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Jul 2, 2024

Lincoln Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.3

Organization 4.6

Spectators 4.3

Number of comments: 228 [displaying comments 91 to 101]

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 8 9 10 11 12 .. 23 > ]

Tara Lamme from Omaha, NE (5/17/2008) "Great for a first-time marathoner!" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Lincoln Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Being a Nebraskan, Lincoln was obviously the first place that came to mind when I decided to run my first marathon. I like running the Omaha Half-Marathon, but I'd never run the full - too boring. I chose Lincoln because I'd heard it ranks right up there with big-name marathons as far as spectators go, and now I believe it. It was SO encouraging to see so many people cheering us on throughout the full 26.2, instead of only supporting the first half of the course. One woman was even standing in her yard handing out donut holes! I think the course itself was great, and for a flat, little Midwestern college town, I think it's pretty nice to look at too. The old neighborhoods in the early miles are gorgeous, and the Holmes Lake area at mile 20 is beautiful. Oh, and there are not "hills" in this course. There are "inclines." Big difference. It's pretty flat overall. Lastly, this race really is as well organized as people say. Water stops were always well-manned, and you've got to love the lids and straws. (Great for avoiding splashing the whole thing in your face if you're running and not walking your water stops!) And wow, was there a ton of GU! It was like a giant GU piñata exploded GU packets all over the place by mile 17 or so. (Had they started handing it out earlier in the race, around mile 5 or so, I wouldn't have even brought any of my own!) The finish was pretty smooth - it's always fun hearing your name announced as you cross the finish line. And the post-race massages were handled extraordinarily well. Didn't have to wait too long. The only thing that disappointed me was that it seems there were no finishers' shirts this year. If there were, I didn't see them anywhere. The "technical shirts" aren't great either, but I can forgive Lincoln for that, since the overall race experience is what matters.
L. m. from Iowa (5/14/2008) "Best value by far" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Lincoln Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Very inexpensive entry fee. Great, FREE pasta meal before the race. Great FREE pork dinner after the race. Lodging was inexpensive. Traffic and parking were handy. We also got free showers, massages and even free extra t-shirts when we bought some marathon garb. STRAWS and LIDS on the water cups!!! What more can I say?! OH!...and we threw our robe and long-sleeved shirt on the fence at the start, and they were still there when we finished. Wonderful people in Lincoln!
D. S. from Twin Cities, MN (5/10/2008) "Lincoln - Above Average Marathon" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Lincoln Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Lincoln: Where the runners are strong, the volunteers good looking and the marathon above average (sorry, Garrison). Lovely little marathon. This was my 27th marathon and proved quite enjoyable. The course was mostly flat with the few hills providing a nice break for the muscles. Many nice neighborhoods with shade for the first half. The second half was a little more exposed to the sun, but it wasn't a problem with the great weather. The overall organization was pretty good, with plenty of water, Gatorade, oranges and Gu available along the course. Plentiful, friendly and supportive volunteers throughout. My only suggestion is to improve the packet pickup. With 5,000+ runners, a single long line for packets was inefficient and slow. Consider splitting the lines early for full/half runners and further splitting by alphabet to speed up the process. The spectators were not as plentiful as in the megathons, but made up for it in enthusiasm. My highlight was the trumpet player around mile 20. She played "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" as I ran past her, in honor of my Irish-themed shirt. It made my day.
B. D. from The Great NW of USA (5/9/2008) "Lincoln Love!" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Lincoln Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 So nice to be pleasantly surprised by all aspects of the Lincoln Marathon! The "red carpet" is rolled out for the runners. Expo is smooth, and all the extras are nice: free pasta dinner, free massages after the marathon, post-party, etc. You start and finish at the "famed" Husker Stadium, and wind through the Nebraska campus, through beautiful neighborhoods, and pass by the state capital and downtown - you'll never feel alone. However, even with 6,000 participants (2/3 half and 1/3 full), it doesn't feel too crowded either! The people of Lincoln are very knowledgeable about the marathon, and turn out in droves to support runners. New item: Lids/straws on cups - great idea! Found them to be less messy, and could keep moving with them in my hand instead of having to gulp down the fluid.
V. H. from Overland Park, KS (5/8/2008) "Lincoln sets the bar high!" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Lincoln Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Lincoln is a great marathon, with a scenic route, great organization, and energetic spectators. I really enjoyed the marathon route (will always have a soft spot for it, since I got my BQ here this year!). After running a MUCH less well-organized race last fall, I really appreciate the professionalism and organization of this one. The Lincoln RD understands that marathoners spend a lot of time and energy preparing for the big event - and the organizers gave us a great race. The positives: 1. Great course, fans, organization 2. Courtesy of all involved - spectators, staff, runners 3. Beautiful course 4. Organized hydration stops (LOVE the lids and straws!) To be even better: 1. Different vendor for photos (still not available on Thursday after a Sunday race??) 2. Put out pace signs for the race start (just an oversight this year, per the pre-race announcement) 3. Save some carbs for the marathoners... there were just bananas and yogurt out when I finished Overall: wonderful race, good time, fun place. Thanks, Lincoln!
J. K. from Lincoln, NE (5/8/2008) "Awesome race" (about: 2008) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Lincoln Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first Lincoln full - I ran the half last year. By far the best organized of the three full marathons I have run. This would be five across the board if they would get off the bike trail at the 10k mark. The out-and-back to Holmes on the back gets boring, but at least it is flat for the most part. I know there aren't a million people lining the streets like Chicago. But when this race gets three times the size of Omaha, you should know they are doing things right (I ran Omaha last year and this marathon is twice as good - with three times the people!). I'd like to see this race get off the bike trail and expand to 10,000 people some day! Good job.
Dotty Maddock from Phoenix, AZ (5/8/2008) "Loved the Cornhusker Campus!" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Lincoln Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my 36th marathon, and an opportunity to "check off" Nebraska from the 50 states. I was very impressed with the organization and the University of Nebraska connection. What a gorgeous campus, and how wonderful that they opened it up to us for the packet pickup, pasta dinner, pre-race waiting, start and finish, post-race showers, and post-race lunch / awards! My only criticism was that stupid bike path in the first half. Maybe the size of the race has outgrown that course, and an adjustment should be made to stay on the streets (versus cutting to the path). Do NOT miss the lunch / awards after the race: delicious pork sandwiches, pasta salad, chips, cookies, ice cream, cake. If only they'd had beer!
walter miller from Omaha, Nebraska (5/7/2008) "Running Lincoln is a must!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Lincoln Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second half marathon in Lincoln and this one was even better than last year's. The spectators and organization are first-class... not to mention the cups with lids and straws. I intend to run Lincoln every year - and you should do the same.
B. C. from Nebraska (5/7/2008) "Very much worth it, and family friendly" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Lincoln Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Well organized, nice pre- and post-race meals (free for family supporters), friendly and flat course (two small hills), highly organized, massages, showers... and these are just a few of the highlights. YOU get a lot, for a very reasonable entry fee. There's a 6,000-runner limit, but you can hardly tell it's crowded. See you in May. Run on.
M. F. from Lawrence, Kansas (5/6/2008) "No complaints! Well done!" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Lincoln Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 After running in some of the bigger marathons, it was nice to run in a smaller marathon. No hassles with parking or transportation from start/finish, etc. We stayed at the Marriott downtown and walked 6 blocks to/from the finish. Could not have been easier! Course was mostly flat. The second half was an "out 'n back," so being a slower runner, I got to see the faster runners coming in, which was nice! Lots of gel and oranges were available. Volunteers and police were great!

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