Nebraska State Fair Marathon - Race Reviews

As advertised this race is flat and has lots of turns. The volunteers were at every turn and those turns were well marked. This years race was run during a rain storm and some pretty strong winds but those volunteers were out there too! I ran this marathon to quality for my 19th Boston Marathon and to do some sightseeing in NE and SD. The city of Grand Island is great. Your typical Midwestern friendly folks. If you are trying for a BQ or 40 States, don't shy away from this one.

I picked this one for my NE marathon and was not disappointed. It is true, it's flat but not boring. The start and finish being on the fairgrounds made this an interesting experience. It was warm but cloudy so no big deal for me. People were friendly, teams at water stops were energizing, nice medal, chocolate milk at the end (my favorite refuel); it was a good day! Bring the family, the fair is fun too.

Overall, it's good marathon to try, especially if you need one in Nebraska for your 50 States. This was my 40th marathon and 28th state. Pros: (1) Small town race feel - only about 200 in marathon and probably 400 in half (2) Plenty of parking at start since it is at state fairgrounds (3) Generally lots of water stops with water, Gatorade, and sometimes Gu (4) Long sleeve tech shirt (5) Pancake flat course (6) Excellent race organization Cons: (1) Expo virtually non-existent (2) Virtually no spectators beyond runners' families and volunteers (3) Course had lots of turns (4) Limited shade especially on six mile out and back highway section starting at mile 18 (5) Full and half marathons courses separated and merged multiple times which was occasionally confusing due to lack of proper signage (6) Medal was fairly big but very plain (7) Started and finished inside fairgrounds - families had to buy tickets to be able to see start and finish (8) Temps at start usually in 60s and finish in 70s - high humidity this year

Overall, it's good marathon to try, especially if you need one in Nebraska for your 50 States. The expo is pretty much non-existent!! The course is flat as pancake, so if you like flat courses, this is it. Not that many people to cheer you on, so with the exception of a few here and there, you're on your own! The organization is pretty decent though, especially for a small town race. There was water and Powerade every mile or 2 and Gue several times on the course. The volunteers are super friendly too. As for scenery, there isn't much, unless you like corn fields, silos and industrial buildings. The full and half marathons merged several times throughout the course, which made it a bit confusing, especially with lack of proper signage and the course having many turns and intersections!! The race site is also about 90 miles from the Lincoln Airport, which is fast (speed limit is 75), but it's still 90 miles. This was my marathon #62 and State #42 for me. Overall, I would recommend this race.

I picked this race because I am a 50-stater - this was my 40th state. I was very pleasantly surprised with this race. Pros: 1) Aid stations were very helpful - had gatorade, water and gels and there were more of these than I expected. 2) Out and back from mile 18-24 was a portion that I was dreading, but the aid stations were great and all volunteers were super supportive...made it go very fast. 3) Starting and ending at the fair was really cool. 4) Volunteers at finish line were wonderful. 5) Chocolate milk and chips - my very favorite post-race food was great. 6) Medal and shirt super nice with fair theme Cons: It is August and very warm. Temperatures started at around 66 but by the end was high 70s or low 80s, however, it stayed cloudy and breezy all morning...so was not as bad as I had expected.

Well organized. Friendly volunteers and co-participants. Nice small town feel. Course is very flat - scenic and shaded until 6 mile out/back on a busy highway. Connecting race with State Fair is an awesome idea - we had a lot of fun at the Fair afterwards. Great medals too.

I was anxious about humidity and heat since I am from Oregon, but the temperatures stayed in the 60s and there was quite a bit of shade until mile 18. I felt inundated by enthusiastic spectators and cheerleaders, there was plenty of water/Gatorade, and the scenery was quite charming and enjoyable until mile 18-25, which was a tree-less out-and-back along a not quite so scenic highway. It wasn't terrible by any stretch because the temperatures stayed in upper 60s, maybe lower 70s, corn crops were visible, and spectators were encouraging. The course felt pretty darn flat to me - my Garmin only registered 33 feet elevation climb total! I really enjoyed the charm of Grand Island and the course. What was extra fun was taking part in the state fair after the race and getting a fried peach and watching marching bands. I got a decent personal race time so that is definitely a plus factor!

This is probably about the flattest course you could imagine running, but there are some turns along with some out-and-back sections that will slow a person down if they are not running tangents. Very nice volunteers and the sparce support was enthusiastic. One negative was not being able to receive a shirt if registering within two weeks of the start... it would not be difficult to accommodate later entries with a shirt since they are paying more to enroll anyways. The tie-in with the state fair is a nice bonus.

Just ran this race this past weekend. I thought the organization was great, course was well marked throughout it was nicer second half than first (unless you like miles of corn fields). Lucked out with the weather in that it was foggy for most of our race which kept it cool. Volunteers were everywhere,and top notch. Even several spots with high school cheerleaders, couple bands and side line spectators were more than I would have expected for this size race. Overall it was a great experience and I would recommend. And yes, it is flat!

Very flat and potentially fast, but all concrete so tougher on the legs. Quite a few turns but exceptionally well marked by large signs and an abundance of volunteers. I had expected the course to but more rural to take in the surrounding areas but it stayed mostly in town. Almost no spectators but the volunteers at the water stations and intersections were wonderful. After race food pretty lame but the State Fair food was in abundance. Note that while you get a wrist band to come back in to the Fair for free after you go home to shower etc, consider bringing a change of clothes instead of leaving and returning. If you leave your parking spot you will find that you will have to park in either overflow lots, or up to $20 private parking and walk a considerable distance to the Fair by the time you return. The water stations had cup caps and straws for the drinks which was a nice touch. Several GU stations were set up. Being a part of the State Fair was nice as you can spend a couple of days there as well.

As advertised, this must be the flattest marathon in the country. Midway through the race the course dipped and rose about 2 feet, but that was it for an elevation change. For a course that spends some time in town it is reasonable scenic, and the cemetery around mile 18 felt pretty inviting. Though the course is flat, don't anticipate a PR unless you thrive in hot, humid weather. I was fortunate in that the 2014 version was relatively mild, with temps starting in the 60s and reaching the low 70s by the time I finished. In central Nebraska it easily could have reached the 90s in both heat and humidity. It helped that the first eight miles or so were either before the sun rose, or before the clouds broke. There weren't a lot of spectators, but the ones out there were extremely friendly, as were the numerous volunteers. The event was definitely full of midwest hospitality. The race ended at the Nebraska State Fair, so even if the post-race food doesn't fill you up, there is plenty of great fair food on which to refuel.