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☰
Omaha Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Omaha Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.3 
Organization 3.7 
Spectators 2.9
Number of comments: 183 [displaying comments 151 to 161]
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J. K. from Omaha, NE
(9/29/2004)
 "First half marathon was better than expected" (about: 2004)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I am running Chicago in 2 weeks and felt that doing the half in Omaha would be a good training run. I didn't anticipate all the hills (most of the comments around me also focused on the number of hills). However, the course was nice (for Omaha), the organization was topnotch (plenty of water, Gatorade, food at the end). And while there weren't thousands of people cheering us on, those that did show up were very animated and supportive. All in all, a great first experience. | |
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Danny Swindle from Newport, MI
(9/27/2004)
 "Nice race, tough hills" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Omaha Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Pros: Start outside and ending inside the Civic Auditorium was nice. Pasta dinner included (although it looked like they may have under estimated the runner's appetite). Nice Market Area in downtown. Cons: First half were killer hills but my fault for not preparing properly. Not much of a cheering crowd at the end. | |
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Frank Leggio from Atlanta, GA
(12/10/2003)
"I got to run from one state to another" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This had a halfway cool course and a halfway boring course. Running in the middle of nowhere was pretty bad. The heat wasn't too tough. Nice people and organization. | |
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C. M. from Pensacola, Florida
(11/30/2003)
"Great course; need a map to packet pick-up" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I was not able to finish last year's marathon due to severe leg cramps at mile 24+, so had to come back this year to claim my finisher's medal. I was mentally prepared for the hills on the return loop where I had to quit last year, but the course was changed. And, for the better. The new course was more interesting and enjoyable because it cut out some of the hot and boring parts of previous year's course. My biggest complaint was that it took forever to find the new Quest Center where the packet pick-up was held, then there was no parking because there was a 'fair' going on at the Center. When I finally made it to the building, no one seemed to know anything about a marathon! Finally among all the farming & ranching displays I spotted a couple people that looked like runners.(They were not eating a whole quart of ice cream). Three flights up, past the flower displays, blue-ribbon-winning pickles and Cousin Joey's school craft project, I found the packet pick up. Would you believe there was a live stock show going on INSIDE the building, also? Then, the pasta dinner was at the Civic Center, which, due to construction downtown was also hard to find. Other than all of the confusion, it was a good marathon and worthwhile. | |
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Christy Whetstone from Lincoln, NE
(11/1/2003)
 "No spectator support" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I did the half as a training run for the upcoming Chicago Marathon. The course was hillier than I expected. I didn't need to use a porta-pot, but I did notice they were VERY scarce on the course. Hopefully, they'll remedy this next year. The volunteers were great and the Gatorade & water plentiful. Bottom line, though, it was a boring race because of the lack of crowd support and because of the small number of runners. Maybe it was just because it started much too early for the end of September (when the heat is less of an issue), and because it was exceptionally cold for spectators to be out on a dark, cold, Sunday morning. It was more pleasant and sunny by the end of the race. It was neat finishing inside the Civic Auditorium, but that last, gigantic hill before the finish I thought was a cruel joke... lol. I will probably do the half again next year, but I don't think I would ever do the full marathon... as a back-of-the-packer, I think it would be grueling to run the last half with no crowd support and a very sparse group of runners around me. Maybe with time, a course change, and more porta-pots it will become more popular. | |
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T. F. from Papillion, NE
(11/1/2003)
"Could have been better" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This was my first attempt at a half marathon. I was so excited and then that all faded away as I wasted 22 minutes of my race time in line for the port-a-potties. I couldn't just go behind the tree if you get my drift. It was horrible and frustrating. There were a total of 3 on the whole course for the half. I don't mean 3 different stops, but 3 total. If that would have been attended to better, I would have had a much better time. As for the spectators, there weren't any. That was also disappointing. Maybe it was such a let down because my husband ran the Twin Cities, and that was so awesome with spectators. This had no one out there. The full marathon ran too much through the industrial area and bad part of town. Nothing to look at. So if this is the first one you have done, it could be disappointing. I wouldn't recommend driving from afar to run this one. | |
