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☰
Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.8 
Organization 5.0 
Spectators 4.9
Number of comments: 90 [displaying comments 31 to 41]
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K. V. from Kingsville, Maryland
(1/18/2014)
"One of my favorite marathons!" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Zoom! Yah! Yah! Marathon was the absolute best. I loved the weather. The runners and the lap counters were very encouraging. My lap counter Dot was cheering me on the entire race. The women's cross country team was one big cheerleading group and made the runners feel special as we ran by them lap after lap. When you get to the last lap and everyone chants your name it is the greatest feeling. My husband and I were invited to Hogan Brothers for lunch in Northfield after the race with the other runners and that was a fun time. I was informed that I had missed an excellent and lively pasta dinner the night before. My flight was delayed so I didn't get there in time. This was my 30th state and definitely one of my all time favorites. Thanks Dick! | |
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Gary Moser from Sedalia, Missouri, USA
(1/15/2014)
"A Total Pleasure On Every Level!" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 For years, I told my running friends that I would never do a marathon that wasn't a Boston Qualifier - just couldn't see the point of it. Well,...scotch that! As a former Minnesotan now living in Missouri, I can honestly say after running the 2014 ZYY two days ago that I would do this race every January from now on if I still lived there. It turned out to be a PURE running experience like I've never had in any of my 23 other marathons [ although Stockholm came close ]. I found the constant 60-degree temperature, combined with no hills and no wind, to be ideal for my type of running. And seeing my friends, my volunteer lap-counter [ Thanks again, Betsy! ], the official race clock and my water & gel supplies every couple of minutes for the entire 4 hours and 20 minutes that it took me to finish made the time just fly. Couldn't believe how fast 100 completed laps turned into 110, then 120, etc. all the way to the end. Race Director Dick Daymont is a fantastic host, giving personal attention to each and every one of the 45 runners comprising the field. Shirt & Medal very sharp; certificate lists all 150 split-times; great dinner the night before; fun lunch afterwards...it's got it all! | |
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R. T. from U.S.A.
(1/13/2014)
"How running should be" (about: 2014)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Remember your favorite runs, the ones where you and a friend encouraged each other to your goal? Remember your favorite athletic events, where you were cheered from start to finish? Remember your most comforting moments, where you knew that someone had your back the entire way? Remember your most care free days, where everything was available and convenient, and you knew that the road was smooth ahead? If you want a race you will remember forever, for all the reasons above and many more, the Zoom!Yah!Yah! is your race. The Zoom!Yah!Yah! brings you together as runners, but compounds you into friends. An entrant is not simply a number and a check, s/he is immediately welcomed into the ZYY/St.Olaf/Northfield family whether you are a first-timer or a multi-time participant. The 'expo' is more of a gathering of friends, where you will have your questions answered by the race director and experienced runners, bond over the best pre-race meal there is in marathon running, and get a sense of how wondrous the event is. The event may be 150 laps around an indoor track, but it's not akin to your dreary practice run around the high school track on a cloudy afternoon. This is more like doing those 150 laps while the football team is involved in a playoff game - except you are that team and the cheerleaders are cheering for you. The 'cheerleaders' in this case are the dedicated, brilliant, and kind-hearted members of the St. Olaf Women's Cross Country and Track teams, who will scream your name, count your laps, and drive you to toward the finish. Theyre worth their weight in gold, and they put those so-called 'big' crowds of supersized marathons to shame (Thanks, Moriah!). Even when you're on the other side of the loop, fellow runners - both the fastest and slowest - will offer encouragement thanks to the name bib on your back. Even the leaders are friendly here, and for once you'll see them every step of the way, from toeing the line with them to watching them finish. There are no hills in the ZYY, no elevation changes, no course changes, no misplaced mile markers, and no surprises whatsoever, the last thanks to the race information provided from the application to the week of the race. If you don't know where to go or where to be, you simply did not read your e-mail. The race team truly has your back for anything you might think of/need/desire, and their preparation and competence is evident in everything to the basics to the life supporting care they delivered here several years ago. Finally, it is truly a race where you can concentrate on what you came here for - enjoying the run. No chip worries. No starting corrals. No trying to get around four people holding hands while pushing strollers who lined up in the wrong pace group. No poorly stocked water stations or diluted mystery liquid, as you supply your own refreshment and place it at one of the 600 aid stations (one in each corner). No bathroom issues. If you need a towel so you can shower before you get on your plane, the race director will even supply you with one. If you want a race you will remember for the medal, or for the logistical nightmare of the expo and getting to the start, be sure to check out the thousands of marathon offerings who are in it to raise money for themselves. If you want a race that you will remember for the right reasons, start here. You'll be glad you did. | |
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Kelly Wahl from Wisconsin, USA
(7/6/2013)
"Four-hour-long Running Party" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Some are intimidated by the thought of running 140 laps, around and around and around for hours. But in a Marathon, you're so much inside yourself, that aspect disappears very quickly for most of us. YES, there is no scenery to look at. YES there is no interesting terrain. YES there's a real concern about repetitive stress if you're not smart about it. BUT: Where else do you get to KNOW all of the other runners during the race (because their names are printed on bibs on their backs)? Where else are you able to run a marathon WITH a bunch of other people of widely varying paces and abilities? Where else can you give and get encouragement from those other runners (who are quickly becoming your friends as you run the race) every minute (literally)? Where else is there a huge cheering section cheering YOU on every few hundred yards? This is not the easiest, not the hardest, not the most beautiful marathon, but it is, by far, the FUNNEST marathon I've ever run. And, yes, that includes Boston. I was smiling the whole 26.2 miles. | |
