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Look, I'm no pro at the marathon scene, but as a non-Kansas or Wichita resident, I thought it was a good race. The first mile of the course was the first mile I had run in the Wichita area. The organization "pre-post" was great. I didn't find anything boring about the race, which is odd considering all of the previous comments. Yes, the Air Force Base was quiet, but I wouldn't make it out to be such a horror that it almost made me fall asleep on the run. I would suggest those who were that bored should take an iPhone, Gameboy or PSP on the next running of this race. I'll finish up with this: You get what you pay for. I got a beautiful day, considering the previous few days' weather; I got to meet a lot of people; I got a T-shirt; I got a few more miles under my shoes; and I got a great day to remember, all for less than 50 bucks.
Amy Rockhill from Roanoke, Virginia (10/25/2009) "Very nice small marathon" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My sixth marathon and a PR. It is my understanding that the course will be changed for 2010; however, this course was very fair, and almost flat. Very well organized - efficient shuttle buses to the start, with an indoor facility for pre-race gathering. Good volunteers along course. Friendly, well stocked water/sports drink stops. Good mile splits. The medal and long-sleeved technical shirt were excellent. Very nice age-group awards. Nice logo! Post-race offerings were good, with a bag full of goodies and massages available. Awards ceremony had good food (pizza), but needed more chairs.
Jolene Walters from Idaho USA (10/21/2009) "Running through the Air Force Base was fun!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Great pre-race organization. Nice, flat course, with wind mostly behind us. Great people at aid stations, along the course, and at the finish line. HOWEVER, the Air Force base was delayed in letting us through the gates (mile 9). It was supposed to open at 8:30 and didn't open until 8:48. For the early bird starters, this meant standing around in the cold wind for up to 18 minutes. Our finish times were not adjusted for this. Very disappointing. The Air Force folks were trying very hard to get us in (required bolt cutters to get the lock off the gate) and they were very apologetic.
E. R. from Wichita, KS (10/20/2009) "More Boring Than Last Year" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Wichita Marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I ran this event this year as well as last year. Sadly, this year was even more vanilla, lonely, long, and bland. The awful wind kept the six City of Derby residents (who watched the marathon last year) inside this year. There is absolutely nothing visually pleasing about the route and nothing going on around the event. There is no media, no local high school bands, no humorous signs, no one serving beer at mile 22, and no interesting landmarks on the course (unless you count some sort of broken-down airplane). Pretty much nothing to get any type of adrenaline pumping. Just another long run that costs $80. The shirt this year was fantastic, especially compared to the ridiculous design they sold us last year. Long-sleeve tech shirt with a nice, simple graphic. Something someone might actually purchase in a store. Big thumbs up! The organization was good, as usual. Aid stations weren't exactly two miles apart as advertised, but close enough for me. They need bigger cups (or bottles) at the aid stations. The Dixie cups they used were small and I routinely had to grab two or three and littered them all over the place. The portion on the air base was boring and the portion through the park after that was desolate and even more boring. It was well marked, but I think I could have passed out and no one would have found me for a while. Only 240 finishers in this race. I hope the new course is better next year and the RD gets some local groups involved to drum up some interest (for runners, as well as spectators and local media). More food at the finish would have been nice as well. The only thing available was water and knock-off Gatorade, along with one bag per runner containing one banana, one bagel, and one candy bar.
S. R. from Lewisville, Texas (10/20/2009) "Excellent, small race; outstanding volunteers" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Windy (30+), but overall weather was good. This is an excellent small race with outstanding volunteers and the spectators really cheered you on. I've run three other mega-marathons this year, and the only one I would rank better is Disney. The course was well marked, and volunteers were at every major turn to make sure no one got lost. The people of Wichita and Derby were very friendly, and I must say they represented their cities well. I would definitely recommend this event to anyone. My understanding is that the 2010 course will be changing to include more sites within Wichita.
