Med-City Marathon - Race Reviews

My checked bag which contained my race shirt and a few other things was missing after the race. The bag was likely given to the wrong person. The RD agreed to mail me a race shirt for replacement. After getting home, I have tried to follow up with him via email. Sadly, after over a month of trying I still have not received the shirt. We also had a temporary race interruption due to the thunderstorms this year.

The course starts from the airport and creates a large loop around the main city. The first six miles are Midwest country running past flat farm fields and then you start a steady downhill slope into bike trails through parks and along rivers. It is pretty, peaceful, and would be lonely, except for the fact that you run with the half marathoners for the first 13 miles. When they break off, you begin running through neighborhoods, on more pretty bike trails, and retrace the final two miles until the finish downtown. The only tough hill is a short one at mile 20. Overall, the organization is quite strong (great bus service from downtown out to the start), water stops are frequent, and this is a well done, inexpensive race in a pretty Minnesota city. Crowd support is soft because much of the route is on bike trails, but you never run more than a few minutes without having someone clap for you. Overall, a good late season marathon that is easy to recommend to others.

The 2018 full length marathon was cancelled on very short notice by race organizers due to heat. Instead of offering refunds to those that had trained for the full, race organizers simply opened up the half marathon to all registered runners. There are many issues with this, the most obvious being the price difference between the races. Per usual, the full marathon was pricier than the half. Those that signed up for the full ended up paying that price to run a half, since no refunds were given at all. It's disappointing enough to train all winter for a marathon - the lack of any sort of refund was the tip of the iceberg. Anyway, there's my little gripe about the organization. I strongly recommend not signing up for this event, given that it was cancelled so easily. The course itself was alright, but I can only speak to the first 13.1 miles. Early rolling hills gave way to flat pavement after about 6 miles. It's also a straight course, which makes it easier to focus on running - no worrying about lots of turns. There were water stops every one or two miles, and the volunteers were good. Most of the race lacks large crowds, but that's to be expected in a small town. One negative was the stench. It seemed as though the farms we were running by had just mulched or something, and runners often received whiffs of animal dung. We were also facing the sun for most of the race, which was just annoying for someone that didn't think to wear sun glasses. Overall, the course itself is unspectacular, and doesn't make up for the risk of race cancellations.

2018 runners received the below email the morning before the race. Having traveled quite far to get here, I would have preferred to find this out much earlier than the day before. I have run other much larger marathons in worse conditions and so do not understand this at all. The Med City Marathon full distance marathon, 20 mile race, and marathon relay scheduled for May 27th have been shortened due to the extreme heat forecasted. This decision was made by the race organizers and Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine team together, and was based on evidence-based temperature criteria for marathons. The decision was made in the best interests of the runners, as the high temperatures create significant risk for serious, and sometimes fatal, heat related conditions, especially in runners who are not acclimatized to the heat.

Thank you Peg and Wally for creating the Med City marathon! This was my 22nd Med City Marathon and this is a consistently very well organized running event weekend. I completed the 5K on Saturday and enjoyed the free beer! Then I completed the marathon and enjoyed the free beer after the marathon as well. Shout out to all the first timers completing their first marathon today and all the other runners that ran with the 5 hour Pacer. Great weather for the marathon and the spectators on the course were wonderful to see.

I enjoyed the race. The weather was good. Course is fine. Spectators are sparse, but enthusiastic. Post-race party was pretty cool. Good band!

