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Jul 2, 2024

Omaha Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 3.3

Organization 3.7

Spectators 2.9

Number of comments: 183 [displaying comments 81 to 91]

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 7 8 9 10 11 .. 19 > ]

L. Z. from Nebraska (9/27/2010) "Good, challenging course, but what an eyesore" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Omaha Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The course has hills - I knew that going in - but I was surprised that there were only 3,600 runners for 3 races. I think the lack of aesthetics on the marathon course could be why. There have got to be more pleasant parts of Omaha than weedy industrial areas and abandoned/unkempt neighborhoods. There were maybe 4 - 5 miles total that were nice to look at (downtown and along the river). As a result of the undesirable neighborhoods, there were not a lot of spectators on the course, but when they were there, they were great. Aid stations were well stocked, and volunteers were great. Races were well organized. The glass medallions were an interesting change. Finish line food was wonderful.
J. B. from Omaha, NE (11/1/2009) "Challenging course; so-so scenery" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Omaha Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I really enjoyed the challenge of the course with the hills. The aid stations were well-run and volunteers were great. Omaha has many more scenic areas, and I'd love for the race to run through something other than weedy industrial areas. How about looping around through UNO? Or trails north of the airport? The finish line was great! Thanks.
J. G. from Omaha, NE (10/17/2009) "Improved this year; good overall!" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Omaha Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the half last year and the full this year. This was better organized this year, in my opinion. Good: Challenging course Plenty of runners Music at several points along the route Volunteers had "themed" aid stations Aid stations were plentiful Expo had enough stuff, and we moved quickly Post-race party had music, water, chocolate milk! Shirts were great this year Medal was the same as last year, but fine OK: Fans were more numerous than at other races, and seemed to be along most of route in clusters Needs improvement: Scenery would be better if they could showcase prettier parts of downtown or Omaha. I prefer more food at the finish and like aid stations to have snacks, too. Start - split up the races! Please! I also would prefer separate race medals for marathon and half. Overall, this is a good marathon compared to the others I have experienced. I'm local, so will continue to run it, but likely would travel regionally to do it as well.
C. D. from Nebraska (9/30/2009) "Nice race - enjoyed it!" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran the '09 half marathon. I really enjoyed the run! Going in, I knew it would be hilly, and the route might travel through less scenic places. With that in mind, my expectations weren't as high. However, I liked the challenge of the hills, and I rarely paid much attention to the scenery while running. The expo was nice - there were several vendors, and packet pick-up was speedy! My family stayed in a hotel close by, and were able to see me twice during the run (4.5 miles and 11.5 miles). It was cool to see the leaders at the back part of the course. The bands along the route were great to hear and the volunteers were friendly. The finish area was well organized and fun (food, music, festivities). Overall, I had an enjoyable run and would consider running Omaha again!
A. K. from Omaha, NE (9/30/2009) "I actually like this better than Lincoln..." (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Omaha Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Although this is the third time I've run the Omaha Marathon, I recently moved to Omaha, so now I consider this to be my "hometown" marathon. All in all, I really enjoy running this race each year. I'm not sure if more people ran this year, but I really had a problem finding parking. I left my house at 6 a.m. and made it to the starting line right as the gun went off. I found the first eight miles to be really packed, as many of the runners did the 10K or half. After the half-marathons turned to head back, I felt that the atmosphere became more relaxed. Miles 8-13 were quite hilly... but Omaha IS very hilly, so I don't think that there is any reason to complain about that. I'm sure that I will run this race again and would recommend it to others. I'll just need to get there earlier next year!
G. R. from Atlanta, GA (9/30/2009) "A good marathon for those in search of 50 states" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Omaha Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Omaha is not necessarily what I would call a destination marathon, or a destination location for that matter, but the race director definitely cares about making sure she's providing the best for the runners. The pros to me were many, despite some negative comments: You get a preview of the course; they actually drove you on a school bus through the marathon course. No need to rent a car if you come in and out as I did (just there to cover the state), given that most hotels provide complementary shuttle service to/from the airport. The weather was PERFECT. The volunteers were awesome and genuinely caring. Fluid stations in abundance (every mile later in the later stages). My complaints are few - 85% of the course was on good ol' concrete, which is not forgiving on the legs. I'm not sure that that can be changed since it's how their roads are paved. Other than that, it's a good choice if you are looking to knock out the state from you list.
