Brookings Marathon - Race Reviews

I ran this race on Saturday and was really impressed by the organization and commitment of the race director and volunteers. Conditions were not ideal. It was 57 degrees at race time with 21 mph winds and intermittent light rain. The latter was less of an issue while I was on the course, but it got heavier for those still out on the course after I finished. The main problem was the wind, which is obviously beyond any race director's control. The course itself had a lot of turns, but these were capably manned by volunteers, and I never worried about getting lost, and traffic control kept me feeling pretty safe on the roads. There were plenty of water stations, although late in the race I had to grab a cup or two off the table. The course had some nice scenic areas, especially Dakota Nature Park, although other parts were pretty nondescript. Grey skies don't tend to show anyplace in its best light though. The biggest challenge in this race was the wind. There was not a whole lot of elevation gain, with one hill in Larson Park around mile 9, but there were a number of grades, and these seemed to be more frequent late in the race, going into the wind. There was also a fair amount of running on sidewalks. Candidly, this may not have amounted to very much in terms of mileage, but it was unusual, and I'm not a fan of running on conrete at age 62. The road surface in general was often a little grainy, as opposed to smooth blacktop. Actually, due to the wet conditions, this probably provided for better footing. There was also about 1/4 mile on dirt road, but conditions weren't terrible. There was also blacktop greenway through the parks and nature area, which I liked best. At the finish, the announcer not only called out my name and home town, but he also called out that I held the 50K age record in my home state and was president of the state psychiatric association. How he knew that is beyond me, and he seemed to have a little special knowledge about each of the finishers, which speaks to the effort this race team puts into making this a special race. I was 16th overall and won my age group, so the reader has to bear in mind that those finishing behind me may have had a different experience, but there was plenty of water and Powerade on the course and plenty of food and drinks after I finished. There was no expo to speak of, and post-race food included cookies and bagels. Age group award was a framed picture of the marathon route. Medal was decent size, shaped like the state of South Dakota.

Great flat marathon that is well organized. I have run it twice and it keeps getting better. Easy to get to starting line, no long lines, facilities are good, etc. Great medal, 1/2 zip pull over!

A small town marathon on a windy course with great volunteers and organizers. Plenty of aid stations with good signage and ample helpers. Law enforcement and volunteers keep runners trucking along through numerous intersections. Medals were incredible. Glad they weren't put on the runners before the race. Long-sleeve race shirts are super comfortable. The race has a terrific tradition. Next year will be the 50th edition.

This is truly small town race at it's finest! Brookings is a beautiful little town with tons of friendly people. Course was flat and ran through mostly residential areas and beautiful parks. Support was excellent with plenty of water stops and staffed by great volunteers. The burgers at the finish really hit the spot. Thanks to everyone for putting on such a great race.

I had been looking for a good BQ race for 2017. A friend recommended this one, as she had done it several times. It did not disappoint. Packet pickup smooth and I got to talk with the pacers, a 1st for this race. As expected, it was windy and crowd support was just OK. The course is mostly flat and with a good mix of turns and scenery. Aid stations were well supported. Only complaint I have is sometimes water and Gatorade were back to back, other times they were across from each other. Consistency helps. Props to Nick's Hamburgers for giving out 2 FREE mini's to everyone. They were excellent. Other post race food was good too. I love the convenient shuttle from the our hotel. They do a great job and I would do this one again.

Winter hadn't bid farewell to the Northern Plains when this event was held (34 degrees at start followed by a sharp north wind later in the day). But that didn't detract from a nice run through parks, historic neighborhoods and the university campus. Spectators are never abundant and with nasty weather, that was even more so this year. But volunteers are plentiful and police do a great job of giving runners the right of way during the multiple road crossings. Food fare is much better than offered at big city marathons and it was nice addition to pacers this year.

This is an awesome race. The course is dynamic so does not get boring (has some hills, lots of flats, but always changing) and the people who put it on are about the nicest people i have ever met. I could have done without the extreme winds, but hey that's the Dakotas! Am a 50 stater but would go back to South Dakota any year.

A great little marathon on a flat course. Organization is top-notch. Aid stations were well-supplied, even for us toward the back of the pack. Volunteers were friendly and the free hamburgers were a great touch. It looked like spring arrived just before the marathon; flowering apple and crap apple trees and lilacs were everywhere.