It's nice if you like small town races, not nice if you don't. I think the organizers did a fantastic job, and this race is clearly loved by the community. It's not the race's fault that I don't like small town marathons and only did this one because I needed Minnesota and because the holiday weekend meant I had time to come out and do it. The Good: Lots of affordable lodging in town Easy logistics (shuttle to start or get dropped off, plenty of parking there if you have a chauffeur). Pretty farm country scenery for the first 6 miles or so Mostly flat course aside from the rolling hills in the first 5-6 miles Super friendly, helpful people running the race Really nice medal Plenty of aid stations, well-organized The Jumbo Tron at the end and the personalized comments from the announcer were pretty cool. Good finish line food (not fancy, but everything you would need). (Relatively) low registration fee, even last minute T-shirt in a color that is very underrepresented in my race shirt wardrobe  purple The Bad: Really only one thing from my perspective, and that was that most of the course was on a multi-use path alongside the Zumbro River. It was pretty for about twenty minutes and then got so, so boring. Any scenery, no matter how pretty, gets boring if it never changes. This race was so small that I was alone for long stretches of time for most of the last 15 miles or so. It was more like a supported training run than a marathon. I'm sure there were a lot of people who loved the peace and quiet of the course  not me, I was bored. And that made me slow down and not want to run. I don't have a bad thing to say about the rest of the race, just know what you're signing up for.

Fantastic small town marathon! Simple Expo that has everything you would need. There is no pasta feed for the marathon, but there are plenty of relatively cheap places with great food in the downtown area. Most of the host hotels were offering checkouts as late as 3PM, which should give you plenty of time with a 7AM start. Most of the hotels are around $100 with tax if staying at one of the marathon hotels. Buses take you from downtown Rochester to the start area in Byron, where you get to stay inside a school if you so desire until the start of the marathon. Nice rolling hills for first 8 miles, then flatter for next 8 miles, then a little small rolling hills for the last 9. I have completed all 21 Med City Marathons, and plan on coming back for #22. I ran the 5K on late Saturday afternoon as a warmup for the marathon. Free beer after the 5K and the marathon is a nice added touch. Thanks again to the volunteers, spectators, medical staff, police, aid stations, and pacers for making this marathon special.

Thanks to all the volunteers, spectators, police, medical personnel and the race committee for putting on a fantastic 20th Med-City marathon. A big shout out to Peg and Wally Arnold to creating this marathon 20 years ago and making this a fun running weekend adventure in Rochester, MN. Hilton Garden Inn is a great hotel not within easy walking distance of the Expo and morning shuttles to the start and walking distance from the finish. Nice to see music and free beer at the finish. I will be back next year for my 21st Med-City marathon. And a shout out to all 7 runners who have completed all 20 of the Med-City marathons.

The organizers have no control over the weather. When you run a marathon at the end of May there is always a risk that it will be a hot day. This year (2014) that was a reality. It was 70 at 10AM when the winners finished. It was also humid and sunny (there is almost no shade on the course). Very different than last year. Again, there is nothing the organizers can do about that. The course is not optimal. The first 7-8 miles are somewhat hilly (in midwest terms, not for a Pennsylvania guy like me) but have net loss of some 200 ft. They are nice and scenic and I enjoyed them. Once you get into Rochester things flatten and apart from some over and under passes and some tiny bridges, it's a fast course. There are million turns and it is practically impossible to run the tangents so prepare to run 26.4 miles or so. After the split from the half marathoners (about mile 11), there are many lonely spots where you barely see anyone. Many confusing turns where there are only cones that suppose to prevent you from going somewhere bad. There was a point where a volunteer saved me from going in the wrong direction. Look at the course map. You will be running east, west, north and south several times. Water stations were OK the first 20 miles, spaced every 2 miles. Then (and especially in such a warm day) you'd like to have more of them at the later miles. Some races have them every mile at the end. The finish was nice and the cold Getorade bottles were very refreshing. There was food and some treats. No complains. Medals are nice too. Another nice thing about this race is that the marathoners get the race shirt only at the end with the medal. Nice. Overall it's a nice race. Good organization, easy to get to the bus shuttles in the morning and you can park near the finish line easily. The all you can eat pasta dinner was nice too. In terms of weather, it's a gamble. If the weather is nice, this marathon can be an awesome experience.

