Run Crazy Horse

This was my 60th marathon and now on my short list of favorites. To me Crazy Horse Marathon had it all: spectacular scenery along a crushed pebble trail through the beautiful Black Hills National Forest, a great support network where EVERY aid station (approx every 2 miles) had enthusiastic volunteers handing out oranges, bananas, and other food items along with water and sports drink, an outstanding starting venue at Crazy Horse Memorial where they started the race with authentic native drums, and a relatively fast point to point course (except for sustained hill from miles 10-17), and a fun finish at Hill City--a town out of the Old West. For 50 Staters especially--you should do it!

To start, I think having 'spectators' as a criterion for evaluating a marathon is stupid. Big races have crowds and small ones don't. I don't think the small races should be punished for being small. And, to me, I couldn't care less how many people were lining up the sides of the roads while I run. Thus, I gave this race 5 stars, but there is no crowd support. If that is important to you, go somewhere else. There were only 123 finishers for this one. The course was gorgeous. I traveled from the Midwest to be here and there just isn't anything as beautiful as the Black Hills where I come from. Running near the base of Crazy Horse was a treat. It is hilly, so be prepared for it. Aside from the first 2-3 miles, though, the inclines and declines are very subtle, almost so that you don't notice them. The elevation of this race is in excess of 1 mile, so be prepared for that too. Overall, it is a difficult course, but not exceedingly so. Just don't expect a PR. The organization was adequate. The race is on a pretty small scale, so everything seemed to go smoothly. Some more help on the course might have been useful; I remember once or twice not knowing exactly where I should turn towards the very end when you get back into Hill City. Bus shuttle service was excellent and conveniently located to my hotel (Best Western). The expo was small without much ado, but I was in and out quickly which is a plus for me. I have but one complaint. If you're going to distribute M&M's on the course, don't put them in the same cups as the water and gatorade. I missed a cup of water at that aid station because I grabbed candy by mistake. Grr! (I don't turn around.) The shirt and the medal were disappointing. The medal seems to be made of clay and was hung on a thin strap of leather. Looks pretty pathetic compared to every other marathon I've ever run, but I guess it matches the Native American culture of the race's theme. Overall, a well-run, tough race with limited frills in a gorgeous locale. And there is plenty to do in the area for anyone traveling to SD for the weekend.

I ran close to 50 marathons and this one was one of the very best. Not only it was on beautiful land, everyone was amazing. I particularly appreciate that the staff at the finish line stayed and cheered the slower runners until the end, despite the weather. I was done, showered and ready for lunch back in town to realize there were still runners coming in and was quite impressed with your staff. I also love the prayer/song at the start. While I did not have my national anthem to put me in my little bubble, his song/prayer did just that, if not better! What could be improved? I can't think of something. If you want to run in a beautiful area, with beautiful people, this is it.