The race director's comments are spot on. Beautiful course with trees in bloom, the smell of lilacs along the course, and a plethora of volunteers to show you the way. Surprisingly, crowd support for a small town race was excellent. One of the better ones that I've run this year. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Really easy to get to the start on race day. Really well organized. Plenty of water stations. Easy to find lodging. Will definitely consider this one in the future.

If you need a race with a wall of spectators from start to finish and a huge after-race party, the Brookings Marathon isn't for you. If you want a race that is executed to the nth detail while still having a small-town friendly feel, Brookings is the place to be. The course meanders all around town, which gives variety and minimizes the effect of the inevitable South Dakota breezes. Course markings, aid stations, volunteers, mile markers, etc. couldn't be better. While a lot of the mileage is on city streets, police and national guardsmen assured safe crossings. Finishers received a medal as big as a drink coaster and free hamburgers as well as the traditional post-race food.

You can't go to a marathon with 195 in the full marathon in a small town and expect fans. This marathon also doesn't have a lot of other things that you will find in huge marathons - crowds, impersonal treatment and long lines. There is a plethora of volunteers, including National Guard members stopping traffic at major road crossing; a flat course with a variety of scenery and surfaces, and organizers who want to see every marathoner have a good experience. Yes, the wind does blow in South Dakota. It's this flat land's version of hills. But the windy course keeps one from running into the wind for very long at one stretch.

Very well organized run with a nice shirt and medal. The course is very flat and winds throughout the city. Plenty of fluid stations and volunteers. Like others, I was surprised by how many parks and trails there were. For family members not racing, the Children's museum is pretty good. The one downside-and I realize this is something the organizer can't control-is that there was a strong headwind for a lot of the race. If you are not used to running in a lot of wind be prepared for a slower pace than usual. Also be aware that weather in the upper midwest at that time of year is fickle. It was in the 30s the morning of the race but temps were in the 90s two days later. The post-race spread was nice. Althought the wind prevented me from getting the time I wanted, I'm glad I ran it and got to visit Brookings.

I agree with some of the other comments. Ran this run for my 18th State from U K and although not all that much to do in Brookings - went to Sioux Falls as a side trip - the place did grow on me. In many places few if any spectators, but the ones that were there were especially welcome. National Guard and State troppers also added a great veneer to the run. Overall I think it is worth the journey here to do it.

Nice course, but I agree with another review that for a small town they could have closed roads so as not to run on the sidwalks. A well put together race. Only negatives I have are that there were not enough porta-potties and the photograghy was terrible. I ran with my fiancee and the only pics of either one of us is during the start of the race and were not that good. I've ran much larger marathons where photographers got shots at different locations of the race and always at the finish. Big thumbs down for the photograghy.

Great race that was well organized. Very nice town with friendly people. I was amazed at the number of running trails and parks for a town this size. Having run a number or marathons, this one ranks right up there with the best of them. Nicks Hamburgers at the finish were a nice touch. Keep up the good work!

Having run Boston less than 4 weeks earlier, this was a refreshing change from a big city/event race. Organization was great, packet pick up was easy, parking on race day was plentiful, and getting to Brookings from Boulder CO was a snap. The weather was glorious, and the course was pretty good even with all the ups-and-downs and backs-and-forths through town. My ONLY complaint is the running on sidewalks. It seems that this is a small enough town that roads could be closed. The sidewalk section around mile 17-19 and at the end killed me, especially going up and down curbs. If the race could stay on the roads I would give this race 5 stars across the board. As far as spectators - they were sporadic but VERY supportive and enthusiastic. I'm not too concerned about spectators so that was fine. Top notch race. Next time I'll try to run it more rested!

I chose this race specifically because of all the positive comments left from previous years. They were all spot on. If youre looking for a great small town race and/or need to cross South Dakota off your list, this is the race for you. No one will try to convince you that its got the most breathtaking scenery in all the land, but it is a terrific town and theres enough variety on the course to keep it interesting. Positives: -About as flat a course as youll come across. -Water stops came often and were plentiful. -Volunteers were spectacular. -This course is very spectator friendly  family members will have no problem maneuvering around town to get to any number of viewing areas. -Best shirt Ive ever gotten, and a great medal too. -Procrastinator that I am, I signed up about 3 weeks prior to the race and still had no problem at all finding a nice hotel room for a decent race. Overall the RD and whole town itself did such a great job with this race. I cant think of a single negative thing to say. Thank you, Brookings!

