Swan Lake Marathon - Race Reviews

I had a goal to run a marathon before turning 50 & the Swan Lake Marathon was the perfect race to accomplish this goal! The rainy, wet spring made the course a little tricky but the event coordinators worked hard to make the course safe & doable! The gravel roads were great for joints & the scenery was a perfect setting for this farm girl!

This is a nice little race for anyone seeking to run SD. No fancy medals, no crowds, but it's well organized with great volunteers. Definitely stay at the camp the night before, eat the pasta dinner, and have the lunch afterwards. They let you keep your room long enough to shower after the race. Great 50-state RD as well. The wind was very unpleasant and there was some mud due to excess rain but they can't control the weather. They also have a back-up USATF certified route (which we ran this year) in case of flooding. Some bigger races could learn a lesson from this. :)

I ran the half marathon here the day after the Sandhills half in Nebraska. There was no comparison between the two in terms of which event had better organization and a friendlier atmosphere. Swan Lake wins hands-down! The camp staff and race personnel were second to none in terms of hospitality. We stayed at the camp lodge, and I highly recommend it: super cute décor, walk to the start, and they told us checkout time was 'whenever we were ready.' Race day was excessively windy, but that is no one's fault; it's just something to be prepared for if you plan to run here. I do much of my training in rural areas on dirt roads so this course made me feel right at home. Anything this race lacks in crowds and hype, it makes up for with friendly volunteers and special little touches. As the women's division winner, I took home a nice basket of homemade goodies. The post-race brunch had excellent options, and they had free gels available at check-in the day before. My sole complaint is that the finisher's medal was pretty unimpressive (some people run for bling!), but I appreciate that they spent as much of the proceeds on camp scholarships as possible.

If you need South Dakota you should consider Swan Lake. You can stay at the campground and be 200 meters from the start. They have a pasta meal on site. Also pork meal post race. The marathon course this year was a double loop course due to flooding in other roads. I actually think they should do the double loop course every year. Logistics you knew where aid stations would be and after doing one loop you knew what second loop was going to be like. Some dirt/gravel roads and some paved roads. Spectators mainly at aid stations and the campgrounds but they were rocking it.

We picked this race as a weekend get-away to run in South Dakota. A 'quick' 2.5 drive from Omaha (I'm a Southwest guy), we flew in Saturday morning and got to camp mid-afternoon. Stay at the camp, we got a 'hotel-style' room albeit no TV for a reasonable price and cannot beat just walking to start line. The race started at 6:00AM and we were blessed with temps that didn't get above 60 Degrees even by the time we left camp at 11:30. It was windy (gusts 30+) and some of the dirt roads were muddy from rainy spring (and more rain night before race). Not that bad though - never got mud stuck on shoes which I was concerned about (and although the head wind at times stunk, I'll take some wind and lower temps over heat and humidity any day). Relatively flat and the dirt roads are well maintained - not dodging potholes and such. Other - get the spaghetti dinner the night before - it was good and convenient as there isn't much out there. And the post race 'lunch' starting at 9:00 was great and I was more than happy to donate for that meal.

The amount of runner support for a race of this size was amazing. Awesome volunteers. Plenty of water and potties available. Keep in mind it's a 2 loop course. If you don't like passing the finish line at the half way point then this might not be the event for you. Lots of rolling, exposed farm roads. It was extremely windy so there was not much shelter from the wind. The course does offer frequent turns which provided breaks. If you're good running alone and keeping yourself entertained then you'll love it. I worked my way through a podcast and enjoyed the run. Thank you volunteers. You were amazing.

Well organized, flat, run on dirt roads and some paved roads. Pretty scenic theough rural SD farmland and around swan lake. Stay at the camp! Reasonable rates and you cant beat the 2 minute walk to the start. Spaghetti dinner the night before and pork loin sandwich lunch after were wonderful. The camp folks are wonderful. Race is well organized, supported, and just a great small run. Showers available post run.

