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Fargo Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Fargo Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.4 
Organization 4.6 
Spectators 4.6
Number of comments: 391 [displaying comments 251 to 261]
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M. D. from West Fargo, ND
(5/24/2007)
"5K not one to repeat" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 2 Fargo Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 I ran the half marathon in 2006 and thought it was great. I did the 5K this year and would never do it again in the Fargo Marathon. The organization on the start line was terrible. The walkers and strollers were all at the front of the pack. The loud speaker was impossible to understand - couldn't tell if they were asking walkers to move back. It took a half-mile of weaving and running in yards to clear the walkers and at that point we were over 3 minutes behind our target pace. The mats at the start were not at the start sign, but quite a ways back from it, so those of us stuck behind the walkers were unable to tell that we needed to start running (and our watches) sooner than indicated. This made a difference of almost 30 seconds in official time. I recommend putting a cap back on the marathon. Starting over 2000 runners did not go well. Also, instead of putting markers for the marathon finish time, how about mile pace so that all racers can find their spot and walkers can see they need get in the back. Maybe even stagger the start for walkers a little behind the runners or mark the road so runners go to one side and walkers go to the other. Spectators were very enthusiastic, so much that they repeatedly got in the runners' way. Maybe better crowd control at the finish next year? | |
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P. T. from Hampton, IA
(5/24/2007)
"AWESOME!" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Fargo Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran the 1/2 last year and decided to make this year my first full marathon at Fargo. The course was great, fan support was "fan"tastic, and the finsih line was unforgettable. The only drawback was Scheel's forcing the finishers to pay extra to have "finisher" put on their shirts. To top it off, ANYONE could buy a marathon finisher T-shirt. Kind of disappointing after spending so much time training and then running the marathon. This does not draw away from the AWESOME time I had running Fargo! THANK YOU! | |
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Grant and Mary McCanna from Houston TX
(5/24/2007)
"Fargo, Great Job! Wow!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Fargo Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great job, Fargo. My wife and I have been to many other marathons and felt alone at spots throughout the courses. Not in Fargo, though; we never felt alone. You Fargonians were at every block, corner, and mile cheering us on. Wow! The course map could have been bigger; my parents could not read it. Maybe make it two or three pages. Other than that, we loved Fargo and were spreading the word in Houston, TX. | |
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T. R. from kansas city
(5/24/2007)
"Top-notch race that should be on your list." (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Fargo Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Most of my memories of a marathon are centered on what I take home with me - the "schwag." Fargo ranks extremely high, handing out very nice long-sleeved 1/4 zip tech shirts with a distinctive logo and no other clutter from advertisers. They also offered a deal where you could take the shirt to a local sporting goods shop and have "finisher 2007" or your finishing time heat-transferred onto the shirt for a couple of extra bucks. The medal is first rate also, and just like the poster, is a beautiful picture of an eagle with its wings morphing into a group of runners. They also gave out way cool Adidas string backpacks that doubled as race-day clothing dropoff bags. Morning temps were quite chilly, as a hard rain the previous evening brought down the temperature into the upper 40s. This, combined with 20-30 mph winds could have made for a very long morning. Previous posts have been critical of the many neighborhoods this race passed through; however I thought the race director planned this perfectly, as the tree-lined streets acted as a wind barrier so that it wasn't really a factor at all. Fargo's residents were very enthusiastic and well supportive of the 7,000 runners that came through their streets. Finishing in the Fargodome was awesome, and little touches, like having showers available (since most hotel check-outs are 11 a.m.) were a big bonus. A great experience! | |
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b. j. from san diego
(5/24/2007)
"Don't waste a marathon on this race!" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Fargo Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I have run four marathons and countless halves and 5Ks. This was by far the worst event - planning, control of intersections, staff, etc.... I believe it gets some decent reviews mainly from locals and people who have a tie to the community. It's great to have community pride, but it's just too bad that it is not a better event to be proud of. Keep trying. | |
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C. S. from Belle Fourche, SD
(5/24/2007)
"Great Event!!" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Fargo Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Fargo was my 5th marathon and it ranks near the top. It's obvious that the race organizers have listened to comments about this and other marathons and tried to alleviate some of the problems that are so common. For example, there were a tremendous number of porta-potties available both at the start line and along the course. For the first time ever (for me, anyhow), waiting in line to go to the bathroom was not an issue. The expo was well organized and packet pickup was effortless.... I was in and out in a few minutes. There was a good selection of clothing and gear at the expo, most of which was Adidas gear (they are a major sponsor). The race shirt was a quarter-zip, long-sleeve, technical shirt, pretty nice for a freebie. I can't really comment too much about the scenery along the course as I was too zoned in to remember much, but I do know that the course was about as flat as they come with the only "hills" being freeway underpasses and bridges across the Red River. The water stops were well stocked with water and Gatorade and were nice and long to avoid crowding. The mile markers had balloons tied to them, making them much easier to locate. Considering the weather (it was cool and windy), crowd support was pretty decent and spectators were very supportive... many actually had water and baked goods available in their front yard. The course had a lot of turns to it, but everything was very clearly marked and volunteers were stationed at corners to ensure runners went the right way. The finish in the Fargo Dome was cool and the finishing area was separated from the general viewing area to avoid the mass chaos of spectators and runners all milling around and fighting over post-race food. The medal was very cool with a color picture of the race poster imbedded in the metal. Like I said, the weather was pretty cool for watching a race, but nearly perfect for running one. The wind was blowing about 20 mph the entire race, but the course is sheltered enough and has enough turns that I never felt like the wind was affecting me significantly. Even with the wind, I set a PR by almost 11 minutes. So, I really don't have anything bad to say about Fargo. This was only it's third year and it seems to be getting bigger and better each year. | |
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K. D. from Ohio
(5/24/2007)
"Best-kept secret on the marathon tour in US." (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Fargo Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 After 31 marathons, including 4 Bostons, 3 NYCs, etc., I have to say Fargo is the BEST. Everything was nearly PERFECT: the staff, volunteers, logistics, spectators, weather, cost, etc. In particular, the people of Fargo could not have been kinder, more gracious, friendlier, or more accommodating. Wow, I'm still wondering if this was a dream. Congrats. to Mark Knutson for raising the bar. It will be hard to top this one. | |
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P. B. from Maple Grove, MN
(5/24/2007)
"Stellar Marathon" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Fargo Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Now I know it's "Fargo," but that is 95% of the reason I enjoyed it so much! It was wonderfully organized, from the layout at the expo, to the pasta feed, too the speakers on Friday evening. The course was well marked and there were ENOUGH BATHROOMS!!!! The only challenge for me was that there were sooooo many twists and turns on the course, I felt like I was running in circles. For spectators, my husband said the course map needed to be more than just an insert in the paper - tough to read and follow! Would definitely run again if you could promise no snow or sleet! Thanks, Mark, for a great event! | |
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D. I. from Gainvesille, FL
(5/24/2007)
"FRIENDLY, FRIENDLY, FRIENDLY" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Mark Knutson and staff are to be congratulated on a well organized marathon. Excellent course support - great crowd support in spite of the cold weather, all the way through... and I am a walker so my time was slow! Everyone was so friendly and accommodating. The course was flat. Good aid stations. No complaints from me. Highly recommended!!!! Thanks, Fargo!!!! | |
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T. F. from Manitoba Canada
(5/24/2007)
"A great way to start the year" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Fargo Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Superb organization and course management. Great fan support. Maybe somebody could turn the heat on? |
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