I haven't done many full marathons but I thought the Med City was great! There were a few hills in the beginning when I still had a lot of energy and then pretty flat for the rest of the race. The course went through some scenic parks and some residential areas. The volunteers were top notch, there were lots of water stops and I thought it was very well organized. Best Western was one of the hotel partners and they opened up breakfast at 5 am, offered a free shuttle to the race and a 3 pm check out which was fantastic. I would definitely do this one again.

I enjoyed running this race overall, but there definitely were a few things that I disliked about it. I didn't enjoy the beginning of the race, because there were TONS of hills. My legs felt better after mile 8 because it was much more flat. When I arrived at the Expo the day before, there wasn't a paper map in the bag that I was given, and I had to print one off at the hotel that I was staying at. It poured the day of the race, but that didn't seem to affect my time. At about mile 25, there was a train that many people had to stop for ahead of me, but luckily, it was gone when I arrived at that point. I am happy that my husband was at the finish, because this is a point to point race and I would have had to wait in the rain for a shuttle bus to take me back to the start. I probably wouldn't do this race again, but I am happy that I PR'd, so that made it all worth it!

I can't say enough about the Med City Marathon. With an eye on qualifying for Boston I signed up last November to run the Cellcom in green bay the previous weekend, but high and rising temperatures precluded that from being a realistic goal. I stopped at the half, thinking cooler temperatures in the next few weeks would allow for a better effort, and the calculated risk paid off in Rochester. What can you say about Wally Arnold? I contacted him via email several times with questions about the race and the course and he was quick to reply with exactly the information I was looking for. Fast, friendly and efficient. The race website indicated the Best Western Soldiers Field had rooms for $63 a night. Not only were they still available, the hotel pool has a Jacuzzi, the free breakfast was opened an hour early on race day (at 5am) for runners, the free hotel shuttle dropped you off right where the race shuttle departed to take you to the start AND the hotel provided runners with a 3pm checkout so you had a place to flop/shower after 26.2 miles. Thanks to Myron Salz for going out of his way to accommodate us marathoners. My wife and I had a great pre-race dinner on Saturday night at Victoria's Ristorante in downtown Rochester. If you're racing in 2014, put this place on your list. Great authentic Italian food, not that processed glop you'll get at Olive Garden. Free parking in the ramp just down the block. The race starts off along country roads in Byron, about eight miles west of Rochester. The course elevation drops about 230ft during those eight miles, setting you up for a fast start and a nice 'bank' of time to draw against during the rest of the race. From there the course meanders through several parks and neighborhoods, mostly flat except for the small inclines/declines where trails enter and exit the parks and one section of open road around the eastern edge. This is definitely a place to qualify for Boston, as over 16% of this year's finishers proved despite a 15mph wind that was in our face most of the day. You didn't really notice it except for a few isolated wide open areas. Water stops were well-spaced and ample, Gatorade and Gu was there when you needed it, and the post race food was exactly what you want after a marathon. Beer tent, too, without the limit green bay puts on their runners. (My wife was driving home.) Unfortunately you can't plan the weather, and the rain during the last six miles had me soaked and shivering after crossing the line, so I headed back to the hotel for a hot shower and returned to refuel. Wally made it a point to tell me to grab a beer when I got back. The outstanding volunteers handled the lousy elements with cheer and enthusiasm, as did the fans who came out to spur the runners on. And I did make my BQ time, by over three minutes on a cool day on a fast, descending course. Now if the BAA can just figure out how they're going to handle all the runners gunning for a spot in the 2014 field, I just might finally get to Boston. If not, there's always next year in Rochester. I'll be back. You should GO!

This marathon has always been great, but keeps getting better. Wally and Peg Arnold, thank you so much for your awesomeness - not just the marathon, but how your really know your runners and really care. I want to come back to this one every chance I get. The rain the second half of the race did NOT dampen my spirits any. I absolutely love the start in Byron so we get some 'Country Roads' and the music played along the route with just that song! I also love the bridges when you get into Rochester, the beautiful parks and I think that Rochester must be the most dog-friendly city in America - so cool! The band at the finish line was AWESOME!!! Thanks for such an awesome event Wally and Peg, and all involved! I love you people!

