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☰
Des Moines Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Des Moines Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 295 [displaying comments 101 to 111]
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M. D. from USA
(10/20/2009)
 "Solid Experience" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Des Moines Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 1) The hills are long and fairly steep from miles 3 to 9. Be prepared!!! 2) The race shirts are at least two sizes too small. Order accordingly if they do not change name brand for next year. 3) Great medal and post-race refreshments. 4) Organization, water stops, expo, website, host hotel (Mariott), parking, fan support, volunteers and timing were all solid. 5) Not a PR course (due to the many hills), but it's very scenic. | |
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S. D. from Westchester, New York
(10/19/2009)
"well done" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Des Moines Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Another state done. This marathon was just the right size for the course and the start and finish area. While I dislike marathons that have a half alternative, thankfully the two courses parted ways before the third mile and did not merge till late in the race. The organization was professional yet very friendly. In fact, I found every person I meet in Des Moines to be friendly, willing to help, and pleasant. I enjoyed the expo, pasta party, and post- and pre-race events. This was truly a well-run event. The course is not flat. It is not an easy run. But it is fair. It shows the downtown area, nice neighborhoods, Drake University, and a nice park. It was an interesting course without being easy or too hard. My only complaint is that it doubled back on itself too much. As for spectators, the community came out for the event and cheered you on. It is not Chicago, New York, or Boston, but you do not feel alone or ignored. The community comes out and cheers and supports the event. In all, a very well run event and very much worth doing. Good job, Des Moines; I enjoyed my visit. | |
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V. D. from Omaha, NE
(10/19/2009)
 "A Hidden, Midwest Gem" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Des Moines Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and I think Des Moines has set the bar very high. The race expo was outstanding, and the course was very nice, with a nice blend of an urban and scenic route. The volunteers were all great, with very frequent water and Gatorade stops, and enthusiastic spectators. Overall, this was an outstanding experience, and the medal was first-class all the way. Bravo to Des Moines; this was a wonderful first marathon!!! | |
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B. H. from Madison, WI
(10/19/2009)
"Great scenery but more hills than expected" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Des Moines Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The course was very scenic, but the first half of the race had many more challenging hills than I expected. The course takes you though a mix of beautiful residential neighborhoods, trials and the city. Des Moines is a great city, and the fans and volunteers were over the top. I would recommend it even if it is hilly. I hope race directors change the lineup of races at the start. It's too congested with the half-marathoners starting at the same time. The post-race food and meeting area were great, even for late finishers. | |
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Brent Koehn from Wichita, KS
(5/28/2009)
 "Virgin no longer!" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Des Moines Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Although I don't have any other marathon to compare it to, all of my research was right on. A few of the hills were longer than I expected, and although I cramped up over the last 3 miles, it was a positive first experience. | |
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Chris Glatt from Overland Park, KS
(4/28/2009)
"A great fall marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Des Moines Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Des Moines has everything needed for a terrific marathon - great course, super organization, and enough entrants to provide company without making things crowded. Fan support was great, considering the size of the town - no screaming hordes like the huge races, but that's not important to me. Des Moines is small enough that it's easy to get around, and logistically this was one of the easier races I've done. The entry fee is modest, but the shirt and other goodies are better than at most races costing lots more. All in all, it was a great weekend and I plan to do it again. | |
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C. D. from Des Moines, Iowa
(4/6/2009)
"Good First Half-Marathon" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Des Moines Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first half-marathon, and overall a very good experience. I walked most of the course and trained very hard to even be able to walk this distance. This was a fantastic accomplishment for me, since I severely damaged my right ankle several years ago and had to learn how to walk all over again. (I was told I would never be able to run again.) I did find it very frustrating to be repeatedly shouted at to "get over" when I was already walking on the edge of the walkway, as if my participation was of less importance than someone else's. This race has been touted as "walker friendly," but I think some work needs to be done to make this a reality. I will do this race again and hope to run it next time. I do hope the volunteers will be instructed to show as much courtesy to the walkers as they do the runners. Even though I walked, this was a very important race to me. | |
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A. S. from Gretna, NE
(11/2/2008)
"Great Marathon" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Des Moines Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and I thought it was great. The hills: if you train for them, which I did, they aren't bad. When I am not training, I normally avoid hills at all costs, and I didn't mind these. There were plenty of water stops, as well as porta-potties at the start, finish and throughout the course. I liked that the half-marathon and marathon runners split around mile 3. The course was much less crowded at that point. Very scenic, and overall, a great race. Hope I will get a chance to do it again. | |
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S. L. from Clive, Iowa
(10/26/2008)
"A mid-sized secret" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Des Moines Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This marathon has come a tremendous way since its inception. I'm a third-time runner of it and it only keeps getting better. EVERYTHING was stepped up a couple of notches this year and now is put in the same category as some of the larger marathons I have run. Organization, perfect mile markers, well-spaced and plentiful water/Gatorade/GU, above average spectators support, and the post-race set-up makes this a secret that many outside of Iowa are missing. Great job, race director and race committee!! | |
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D. E. from West Des Moines
(10/25/2008)
"Run Des Moines!" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Des Moines Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 What a great marathon! If you're looking for a well organized, mid-sized fall marathon, give it a try. The course did have some challenging hills but they were early in the race. If you trained for them, they shouldn't be a huge issue. Tree-lined neighborhoods until you hit Waterworks Park around mile 16 or so. Once you hit Waterworks Park, the spectators were sparse but the park was beautiful and brought variety to the course. The water stops were spaced nicely and seemed to be organized. The mile markers were PERFECT, even back in the secluded areas. The post-race party was as good as I've seen. Great entertainment and the runners were treated to free breakfast or lunch. Hat's off to the entire organization. I can't think of any real negatives. While this is primarily a marathon and half-marathon, I even heard that the 5K was well organized, including the cones. Thank you, Des Moines! |
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