I am originally from South Dakota and have many ties to this race and Swan Lake Christian Camp. At the Swan Lake event, I have run the full marathon, the half, the 5.3 miles around the lake, and most recently the Marathon Relay. All of these have been exceptional events. The course is rural South Dakota, and has some nice balances of running surfaces and scenery. This most recent race, I had a team of five runners who competed in the relay. It was a thrilling way to experience the marathon without having to log 26.2! The race was very well directed, marked, and organized every time. In addition, the camp facilities and food are exceptional for before and after the race. I will continue coming back to this race year in and year out.

An excellent race, for an excellent cause. Very rural, lots of nature, small crowds. But anything the volunteers and staff lacked in sheer numbers, they made up in friendliness, enthusiasm, and overwhelming support. No complaints at all on how this was run. The solitude of the course led to spending a lot of time with a couple runners who I now charish their friendship, and whose relationship will last for years. The ability to go back and take a shower, as well as a swim in the lake after the race was excellent. I loved it. I didn't expect to love it. I expected to just get through it. but I loved it.

This was my first marathon, but I've run several halves. While my own performance was less than desired, I could not ask for a better race for my first time. The organization was terrific with very quick responses to questions and there were tons of very friendly volunteers at every aid station. Everyone was supportive and encouraging. The aid stations were fully stocked and I could have kissed the guy who handed me a slice of watermelon at mile 22. The course itself is fairly unexciting (it's laid out on country mile roads, mostly gravel) but the sunrise was beautiful and the views are exactly what you should expect from eastern South Dakota. It was windy and pretty hot by the end, despite the 5am start time, but I can't hold that against the race.

Great food, many options for 'sleeping over' at the camp, easy to travel there. Larger marathons could learn something from the Swan lake race group. The only issue can be the weather - its June on the great plains, so you can get almost anything.

One of the things I love about running is having time for some solitude. Another reviewer referred to this course as boring. I rather see it as an opportunity to run the way I love to run - just me, the sunrise, and the road. I really enjoyed this race. And the organization and volunteers were great. I highly recommend it.

I'm a 50 stater and I signed up for this marathon and the Marathon to Marathon in Iowa to do a back-to-back. My Iowa Marathon didn't go quite so well and I was quite sore for this race, which was the second of the back to back. So here's the positives of the race: The course had a great amount of aid stations, especially for such a small marathons. The volunteers were also very friendly as were the runners. Here's the negative: The course is pretty boring, laid out with long stretches going straight with nothing to see. It also is laid out mostly north/south so if there is a strong June wind (common in SD), you will feel it. Here's my problem: I slightly hurt myself the day before in Iowa, so I made the decision to drop down to the half-marathon at about mile 11. I told the volunteers at an aid station and they said good for you. As I crossed the finished line, I was scolded by the volunteer at the finish line. She called me 'shady' and said I was dropping down to confuse people who might be racing against me. (Mind you noone was within 5 minutes of me either way). She really put a bitter taste in my mouth.

Swan Lake was a superb experience from top to bottom. This is a small scale run with an array of rural scenery that resonated a few patriotic songs as I rumbled along: America the Beautiful: 'Amber waves of grain...' Home on the Range: 'where the buffalo roam...' and 'The skies are not cloudy all day...' We enjoyed some lake vistas, a variety of farm animals, an inspiring sunrise, and a touch of small town America (the real Main Street USA) on the course, which was 67% gravel / 33% pavement. Well organized, smooth pack pick up, excellent volunteers, a relaxing pasta dinner, and a nice post race lunch. Be sure to stay at the camp when you visit. It offers a great rate, a quiet night, and a 50 yard walk to the start line in the morning. Special thanks to Julia for your support throughout the run!!!