K. L. from Kansas (10/20/2009) "nice, flat, fast marathon" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I didn't think the course was that bad. It is not scenic, but it's very flat, it doesn't have many sharp turns, and it runs mostly north, which usually means a tailwind. It's a well organized race, with plenty of volunteers and a well marked course. There are aid stations about every two miles, with water and Gatorade, plus bananas, etc. starting at mile 20. It's nothing fancy, but it's a good, solid race where you can set a PR.
David Hurley from Roanoke, VA (10/19/2009) "Much Better Than Previous Reviews Indicate" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Having read the previous reviews, I was beginning to have second thoughts about running the marathon. However, my friends and I were pleasantly surprised that we loved most aspects of our entire trip. Actually it did feel like a tour of duty since we were running so long on the Air Force base. We had been warned about the wind, so as a whole, my friends and I enjoyed the course. The shirt is one of the top 10 of all the 58 marathons shirts that I have in my collection. The runners were in the top 10 of being very friendly during the marathon. The host hotel was definitely in the top 10. The volunteers did a great job at the water and sports drink stops along the way. However, toward the end in the park area, the volunteers disappeared. That is when we needed them the most. At the post pizza luncheon, we definitely needed more chairs. Does anyone realize how hard it is to get up and down from sitting on the floor after running 26.2 miles? My friend and I were looking for a place to sit. Being two of the oldest runners in the marathon, we were very tired. Finally, we noticed there were empty chairs in an adjoining room. As soon as we entered the room, we were asked to leave since it was only for volunteers. My feelings were hurt, but I will get over it. I am happy that I completed my 50 states in the Heartland of America in Wichita, KS. Thanks to the race committee for making it one of my most memorable.
J. M. from Wichita, KS (10/18/2009) "Most boring marathon EVER!" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 There's not really anything I can add to the comment right below this one; it's pretty accurate. The air force base was brutal! Very boring. The good news is that this is the last year of this course, so it can only be better in 2010. The organization was great; the medals were awesome and there were a ton of volunteers. This has the potential to be a great race if the course is right next year.
A. L. from Wichita, KS (1/6/2009) "Change the Course!" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 First let me say that the race was well organized and went off without a hitch. For Wichita, the spectators weren't even that bad. BUT, as a Wichita native and a novice marathoner, I was extremely disappointed with the course. Why would half of the WICHITA Marathon be in DERBY? I don't understand why we had to take a 10-mile detour just to run under a silly airplane with no spectators. There are a LOT of Air Force bases in the country and there is certainly nothing unique about ours. So, instead of perpetuating our self-proclaimed Air Capital status, race organizers could tout Wichita's parks, history, and architecture by keeping the race strictly in the downtown/midtown/Riverside/College Hill/Delano area. As it stands now, I would think very poorly of Wichita if I were an out-of-towner or 50-stater experiencing our city/race for the first time based on this ridiculous route.
E. R. from Wichita, KS (10/31/2008) "Not bad - could use some changes" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Wichita Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 COURSE: We started off running 9 miles through the town of Derby. This was by far the best part of the race. There were prevalent spectators and the streets were nice and wide open. The next 10 miles were through the air force base in Wichita. This was terribly boring, as no spectators are allowed on the base. The road surface is also chunked/grated/rocky asphalt for a few miles. No fun. The last 7 miles were on bike paths leading to a street, and then to a brick road. The bike paths were off the main roads, so not many spectators. The brick road was killer on the legs coming in to the finish. ORGANIZATION: Awesome! There were easily more volunteers than runners. Aid stations were always stocked and fully staffed. They were all playing music and appeared to be having a good time. All were cheerful and supportive. They had water/Gatorade and some had snacks. SPECTATORS: Not many, especially after the first few miles through Derby. This really disappointed me, as it really made the race more fun when they were around. The spectators who were out were fantastic! OTHER: The race shirt was name-brand, long-sleeve, tech shirt. Very bright yellow. GIANT silk-screen busy/complex logo on the front... not my cup of tea. I'm not sure why they have to make these nice shirts ugly. The race medallion was perfect. I think there would be more spectator participation if they kept the race off the AFB and bike paths. Running through side streets and neighborhoods was more fun.

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Marathon Details - Wichita Marathon