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Marathon Details - Brookings Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > SD > Brookings > Brookings Marathon

Brookings Marathon

Brookings Marathon & Half Marathon, Marathon Relay, 5K

Brookings, SD USA

May 11, 2024

http://www.brookingsmarathon.com

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Race Details

The Brookings Marathon is sure to become, "Your new favorite long run." Our flat, fast course takes runners through the best rural America has to offer: Parks, Gardens, Bike Paths, Historic Districts and SDSU University. Over 300 volunteers! Proceeds go to our local Boys and Girls Club. (USATF Certified)

Contact Information

Name:	Matt Bien
Address:	PO Box 8012 Brookings, SD 57006
Phone Number:	605-692-0802
Email:	Email the organizers

Race Organizer

"Small town running at its finest!" (6/6/09)

Matt Bien - Race Director

As a fast course with hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers, the Brookings Marathon has much to offer. Runners travel along miles of beautiful tree-lined streets and bike paths, through exquisite gardens and by majestic buildings. Combine that with the friendly people of Brookings, South Dakota, and you have "small town running at its finest!" For all the details, visit our website at www.brookingsmarathon.com.

Runner Reviews (104)

Course 4.5

Organization 4.9

Spectators 3.8

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Number of comments: 104 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 11 > ]

K. C. from TN (5/15/2023) "Incredibly well orchestrated small marathon" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Brookings Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran this race on Saturday and was really impressed by the organization and commitment of the race director and volunteers. Conditions were not ideal. It was 57 degrees at race time with 21 mph winds and intermittent light rain. The latter was less of an issue while I was on the course, but it got heavier for those still out on the course after I finished. The main problem was the wind, which is obviously beyond any race director's control. The course itself had a lot of turns, but these were capably manned by volunteers, and I never worried about getting lost, and traffic control kept me feeling pretty safe on the roads. There were plenty of water stations, although late in the race I had to grab a cup or two off the table. The course had some nice scenic areas, especially Dakota Nature Park, although other parts were pretty nondescript. Grey skies don't tend to show anyplace in its best light though. The biggest challenge in this race was the wind. There was not a whole lot of elevation gain, with one hill in Larson Park around mile 9, but there were a number of grades, and these seemed to be more frequent late in the race, going into the wind. There was also a fair amount of running on sidewalks. Candidly, this may not have amounted to very much in terms of mileage, but it was unusual, and I'm not a fan of running on conrete at age 62. The road surface in general was often a little grainy, as opposed to smooth blacktop. Actually, due to the wet conditions, this probably provided for better footing. There was also about 1/4 mile on dirt road, but conditions weren't terrible. There was also blacktop greenway through the parks and nature area, which I liked best. At the finish, the announcer not only called out my name and home town, but he also called out that I held the 50K age record in my home state and was president of the state psychiatric association. How he knew that is beyond me, and he seemed to have a little special knowledge about each of the finishers, which speaks to the effort this race team puts into making this a special race. I was 16th overall and won my age group, so the reader has to bear in mind that those finishing behind me may have had a different experience, but there was plenty of water and Powerade on the course and plenty of food and drinks after I finished. There was no expo to speak of, and post-race food included cookies and bagels. Age group award was a framed picture of the marathon route. Medal was decent size, shaped like the state of South Dakota.
R. B. from Watertown, SD (1/13/2019) "Great small marathon!" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Brookings Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great flat marathon that is well organized. I have run it twice and it keeps getting better. Easy to get to starting line, no long lines, facilities are good, etc. Great medal, 1/2 zip pull over!
