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☰
Bismarck Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Bismarck Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 3.0
Number of comments: 60 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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Art Walker from Portland, OR
(9/22/2011)
"Small marathon, poor weather, great support" (about: 2011)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Bismarck Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 A small marathon, less than 250, the bulk of the field was taken by the halfs and the relay. This was a new course, rerouted due to the flooding. Twice out and back with a 200' hill at the turnaround. Hardly any traffic cutting the course. Lots of 'Spiffy Biffs' and volunteers. The volunteers were on-point and genuinely helpful. The poor weather kept most spectators away. The race announcer kept up interesting patter throughout. I rather liked that there was no expo to wade through. Instead we picked up packets by first walking through Scheels Sport Store, plenty of opportunity to spend $$$. Kudos to the race director for a top quality event. | |
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B. S. from Mebane, NC
(11/13/2010)
"A decent event" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Bismarck Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran the half marathon and, overall, this is a good race but no great shakes. The packet pickup is exactly that - a packet pickup; there's no expo of any kind. The weather was tricky, actually snowing the night before the race. However, race morning was clear with sunny skies but pretty cold. There was one area of the race that was unpaved and muddy and could have been a bit dangerous; however, there were volunteers alerting us of the possible slick spots. With that one exception, the course was pretty flat and easy to navigate through. The post-race food was minuscule from what I could see, but the medal is very nice as well as the tech shirt and cap. I stayed at the Best Western Ramkota, which has free shuttle service to and from the airport. The shuttle driver also drove several of us to the start line as well, even though it was only about 3-4 blocks away. However, Bismarck is not a large, exciting city and with the snow and sleet the night before, there just wasn't anything much to do. Perhaps Fargo provides more in the way of entertainment but if you are looking for a decent race to fulfill your North Dakota requirement, you won't be disappointed with this one. One suggestion I would make however is for the race director to consider moving this race up a few weeks to avoid the possibility of inclement weather on race day. We were fortunate this year that it missed by one day, but since it is Bismarck and by mid-September inclement weather is a strong possibility, moving it up a couple of weeks might be wise - just a suggestion. Other than that, a good job by all involved. | |
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B. S. from Mebane, NC
(10/4/2010)
"A Nice Race" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Bismarck Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I did the half, and overall, this is a good race with some nice touches. As part of your packet, you get a very nice cap and long-sleeve tech shirt with the logo of the event on both. Also, the medal is quite nice and so are the people - very warm and friendly. I stayed at the Best Western Ramkota, which is across the street from the packet pickup, but to be a hotel listed on the website for lodging, they seemed somewhat disconnected from the race and requested that we check back with the front desk around 9:00 Saturday morning if we wanted a late checkout - impossible since we were in the thick of the run at that time. The post-race food could definitely be improved, but this race really does have everything it promises. The course is indeed flat and there are no surprises. The only change I would strongly suggest is perhaps moving the race up a few weeks because the night before the race, it actually snowed! Thankfully, it stopped without accumulating and we were able to have a nice, sunny day for the race although it was in the high 30's when we started. Since it is Bismarck and there is a decent chance that any precipitation could be snow or ice, moving it up a few weeks might be a wise. The Fargo race is bigger, but if you need a good North Dakota race on the road to running in all 50, I highly recommend Bismarck. | |
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G. R. from Smyrna, GA
(9/19/2010)
"Nice, small race..." (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Bismarck Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Nice, small race... nothing to complain about really. The course is fast and the volunteers were great! | |
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R. C. from Fargo, ND
(10/14/2009)
"Good race overall" (about: 2009)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Bismarck is a nice course, with very few hills, and the loop through the finish line at the start of the race was great. I got a high when the crowd was cheering as I ran by them. The start/finish of this out-and-back course was very pretty, and the trees in the park provide some nice shade. The rest of the course is a bit dull, but the water stations were plentiful on the course. Organization was smooth; I had no problems registering or picking up my packet. The only real problem I had was that the "Gatorade" on the course had very little flavor, and that probably means very few carbs. We need that energy! | |
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N. T. from Fresno, CA
(9/30/2009)
"A Charming Marathon" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Bismarck Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Congratulations to David Nash and the rest of the directors for a job well done. This was a charming marathon and well worth the trip. The course was flat and shady; what more could you ask for? The temperature was perfect for a marathon day. The marathon was very small, but you never felt alone because it was an up-and-back course. We had just a short walk to and from the start and finish from our hotel. As race directors, we travel to other marathons to see what works. Although this marathon was small, it had a lot that worked well. I certainly recommend this marathon. | |
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George Rehmet from San Francisco Bay Area
(9/27/2009)
"Awesome Support at this ND Marathon" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 As a race director myself, I found that the race director covered (or seemed to cover) every detail in this race, from checking in, to the finish line with so much food (especially the pizza :)). I loved the community support. The jacket for age group winners was great. The host hotel was nice and the staff (especially the shuttle drivers) were very friendly. If there was one negative, it was that the half-marathoners had to wait longer for the awards ceremony. If you have a chance, check out Bismarck's features, like the capital, the Heritage Museum, and the Lewis & Clark steamboat ride down the Missouri River. In nearby Mandan, check out Fort Lincoln, from where Custer set out to Little Big Horn. Finally, support the title sponsor - Kroll's Diner (note: if you register early, you get a $20 gift certificate for their restaurant). The day after the race I had the great pleasure of getting a two-for-one root beer float. | |
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J. P. from the midwest
(9/26/2009)
"Good Race" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Bismarck Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 What a wonderful, small-town marathon. It was well organized, with plenty of porta-potties and fun water stops. Great hospitality and marathon-friendly locals. It was a little warmer than normal this year, and beyond the five-mile mark, you'll be running into the rising and full sun all the way to the turnaround at mile 15. Since I'm not that fast, I had sun overhead all of the way back in (except for the last couple of miles back through the park area). There were plenty of post-race drinks and food, which is most appreciated for the "back halfers." Thanks to all of the volunteers. This might be a small race, but for all of you Fifty Staters, this is the North Dakota race to run. I loved it. | |
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D. P. from Brookfield, WI
(9/20/2009)
"Scenic and flat" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Bismarck Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The website pictures of the race didn't do it justice - this race was more scenic than I expected. There was also a lot more shade on the course than I thought there would be, though the temperature climbed up 20 degrees from the race start. This year they did a loop around Sertoma Park/Zoo at the start which allowed you to preview the final mile of the course that you got to run through. It was scenic and shady, with a fun water stop in the middle. The volunteers for the various water stops dressed up in different themes and really added to the whole event. The course is very flat, and much of it is along bike trails, making for a good running surface. There was plenty of porta-potties at the start (no waiting) and throughout the course, and they had so much pizza at the end that they started giving it away to spectators. They also had bagels and energy drinks available before the race. There were also free massages at the end. In summary, if you're looking to check off ND on your states list, I highly recommend this one. | |
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Stephen Brown from Palmer, Alaska
(11/19/2008)
"Good, Standard Marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Bismarck Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Good, relatively flat marathon. It would have been a really fast course for me were I not doing the Montana Marathon the next day. Really fun aid stations. Great organization. The out-and-back course was a little boring, but it was a beautiful day nonetheless. State #13 in the pursuit of 50. Great job, Bismarck! |
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