Do not be fooled by the lack of stars-this is a small marathon but the folks who put it on do a first class job and I recommend it highly. The course is flat to slight hills, lots of farmland, some gravel roads, no music, fantastic waterstops and volunteers, and folks on carts and in cars continuously checking on you and offering support (verbal plus ice, various treats, gels, etc.). It was very warm this year and they started the run 1 hour earlier, and communicated that to all the participants well ahead of time. This was state #39 for me and even though it was a big time struggle, I was extremely glad I chose this event for SD. Great pasta dinner the night before and great grub afterwards. A real first class, well organized marathon- well done SLCC!!!! Oh and one last thing- stay at the camp cabins- easier than getting a hotel 15 or 20 miles away like I did....

The race has an early start which was a important factor for me. It was well marked. It is run mainly on unpaved roads. This was a 1st for me. So I usually wear minimalist shoes so I kinda felt each pebble. The course was supported and afterwards there was a nice meal & showers available. If you need crowd support this is not the race for you. The course is flat and traverses through farmland. There are accommodations at the camp which makes access to the start easy. I stayed in Beresford which was 40 mins away. The packet pick up was very efficient & equals technology used at major marathons I enjoyed the marathon

The Swan Lake marathon is a really small race but not the smallest I've done and the aid station support was really good considering the size of the race. I would not be surprised if there were as many, if not more, volunteers as there were runners. The course is pretty nice, lots of farmland and then you take a tour of Swan Lake, which is pretty small. However, I don't think this is a race you come to do for the scenery, the quality of the course, the amazing support or for any of those reasons. This is more a race that is ideal for 50-staters because you can get South Dakota and Iowa (Marathon to Marathon) in the same weekend and what's cool is that both of these races are so small that there is a large chunk of runners who do both of them so you end up recognizing a lot of people. I gave the 'spectators' one star only because there really were no spectators but in this part of the country you would be hard pressed to get a crowd together for anything, there just aren't that many people to begin with. Are the people who are around friendly and supportive, absolutely but if you are the type of person who is really into crowd support like teaming masses of people cheering you on this is absolutely not the place you will find it.

I really enjoyed this race, which is surprising because the race conditions this year were perhaps the worst I have ever run in. But the people at the camp were the nicest bunch and the most concerned about the success and well being of the runners. This year was a very wet spring and there was about 2 inches of rain the day before the race. The course has about 19 miles on dirt roads and so we had 19 miles of mud to run through. Add to that the normal spring winds in South Dakota and the conditions were quite tough. But the volunteers at the water stops were all out there and quite cheerful and encouraging. The dinner the night before and the lunch after the race at the dining hall were quite good and very enjoyable. I hope I will be able to be back next year (and I hope for better conditions) to see what I could do there without the mud. This may become one of my favorite marathons.

This is a fun race. The course is a mix of dirt roads and pavement. Although it is a small field, the aid station support is excellent. It is a Sunday race so 50 Staters have time to run the race in Iowa the day before. The Start/Finish line is well organized and the food at the finish was great.

read the next comments. RIGHT ON !!! I will add, 50 Stater's can do Iowa the day before (Marathon to Marathon) The weather was tough this year. But 2 days later it was perfect marathon weather. So don't let the comments on the heat deter you. Lots of runs get a bad luck weather event. The lunch afterwards was fantastic. DO NOT miss the cheesy potatoes. I'd run another marathon for seconds. Fortunately you don't have to. They are VERY generous with the food, the fun, and the friendliness. TOP NOTCH !!!

Just ran the full marathon (my first!) yesterday. I chose this race due to the excellent reviews, and they were 100% correct! The price was right, the people were SO friendly and accomodating, the pre-race meal was tasty and the portions plentiful, and the setting was idyllic! it was a mostly flat course with a few mini rollers. Volunteers were cheery and encouraging, and they had my favorite...BLUE Powerade! Some stations had pretzels, bananas, GU, orange slices...yum!! Roving vehicles checked on us, offering cheers and ice!! Course was clearly marked. If you are the type that needs lots of crowds along the course and cannot deal with running solo for long, flat, treeless stretches, this race is not for you. Definitely more for the introspective runner, which I am. Bring your sunscreen and apply liberally...there was cloud cover but it was hot and the sun did peek through at times. The only negative was the wind...in our faces for the beginning miles. Of course, there's nothing anyone can do about wind! The post-race spread looked amazing: I couldn't really eat, but I wished I had an appetite! Stay in one of the rooms in the main camp building...the Start line is literally steps away! This is a small race so lots of the inconveniences, like busing people in, do not exist here. I rang the cow bell at the end, and they have showers for post-race freshening up. This is definitely the country...saw (and smelled!) lots of cows, sheep...and one guy even had a few bison on his land! I am very glad I chose this race as my inaugural marathon. Thanks Russell, Mary, and all camp personnel and Viborg residents!!!!!!