Last year was blistering hot. This year it was cool, windy and rained for two hours, but that's the Upper Midwest. Even though the volunteers were getting drenched, they were enthusiastic and plentiful. There was a good group of fans at the start. Other than that, it was mostly volunteers that served as fans. But that's OK. Much of the course was on trails, some in wooded parks that made me feel like I was in the mountains (but no thin air). A very well organized race from the time of packet pickup through finish line duties. One suggestion would be to include a course map in the race packet. There was an abundance of post-race food, including Muscle Milk, which was a great discovery for this runner. The 365 marathon entrants was just right for me - enough that there was company on the trail but not crowded.

I ran Med City Marathon today, much of it in 45* rain and wind, and had a great time doing so. The course is varied and scenic - country roads, tree-lined residential areas, bike paths along a river, around lakes and through parks. The only things keeping it from getting 5 stars from me are the twists and turns in the last 8 miles and the camber of a few of the residential streets. Otherwise a beautiful spring run. The volunteers and spectators were fantastic! Though it doesn't draw the crowds of larger races (at least not this year), the enthusiasm of those who were out there would be tough to top. They yelled, cheered and made me laugh as they stood in the cold rain. There are places to get in out of the elements at both the start and finish, and from my perspective everything worked smoothly and without problems.

This race was well put together. The course was nice and the spectators were great. With the weather being so hot it was so nice to see spectators and residences some out with ice cubes and bags of ice. People turning on their sprinklers for the runners was wonderful! Post race was great too. Lots of helpful volunteers and great food. Only downside was packet pick up...the expo and vendors was very small. We will run this one again.

I'm a 50 Stater who panicked when the Madison Marathon was cancelled a few days before the race due to the heat. I heard about Med City and frantically called the race director to see if I could still sign up. He spoke to me on his cell phone the week of the race! The race ended up not capping the number of runners so Madison runners could have a place to run if they chose. This race ended up being absolutely AMAZING! In addition to the beautiful course and superb organization, they ramped up the water stops because of the predicted temps in the 90s. There were bags and cups of ice for runners at every stop! The race director himself handed me a bottle of water at an unofficial stop at Mile 22. Volunteers and spectators checked on the runners throughout the race to make sure we were all coping well with the heat. I loved my finisher's shirt, but by the time I got done, there were only big sizes left and I am very small. The race director read my blog entry about how grateful I was to have a shirt since it took me so long, and he found a leftover shirt and mailed it to me personally 2 weeks after the race! You just don't get stuff like that from the bigger races. Minnesota has a lot of great marathons, and this is one of them. Wally and Peg are AMAZING and you should not miss this race!!

I was one of the many that traveled up to run Med City after the Madison Marathon was canceled. I cannot say enough about this race and the organization. They stepped up and added water stops, complete with lots of ice to keep core temps down, plenty of volunteers, as well as homeowners with sprinklers and additional water. There were ample medical teams supporting the runners. Spectators were great, braving a very hot and humid day. The course was very nice with a mix of hilly country roads and then a nice run through down town Rochester. Thanks for a great race!

Hats off to everyone who helped keep this course open in the extremely hot conditions. You could see their was a shortage of volunteers but they were well placed at every spot. I have never seen so many bags of ice in all mylife on one course. My favorite part was mile 21 or 24 cause you could cheer everyone on that was running past you as you were passing them. I'm glad I chose this race as my Minnesota race for my 50 states.

