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Marathon Details - Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > KS > Wichita > Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon

Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon

Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon & Half Marathon, 5K

Wichita, KS USA

October 13, 2024

http://www.prairiefiremarathon.com

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Race Details

Update 8/25/20: We have been notified that are race is ON for 2020! Don't miss the chance to run a race this year! We have COVID protocols in place. This running event promises to be one of the flattest and fastest courses in the country.

Contact Information

Name:	Bob Hanson
Address:	300 N. Mead, Ste. 109 Wichita, Ks 67202
Phone Number:	316-265-6236
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (33)

Course 4.1

Organization 4.5

Spectators 3.7

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Number of comments: 33 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

R. H. from Milwaukee, WI (10/11/2023) "Excellent small town marathon" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I drove from Milwaukee to complete this event. This was marathon #21 and state #20. The 'old town' area of the city is where this event is located, and it is very nice. Lots of food options and the Courtyard Marriott I stayed at was about 200 yards from the start/finish line. Packet pickup was convenient but had very few vendors. Race t-shirt is cotton which I always appreciate. The weather on race day was PERFECT!!!! The 5k, half, and full had about 2100 runners so it was never too crowded. The race is a double loop course which I enjoy. The organization of the event was amazing as there were plenty of volunteers and the course was perfectly marked. Crowd support was good for a small city like this. Scenery was okay as most of the run is down a city street and then around the 'keeper of the plains' monument. Finishers medal was very nice as was the after party. The only complaint is that Mich Ultra was the only true beer option and after running 26.2 miles, I felt like I was drinking water.... I would HIGHLY recommend this event to anyone wanting to knock Kansas off their list of 50 states!
M. M. from Chicago, IL (10/10/2022) "Decent small town marathon" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Ran as part of a 50-state quest. It's probably the only time I'll ever visit Wichita and nice to see a new city. Course was fast, race was well-organized, and I'd gladly recommend this race to anyone looking for a race in Kansas. The weather was a little warm and two loops isn't ideal. No controlling the weather and guessing city government mandated the limited course. Overall a good experience.
C. H. from Los Angeles, CA (10/29/2021) "Good race despite hotel horror" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This is a good two-loop course, not hilly at all, nor is it flat as a pancake. Weather was relatively good, although on the hot side but who can complain given what could have come our way - wind, rain, and hotter climes. Pizza at the end was great. Organization was good for a small town event. People were friendly. Stayed at the Hotel at Old Town which was a disaster. They insisted on a noon checkout for all guests and when I tried to explain that the marathon started at 7:30, I basically got a "speak to the hand" attitude. It's hard to imagine that a hotel near the start wouldn't be more accommodating. At least allow marathoners even just a half hour more but that suggestion fell on deaf ears. They even told me that they didn't need my room for that evening! I was told politely that I could be subject to a 250.00 fine if I didn't checkout by noon so I checked out before the race, only to discover that others were still in their rooms at 1:15! The experience was very unsettling given that I flew from out of town and was nervous about the race. Avoid the hotel at Old town. Lots of other excellent options like the Marriott and Hilton. Despite the hotel fiasco, it was a good race experience.
T. M. from Iowa (10/28/2018) "Great race; horrid weather" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Excellent course: flat and varied scenery. Great organization, and the race director answered all of my pre-race e-mail questions. The pasta dinner, where the race director asked participants about their running journey (rather than a keynoter) was awesome, as was the food. Great finish line food, even for back-of-the-pack folks like me. The weather was awful. Sheets of rain and wind strong enough to blow down mile markers. Even with that, I had a great time in Wichita!
