Run4Troops Marathon - Race Reviews

The race is run by a terrific group of people who pour their hearts into it. The volunteers are very encouraging and supportive. I really appreciated having the ATVs crusing up & down the trails to assist if you needed them. There were over 400+ relay participants and about 250 full marathoners. The Heritage Trail is very lovely to run on. Most of the unshaded parts are in the first 6 miles but there are many other sunny spots, as well so wear sunscreen. It was peaceful and I enjoyed seeing the cows on the farms next to the trail. The host hotel is the Hilton Garden Inn. It was a great deal at $99/night with the Run4Troops group rate. Luxury coach bus ride to the start! My only comments for improvement would be to definitely have more port-o-potties at the start. The lines grew way too long before the races got started. Also, the race needs to start earlier in the day. The first wave of relay started at 7, the full marathon runners started at 7:15 and the second wave of relay runners at 7:30. If you're a fast marathoner, great, you'll probably be ok with the heat but if you are out in the heat for more than 3 hours the 90% humidity & heat could cause you to have a big time struggle. There were walkers on the course for over 7.5 hours & I can only imagine how glad they were to be done at the end. I suggest starting no later than 6am and if possible move the race up in time by 2-3 weeks. Overall, it's a great race for a very worthy cause plus it brings you to Dubuque which is a remarkably cool town hands down.

This was my 5th marathon in 3 years. This is the marathon for the person that is running it for themselves. There are very few spectators except at the relay transition points and road crossings. I counted one cow-bell ringer. No big deal, just realize it will be relatively lonely. The after-party was weak in that you could have water, chocolate milk, and wait in line for a slice of thin crust. Nope, no beer unless you brought your own. Few if any places to sit-down afterwards. Shade was hard to find for end of June. Lime rock trail is awesome if you can keep the little rocks out of your shoes. Lesson learned. Transportation. The route goes from one town to another 26.2 away. There were shuttle buses back to the host hotel, but not to the start point. In order to use the shuttle bus, you would have to arrive at least 90 minutes earlier which becomes quite hard if you are traveling from out of town. No big deal if you are local or have a support crew. Biggest disappointment was that, despite the name, military service members did not receive any type of discount. I doubt I will run it again. Sad face.

Wow. I have run 8 marathons so far and this one is definitely my favorite for several reasons. 1. Price - I believe I paid 65 or 75 dollars for this race. This is what lured me to this marathon as I am trying to do 50 marathons in 50 states. 2. Flat course - This is the most flattest course I have run on so far. 3. Limestone - 98 percent of the course is on limestone. Limestone trails means that it is great for the body. 4. Dubuque/Galena is a great place to visit for a weekend getaway. What a great economical and beautiful area!! 5. I read about the suggestion about the bathrooms below. I didn't have to go to one, but I did encounter a runner who didn't want to be in a line for the portapoty. She ended up going in the woods, but other than that not a huge issue. 6. ITS FOR A GOOD CAUSE!! I do ask for one suggestion though. I am a veteran and I am grateful for this race. Is it possible for next year that veterans, active, or reservists get special bibs so they can get recognized during the race? I think that would be awesome for them. Other than that...don't change the price and don't change what you guys do. Don't worry about the the medal because this race, once again, is the cheapest marathon I have run and its the best. One other thing : I stayed at the Mainstay Suite in Western Dubuque for two nights. I know the Hilton Garden Inn is the host hotel, but it was still expensive. Mainstay Suite was 71.00 for a clean hotel and very modern with a kitchen.

Top Ten Reasons to Run the Run4Troops: 10) Dubuque - a thriving, revitalized city 9) Booming canon to signify the start of the race 8) Volunteers are some of the most friendly and helpful I've experienced 7) Flatest marathon I've run 6) Gorgeous scenery - meadows, creeks, corn fields, canopies of trees, ponds 5) Natives of Dubuque are extremely nice 4) Water at aid stations remained ice cold throughout the warm day 3) Internet links to transition area locations that automatically upload to Google map for easy GPS navigation for your friends, family and teammates 2) Medal - small but pleasantly understated and perfect memento for this race 1) Opening ceremony - a short talk by a veteran which offered perspectives on veterans' lives and return to civilian life that I hadn't appreciated before.