This was one of the hottest marathons I've run, and I was going about 45 minutes slower than usual due to the heat and due to having had a medical procedure, FUS, done three days before. For a flatter than a pancake runner from Indiana, the start of the course was a little hilly, but not bad. My brother, my dad and I were registered for the Madison marathon that got cancelled, and we were really grateful to be allowed to register at the last minute for this race instead. The volunteers and spectators along the course were amazing! Especially towards the end, when almost everyone was walking and barely hanging in there due to the heat, the volunteers were so cheerful, asking people if we were okay, and ringing those cowbells to cheer us on. The race director himself was handing out bottles of gatorade and water right towards the end. In short, the spectators and volunteers were amazing. Since it took me six hours, it got hot towards the end but we were well taken care of. In the last ten miles I would guess there were around 20 water stops and offers of ice in bags, etc. In the twelve different marathons I've run, these were the best volunteers I've ever encountered. AWESOME RACE!!!

The race course is pretty well laid out. Race day, tempertures were suppose to hit the 90s and it did with a vengents. The people of Rochester realized the race course could use spectator assistance by providing ice, water and other items. At mile 13 was ready to throw in the towel when someone came up to me and offered some ice, this provided hope. The further a long I trudged, the more people were out to assist runners. This was my 50th marathon and if it weren't for the city of Rochester would not have finished.

2012 marathon was sunny and very hot, but I am very appreciative of the organizers and volunteers. The organizers black flagged the race but allowed those participants who were coping well to finish.... thank you thank you thank you. secondly...many thanks to the official and unofficial aid stations that offered up ice. Ice cold gatorade in the tummy and a bit of ice under the hat made this tough day tolerable. thanks so much.

Back in January, we chose this race based on the near-certainty that it would be reasonably cool in Minnesota in May, so we were most unpleasantly surprised to find ourselves in the middle of a race that was nearly canceled due to the heat! The heat was brutal, yes, and the course could have used some more shade; however, all the volunteers both official and unofficial really made a huge difference. The race organizers really prepared for the heat by putting in extra aid stations, medics everywhere, etc., but the best parts were the people who were just out in neighborhoods and parks along the course handing out ice, water, etc., to all of us. It was fabulous to see so many kids in particular; shortly after mile 22, a young boy was giving out Ziploc bags of ice, which came at the perfect time to run (OK, walk) with it on my face for a bit, and then shortly after mile 24, some girls were giving out freezer pops, which never tasted so good! Great job, Rochester, for really rising to the occasion and helping people have a great experience despite less-than-ideal conditions. My only complaint was that even though I ordered a small race shirt, I wound up with a unisex medium finisher's shirt at the end, which is pretty much a dress on me. But the course and race itself were great.

Wally and Peg Arnold did everything right to keep this course open today. They had 14 water stations on the course - all having water, Gatorade and ice. There were two GU stations on the course. Numerous homes had sprinklers and misting machines along the course. Numeruous families had put out bottles of water and/or Gatorade. I can't even count the amount of people that brought baggies of ice out on the course. All volunteers throughout the course that we are crossings, between water stops, all had coolers of ice. They had golf carts brining extra bottles of water and cups out on the course. They had numerous medics on bikes. Remember these are lots of volunteers from the Mayo Clinic and St Marys hospital, so if you are getting sick or ill on a marathon course, this is a pretty good place to be. I still can't believe that I ran 26.7 miles (by my MotoActiv watch), and did not see on single ambulance treating a runner. Wow, what a fantastic job by the Race Directors, the volunteers, the aid stations, the police, the Medics, etc.,. This town embraces this marathon and that is why I have kept coming back to it each year. Thanks for letting me complete my 17th Med City Marathon. I can't wait for number 18!

I absolutely adored this race. I think this part of the country is precious. Coming from sandy beaches and palm trees, I thought it nice to run in a rural part of Minnesota in the beginning with soybean fields and silos as far as the eye can see. If you think this race had hills, you have not run in Atlanta. I thought they were of average difficulty, especially for a flatlander. Organization was fine for a small race. I showed up to the expo 15 minutes before it closed on Saturday night and all of the exhibitors were gone. Not a big deal since I hadn't forgotten anything. My shuttle was timely and pleasant with no snafus. No major crowds throughout, but it was a small raceonly 200-something marathon finishers. The race finished in downtown Rochester, which was fun and cute. I was on the jumbotron coming into the finishit was a nice touch. I would run this race again.

