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Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.9 
Organization 4.7 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 110 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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C. B. from Detroit, MIchigan
(6/7/2015)
"A Beautiful Grind" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Most of what I have to say about this race has been said in other reviews. I will make my list of pros and cons but first let me say that this was one of the most beautiful of my 33 marathons. Second only to Pikes Peak, and I am not even sure it's second to that. It was my first visit to South Dakota and I must say it is a stunningly beautiful place. It was a tough marathon but I know that while the memory of suffering will quickly fade, the memory of this scenery will NEVER fade. That said, here's my pros and cons: PROS: 1) the scenery. See above. Add to the above the fact that you're running along next to running water almost the whole way. 2) nice medal 3) almost everything from Mile 14 on is downhill (though some is steep downhill) 4) lots of places to stay in Deadwood 5) tons of tourist things to do in the area 6) easy packet pick up 7) adequate post-race food (they don't set out a buffet like some marathons have lately, but they've got all the essentials including chocolate milk, so I was happy). 8) really nice running surface - crushed limestone and gravel = smooth like butter. Not a technical trail at all so don't think you need trail shoes just because the marathon has the word 'trail' in it. CONS: 1) first 14 miles of 'gentle uphill' - yes it was gentle, but I definitely felt it. It really wore me down after a while. 2) lots of exposed areas with heavy sun (though shady areas always came up eventually). I was very dehydrated despite drinking at every aid station (which I never do). 8:00 a.m. start time is too late for a sunny summer race, even at elevation where it's not supposed to be THAT hot. 3) hardly any spectators other than at the relay exchange points and during the last couple miles into town 4) long shuttle ride resulting in long wait at start line. It wasn't really cold but if it had been 10 degrees colder I would have been really miserable. I should point out that all of those cons are minor compared to the pros. This is a fantastic race, a must-do for 50-staters and really for everyone else who loves mountain scenery and history (Deadwood is awash in history) and who doesn't need big cheering crowds to stay motivated. | |
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B. B. from Atlanta, GA
(11/17/2014)
"Beautiful Race" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 A lovely small trail race showcasing the natural beauty of the Black Hills of South Dakota! Pros: Beautiful scenery Well organized Easy packet picket Friendly volunteers and great water stops Did I mention beautiful scenery? Cons Elevation and 14 miles of elevation gain (albeit at a low grade) can take a lot out of we low landers - pace yourself accordingly! Point to point, so start is in a rural town 20 plus miles from your hotel and the buses for the race start left very early. (We had someone drop us at the start - a great decision - we got there only 30 minutes before the start and had no issues getting to the start) If you like big races with lots of crowd support, this race is not for you. If you want a race immersed in a beautiful area and a great spot for a vacation, don't miss this race! | |
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L. K. from USA
(6/7/2014)
"Stunning course" (about: 2014)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Excellent course and race organization. I have run 79 marathons and with respect to scenery I would rate this as one of the best. I am glad I didn't run with music so I could hear the stream which was along the course most of the race. | |
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B. C. from New Jersey
(6/7/2014)
"Black Hills Beauty!" (about: 2014)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 No pounding the pavement through the city with this race, pure Black Hills beauty. All but the first mile and a half are on the trail. I loved the crushed stone surface, the ponderosa pines, the aspen trees and the peacefulness of the course. Plenty of water stops with fruit and spectators were present at the trail head entries only. Yes it is a gentle uphill for the first 13 miles but I was able to handle it even though I train at sea level. Another hill heading up to 19 but the rest was easy. We stayed at the Deadwood Mountain Grand since the Lodge was full. Trollies picked us up near the hotel & took us to the shuttle buses. We could walk from the finish line back to our hotel. Best dinner all week was at the Deadwood Lodge. Really enjoyed the Mt Rushmore bus tour the day before offered by the race, all runners and spouses on our trip. Drove back to Crazy Horse after the race to see more ( about 1 hour). On Monday we drove to Devils Tower in Wyoming ( about 1 hour 15). Loved the area & loved the Race. | |
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G. S. from VT
(6/5/2014)
"Run for the scenery!" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The Mickelson Trail has beautiful scenery. Anyone who likes to run on trails or in natural settings will enjoy this marathon. My positives: - The Trail! Soft underfoot and a very scenic setting, running through woods and meadows. - The downhills (M14-18 and M20-finish) are a blast, you can take off the handbrake and speed all the way home from mile 20. It was the easiest finish to a marathon I've ever experienced. - The shirt. It's a good'un. My not-so-positives: - The wait for the start. Unless someone can drop you off at the start in Rochford, you have to take the race bus that gets you there around 6:45-7:00. Then everyone stands around for an hour, trying to keep warm. I think it would be better either to get folks there at 7:15-7:30 or to have a 7:30 start. - The altitude. The vertical gain over M1-14 and 18-20 should be quite comfortable if you've done your hill training: maximum 3% grade. But the combination of vertical gain and altitude, which peaks on this course at approx. 6,500 feet, slowed me down a lot. - The food and drink at the finish were disappointing. Even though I was an early marathon finisher, the chocolate milk had already run out - there was only enough for (most of) the half-marathoners. That left water, gatorade, bananas, orange slices, bagels and pretzels - just the basics and quite underwhelming. Other things to keep in mind if you're thinking about this race: - For accommodation, there are plenty of camping options in the Black Hills and Spearfish. - In 2014, there was a drenching downpour in the fourth hour of the race. At that time of year (May-June), sporadic showers and thunderstorms are typical for the Black Hills. | |
