Frisco Railroad Run (formerly the Frisco Marathon) - Race Reviews

Distances for everyone...8K, Half, Marathon, 50K and 50 miler. The small race is an out and back on the old rail line so it is flat and shaded. The event has ultra food tables, instead of only gels you also have chips, pickles, pb&j, oranges, etc!!! Plenty of volunteers and a porta potty at each support stop. Also, just before the finish line is a brewery that was open and we sat there afterwards cheering other runners in.

I ran this on 4/24/21. I drove down from St Louis and picked up my packet the evening before. Packet pickup was very quick and easy. No expo, but that is fine with me. The morning of, I arrived at the start area at 6:30 for a 7am start. There was plenty of parking at the Middle School, and I didn't have to walk a mile or take a shuttle. They had the school open, so we had access to large indoor areas including restrooms (which was nice because a light rain was falling that morning). The first (and last) 2.5 miles are on a paved trail, and the rest is unpaved 'chat' (hard-packed crushed gravel). Trail was in very good condition. I was expecting mud, because it had rained during the night, but the trail was not wet or muddy at all. I guess it drains well! I wore trail shoes, but road shoes would have been fine. Most people wore regular road running shoes. The trail is flat and straight, a little boring but pleasant enough scenery (mostly fields and farmland, with trees on either side of the trail most of the way). There were a few road crossings, but they are in rural areas, and we never had to wait for cars or deal with any traffic at all. It was very cloudy on our race day, but on a sunny day I think there would be enough shade from the trees. The course was never crowded, but there were enough runners that I never felt alone out there. The course is a simple out and back, and after the first few miles it was nice to see the leaders coming back in from the 50k and marathon divisions. So I never felt bored out there. The trail has mile markers posted trailside, but the race starts at about the six mile mark of the trail, so you have to correct for that in your head. I just broke down the race into quarters for the purposes of pacing myself, because there is an unmissable turnaround point for the half-marathoners at the quarter-marathon mark, which doubles as the 3/4 mark on the way back, and obviously the marathon turnaround as well. The aid stations were very well stocked. Otherwise there were only a few spectators out there, mostly at the road crossings. Obviously this is not a big city marathon. My only criticism is, I didn't love the t-shirt, which was kind of basic, not a tech shirt. Overall, though, a great experience.

The course is a simple out and back on the Frisco Highline Trail. Asphalt for the first/last two miles; packed gravel & dirt for the rest. Aid stations are every 2.5 miles and are well stocked with water, Gatorade, gels, and other snacks. There are more cows than people watching this race - one you get outside of Willard, there is not much but farmland and trees. The race director advertises this as a PR course, and I would agree. Any change in elevation is minimal and the slopes are gradual (this is an old railroad track, after all). Bonus points for a very good looking medal.

Best volunteers and aid stations! The fans mooed at us as they grazed in the beautiful pastures along the Frisco Trail. I loved the lack of people around. Very sweet (:

I did this one because of the 12 hour time limit, as this was my third marathon in 3 months. Glad I did it, friendly people all around, the cows stood at the fence line cheering us on. Amazing water/food stops !

This race is well organized for a small race although more aid stations would be a good idea. About 22.5 of the 26.2 miles are on hard packed gravel so easier on the knees and for me I think it aided a faster recovery. I was jogging again by Monday evening after Sat. race. Little bit of rain today but temps pretty good below 70 with only slight wind. Course is primarily flat, slight downhill/uphill from 10-16 barely noticeable. Aid station volunteers were enthusiastic and nice, with a small enough race and one of my better times I received third place in my age category, first award I've ever received in fifteen marathons outside the finisher types. Cool! The only reason for three stars for spectators is total numbers were small.

I did not see any news helicopters nor did I see any pace setters and Meb aparrently sat this one out. But it was a fun low key race. Organized well (except can anyone get the shirts right anymore?) Lots of trees... and gravel in my shoes.

The weather can be very unpredictable this time of the year. It turned out to be okay this year. Cloudy, with some light rain. Temps could have been a little cooler. I had read that gaiters could be useful, but luckily I did not need them. Finisher's medal was nice.

After running the marathon in 2012, I came back for my 1st 50K. It was another great year in Willard! The number of participants on this 'out & back' course, for all the different distances (8K, 1/2 marathon, marathon, 50K & 50 miler) was just the right size, as to not be too crowded while also keeping people near enough to you for support & encouragement. Great support at all the water stops! I love the flat, easy running course! AND....thanks to the Parks & Rec folks for the post-race showers!