This is wonderful small race that is superbly organized. Since I'm a slow runner, I loved that it started at 6am to beat the heat of the day. The course is about half pavement and half gravel/dirt roads. There were some muddy spots, but the gravel roads were a great soft running surface. The area is mostly farms and fields, with a couple turns around the lake and a short trip through downtown Viborg. Other than the sheep, who seemed quite interested (and surprisingly vocal), the spectators were pretty much limited to the volunteers manning the aid stations. If you're looking for a beautiful run through the country and don't need a lot of hoopla to sustain you, this is definitely a must do. It's also a great second-day race if you're combining it with Marathon to Marathon in IA.

I have done this marathon twice. Can't help but like the small town atmosphere. People are friendly, food was great and the shower after the race was great!

Great scenery, and location on country roads. People were outstanding. I rang the bell, and plan on doing it again.

I ran this to check off South Dakota and couldn't have been more pleased. I've run quite a few marathons, including all the big ones - Chicago, NY, London, Boston, etc. - and I find these more intimate adventures much more satisfying. There is no rock-and-roll hoopla. You get to ring a bell at the end of the race. There is no expo with famous speakers. You get Judi providing a great technical t-shirt. You also receive a medal that is one of the best that I have collected. There are no fancy restaurants for your pre-race meal. You get a wonderful pasta dinner served in the dining room of the camp. This is a race for runners who run for the joy of it. It isn't for those looking to have people see them running or claim to have finished a famous marathon. It is extremely well run and just plain fun. The group organizing this race couldn't be nicer. I arrived early on Friday night only to find out that there was no local restaurant still open in town. I was immediately invited to join the camp staff during their nightly meal. You don't get that in some "rock and roll" run. I am well past the halfway mark of my trek through the states and will remember Swan Lake as one of my favorites. Thanks to all of my friends at Swan Lake.

Beyond the few folks driving the course in support of their favorite runner, I counted five spectators. That's OK because it isn't fans that make this a great marathon. The organization is top-notch. It is run by people who know marathons and can organize people. The marathon is at a Christian camp four and a quarter-miles from town, which has 832 people. A fair share of those were working an aid station or helping to prepare one of the two meals associated with the event, which also has a half marathon and a 5.3-mile run. The marathon is a haven for doublers, as it is only a couple hours from Storm Lake, Iowa, which holds a Saturday marathon. The course travels country roads, goes around its namesake lake a couple of times, and heads into town on a little-traveled highway. Its 6 a.m. start would be necessary some years, but this year was cool and damp, which kept me fresh. I would consider Viborg the best-kept secret in South Dakota distance running. I only live two hours away and have run marathons for a decade. I didn't know what I was missing. Overnight accommodations are available in the bunkhouse. For a luxury stay, you will have to drive a ways.

This is the first marathon I have run. I have done a number of half marathons and dozens of shorter races. The things that really impressed me were the organization and the other runners. The staff of the race remembered my name and my needs and took care of them. There was no shortage of aid stations and volunteers, though spectators other than family and friends were extremely limited. I considered the cool, drizzly weather optimal for the race, though I know some runners would have preferred drier conditions. The course had to be changed due to flooding but it was well marked; as a result, we ended up with less gravel road and more pavement. The gravel was soft without out being clingy, and added a bunch of weight to your shoes - my hips and knees appreciated that. The other participants were among the friendliest I have ever met. I talked to at least a dozen while running and nearly all of them saw me after I finished and congratulated me on finishing my first marathon! I was really surprised by that. It was a great experience, even though I have no prior marathon experience I would recommend Swan Lake as a great place to experience a first marathon!