Pro's: - Rolling Hills the first 7-8 miles from Byron to Rochester. - Once in the City you are primarily on bike trails. - Crowd Support was great! For a smaller race I thought a lot of people turned out. - Course is set up so spectators can see runners in a lot of different places. - Good Post-Race food. Cons: - Course aid stations could have been better staffed in the last 5 miles. - There were a few different places I almost missed a turn becasue there was no volunteer and I was relying on spray painted arrows on the ground. Overall I thought the course was great, and is set up to produce fast times as long as you don't go crazy on the rolling hills in the first 8 miles.

I ran this race to check Minnesota off my state list. Very well organized. Transportation to start was smooth. Post-race BBQ and food was great, much better than a lot of bigger races I have ran in. Fans are friendly and cover a lot more of the course than I expected considering the size of the race. Not a big fan of the course. Up and down hills for the first 8 miles, and then constant turns throughout the last half -including one loop around a parking lot. The course is marked well - much better than say Sunburst - even with all the turns. Nice finisher shirt. Best Western hotel offered a great rate for marathoners, nice amenities, and a shuttle service.

Hats off to Wally and Peggy Arnold for keeping this marathon alive and making it better. Having completed all prior fifteen Med City Marathons, it was great to keep my steak alive today completing my sixteenth Med City marathon. Pros: >The bus to the start worked well, and we had the school to use if needed to stay warm and dry if needed. Plus they had coffee and some food available. >This was my favorite course out of the prior fifteen Med City marathons. >The volunteers were enthusiastic and very helpful. This was especially true of the young lady volunteer giving course direction just past the half-marathon mat. >The water stations were adequate, and I was able to get Hammer Gel at two of the stations. >There was plenty of food when I finished with chips, oranges, and choice of hot food for the runners which was wonderful. >Nice to get a tech shirt at the finish that says 'finisher' on it with the date and year. >Nice simple medal with date on it. >Great marathon experience overall. Cons: >Minor changes to the course would help with less turns. >Maybe consider having some music or cheerleader groups along the course at some of the sections where not a lot of the spectators are at. I will be back next year for number seventeen.

The first half of the course is gradually downhill for the most part. If you have not trained for downhills lasting over a half hour, this course will kill you. Water stops are no more than adequate. Fans appear at the beginning, middle and end of the race, with few in between. No music along the route.

I have run 29 marathons and will say this is one of the best organized races I've run. It is a smaller race that has its advantages. Easy parking/transportation and picking up of packet/etc. The course has hills the first 7.5 miles but after that it is nearly pancake flat. The 7 a.m. start time helps in the case of warmer temps. Spectator support is great at relay exchanges and intersections but can be sparse on some areas of the course. Again, at a smaller marathon that is the norm. It is definitely a race I would do again.

This was my first time running the Med City Marathon. It is rather hilly for the first 8 or so miles. My overall impression was that it could have been better organized and the course (which I heard they changed for this year) wasn't particularly runner-friendly. Problems: Ran on a number of sidewalks in the city (they didn't close down any roads for the race). We were put out on a 4-lane highway for about a mile to roast in the sun. They start the half marathon, 20-miler and full marathon at the same time and the same starting location. The 20-miler ends out on a highway 6 miles short of the finish line (which caused some congestion). Water stops were well staffed, but the Gatorade was usually warm to hot, and the cups of water had only small amounts of water in them so you had to take multiple to get hydrated. It was in the 80s, so hydration was an issue. One water stop late in the race had only one volunteer at it. I had to stop to get water. At the finish, the water and Gatorade had been sitting in the sun and were very hot. Fans/spectators were sparse, even in the city, but they were nice when they were there. I won't be going back to this one.