After seeing the organization, the course and the volunteers it hard to believe there weren't more folks running the race. My hat is off to the RD and his team. The course is perfect running conditions (some asphalt but mostly crushed limestone). It was real easy for my wife to crew me and was able to check on my many times on this out and back course. Aid stations had great volunteers and were stocked with everything I needed. Staying in Springfield was a breeze and a short distance from the race. I highly recommend this race.

I ran this for my 9th state in pursuit of the 50 and as my first ultra. While it was a very soggy and cool day I have to commend the volunteers who took long shifts out in nasty weather to man the aid stations. Yes they are a little far apart (roughly 2.5 miles) but if you plan accordingly you should do fine...although dropping extra porta potties would be a great addition. Because this is an out and back there is a ton of fellow racer encouragement but also be prepared for long stretches where its just you and nature. Also - invest in some gaiters as I wore them and can't tell you how many runners I saw having to stop and pick things out of their shoes. Medals were very nice (love the ribbon) and shirts were good - overall a nice experience in Missouri.

Note: my comments pertain to the 50-mile race, but many of them would be the same for the marathon distance. Aid stations were poorly stocked with food and deserted on the return. Ran out of finisher medals - were mailed a month later. Trophies were glasses, ok, but not the rail car trophies promised on the website when I registered. Timing mat and finish chute had been removed when I finished. Just go run past that cone over there!

For a small race (in number of participants) this event offered 5 different distance options. They had: 1) 8K 2) Half-Marathon 3) Full-Marathon 4) 50K 5) 50 Miler Pros: 1) Distance options mentioned above 2) Flat course on firm trail surface 3) 75% of the marathon course with shade 4) Chip Timing 5) Parking 'right at the start/finish' 6) Inside restrooms at the start/finish 7) Nice medal & tech shirt Cons: 1) No expo (if that matters to you. Not me) 2) Packet pickup was delayed, due to waiting on bibs & chips The course was 'out & back' with water stops every 2.5 miles. This year's temps were hotter & more humid than I wanted but you can't blame the organizers for that. They offered post-race food, but I didn't have time to get any, due to needing to meet my hotel checkout deadline, so I can't comment on that. The 'ice cold' bottle of water I got, when my medal was given to me, was VERY much appreciated. Would I enter this race again? Of course!!!!

If you are looking for a small, friendly race to change things up from the larger marathons on the calendar then this is one to take a look at. It's a very rural race in a small town (Willard, MO) along a converted railroad line. It's almost exclusively a gravel trail, which is a nice break from marathons on pavement, and the scenery and lush greenery are very beautiful. Crowd support will be at a minumum so don't count on that for motivation, and for stretches of the race you may be on your own. I found this refreshing and very enjoyable. Bring a water bottle as aid stations are sporadic. The organizers were very friendly and accessible for questions or comments. Great job with food at the finish line including fruit, bagels, pizza and water. All in all a very good race for the money, I would reccommend it as a breath of fresh air among the bigger event-style marathons.

I loved this race! It is a small town race so don't expect rock n roll bands at every mile. It had the perfect mix of quiet and hoopla for my taste actually! :) Pros: Flat-fast course .well organized .helpful volunteers .shady tree lined course, sheltered from wind and sun .crushed gravel course, I did not wear trail shoes for this. .The spectators who were there were very enthusiastic and helpful cons:aid stations had just water and powerade, not much food. .low spectator turnout compared to bigger city races (but personally I thought it was perfect), remote location along rural highway.

This was only my 2nd full marathon and a last minute decision. I knew getting into it that it would be small and not all the hype of the other 1/2and full marathons I've run. The volunteers were great at the aid stations, and the few spectators were as well. The trail is mostly gravel, but after mile 10 and until the 13.1 turnaround, it is more rough...large rocks and uneven terrain. The company that the shirts were ordered from were waaay smaller than normal, but the race director has remedied that. Nice medals, nice trophies, a luncheon afterwards for runners (I didn't stay but I love the idea). It felt like being out on a training run. I loved this race and will probably run it next year.

This is the 1st marathon I've ever run; so I can't compare the race to any others. If you want lots of spectators, this isn't the race for you. But if you want a relatively flat course, a small field, volunteers who were extremely friendly and encouraging, and nice scenery, then you might want to try this race out. A large portion of the course is tree-lined, which helps block the sun, and somewhat cuts down the wind. While I didn't come close to posting a great time, I really enjoyed this race.