Thanks to 5' of rain in the week of the marathon, the back half of the full course was underwater this year. The full course was rerouted to run the half course twice (with a little extra O&B). Everything went wonderfully - the rain even quit right before the start (though, it came back a couple hours later). This race is always a nice run. The camp counselors are wonderful as course workers, the townspeople of Viborg running the aid stations are super nice, and the medals and tech shirts are good quality. There aren't any/many spectators, but the race is very runner-focused.

The organizers of this race do an excellent job! Great race packet pickup, started on-time, excellent course marshaling, well-trained aid station volunteers (they held the cups on the bottom), post-race massage, etc. The list goes on. If you're looking for a great, small-town race, this is it.

I ran the 2010 half marathon. I only gave the course 4 stars because of the gravel roads. The area had about 8" of rain prior to the race, so the roads were incredibly muddy. In fact, they had to close down the back half of the marathon course because it was under water. That's Mother Nature's fault. Otherwise, the course was flat and fast. Great, small, local race that really is a hidden gem. Great dinner the night before and lunch the day of the race. Awesome tech shirts, really nice medals, and cool A/G awards. Just a really awesome experience. I only gave the spectators 3 stars, only for the numbers. Simply put, there are very few along the course, but they all cheered loudly when we ran by them. Another nice thing about small races: you have a much better shot at an A/G award. I would have no hesitation recommending this race to any of my friends.

This was a top-notch rural marathon in southeastern South Dakota. The Swan Lake staff people were friendly and outgoing. Jerry (the camp director) chatted with us at lunch Sunday and talked about the camp's effort to extend hospitality and to make folks feel welcome. They certainly excelled at that. For starters, there was no difficulty finding this camp, even as remote as it is. Several runners were coming up from the Marathon to Marathon event hosted at Storm Lake, IA., and a couple of guys came up after running the marathon at Sand Hills, NE. So there was a large convergence of runners showing up by mid-afternoon. Judi, the office manager, and her assistant checked folks in as they came, collecting $15.00 for quarters, directing us to our sleeping quarters, and issuing tickets for the evening meal. Speaking of the evening meal: spaghetti, bread, and lemonade or water. It was a good deal, and great food. Camp staff were available to the runners too. Renee was the race director, and was taking tickets at dinner. So she was available to the runners from early on. Renee coordinated an early start for me (since I had run on Saturday, I anticipated needing extra time on Sunday). After dinner, a young guy from a nearby town in SD started a fire in the fire pit, and several runners - including his wife and father-in-law - congregated around the fire to chat as dusk fell. It was a great way to pass the evening. The bunk beds in the cabin were about what might be expected at a camp. They were ok, and those of us who had raced earlier on Saturday probably slept better than the others. I sure did. But I was up in time for a banana and bagel, with a sip of coffee before a solo start at 5:00 a.m., while Renee and others were standing by to register any latecomers. The course was a series of squares and rectangles kind of patched together with curves around the lakeshore and entrance into a sparse neighborhood they called the "keyhole." After passing the lakeshore the first time, the course went into the town of Viborg, and back to the lakeshore, this time going the other direction. Then there was about a 3-mile straight segment heading north, a mile to the east, then back to the lake = and eventually to the camp and finish line. The finish line was close to the start line, and Renee was there recording times as runners returned. Coke and cold water were available right there, with more bagels and peanut butter too. Back at the dining hall, they were serving BBQs (turkey, as I remember), potatoes, fruit, and chocolate cake. This meal was included with registration, and it was great food. A few comments: The weather was about as good as it could have been. The sun rose about 5:30, and almost immediately was obscured by clouds. There were a couple of brief sun breaks around 10:30, but the clouds remained all morning, with a couple of brief sprinkles of raindrops. That was great, and it probably never got hotter than 70. The aid station workers were outstanding. They provided the refreshments that we needed and the only encouragement we got, other than from the occasional passing car. The staff was flexible with those requesting early starts. Hot showers were available after the race for those desiring to be clean again sooner rather than later. And Jerry sent me on my way with coffee in my thermos for the drive back to Colorado. I am in pursuit of the 50-state goal, and SD does not have a lot of marathons to choose from (and one is for ladies only). Of the few other races, it was difficult for me to coordinate a race in SD. I don't know if this event was planned in conjunction with Storm Lake event, but getting a double on this weekend with two races so close together was a big plus. Then, Swan Lake Camp made this event special and memorable for the runners (check out the comments from other runners). Finally, this course was pretty flat. The hills are more like swells at sea than hills. If you choose Swan Lake, I don't think you will be disappointed.