Dave Graves from Volga, SD (5/24/2018) "My favorite marathon" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Brookings Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A small town marathon on a windy course with great volunteers and organizers. Plenty of aid stations with good signage and ample helpers. Law enforcement and volunteers keep runners trucking along through numerous intersections. Medals were incredible. Glad they weren't put on the runners before the race. Long-sleeve race shirts are super comfortable. The race has a terrific tradition. Next year will be the 50th edition.
K. K. from St Louis, MO, USA (5/21/2017) "Fantastic race all around!" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Brookings Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is truly small town race at it's finest! Brookings is a beautiful little town with tons of friendly people. Course was flat and ran through mostly residential areas and beautiful parks. Support was excellent with plenty of water stops and staffed by great volunteers. The burgers at the finish really hit the spot. Thanks to everyone for putting on such a great race.
Brian Boyce from Omaha, NE (8/5/2016) "BQ and PR in one race" (about: 2016) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I had been looking for a good BQ race for 2017. A friend recommended this one, as she had done it several times. It did not disappoint. Packet pickup smooth and I got to talk with the pacers, a 1st for this race. As expected, it was windy and crowd support was just OK. The course is mostly flat and with a good mix of turns and scenery. Aid stations were well supported. Only complaint I have is sometimes water and Gatorade were back to back, other times they were across from each other. Consistency helps. Props to Nick's Hamburgers for giving out 2 FREE mini's to everyone. They were excellent. Other post race food was good too. I love the convenient shuttle from the our hotel. They do a great job and I would do this one again.
Dave Graves from Volga, SD (6/6/2016) "Small-town pride shows through" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Brookings Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Winter hadn't bid farewell to the Northern Plains when this event was held (34 degrees at start followed by a sharp north wind later in the day). But that didn't detract from a nice run through parks, historic neighborhoods and the university campus. Spectators are never abundant and with nasty weather, that was even more so this year. But volunteers are plentiful and police do a great job of giving runners the right of way during the multiple road crossings. Food fare is much better than offered at big city marathons and it was nice addition to pacers this year.
a. r. from connecticut (6/5/2016) "Great Race" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Brookings Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is an awesome race. The course is dynamic so does not get boring (has some hills, lots of flats, but always changing) and the people who put it on are about the nicest people i have ever met. I could have done without the extreme winds, but hey that's the Dakotas! Am a 50 stater but would go back to South Dakota any year.
Dave Graves from Volga, SD (5/12/2015) "Brookings Marathon was in full bloom" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Brookings Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A great little marathon on a flat course. Organization is top-notch. Aid stations were well-supplied, even for us toward the back of the pack. Volunteers were friendly and the free hamburgers were a great touch. It looked like spring arrived just before the marathon; flowering apple and crap apple trees and lilacs were everywhere.
Tim Mullican from SD - South Dakota (5/2/2015) "Small town marathon at its finest" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Brookings Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The race director's comments are spot on. Beautiful course with trees in bloom, the smell of lilacs along the course, and a plethora of volunteers to show you the way. Surprisingly, crowd support for a small town race was excellent. One of the better ones that I've run this year. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
J. W. from ND (6/20/2014) "Awesome small race" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Really easy to get to the start on race day. Really well organized. Plenty of water stations. Easy to find lodging. Will definitely consider this one in the future.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 11 > ]