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Suzy Goodwin from North Carolina
(1/21/2013)
"Add this race to your 'to do' list!" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you enjoy the camaraderie of running marathons above all else, this race is for you. Because you've got 150 laps, moments shared with other participants increase exponentially & leaving you knowing EVERYONE by first name and quirky story (after all, anyone doing an indoor marathon HAS a quirky story, right?!). Other things I loved: my lap counter (bringing a small gift for him/her is a nice touch!), Dick- the enthusiastic RD, access to race photos at no cost, informal post race lunch with RD and participants, the town of Northfield itself. Decide how you want to pace this thing beforehand- mentally, it's more challenging to breakdown. Unless you are a math genius, it's tough to calculate splits and time targets by traditional targets (5K, 10K, 20 mile) or mile markers (5.7 laps = 1 mile). I asked my counter to let me know how many I had run after 1 hour, and to cue me when I was at number 75 (halfway) as well as 140 (Counting down from 50+ laps, no way. 10 laps, I can do). For me, the best strategy was to simply dissociate, listen to my body on pace, and have FUN! If you're traveling in for this one, make time to visit the Lululemon outlet and Mall of America. | |
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M. S. from Duluth, MN
(1/17/2013)
"A fun, unique well-organized event" (about: 2013)
50+ previous marathons
| 2 Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 OK, it's not a scenic race - except for the inspirational presence of the St. Olaf women's track and cross country teams who count the 150 laps the runners must complete. But the event is first-class from the good organization by RD Dick Daymont and The Band of 10,000 Aches Running Club to the great camaraderie among the runners, the perfect temperatures and the best pre-race meal in marathoning. The buffet at host school, St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., the night before the marathon is all-world. All the turns make the race a little more challenging than one might expect. Train for it. There aren't many people running it on a lark. | |
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Nick Schnabel from Somerset, New Jersey
(1/9/2013)
"Well worth the trip!" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 At the pre-race dinner, Dick Daymont, ZYY race director, asked me what drew me to ZYY. I like to schedule a winter marathon to provide training motivation during a quiet racing season (at least in the Northeast), but I realized the primary reason I chose ZYY in particular was the favorable comments from other runners. Fortunately for me, these rave reviews were accurate! If you're looking for a PR, this is probably not the course, for a few reasons: 1) the turns, 2) if you're passing runners, you will run in lane 2 or 3, and end up running longer than 26.2 miles, 3) you carry your fluids or stop briefly at tables to get them. HOWEVER, what you lose in time is far outweighed by what you gain in the experience of this marathon. A few standouts worth mentioning in particular: 1) The race director and volunteers: Dick and team do a wonderful job, and the small field allows a level of personal attention you can't get at a mega-thon. 2) St. Olaf's women's cross-country and track and field teams- yes, I mentioned volunteers under #1, but I repeat here for a reason. These girls go above and beyond, getting up before 6 on a Sunday morning to record the lap times of each of the marathon participants. They were also the best cheering section at the start/finish of each lap. My counter, Julia, made a handwritten sign that was very sweet, completely unexpected, and a first for me in 21 marathons. 3) The other runners- the unique race format ensures that you'll have multiple opportunities both to encourage and be encouraged by the entire field. 4) The finishers' certificate- I rank this #1 of my marathon souvenirs, above any medal or plaque. The lap times recorded by your personal counter becomes your marathon finisher's certificate, a simple but personal and unique record of your 150 laps. Yes, I'll return to do it all over again some year! Thank you Dick, Dennis, Rob, St. Olaf's women's cross-country and track and field, and everyone behind this marathon! | |
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J. D. from Minneapolis
(1/6/2013)
"Should Be Called the Dick Daymont Classic" (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Wonderful event. Dick Daymont's infectious enthusiasm and hospitality make this a very special and unique event. The St. Olaf Women's Cross Country Team and local Land of 10,000 Aches running club make this a marathon not to be missed by going above and beyond with voluteer support. Excellent pre race meal as well. | |
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D. K. from Watertown, MN
(1/6/2013)
"Friendliest race and racing staff ever" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Accomplished running a marathon in Minnesota in January by going indoors for 150 laps and 600 turns! Great pre-race meal buffet at the St. Olaf College cafeteria. Everyone was very friendly and you got your own lap counter - kudos to my timekeeper Jeff for keeping me on track as after about 140 laps I couldn't do the math in my head anymore! | |
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N. S. from Minnesota
(6/5/2012)
"One of a kind" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Zoom! Yah! Yah! Indoor Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 In looking for a winter marathon, I happened upon the ZYY (thanks, marathonguide.com). The enthusiastic comments prompted me to do this run. I agree with the positives previously mentioned in other comments. It is nice to eliminate all concerns about weather, hills, and fluids/fuel availability. I enjoyed encouraging and being encouraged by all the other runners. Why settle for passing strangers once with headphones on (one possible outdoor marathon experience) when you can share the music, excitement, and cheers with a crowd and fellow runners of all levels who have been with you for the entire race? |
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