B. G. from Kansas (12/14/2017) "Flat and fast" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Overall this is a flat and fast course and is definitely a PR course. I think the director has done a decent job of showing off some of the interesting neighborhoods of the city. The volunteers and aid stations were great. The start and finish was well organized. It is a relatively small marathon with under 500 full marathon finishers, so by about the 3 mile mark there is little to no congestion. The first half of the course takes you through downtown Wichita, College Hill, Eastborough, and several other well known neighborhoods in east Wichita. It then turns west and goes back towards downtown on 2nd street before looping around in the Riverside area and finishing at the boathouse right where you started. The last 3 miles are pretty exposed with little shade and are pretty tough if the sun is beating down on a warm day. Overall a very pleasant course and one huge positive in my opinion is the lack of any significant out-and-backs (besides short ones around miles 2-3 and 18-19). I will definitely be running this marathon again and would recommend it for those looking for a fast fall race in the midwest. Wichita is not a destination city by any means, but is a pleasant city for hosting an event like this. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants, and activities downtown to make a trip out of it. One last comment I will add is to not expect a great amount of spectators throughout the course. Some of the neighborhoods get out to support it, and the start/finish area will host some spectators. But if you're expecting spectators to be lining every street, you will be disappointed. This is not a big deal at all to me, but may be for others used to big city marathons.
B. A. from Wichita, KS (11/7/2016) "An excellent flat, fast course" (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This marathon is a great course for first-timers or those looking to sustain a fast pace. There are very few inclines or hills of any kind on the route. Scenic for a midwestern marathon, the course snakes through downtown, museums, statues, parks, and then some residential areas. I have no complaints except that the 'food' for the racers was completely gone by the 4 hour mark, so if you finished after that, the only thing you received was a banana.
S. I. from Missouri (10/20/2016) "Excellent smaller marathon" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Course: Although its not pancake flat, I believe the total elevation gain is 150 ft, and the most noticeable inclines/declines were in my opinion in nice places (with the biggest incline in mile 5 and the biggest decline in 16). This is not a straight course. Youll be turning and curving a lot, so need to be cognizant of running the tangents and also watchful for the course markings. The course was well-marked on the ground and with signs, so even when I couldnt see other runners and the volunteers were playing on their phones, I always knew which way to turn. It's a smaller marathon, so it's not spectator-lined, but those who were out were amazing! Size: This race has 500-700 runners, so I knew that I had the potential of running alone, and after the half marathoners split off after the 10K mark I ran alone for nearly 20 miles. I passed a handful of men during the second half of the race, and passed half runners when we overlapped back with them (around miles 13.5-17.5), but never had anyone actually running with me. The field is going to be thin out front (I finished in 2:58). Weather: The weather factor at this one is kind of risky, as early October in Kansas can be nice or can be hot and windy. In 2016 we lucked out and it was around 52 at the start with cloud cover, and maybe 60 when I finished (not perfect but not 80!). We also had light winds, which meant a fantastic race day in Wichita. Pace Groups: The race changed all of the pace groups by 3 minutes on the Tuesday during race week. Although this made sense for Boston qualifying time seekers, it was a sweeping change even for groups this didnt apply to (e.g., 3:00 became 2:57). I also didnt like the strategy used by the 2:57 pace group, which was a slower first 5 miles, 16 miles in the 6:30s, then a slower final 5 miles. They ended up running the 16 middle miles even faster than planned, with many in the 6:20s. I did not run with them much (only when they were running close to my pace plan of a conservative start with a negative split), but I passed all of the men who tried to run with the group, even though I finished a minute slower than their