As a slow marathoner working on my 50 states, I chose this one based on its reviews and location (not far from Iowa where I "ran" the previous day). This marathon was even better than I expected: Very organized, great volunteers, nice shirt, nice medal, nice pasta dinner and EVERYONE I met was friendly - runners, supporters, volunteers and camp staff. Two of the young camp staff even sat and chatted with us runners during the pasta dinner. I would definitely recommend this race to anyone looking for a great SD run. And, to anyone who has been considering doing a double marathon (one on Saturday and one on Sunday): go for it. The day-after stiffness is no worse than after a single marathon.

This was my first marathon and I had a great experience. The night before the race I stayed in a cabin at Swan Lake camp and enjoyed the beautiful and calming scenery. It was great to be able to walk to the start (just 2 or 3 minutes from the cabins) and to avoid the rush of looking for a place to park. The camp staff had coffee, bagels and bananas available for breakfast. I enjoyed the course because it was flat with rolling hills, included both gravel and pavement, and made several loops around Swan Lake. The people at the aid stations were very friendly and others in roving vehicles asked if runners needed anything. The meal afterward was fantastic, and hot showers were available. I'll be back next year!

Small (73 marathoners) race with big benefits. Great tech shirt and spaghetti meal; and I would suggest you stay at the camp (just make sure you bring a book or you will have nothing to do). The course is nice, but it's rural, so do not expect a lot of fans. Gravel roads are the norm, and the only negative thing I can say about the race is that they are sloped. I would highly recommend the race if you are looking for something off of the beaten path!

Friendly, wonderful, scenic, fun, laid-back race in beautiful country, near a lake with kayaks, canoes and an island. So many birds too - yellow-headed blackbirds, one pelican, and seven swans a-swimming, There's a big bell to ring when you finish, too. This is a small race with a big heart. One of my most fun marathons because it was so well organized and everyone - including the race organizers (Renee) and participants - was just out to have a good time with nice people. One thing that may need to be considered is that such an extraordinary event like this might attract vegetarians. (It takes a lot of fruit salad to refuel after a marathon.) Beware of the dormitory. (There was snoring contest in the middle of the night, and the winners - all four of them - didn't even know there was a competition going on.) Call early and get a cabin or camp out with your non-snoring friends. This marathon is a big secret, but let your best friend know, because a hundred more wouldn't make it any less fun, and they will thank you forever. By the way - non-running spouses will think that it's just a fun, friendly, relaxing vacation, with a big lake and good food.

These might be the nicest and friendliest race directors of all time. Big bang for your buck. A bit out of the way and in the middle of nowhere, but nice shirt, medal, pasta meal, and post-race lunch for everyone - "everyone" meaning friends, family, and the handful of spectators. The course is a figure-eight type. There are lots of hard-packed, red-dirt roads. Lots of country landscapes.

This is a great little marathon. Everyone I encountered along the way was friendly and accommodating. Stay in the bunkhouse - it's cheap and adds to the fun. It's a great little marathon put on by some great people!