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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 21 to 31]
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N. B. from Kansas City
(2/28/2013)
"Outdoors in the mountains and loving it" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Course- I was concerned about the 1st half uphill;but, it was gradual enough to be comfortable. Also concerned about altitude-it probably increased my time;but, I didn't feel it's effect-I live at 600 feet altitude. Whole course was scenic and I enjoyed the mountain landscape and views. Organization- After race-stood waiting for bus-no place to sit except parking lot asphalt-eventually a nice couple offered me a ride. With a 5(+) hour marathon finish I had a different experience then my friend at 4 hours for refreshments-I got a water bottle. Pasta dinner tasted great but was a planning disaster with waits exceeding 45 minutes after ordering food-I arrived within first few minutes of it opening-others said the wait got worse. Because the course was on a trail, spectators were sparse as expected;but, finish was planned in-town and this allowed for majority of spectators at the finish, aid stations were great. I LOVED THE SCENERY AND WOULD RUN MARATHON AGAIN. HALF MARATHON IS TOO CROWDED TO ENJOY. | |
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D. R. from Boston
(9/2/2012)
"Breathtaking" (about: 2012)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Beautiful course on an old rail trail. I forgot my iPod, & was so pleased to hear the bubbling Brooks & birds. I would do this again in skinny minute. | |
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J. L. from Seattle, WA
(6/20/2012)
"A few snafus but nice course" (about: 2012)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 Had trouble finding the expo Had trouble finding the bus for the full marathon Found nowhere to take a shower after the marathon (organizers pointed us to a rec center but it is closed on Sundays!) Food on course and at end was uncreative (dry bagels??) We thought it was pretty expensive for what we got. The last thing we need is another tee shirt covered with gambling cards and sponsor's logos No I was not super happy with this event; I've seen a lot better. | |
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D. B. from IA
(6/7/2012)
"Best Marathon Ever!" (about: 2012)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Deadwood was my 4th marathon and by far it was my favorite. The race planners and all of the volunteers were wonderful! The course was pretty tough for me. The 13 mile uphill was unforgiving but I loved the challenge. I seemed that the altitude played a big part in my cardio as well. Being from Iowa we have no hills or altitude to compare. Everything was great, the views on the trail were the best. I took many pictures on the trail as were many others. One thing I would recommend is Gaiters. I had no idea about these but soon learned that they are a must. They keep the rocks out of your shoes. I had to stop many times to empty my shoes on the downhill side. Overall I had so much fun, I plan on this being a yearly event. So much to see and the air is so fresh in South Dakota! Love it! Love it! Love It! | |
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M. L. from Mequon, WI
(6/6/2012)
"Brutally beautiful" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Most beautiful course, but be prepared for the altitude. First 14 miles go from 5200 ft to 6300 ft. Last 12 are primarily downhill, at times at moderately steep grade. For someone, like me, who trains close to sea level, this course is a challenge. In spite of the above, this marathon should be on everyone's list because of the awesome beauty of the Black Hills course. Just dial back your goals. | |
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V. D. from Elkhorn, NE
(6/5/2012)
"Most scenic, peaceful marathon I've Ever Run" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have nothing but kind words to say about this race. Everything about it was awesome. The organization was superb with no glitches. Nice tech shirt, great finish medal, enthusiastic volunteers. This is the most scenic and peaceful marathon I've ever run. Running on the rail trail, surrounded by the Black Hills beauty, running by babbling brooks, over wooden bridges, pine trees, on a nice dirt path. It is uphill the first half, then downhill the second half, occasionally steep. Aid stations also very well stocked with water, Powerade, oranges, bananas, bagels, and MnMs. All around great race, a 'must do' event in my opinion. My only suggestion, I wish this started at 7 am instead of 8 am. The sun rises about 515 am, and given the potential for heat, seems smart to start earlier rather than later. Great finish line too. Spectators are light in this one, but the ones that were there were a lot of fun. | |
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C. R. from Yankton, South Dakota
(4/29/2012)
"Awesome run amidst the pines!" (about: 2011)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The 2011 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon was my first ever attempt at the 26.2 mile distance after numerous halves. First off, the only reason 'trail' is in the title is because the majority of the race is run on the Mickelson Trail - an old railroad bed named in honor of a late SD governor. The Mick is a wide trail of crushed gravel and in no way resembles an actual trail run... so don't worry about trail shoes or anything like that. The race climbs for the first 13 miles to an elevation close to a mile up, before dropping over the final 13 miles. Both incline and decline are extremely gradual, but the first 13 definitely take some energy out of the legs. Thankfully, the crushed gravel is a very forgiving surface. The 2011 race got very hot, but typically early June is a little cooler in the Black Hills - especially at elevation. The water stations were plentiful and well stocked. The packed pick-up and expo was well organized and good sized for a smaller event (the marathon is much smaller than the half). One neat thing is that it is a point to point course and the half marathon starts at the halfway mark of the full marathon at the same time (8am) so if any full marathoners do catch up to the tail end of the half pack, they are very spread out by then and there is plenty of room to pass. Hard to explain just how beautiful the Black Hills are. If you have not been there, you need to plan a trip with a few extra days to take in the sights. There are few things I enjoy more than a run through the rolling hills and fresh pine tree scented air of the Black Hills. Spectators are rather scarce, although there are quite a few supporters at the relay exchange points as well as the last mile towards the finish line. All of the spectators were very vocal and supportive. If you want to run fast, make sure you have some strong mileage logged, and don't run the first half too fast! | |
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kenny baker from rapid city sdak
(8/2/2011)
"great marathon" (about: 2011)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 For being my first marathon, I had a great day running the full marathon. Volunteers were friendly and helpful. | |
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a. p. from milledgeville, ga
(6/16/2010)
"My favorite!" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Could not have been better! Had a rough start with the altitude, but I adjusted after 4-5 miles! It was so beautiful and peaceful! Greatest fluid stops ever! Very nice people! Want to go back! Keep up the good work! Of course, the weather cooperated and that helped! | |
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D. W. from Houston, TX
(6/11/2010)
"Excellent marathon in a beautiful setting" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Deadwood-Mickelson Trail Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is an excellent marathon in a beautiful place. Everything about the race went well. Buses to the start went smoothly, the weather was nice with an overcast sky keeping the sun away, great water stops with tons of food, and an outstanding trail through lovely scenery. The trail is wide, in great condition, and paved with crushed stone. No trail shoes needed but I saw several people with gaiters that would have been useful to keep small rocks out of the shoes. The race starts with a downhill run on the road to get to the trail. Then, about 1.5 miles in, you start up, and I don't think it ever leveled off. The grade is not steep, but climbing from 5,200 to 6,200 feet, I was feeling the altitude. At about 13.8 you start down and I was able to pick up my pace. There is another uphill from 18.5 to 20 - not too bad but mentally tough after a few miles of cruising downhill. At 20 there is a sudden drop, followed by more downhill to the finish. I had my first negative split with the assist of the slow uphill first half and the downhill second half. As is the case at many races, the half marathon is much larger than the marathon (1,400 vs 350), but since there are separate buses that drop the other runners at the halfway point, most marathoners don't even see the halfers. I guess the fastest runners caught the back of the half pack before the finish, but I assume everyone is so spread out at that point that it shouldn't be a problem. I think the half would be great because it is almost all downhill. Take time to see the area. Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Custer State Park, Devil's Tower, beautiful canyon drives, and a shoot-out on Main Street make Deadwood a great place to visit. |
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