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Lincoln Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Lincoln Marathon Information & Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.3 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 4.6 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 4.3 
 
 
Number of comments: 228 [displaying comments 171 to 181]
More Comments: [ < 1 .. 16 17 18 19 20 .. 23 > ]

 

M. S. from Lenexa, KS (5/10/2005)
"Great Midwest Race" (about: 2005)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Lincoln Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 3


What a first-class race! I have run some big-time races (Twin Cities, Boston) and this has the organization of those, but without the price tag and crowd.

The crowd support was great considering it was such a chilly, windy morning.

I was so thankful for the splits being called at EVERY mile marker - I had a watch malfunction (operator error) so my watch was about 6.5 minutes behind. Thank goodness these volunteers kept me on pace.

The only complaint I have is the bathroom situation. There were no porta-potties outside at the start - all interior bathrooms in the coliseum (nice for the weather, but bad for congestion). It was nice that the race director sent out an email afterwards apologizing for Memorial Stadium not being open, so it sounds like he thought it was taken care of. That didn't help me at the time, though.

One suggestion - if it's possible. A finish on the field inside the stadium would be amazing! Us college football fans would get a kick out of running on the hallowed turf. Of course, that may be why it's hallowed - us knuckleheads aren't running on it. Anyway, it would be pretty cool if that could happen.

Overall, this is an awesome race, and well worth every penny and training effort.

 

P. G. from Asheville, NC (5/5/2005)
"Great event and fun course" (about: 2005)

3 previous marathons | 1 Lincoln Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


I ran the half and enjoyed the cool weather and flat course. A little bit of congestion especially when the course necked down to a bike trail. After that, wide open and no problems. The spectators were great and Lincoln is a beautiful city. Race organization is good with numerous water stops. The downtown area offers a lot of pre- and post- race activities with numerous restaurants and clubs. This is also the National Guard Marathon.

 

D. E. from Omaha (5/5/2005)
"Nice small event" (about: 2005)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Lincoln Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 3


If you are looking for a nice marathon to run, give Lincoln serious consideration.

This is a no-frills event. The expo, t-shirt and post-race food are unspectacular, but the things they do right are the things that really matter to runners.

The course was relatively flat, giving you enough variety to work all your muscles. At each mile marker, you had someone calling out the time. The water/Gatorade stops were plentiful and you had the option of cups with straws. This was really nice and I'm surprised it hasn't caught on at more marathons. Everyone loved the straw idea.

The wind made things difficult as the marathon concluded but I guess you can't control Mother Nature. Thank you Lincoln for a nice, small event.

 

M. C. from Shawnee, KS (5/4/2005)
"Very well organized with lots of fan support." (about: 2005)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Lincoln Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


The course was mostly flat with a few small hills. Only problem was the headwind from miles 21 through to the finish. Of course the race directors can do nothing about the weather, but they did run an excellent race. Plenty of pasta at the dinner, and lots of water, Gatorade, oranges, and vaseline at water stops. The local residents came out of their homes and provided music and support for all runners. A very well run marathon, and I PR'd to. What a great experience.

 

Dan Deal from South Dakota (5/3/2005)
"One of the best organized marathons anywhere" (General Comments)

50+ previous marathons | 6+ Lincoln Marathons
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I have run the Lincoln Marathon 27 times and have yet to find any flaws with the organization. The Nebraska weather can be a challenge, but that is why we run. I would highly recommend this race. With it being the National Guard qualifier for the Marine Corp Marathon, it is run by a large number of serviceman who only add to the quality of the race.

 

L. R. from MO, USA (5/3/2005)
"Great race organization!" (about: 2005)

First Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This was my first marathon and it was spectacular! The volunteers were wonderful. I am a slower runner and finished in 5:11:19. But there was plenty of water and Gatorade when I reached the tables. The police blocked the streets for us and everyone was extremely pleasant. The only bad side to the race was the weather. It was very cold and windy, but that is no fault of the race coordinators. I would highly recommend the Lincoln Marathon to everyone! The only change I would have made is the name announcement at the end. The race isn't supposed to close until the 6-hour mark, but anyone that came in after 5 did not get their name announced. I was a little disappointed in that, after running such a distance. But overall, nice job!

 

J. V. from Des Moines, Iowa (5/2/2005)
"Good Barebones Race" (about: 2005)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Lincoln Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 5


This was my 4th marathon, and first Lincoln Marathon. The marathon is well organized without a lot of the frills like bands, fancy water stops or post-race amentities. The course is well marked with timers at every mile marker yelling out times. And the cups with the lids and straws are a great idea that I can't figure out why more races don't have. For the traditionalist, they also had cups without lids.
The course does run along some highly used roads and at times we were breathing exhaust fumes from the cars that were driving by. There are hills, with one at the 25 mile marker that at that point is kind of nasty. Good crowd support.

The free pasta dinner the night before was good, as it is open to all runners and their guests, which made for a real family atmosphere. Only real negative is that there was only soda pop, water, bananas and oranges for the finishers; you would think someone could scrounge together some bagels, yogurt or cookies.

 

Sean McCormick from Cincinnati Ohio (5/2/2005)
"Great Surprise... Well Done" (about: 2005)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Lincoln Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 3


I really had know idea what to expect but came away from it really enjoying the whole experience. The race set up was extremely convenient with free and close parking to the start/finish, pasta dinner, and packet pick up. The course was a nice mix of residental, parks, and University of Nebraska campus. The course was a little hilly and there is one good one right at mile 25... ouch. The volunteers were extremely helpful and cheerful. The shirts were good and Nebraska red and the finisher's medal was really cool with a portrait of Lincoln on it. The only complaint was that the water stops were every 3 miles for the 1st 12 miles... which were just a little to spread out for my liking. The next 14 miles the water stops were every where and I really liked the water cups having covers and straws which made it easier to drink. Thanks to all the military service people who helped out not only for the marathon but for everyday.

 

C. B. from Omaha, NE (5/2/2005)
"Cheering fans at every step!" (about: 2005)

6-10 previous marathons | 2 Lincoln Marathons
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I ran the half in Lincoln and the thing that stood out the most to me in this race was the amount of spectators. There were hundreds of fans holding signs, playing music and encouraging everyone. It was incredibly motivating and probably contributed to my personal best finish.

Also, the organization was great and the course is a fast route that is mostly flat and for a few miles goes onto to paved trails which was a nice change.

All in all this race was very enjoyable and I will definitely be signing up again next year.

 

Sean McCormick from Cincinnati Ohio (5/2/2005)
"A Great Surprise..." (about: 2005)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Lincoln Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 3


I really didn't know what to expect coming into the race but without a doubt it was a quality marathon. The race was one of the most convenient races I've gone to... plenty of free and close parking for the packet pick up and start/finish line. The course for the marathon was a stroll through some very nice neighborhoods, the university, and parks. The last couple of miles were an out-and-back section, but because of this there were a lot of fans on that section. There are some rolling hills in this course so do a little hill work and the last hill around 25 felt awful on the legs, but there was no way I was stopping.

The T-shirts were great and in Nebraska red and the medals were very cool and even had a portrait of Lincoln on it. The complaint I did have was that for the 1st 12 miles the water stops were spread out around every 3 miles. After 12 miles they were all over the place but scarce for the 1st half. The workers at the water stops were excellent and cheerful and I loved the fact that the cups had lids and straws on them which made them into little water bottles and much easier to drink on the run. Thanks to all the military service people that helped out - not only on that day for the marathon, but for helping out everyday.

 

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