Thank you to the race director, Mark Bongers, and everyone else involved with the Med-City Marathon for your superb organization, welcoming attitude, enthusiasm, and your kindness. Here are specific highlights: 1. Packet pick-up was smooth and quick. 2. Spectators and volunteers cheered everyone, even the very back-of-the-packers. 3. Signage for the course was very clear. 4. Police provided excellent traffic control to keep us safe and yet were enthusiastic and encouraging to the runners. 5. Shuttle buses to the start were well organized. 6. The food available prior to the start was very much appreciated. 7. Superb water stops with both water and Gatorade available at all of them. Volunteers clearly announced what was available and where. Ice was even available at some of the stops, which was very welcome in the heat! 8. The water stops remained open until the very last runner passed by and this was so very much appreciated. 9. The finish line also remained open until the very last runner passed by. Thank you to the two gentlemen who provided a safe escort to the finish line for the end-of-the-packer. 10. The port-a-potties were adequate in number and placement. In fact, they were the best I have experienced in 3 marathons and 8 half-marathons. 11. The Best Western Soldiers Field Hotel was very close to the finish line and provided excellent accommodations at a very reasonable cost. The extended checkout was also greatly appreciated! 12. The only non-highlight was the heat, which took its toll on the runners. Fortunately the breeze helped some in that regard. 13. Again, a big thank you for a job done fabulously well!

My husband did the marathon, and I did the half. We were both glad we did this one. It was one of the best organized and produced of the 38 we've done so far. The buses were on time and the drivers knew where they were going. The drop bags were handled efficiently, and were easy to find and pick up at the finish. Having the school building open for the runners while we waited in Byron was very nice. The first 8 miles of the course are hilly, but the long downhills kind of make up for the climbing. We both really enjoyed the rural scenery (especially the lilacs in bloom), and the beautiful weather. Well marked course, plentiful of water and porta-potties on the course, and plentiful of water and food at the finish (even for us slow ones) were all greatly appreciated. Lots of spectators, even out in the countryside, and they are encouraging, even to people they don't know! :-) I can't say enough good things about the host hotel (Best Western Soldiers Field) or the town of Rochester. The hotel was only about two blocks from the bus pickup area/finish area, an easy walk. Everyone seemed glad that we came. Would definitely recommend this one over going to the "big city."

I ran this race for the 5th or 6th time, and even though my finishing time was my worst everd due to a left calf issue that seems to keep cropping up lately, I absolutely love this race and all of the Rochester people. I was especially touched to hear previous race director, Peg Arnold, along the course, saying to me, "Welcome Back." And that is how everyone at this race makes me feel - so I keep coming back. I love this race so much and hope I can come again, uninjured, and run again next year. Thanks, Peg - you are the best cheerleader and such a cool person! Thanks to everyone involved, and God bless you all!

I would really encourage people to do this race. The organization was first-rate. I actually had volunteer bike escort during the second half of the race to keep me company! The rider was a few yards ahead and would let the upcoming groups of fans know my name so that they could cheer for me by name, which was really cool. Fan support was better than you would expect for a smaller race like this. It was easy for spectators to move around the course to see runners multiple times. Weather was ideal, although being in MN, it may not always be that way. The scenery was very nice, in a bucolic sort of way, for most of the course - with a few miles in the middle and the end in the city. First-timers will like this race because of the friendliness, organization and relaxed atmosphere. If you have run a lot of marathons and are looking for a PR, the course is good for that - as long as the weather holds up. If you are competitive, but not world--class, you might find yourself near or at the front of the race, which is an unforgettable experience that I highly recommend at least once in life!

When the start was moved to Byron in 2007, the second half of the course was intended to include a loop that followed much of the first half of the course of previous years. However, a bridge on that course was closed a few months before the marathon, leaving a short time to find alternatives. Several years ago, there was some thought given to moving Med-City up a few weeks. The organizers not only considered how this would affect participants' scheduling and travel planning, but also the effect such a move would have on the number of volunteers. I agree that the post-race amenities are not what they used to be, but the entry fee seems lower.