After having just run a very large marathon 2 weeks prior, Brookings was a true breath of fresh air. Very different, and absolutely fun, charming, scenic, and challenging. I give 5 stars for everything, including spectators. Not that the streets were lined with them, but the ones who were there were awesome. So friendly, encouraging, and engaged. I've never seen a whole town so invested. Every yard was well manicured...every park groomed perfectly.. all the volunteers were smiling and so helpful. I came up to Brookings to get a MarathonManiac qualifying race..but I left with a grand experience in a wonderfully small package. This is a MUST-do marathon. Don't miss it.

This marathon was a great option for my 50 state marathon journey. Entry fee was a bargain, under $50 (early reg + 50 state discount)! Perks were nice- great technical zip long sleeved shirt was one of the nicer shirts especially given entry fee. Most importantly though, the race director and volunteers had a keen attention to details that really matter- aid stations, entry, logistics, travel information for out-of-towners, etc. Food at finish line was perfect and included some relatively 'famous' local fare. For a town the size of Brookings, I thought there were lots of spectators cheering us on. The shuttle running from the hotels was also a nice touch for out-of-towners. The marathon did have a half race and relay but neither group was overpowering to the marathon event at any point of the course. This was a great marathon not only for people looking to run in South Dakota, but for anyone who enjoys a great well- managed race with excellent community support. Nicely done!

This was my 23rd marathon, 22nd state. This was one of my favorite, if not my favorite. The weather was perfect. The course was layed out nice. They did not close streets so the only negative was that we ran on sidewalks and had to make sharp turns when turning corners. Lost some momemtum but I still ran a great race. The wait for the Nick's Hamburgers at the end was worth it! Great race. I will recommend it to others. If I was not a 50 stater, I would be back next year! If you are looking at running a South Dakota race, do this one!

This race meets my criteria of a great race. I like small town small races that are well organized and coordinated. The race is in Brookings, SD, it is a charming college town in SE South Dakota. The race is mostly flat and runs through the town, college campus, well maintained residential neighborhoods, and lots of parks and trails. Volunteer support is great; I would suspect the volunteers outnumber the runners. The half-marathoners dont clog up the course. The price is very reasonable and 4 great restaurants offered runner discounts. The atmosphere was of a college football weekend. For a small race the fan support was good. It gets my highest recommendation.

Organization and course support were outstanding. Every water stop had enthusiastic volunteers. This year the weather was perfect! The course is varied enough so just about the time you get tired of the section the course changes. Very friendly runners and spectators. A super small marathon that I highly recommend!

Boston or New York it is not...thankfully. Flat course except for one hill in the front half. Potty and bag drop literally 2 minutes from the starting line. Volunteers were all pleasant, very few spectors & entertainment was nil which perhaps stimulated a high level of comradery among the runners. Excellent technical zippered shirt and napsack. Very good post race refreshments including - get this - cook to order hamburgers! Overall a great experience on my quest(31 to go) of the 50 states.

I really loved this race. PR'd by over 8 minutes. It's a pretty, small-town course, varied surfaces, flat and fast, good support from spectators, plus the race shirt is a cut above the usual fare. So much to love about this race. The field is about 1,000 runners, including half-marathoners. There were 232 runners for the full. My only recommendation for the race organizers would be to eliminate the sidewalk stretches. I hate running on sidewalk, and while there weren't a lot of these stretches, there were enough to make it annoying at times. That's a pretty minor complaint, though, because on the whole the course is lovely and easy.

I thought the course was just perfect. I liked the small town atmosphere of the race. Volunteers were friendly and helpful. Temperatures in the 40's but that is what I expected for South Dakota in May. Fan support was great. The streets weren't lined with spectators but neither are my long training runs. Have recommended it to others and I plan on running it again next year. A very nice race.

Great, well-run race. The course loops through several residential communities with pretty houses, through the pretty SDSU campus and around a 3M plant and a number of small parks. All in all, the scenery was diverse enough that I never got bored with the run. The organizers and the volunteers were absolutely fantastic, and runners picked up great SWAGa nylon drawstring and zippered bag, and a zippered long sleeve technical tee that is my favorite of all the shirts I've gotten at marathons. Spectators got neat little cowbells to cheer their runners on. Burgers at the end were excellent. For food, try Bravos. Very good post-race steak and beer. All in all, Brookings was a great host and a great marathon. I'd run this again, if I didn't have so many other states to run.