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Bill Hodge from Auckland, New Zealand
(6/26/2013)
"Absolutely one of the best." (about: 2013)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run 162 marathons and this is now my favourite. A truly beautiful trail event, with meadows and streams and forests all around. The surface was good, and the gradual climb and the low pass (around 6300') was not a factor. i did a negative split and was very happy with the support, the transport etc.. Most of my runs have been in New Zealand, and while there are a lot of good courses in New Zealand, Deadwood has them beat. | |
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D. P. from Des Moines, Iowa
(6/11/2013)
"Great Event" (about: 2013)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a great marathon. It was reasonably priced, and the website and emails leading up to the event were helpful. There are plenty of hotel rooms in Deadwood because of its tourism status, but I would still try to book in advance. The host hotel was full so I ended up staying at a cheaper place (which was fine), but I did hear the clerk tell someone on the night before the race that every hotel in town was full. The expo was tiny but about what you'd expect from an event with so few runners (300 or so in the full marathon). I did find it funny that the 4 or 5 venders had all been squeezed into one side of a large conference room. If the organizers had spread the venders out, then people would've had more room to browse. The shirt was nice; a technical short-sleeve. The one real drawback of this event is getting people to the start. Ask someone - plead, if necessary - to drop you off at the start. Otherwise you may be sitting in the cold for an hour or more. If you stay at a non-host hotel, like I did, your other option is to get on a trolley at 5:15 that will take you to the bus pickup site. This means getting up 2 hours earlier than you need to. Even so, I met some runners on the trolley and bus and was able to grab a bagel and some water and use the port-o-potty at the start pre-race. The real reason to do this race is for the beauty of the course. The entire 26 miles follows a rail-trail through the Black Hills National Forest. There are hills, streams, wildlife - very beautiful. Run the race for the scenery because you will not get a PR here unless you're a mountain goat. Just accept that the pace will be slower and enjoy the ride. After a brief downhill start, you climb steadily for about 13 miles. It's never brutal, but it's a grind. After that, you get about 5 miles of downhill, which feels great, but the hill around mile 20 is challenging. After that, more downhill to the finish, some of it steep, some muddy, while dodging the half-marathon walkers. There aren't really any crowds, but that's to be expected when it's a small race on a trail that's difficult to access at times. The fans I did see were extremely supportive. The volunteers were also awesome. The aid stations were plentiful, the finish area was well planned out, and the race director even shakes your hand when you finish. It did get a little too warm for me in the final few miles, so I would advise hydrating really well before this one. The finisher medal was nice. If you need a South Dakota marathon or just want to run one for fun in a beautiful location, I would highly recommend this event. | |
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C. W. from Pacific NorthWest
(6/6/2013)
"5-stars for an uphill first 14 miles?????" (about: 2013)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Definitely. It's a rail-to-trail surface perfect for running, and an uphill rail-to-trail 1-4% grade perfect for head-shaking disbelief...and then a rail-to-trail 1-4% downhill well, most of the rest of the way. Black Hills meadows and forest, trail completely separate from vehicular competition. Well supported, great volunteers, a fine focus for a Black Hills/Badlands long weekend. Suggestions: more Expo, this one was sparse. Arrows at all of the course junctions with other dirt options. PLEASE, a propane warmup fire at the start: 36 degrees for an hour of waiting started us off stiff and cold even with my warmup clothes. A 7:30 start would be nice, because it gets hot by mid-finisher time. Thanks for a great run! | |
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G. S. from Northbrook, IL
(6/4/2013)
"It could not be more scenic." (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The course is cut through the Black Hills. You do not see the 3% grade with your eyes, but I saw it with my splits. A babbling brook keeps you company after you crest at 13.5 miles. You'll notice the surprising uphill mile 19 and the steep downturn at mile 20. Conditions were perfect and my sons and I loved the race. The trail was in fantastic condition in spite of all the rain Deadwood had just prior to the race. | |
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J. J. from Houston, TX
(6/3/2013)
"Outstanding run in a world class location!" (about: 2013)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Love the race. The course is absolutely beautiful. Also, organization is top notch. Only recommendation for improvement is to have more food options at the end of the race. |
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