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L. V. from New York
(10/2/2003)
 "Small, plain, friendly: good for long training run" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This was my 18th marathon (Big Sur, Disney, Honolulu, Flying Pig, Marine Corps, etc). It is a small (~300 marathoners) marathon than runs south through downtown Omaha (including the zoo), turns north through Levi Carter Park (my favorite section) before looping back south to finish near the city center. The course is relatively flat overall, with some rolling hills during the first half. The organizers were friendly and helpful, although packet pick-up was hindered by the idiosyncrasies typical of a volunteer organization. The expo is tiny and post-race food is Spartan (apples, bananas, rolls). The course is not particularly scenic, giving the runner plenty of opportunities to take in the rundown warehouse districts of Omaha. The sections that pass through the zoo, the Con-Agra complex and the park are more enjoyable. Porta-potties were scarce, but with a small number of runners and a little planning this was not a major issue. There are only a handful of spectators and the lack of crowd support precludes me from recommending this as a ?first-time? marathon. These distractions aside, I give the organizers high marks for keeping the water stations stocked 'til late in the course and passing out tons of GU/Cliff Shots (I was offered these on five occasions after 13 miles). Bicycle rovers actively policed the course to monitor the status of slower runners. Although the course is not blocked to traffic, the Omaha Police were visible present at intersections, enforcing the right of way for runners and aggressively disciplining drivers who attempted to encroach on the course. It is unfair to compare this marathon to the 'MAJORS' because it is much smaller in scope. Still the medal is much nicer than I hoped, and the long-sleeve cotton t-shirt is a keeper. Overall it is a relative bargain, especially considering that tickets to the pasta dinner are included. It is best as a long training run to warm-up to the fall marathon season. | |
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J. C. from Omaha, Nebraska
(9/30/2003)
"Not for beginners" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This my second marathon ever. The first half is scenic, however the hills are a killer. Thank goodness it was only a training run for me. The second half was boring. I did not meet another runner for the entire last 13 miles of the race. The volunteers were great. It kept me going knowing there would be volunteers cheering me on at each water stop. Overall, it was not a bad race. They MUST improve advertising if they plan on getting anymore than 300 people running the marathon. | |
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s. c. from lawrence, ks
(9/29/2003)
 "Mix of good and bad" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Good: water stations and volunteers, Cliff Shot at 3 spots, traffic control, finisher's medal. Bad: toilet at start?, pacers?, refreshments at end?, generic bib number, pricey entry fee. If you're looking for something special, this one isn't it. The run itself is challenging and well supported. Great water stops and volunteers. The run isn't scenic. Conagra? Nice, but only about half a mile (you get it twice though). Zoo? Nice, but only for about three-quarters of a mile, once. You get no downtown, no outstanding or unique neighborhoods. The run in the park by the lake is nice, but only about 3 miles. The rest? Boring industrial, dull residential. I passed the 3-hour pacer and the 3:30 pacer - should have been near me at the end. We hadn't seen her finish by the 4:00 mark. It's a marathon for people whose reward is the run. Race advice: go very easy on the hills early. I did and went from 45th to 25th in the last 6 miles with about a 1-minute negative split. | |
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S. K. from Platte City, MO
(9/28/2003)
 "Very well run, small marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran this marathon when it was in August. The summer heat made it very difficult to run a good time. The move to the end of September was needed. The weather this year was perfect: cool with a light breeze. The course is rolling hills for the first half and flat for the second. It is not a PR type course but not overly difficult either. The downtown area and new convention center were under construction, so it made it hard for out of town people to find their way around. That should improve next year. The water stops were well manned with sports drink and water. Fan support was minimal, but those that were out on the course were very enthusiastic. The finish was perfect: indoors, great medallion, easy to find friends and family. I will be back. |
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