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K. C. from TN (5/15/2023) "Incredibly well orchestrated small marathon" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Brookings Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran this race on Saturday and was really impressed by the organization and commitment of the race director and volunteers. Conditions were not ideal. It was 57 degrees at race time with 21 mph winds and intermittent light rain. The latter was less of an issue while I was on the course, but it got heavier for those still out on the course after I finished. The main problem was the wind, which is obviously beyond any race director's control. The course itself had a lot of turns, but these were capably manned by volunteers, and I never worried about getting lost, and traffic control kept me feeling pretty safe on the roads. There were plenty of water stations, although late in the race I had to grab a cup or two off the table. The course had some nice scenic areas, especially Dakota Nature Park, although other parts were pretty nondescript. Grey skies don't tend to show anyplace in its best light though. The biggest challenge in this race was the wind. There was not a whole lot of elevation gain, with one hill in Larson Park around mile 9, but there were a number of grades, and these seemed to be more frequent late in the race, going into the wind. There was also a fair amount of running on sidewalks. Candidly, this may not have amounted to very much in terms of mileage, but it was unusual, and I'm not a fan of running on conrete at age 62. The road surface in general was often a little grainy, as opposed to smooth blacktop. Actually, due to the wet conditions, this probably provided for better footing. There was also about 1/4 mile on dirt road, but conditions weren't terrible. There was also blacktop greenway through the parks and nature area, which I liked best. At the finish, the announcer not only called out my name and home town, but he also called out that I held the 50K age record in my home state and was president of the state psychiatric association. How he knew that is beyond me, and he seemed to have a little special knowledge about each of the finishers, which speaks to the effort this race team puts into making this a special race. I was 16th overall and won my age group, so the reader has to bear in mind that those finishing behind me may have had a different experience, but there was plenty of water and Powerade on the course and plenty of food and drinks after I finished. There was no expo to speak of, and post-race food included cookies and bagels. Age group award was a framed picture of the marathon route. Medal was decent size, shaped like the state of South Dakota.
R. B. from Watertown, SD (1/13/2019) "Great small marathon!" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Brookings Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great flat marathon that is well organized. I have run it twice and it keeps getting better. Easy to get to starting line, no long lines, facilities are good, etc. Great medal, 1/2 zip pull over!
Dave Graves from Volga, SD (5/24/2018) "My favorite marathon" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Brookings Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A small town marathon on a windy course with great volunteers and organizers. Plenty of aid stations with good signage and ample helpers. Law enforcement and volunteers keep runners trucking along through numerous intersections. Medals were incredible. Glad they weren't put on the runners before the race. Long-sleeve race shirts are super comfortable. The race has a terrific tradition. Next year will be the 50th edition.
K. K. from St Louis, MO, USA (5/21/2017) "Fantastic race all around!" (about: 2017) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Brookings Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is truly small town race at it's finest! Brookings is a beautiful little town with tons of friendly people. Course was flat and ran through mostly residential areas and beautiful parks. Support was excellent with plenty of water stops and staffed by great volunteers. The burgers at the finish really hit the spot. Thanks to everyone for putting on such a great race.
Brian Boyce from Omaha, NE (8/5/2016) "BQ and PR in one race" (about: 2016) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I had been looking for a good BQ race for 2017. A friend recommended this one, as she had done it several times. It did not disappoint. Packet pickup smooth and I got to talk with the pacers, a 1st for this race. As expected, it was windy and crowd support was just OK. The course is mostly flat and with a good mix of turns and scenery. Aid stations were well supported. Only complaint I have is sometimes water and Gatorade were back to back, other times they were across from each other. Consistency helps. Props to Nick's Hamburgers for giving out 2 FREE mini's to everyone. They were excellent. Other post race food was good too. I love the convenient shuttle from the our hotel. They do a great job and I would do this one again.
Dave Graves from Volga, SD (6/6/2016) "Small-town pride shows through" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Brookings Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Winter hadn't bid farewell to the Northern Plains when this event was held (34 degrees at start followed by a sharp north wind later in the day). But that didn't detract from a nice run through parks, historic neighborhoods and the university campus. Spectators are never abundant and with nasty weather, that was even more so this year. But volunteers are plentiful and police do a great job of giving runners the right of way during the multiple road crossings. Food fare is much better than offered at big city marathons and it was nice addition to pacers this year.
a. r. from connecticut (6/5/2016) "Great Race" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Brookings Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is an awesome race. The course is dynamic so does not get boring (has some hills, lots of flats, but always changing) and the people who put it on are about the nicest people i have ever met. I could have done without the extreme winds, but hey that's the Dakotas! Am a 50 stater but would go back to South Dakota any year.
Dave Graves from Volga, SD (5/12/2015) "Brookings Marathon was in full bloom" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Brookings Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A great little marathon on a flat course. Organization is top-notch. Aid stations were well-supplied, even for us toward the back of the pack. Volunteers were friendly and the free hamburgers were a great touch. It looked like spring arrived just before the marathon; flowering apple and crap apple trees and lilacs were everywhere.
Tim Mullican from SD - South Dakota (5/2/2015) "Small town marathon at its finest" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Brookings Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The race director's comments are spot on. Beautiful course with trees in bloom, the smell of lilacs along the course, and a plethora of volunteers to show you the way. Surprisingly, crowd support for a small town race was excellent. One of the better ones that I've run this year. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
J. W. from ND (6/20/2014) "Awesome small race" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Really easy to get to the start on race day. Really well organized. Plenty of water stations. Easy to find lodging. Will definitely consider this one in the future.

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Marathon Details - Brookings Marathon