targeted time. I would have liked to have seen a conservative start followed by even pacing. Co-Occurring Half Marathon: Having the half runners with us was nice for the first 10K, as it meant more runners around, but it may have been crowded at some paces. Picking back up with the half runners from 13.5-17.5ish was rough, as us marathon runners were over-lapping with half runners who were running a much slower pace and the course was very crowded. I also got nervous because I wasnt sure how the point where we split back off from the half runners would be marked, and I didnt want to miss it (however, it was well-marked when we got there). We again picked up with the half course towards the end, and the half field of walkers was pretty thin at that point so wasnt as big of an issue. There were separate full and half finishing stretches separated by cones, which was helpful. This whole issue will vary based on the pace youre running in the marathon. Swag: The shirts and medals were great. The expo was small, as expected, but nice. The race also offered free professional photos, which was nice but they didnt take finishing clock shots which was disappointing. There was plenty of food and a wide variety of it at the finish festival, although you had to walk around to find different items. The overall and age group trophies were high quality. They also have space blankets for finishers and outdoor tent areas, but no indoor areas for the awards ceremony or waiting for it. This is a great one to do if youre trying to check Kansas off your list! I would definitely run it again, as the positives outweigh the things to improve. I wrote more about my experience here: http://runningbcba.blogspot.com/2016/10/prairie-fire-marathon-262-details.html
W. F. from Denver, CO (10/12/2015) "A solid race" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first Prairie Fire Marathon and tenth marathon overall. I chose to run PFM due to it's reasonable registration price, generally flat course description and proximity to Denver (where I live). Overall, I thought this was a solid race. I don't know that I would recommend seeking it out, but I would recommend PFM for someone looking for a well-organized local marathon. PROS: -The course gives you an interesting tour of Wichita. -GIANT finisher's medal (if that's your thing) -Excellent volunteers and aid station support -Good pre-race communication from the race organizers -Generally flat course -Nice beach towel as a participant gift -Spectator-friendly course (husband was able to see me many times on the course) CONS: -There are points on the course when the middle of the pack of the marathon is forced to dodge the back of the pack half marathons (who are walking several abreast). This happened around mile 12 of the marathon and at the end of the marathon. -The weather was HOT. This is obviously out of the race organizers' control, but an earlier start might mitigate hot weather. Also, the latter miles of the marathon had very little shade. -The expo was boring and uneventful. Also parking for the expo was a nightmare (there was a Christmas craft fair going on at the same time). -They were out of women's small finishers' shirts with 4 hours on the clock. -I only saw bananas for post-race food. I really wish there had been some more options. Overall, PFM was a good race.
G. M. from Seattle (10/15/2013) "Shady Fun Course" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great course. A lot on streets of older shady neighborhoods (possible because of only 626 Marathoners), lot's of twists and turns and running through parks. No filler miles on big warehouse district boulevards present in so many larger races. Windy but only true headwind was last 3 miles, mercifully cool. Phenomenal number of volunteers with great street control and water stations. All other aspects of the race were just fine (parking, expo, etc.) First pasta feed I've been to where the director went table to table having everyone introduce themselves. A great motivational speech by a survivor of a horrific car crash that ran the race a year after he just learned to stand again.
Lord AARP from Wylie, Texas (12/29/2012) "Nice race ... okay course ... okay spectators" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Nothing really to complain about. This has the feel and the charm of a small town race, but it is run like a big city marathon. Good organization and volunteers. The course was a little plain in stretches, and some of the footing was iffy. Still a nice race, especially if you are trying to mark the state of Kansas off your list.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]