The weather was perfect for the 2017 race. Nice, mostly flat course which is a well organized, well supported race for a great cause. Great for 50 staters looking a good Iowa race smaller race feel other than Des Moines (also a good race). Very friendly volunteers. Shirt was a nice looking tech shirt. Medal was a dated dog tag medal (don't get hung up with size) which was really nice. Looking for crowds, lots of swag and three pound metal look elsewhere but if you want a very friendly race, supporting a great cause you have found it. Nicely shaded scenic rail trail. The race has only 200ish full runners but 1000+ runners in the team relays. The only small issue is the port-a-potties are at the relay swap points which are crowded for the marathoners due to the previous team relayers using facilities after handing off their leg. I would suggest either more port- a-pots or put a port-a-pot down 200 feet the trail for the marathoners. This is a minor issue as the side of the trail is easy to duck into for a must stop situation. Like this race a lot, keep up the good job. I would run this again.

OK, I am going to try to be nice in this review (nice to other marathons such as the Rock-n-Roll marathons, that is) because this marathon sets a pretty high bar. The course if fabulous. It starts with a roundabout on the street and then quickly moves into a beautifully groomed trail (old railroad tracks that have been removed and leveled - nice even dirt trail). The first few miles are in the sun, but once you are in the trails, a lot of it is shaded from the sun and I actually found the scenery pleasant (yes, there are some Iowa corn fields, but there are also nice fields, pasture, river/streams, etc). Oh, and the course was FLAT. One advantage of this being an old railroad route is that it was leveled to maintain very small maximum grades for the old trains! That is hard to find in Dubuque! The volunteers were also amazing. They were everywhere and they were incredibly gracious - more than you could possibly ask for. In fact, the forecast was for a 72 deg start, hitting the 80's before 11 and a high of 90.....and very humid. They say that it is a 'military style' event with minimal support (water stations at relay points only), but due to the heat, they decided to add water stations at every road crossing, which ended up being about every 2 miles. The cups were filled to the top with ice cold water. They also had pretzels, fig newtons, etc. In addition, they had several four-wheelers cruising up and down the trail to check on the runs through the entire event. AMAZING! Swag was minimal - the medal is small, but nice. The shirt was a nice tech shirt with little, multi-shaded green dots that form a fun camouflage pattern. Not for everyone but unique and I heard several people saying they really loved it. After Event - OK, wow....the announcers did a great job calling people as they came in, they had a DJ (fun music at the right volume), volunteers swarming on you to make sure you were well cared for and great food including cookies, fruit, delicious wood-fired pizza (yes, a mobile wood-fired pizza trailer cranking out hot and delicious pizzas), etc. Unbelievable. OK, now for my attempt to be nice to other marathons like the Rock-n-Roll series. Unlike the Rock-n-Roll series which seems to not care about runners, this event was the polar opposite and seemed like an event organized by runners for runners. I always find RnR courses to be organized to minimize the cost of road closures and for the convenience of the organizers instead of for the runners. I also find them incredibly poorly organized and managed and feel like they are chronically understaffed with people that no nothing about the event. This one, however, had plenty of staff, they cared about the runners and they knew what they were doing. Fantastic! And all this for $45! I am not sure how they pull it off. The party and food at the end was just amazing and I would do this event again in a heartbeat, in spite of the hot conditions this year. Fantastic job to all involved!

I ran this Marathon today, June 25th, 2016, the trail is absolutely amazing to run on, its compacted dirt, soft on the feet and it's nearly 80% or more shaded! The weather was perfect, a little humid but training outside in Iowa, that's a given. The website says minimal support but that's not true, there were plenty of people along the route that provide water and gatorade! The volunteers were out of this world awesome, I've ran 5 marathon's so far and these were the best I've ever encountered. If you want a great experience, small town love, a scenic and beautiful run in the countryside protected on all sides by bluffs, trees, creeks and nature then look no further. I will run this again next year and the best part is, it's all for a good cause, support your local military families people and enjoy the run! Couldn't have asked for anything more. I ran in it 3:50:00 which is roughly what I run most marathons in, yet my legs felt great after, not torn up from running on concrete, in fact I'd say maybe 1-2% of the entire run is on concrete, not even. I guess I lucked out with the weather this time around, because days before it was dry and warm, so the dirt was not mud, pay attention to the weather obviously for this one but either way I had a blast, see you there next year!