I ran the 50K, but there was also a marathon and a 10-mile run. There were a number of very good things about this small race. 1) The course was flat - good for a fast time. 2) Post-run, hot food was provided for the ultra runners and the marathoners. 3) There weren't many runners (23 ultra runners and 35ish marathoners, but volunteers were prevalent on the course if someone got into trouble. 4) The tech shirt and the medal were both great! There were a few things that could be improved: 1) At the finish there was confusion over who got age group awards. Really no reason for this - just have a checklist available while you hand out the awards. My brother finished first in his age group and didn't receive a his trophy. 2) Some preregistered runners had to wait for their tech shirts. I can understand day of race waiting, but if you preregistered, a shirt should be available then. 3) The water/food stops had pretzels and chips, but only big bags of them. Individually wrapped bags would be better. 4) The last couple miles of the course did detour off the trail and next to highways. There are nice wide shoulders and I didn't feel like I'd get hit, but this wasn't ideal. All in all, a fun race and I'd recommend it. In a small race like this, all of the runners are very encouraging and it is a great atmosphere.

I like small to medium races, and I like trails. After running the Frisco Marathon, I left happy. The rails-to-trails course was wonderful, offering a very enjoyable run in the countryside. I was concerned prior to the race about the transportation logistics but it worked out fine and provided time to make new running buddies. The shirt, medal, and trophies were nice. Put this race on your schedule if you like small, casual events.

The day after the event I was excited that I had run my first marathon. It wasn't till I ran Columbia and KC that I realized what a real race was supposed to be. The lack of road access to the trail prevented spectators and aid stations. It would be bad to have a real emergency out there. As a slow runner this was pretty much a solo event. Lot of time alone with just me and the trees. However there were some huge benifits. I love the gravel - much better on the knees than asphalt. It's nice and quiet. The trees block most of the wind. No crowded porta-potties. Again the trees are your friend. It's a very small race. And the race ends in my home town, so it's too convenient not to do again.

Suggestions for future runners: bring trail shoes, gaiters, a hydration device, and a support crew. Suggestions for the director: shirts ought to go to runners in the order of their registration (ready for pickup at the "expo"). Offer better communication regarding where the event start line is. Add traffic directors on the course portion in Bolivar. A more reasonable price for this event would be in the $40 to $50 range.

A runner's opinion of this race will depend greatly on what he or she expects in return for the entry fee. I'll elaborate by commenting on each of the categories: Course: It is a beautiful course, almost entirely rural, meandering along an abandoned rail-line-turned-running-trail. It's not quite as flat as I expected, with longer grades at times taking a toll. But nothing serious. The only negative is that the last couple miles detour onto busy streets in Bolivar. I noted that it got a little rugged the last few miles on the trail. A couple runners wished they'd worn trail shoes. Organization: First the positives. The medal is really nice. Everything flowed smoothly in terms of registration, as well as transportation on the point-to-point course. The food at the end was very good. However, my complaints are not about disorganization, but the lack of things you usually expect from a marathon entry fee of $60 ($70 day of race): 1. The timing consisted of a person with a watch at the end; I felt sorry for first-timers who didn't get to run under a clock. Technically, this is insignificant with the small field, but still.... 2. There was no traffic control, which was a big issue on the relatively busy streets in Bolivar because there were no sidewalks in places. I actually ran on a couple of lawns. The course markings were also lacking, and at least one person got lost. There should at least be prominent pavement markings at all intersections. 3. The aid stations were sorely lacking. After you passed the finish line to the 10-Miler (5-mile mark for marathoners), stations consisted of a stack of items sitting on the ground. They weren't even on a table. So you had to stop, stoop over, pour fluids from jugs into small cups, and rummage through for anything else you wanted. I actually missed the first such station because I thought it was just a stack of plastic bags tossed alongside the intersecting road and unrelated to the race. Second, the stations are sparse, with three miles (or a little more) between them. This became a huge issue at the end, as a number of us started to get dehydrated (the day got a little warm). Stopping and stooping will slow you down, and you also feel the need to drink more because it will be awhile before the next chance. As a side note, there were not enough shirts, and locals were asked to go pick theirs up later even if they preregistered. And did I mention there weren't any mile markers? Fans: On a course like this, you can't expect a lot of fan support. But people from the surrounding area did go out to their yards and roads to cheer, and the families of runners were great. Again... it depends on expectations. I have been to races nearly half this price that offered more. To be honest, I felt like I could have driven up the course, dropped off my own supplies, and run it myself while saving $60. But it is a beautiful course, and a nice medal. Hopefully the coming years will bring more bang for the buck.

This was an inaugural point-to-point marathon run on a rails-to-trails, finely-crushed gravel surface through the picturesque Ozarks. It was virtually flat, with enough topography to make it interesting. There were 15 scenic bridges. Spectators are sparse, due to the location of the course. There were some growing pains, due to the fact it was an inaugural event, but it could very definitely become a premiere event. There were numerous scenic vistas and an astute group of organizers who took suggestions for improving future runnings. They also had a delicious post-race meal, and nice shirts and medals. I'd definitely do this one again!