Please don't let ratings like the one from Dave Graves discourage you from experiencing this race! Volunteers outnumber runners at this quality event, and the locals who turn out to watch are genuine, warm and enthusiastic! My most important spectators are friends and family who traveled with me to Brookings, and could easily move about town and cheer for me every mile or two along the course. Try that at Boston!

If you need fans to motivate your run, Brookings is not the place to run. You need to bring your own fans. Of course, with wind and temperatures in the 40s, it is not conducive to sitting on the curb watching runners go by. But the cool temperatures were good for running. The course is well marked and the aid stations plentiful. While it is a small marathon in a small town, there is nothing bush league about the way the marathon is run. Nice high-tech shirts, plenty of workers on the course, a spacious park to stretch and warm up at before the race.

I hesitate to only give a 3 rating for spectators, because I loved the ones that were there; it's just that there were not very many. The Brookings Optimist Club was fantastic. The course was great, flat and broken up because it went all around the town. It made the distance less intimidating. My family could see me on almost every part of the route, they had plenty of support, and we had fantastic weather all around. After running some of the larger marathons, this one was particularly enjoyable.

I would like to thanks Matt Bien and his crew of friendly volunteers for the support, putting on a great marathon and waiting for us who had a bad day and struggled through the last 10 miles. As a result I managed to qualify for the 50 States Marathon Club. I would have to rate this as one of nicest small marathons that I've ever run - it was a great route.

I enjoyed this marathon. The volunteers and spectators were very nice. About every 5 miles or so, I would get a sense of deja vu as it seemed I was running toward the elevator again! Lots of back and forth through the town - 2 miles east, then a half-mile south, and then 2 miles west, and then do it over again! Liked the small-town atmosphere, and the friendly staff and people!

My first time in South Dakota and I really enjoyed this race. It was small but very well organized, and the volunteer support was great. And I don't think runners should expect food on the course. Bring everything you might need except water. A wide variety of running surfaces: asphalt, concrete, gravel, dirt, grass... and I wasn't expecting a couple of water crossings! I liked the bike path segments best. The loop around the 3M fields was lovely. The volunteers were plentiful, enthusiastic, and very friendly. I appreciated their staying out there for all of us, even the slow runners. And for runners picking up packets the night before, do make sure to get to the campus early enough to visit the ice cream shop at the Dairy Bar. The university makes its own ice cream. MMMMMMMMM. A nice race, and well worth running if you are looking to check South Dakota off your list!

If you want to run a marathon, do this one. The course is pleasant, except for the sidewalks and curbs, but that is necessary to avoid traffic. Enough volunteers and aid along the course. Nice finish and frendly throughout.

I loved this race. I have never seen so many volunteers at a single event. The shirts and medals were terrific. The one improvement: food on the course. The half marathoners got nothing; I took gel at mile 17, but fruit would have been appreciated.

The course was unique. It was flat, but it also included a trek trough grassy fields, dirt roads and a path under a water tower. Very innovative course. The volunteers made sure you didn't get lost! Best race shirt I have received to date.

No vistas, no huge medals, no big crowds. This is the real deal - a well organized race with hundreds of volunteers who, when you thank them, thank you back for running. I can make a wrong turn on an out-and-back, so I really, REALLY appreciate every single volunteer at every one of the many turns patiently directing us along the entire course. I hope the RD takes the comments here to the Mayor and Chamber of Commerce, as this event is wonderful PR for the town. I love this race. I've run over 100 marathons, and done the 50 states. Now, I just do ones that intrigue me. I only repeat those that were truly something special. This is a special race. The relay teams keep the course populated and the small touches - relayers wear a bib on their back, so marathoners know they are not in competition with them. Things like that clearly illustrate the runner focus of the RD. You run through neighborhoods, in the McCrory Gardens, and along the 3M path with lovely, blooming, fragrant trees. It's a lovely course. The RD really listens to comments - the shirt for this year is a huge improvement, one of the best I've gotten from any race. My one suggestion is to have a healthy carb alternative to the hamburger for those of us not so into meat (e.g., Billings has loaves of great bread that you can slice and pots of honey, peanut butter, etc. to make sandwiches; Casper has Subway sandwiches). As a lady of a certain age, I love how they focus on the AG tables - while I was 24th female, I was 3rd female overall with the tables. And I qualified for Boston. Thank you, Brookings!