I live in Chicago and typically gravitate toward large, highly publicized city races (think Rock n' Roll series) so I took a chance on this race, knowing that the majority of the course takes place on a trail in the woods. I'm so glad that I signed up for this race...it truly was an unforgettable experience. The location of the starting area was a bit difficult to find but otherwise everything was well organized. Everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming and I love that this event is devoted entirely toward our troops. The course (Heritage Trail) was BEAUTIFUL; very flat and I enjoyed the seeing rolling fields and farm animals. There were very few areas for spectators to watch the race but I was surprised to find that I enjoyed the solitude. One thing I didn't like is that runners were required to wear a device on our wrists that we had to touch to a metallic block each time we passed a relay transition station. Another con was that similar to the other comments, I did feel that the marathon wasn't given as much acknowledgement as the relay event. The support at the finishing area was great and offered plenty of post race drinks and goodies (who doesn't love free pizza?). But overall, I enjoyed the race and would recommend it to others.

This is a truly splendid marathon that raises money for the troops and their families in the Dubuque area. It's patriotic, and it's well organized. You cannot really ask for a better race ... the only tough thing is that it is in late June in Iowa. That's just asking for high temperatures and humidity. Thankfully, this year was not bad. The course itself is on the Heritage Trail, which is truly lovely. It is also mostly shaded, which helps to provide a more comfortable run given the potential for heat. Volunteers were plentiful, as was water and other supplies along the way. Not a LOT of spectators, but quite a few given the small field and remoteness of the course. Dubuque is a really neat town on the Mississippi river, making this a wonderful destination race. In short, a really great race for a good cause, well worth the journey for an out of towner!

Everything about this race was beautiful. The race director really cares about her runners and it shows. The volunteers - all of them - were so kind, supportive and attentive to each runner. The trail is beautiful with a lot of shady areas and with only one hill. I loved the serenity and the peaceful views. We loved the people of Iowa. Everyone we met from Dyersville and Dubuque was friendly and welcoming. One little side bonus we discovered along the way: a nice little winery, also with a very friendly and welcoming staff. I highly recommend this marathon to anyone looking for a well organized, friendly, beautiful, small and flat race. Great Job to everyone!

Thanks for putting on a great run. Super easy packet pick up. They also offer the ability to pick up on race morning. Great transportation to the start, nice to be able to sit on the bus (not a school bus) and keep warm and comfortable. The Hilton was an excellent choice. I appreciated the transportation back to the hotel, late check out option and it was great that they had snacks and water waiting in the lobby on return. Beautiful trail - green, mostly shady, and scenic. The surface is hard packed dirt/ crushed limestone. I personally prefer some small hills along the way (only reason for the 4 on the course) Great volunteers - thanks for the support and encouragement along the way. And thanks for the great Iowa hospitality. You will need to be fairly self sufficient between aid stations. Definitely bring your fuel belt and refill along the way. You will also want to be prepared to fuel up along the way.

The Run 4 Troops race was a very pleasant, relaxing adventure and the Heritage Trail course surprisingly combines scenery from across the country. We started with a Kansas freight train rolling by, proceeded through a stretch of Iowa corn fields, encountered California mountain streams, rock formations from the South Carolina up country, forests reminiscent of Marine Corps training in Virginia, cattle from the Texas hill country, and Wisconsin deer grazing in the meadows. It is a small scale event where you can meet and talk with people at the start and then catch up with them after the run, making it a nice change from the larger races. If you are not worried about time, you can stop to read some of the historical signs, admire an 1872 replica railroad bridge, and also see the long ago railroad mileage markers noting the distance to Chicago from each point. Well organized, efficiently managed, smooth surface, water / gel stations along the way, and an inspirational cause as well. When your legs are questioning your judgment in the 20+ mile range, my first thought was the young Marine we met at the start who lost both in Afghanistan. Semper Fidelis !!! To paraphrase Field of Dreams, it is already built. You should come to Iowa.