M. W. from West Lafayette, IN (9/29/2009) "Loved Omaha, but the race was just OK" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Omaha Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 My 12th marathon, 12th different state, first time in Omaha. First of all, I was extremely pleased with the city. It's very walkable, and the Old Market area is a great place to drink/dine/shop. Second, the organization for this race needs some serious correction: -The expo was small, but making people enter/exit though one door is crazy. -The start of the race was shown to be by the Qwest Center, but you couldn't walk from the parking lot to the start line. I was among the many runners jumping fences and running over railroad tracks trying to get to the start of the race. All the hotels on Cumming Street need to clarify how to get to this area, or put something in the expo packet. -Never start a marathon with Michael McDonald! Seriously? Michael McDonald to get me pumped up??? C'mon! -Break up the half/10K runners from the marathoners at the start. The narrow road made just running for the marathon tough. I loved the hills and the course. I would consider running it again if they have a dedicated start for the marathon.
C. S. from Smithville, MO (9/29/2009) "A good race overall; I would do it again." (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Omaha Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Overall, it was a well run race. The first half has a few challenging hills (10th Street north from the zoo) but there was great volunteer support cheering us on the way up. Course support was good and the Omaha police did a excellent job with traffic control. There were live bands every few miles and cheerleaders at the Carter lake turn, and everyone was friendly. Some have commented that spectators were sparse in areas - which was the case in some parts of the final 10K - but the peace and quiet along the shore of Carter Park/Lake was nice as well. I plan to run it again next year.
T. E. from Omaha, NE (9/28/2009) "Challenging course" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Omaha Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The good parts: -The bands along the course were awesome. It really does pick you up when you come to one of them. The polka band around mile 19 was great and put a smile on my face. -All of the volunteers were great. Between the "human cones" and the cheer teams, they all provided great support, which was needed on the last eight miles (which can get pretty lonely with the runners all spread out). -There are some nice parts throughout the course, like ConAgra, the riverfront (the new finish set up was much better), behind the zoo, and Rosenblatt Stadium. -Since there is some duplication of the route, it's good for spectators since they can see you quite a few times over the course. -Maybe this was just my experience, but once those of us who ran the marathon split off from the half for good, the runners I came upon were quick to give you a "Great job - keep it up" or other words of encouragement. There were just a lot of good, friendly people out there on the course with us. The bad parts: -Not much crowd support outside of the volunteers, especially once the marathon splits from the half for good. If you really need a lot of crowd support, this might not be the race for you. -Overall, the course isn't that scenic. Don't get me wrong - there are a some nice parts (those I stated above, by Carter Lake, etc.), but over a third of the course is in some blighted areas that I wouldn't travel through at night. I live here and there are so many great areas the course could wind through (and still finish on the riverfront), but it doesn't give a good view of our city. Overall I think it's a good marathon and it seemed to be a little better organized this year than last year. The hills are as advertised and I liked the challenge, but you definitely have to train for them. I'd recommend the race to someone who's run marathons before, but probably not to a first-timer (based on the technical nature of the course). On a side note, the post-race party was great this year. Between the band, the food at the end, and the nice day on the riverfront, it was awesome. The finish line is also set up well for your family and friends to be able to see you finish. I'll be running this one again!
S. M. from Omaha (9/28/2009) "Good but could be great" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Omaha Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have previously completed half marathons in Lincoln on multiple occasions and ran my first marathon yesterday in my home town of Omaha. First off, the volunteers are SPECTACULAR - always enthusiastic and cheering even late in the day. They made me feel like a champion. As with so many previous comments about this race, portions of the course are nice but some leave something to be desired. As one that has lived here for 10 years, there is a lot more to showcase other than portions of the "North Loop" that the run covers at least once. The first half of the marathon course is far better (hills and all) then the second half. Spectators can be non-existent for long stretches, which really didn't bother me that much as I frequently run alone. The upside to this is that it was easy to spot my family as they cheered me on. I will probably run this event again because I live here but hope that the course is changed to highlight more of Omaha's finer points.

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