I enjoyed this race as something a little different from a typical city marathon. The trail is lovely, very shady and scenic. While it is quite flat, the limestone surface provides an added level of difficultly if your training is mostly on hard roads. Because the aid stations are at the relay exchange points, you need to carry your own water if you want it more often. They did have jeeps going back and forth along the trail to hand out water and Gatorade, also, so some might be ok without carrying their own but I wouldn't risk it. My main critique is related to those jeepsI think they needed to slow down a bit, because it was quite unnerving to have to keep getting out of their way as they went zooming by, especially later in the race. The trail is not quite wide enough for that! My other issue is that the medal, modeled on a military dog tag, is rather small and less impressive than we are used to getting at most marathons. I don't mind so much but it would be nice if it at least had the year on it. Otherwise it is a very well-organized and friendly little race. And the cause of supporting military families is certainly something that all patriots should endorse!

Course: I never thought I would see the day that I could use flat and fast to describe a trail race, but with this race it definitely applied. Only a couple of spots on the course could one notice that they were going uphill. Organization: Packet pick-up and buses to the start were a smooth process. Would have been nice for the runners checking in on Friday to be able to pick up their timing chip then. Also, would have been nice to have a timing system that does not require touching the chip to the box. Only other organization complaint was that it felt in many aspects of the race that the marathon was playing second fiddle to the relay (like splits and water stops only being at relay exchange points). Fans: As with most trail races, fan support was limited, but where there were fans, they did a great job of supporting the runners.

This race made me proud to be an American.Strong community spirit with good people working their butts off to host a quality race in order to raise money for our soldiers.Forget the weather,come prepared to suffer a little, and as you struggle,know that these good people will have your back all the way.

This is really a nice race. The trail is awesome - other than the first 5-6 miles, it's a steady downhill. The race organizers and volunteers are very friendly and it's well-organized. The start was delayed by 2 hours due to a severe thunderstorm, so it was very hot and humid by the time we finished. There are 5 checkpoints for the marathon relay runners and those points are easy for spectators to reach by car. My family was able to see me at the start, finish and 5 points in between, which was great. If you are looking for a June marathon in the midwest, it's an excellent choice.

This was my 22nd marathon and even with the 2 hour delay due to poor weather conditions, I truly enjoyed it. The race is completely on the Heritage Trail so there is very little crowd support but I loved it! The race was nicely organized and the race support staff was very helpful and supportive. With the rising tempertaures, there were coolers placed along the trail as well as numerous people driving on the trail with water and gatorade. Thanks to Connie for all the updates and coordination.

First and foremost, Connie Hodge is a credit to the title 'race director'. She and her extraordinary cadre of volunteers made this a fun, safe run, despite some decidedly unfavorable conditions. Communication leading up to the race was superb. Every question I had was answered before I asked it. The thunderstorm that led to a 2 hour rain delay was handled very well, and the race went on. There were dedicated water stations at the transition points for the relay and at the intersections of the trail and crossroads. No water at the mile markers, although the miles were well marked. They compensated for this by having support staff drive up and down the trail between points on ATV with water & Gatorade. The only negative is that since this was a crushed limestone surface, I kept getting rocks in my shoe. Likewise with the heat, but what do you expect out of Iowa in June? Yes, I know I'm whining.:) Not a lot of spectators, but that didn't matter to me. Great experience.

Knew it would be brutally hot, but the two-hour delay because of the severe thunder storm was a surprise. Thanks to the Napa Auto Parts store for keeping 40 of us dry. My girlfriend saw a relay team take over the finish line as a solo marathon woman was finishing and thought the solo finisher deserved a little more respect. With all the weather concerns, the race staff still pulled off an excellent event. Having to tap my wrist timing chip on a box at every transition was awkward and old-fashioned. I don't care much about my splits but an official start line/mat would be a nice improvement for next year. If you are looking for a soft track to run, this is a good choice.

Mostly trail running through scenic rural Iowa country. Good organization, great cause, friendly and supportive participants, good aid stations. Race and medical staff using atv's were always checking on runners, sometimes making for challenging running.