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R. H. from Milwaukee, WI (10/11/2023) "Excellent small town marathon" (about: 2023) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I drove from Milwaukee to complete this event. This was marathon #21 and state #20. The 'old town' area of the city is where this event is located, and it is very nice. Lots of food options and the Courtyard Marriott I stayed at was about 200 yards from the start/finish line. Packet pickup was convenient but had very few vendors. Race t-shirt is cotton which I always appreciate. The weather on race day was PERFECT!!!! The 5k, half, and full had about 2100 runners so it was never too crowded. The race is a double loop course which I enjoy. The organization of the event was amazing as there were plenty of volunteers and the course was perfectly marked. Crowd support was good for a small city like this. Scenery was okay as most of the run is down a city street and then around the 'keeper of the plains' monument. Finishers medal was very nice as was the after party. The only complaint is that Mich Ultra was the only true beer option and after running 26.2 miles, I felt like I was drinking water.... I would HIGHLY recommend this event to anyone wanting to knock Kansas off their list of 50 states!
M. M. from Chicago, IL (10/10/2022) "Decent small town marathon" (about: 2022) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Ran as part of a 50-state quest. It's probably the only time I'll ever visit Wichita and nice to see a new city. Course was fast, race was well-organized, and I'd gladly recommend this race to anyone looking for a race in Kansas. The weather was a little warm and two loops isn't ideal. No controlling the weather and guessing city government mandated the limited course. Overall a good experience.
C. H. from Los Angeles, CA (10/29/2021) "Good race despite hotel horror" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This is a good two-loop course, not hilly at all, nor is it flat as a pancake. Weather was relatively good, although on the hot side but who can complain given what could have come our way - wind, rain, and hotter climes. Pizza at the end was great. Organization was good for a small town event. People were friendly. Stayed at the Hotel at Old Town which was a disaster. They insisted on a noon checkout for all guests and when I tried to explain that the marathon started at 7:30, I basically got a "speak to the hand" attitude. It's hard to imagine that a hotel near the start wouldn't be more accommodating. At least allow marathoners even just a half hour more but that suggestion fell on deaf ears. They even told me that they didn't need my room for that evening! I was told politely that I could be subject to a 250.00 fine if I didn't checkout by noon so I checked out before the race, only to discover that others were still in their rooms at 1:15! The experience was very unsettling given that I flew from out of town and was nervous about the race. Avoid the hotel at Old town. Lots of other excellent options like the Marriott and Hilton. Despite the hotel fiasco, it was a good race experience.
T. M. from Iowa (10/28/2018) "Great race; horrid weather" (about: 2018) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Excellent course: flat and varied scenery. Great organization, and the race director answered all of my pre-race e-mail questions. The pasta dinner, where the race director asked participants about their running journey (rather than a keynoter) was awesome, as was the food. Great finish line food, even for back-of-the-pack folks like me. The weather was awful. Sheets of rain and wind strong enough to blow down mile markers. Even with that, I had a great time in Wichita!
B. G. from Kansas (12/14/2017) "Flat and fast" (about: 2017) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Overall this is a flat and fast course and is definitely a PR course. I think the director has done a decent job of showing off some of the interesting neighborhoods of the city. The volunteers and aid stations were great. The start and finish was well organized. It is a relatively small marathon with under 500 full marathon finishers, so by about the 3 mile mark there is little to no congestion. The first half of the course takes you through downtown Wichita, College Hill, Eastborough, and several other well known neighborhoods in east Wichita. It then turns west and goes back towards downtown on 2nd street before looping around in the Riverside area and finishing at the boathouse right where you started. The last 3 miles are pretty exposed with little shade and are pretty tough if the sun is beating down on a warm day. Overall a very pleasant course and one huge positive in my opinion is the lack of any significant out-and-backs (besides short ones around miles 2-3 and 18-19). I will definitely be running this marathon again and would recommend it for those looking for a fast fall race in the midwest. Wichita is not a destination city by any means, but is a pleasant city for hosting an event like this. There are plenty of hotels, restaurants, and activities downtown to make a trip out of it. One last comment I will add is to not expect a great amount of spectators throughout the course. Some of the neighborhoods get out to support it, and the start/finish area will host some spectators. But if you're expecting spectators to be lining every street, you will be disappointed. This is not a big deal at all to me, but may be for others used to big city marathons.
B. A. from Wichita, KS (11/7/2016) "An excellent flat, fast course" (about: 2016) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This marathon is a great course for first-timers or those looking to sustain a fast pace. There are very few inclines or hills of any kind on the route. Scenic for a midwestern marathon, the course snakes through downtown, museums, statues, parks, and then some residential areas. I have no complaints except that the 'food' for the racers was completely gone by the 4 hour mark, so if you finished after that, the only thing you received was a banana.
S. I. from Missouri (10/20/2016) "Excellent smaller marathon" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Course: Although its not pancake flat, I believe the total elevation gain is 150 ft, and the most noticeable inclines/declines were in my opinion in nice places (with the biggest incline in mile 5 and the biggest decline in 16). This is not a straight course. Youll be turning and curving a lot, so need to be cognizant of running the tangents and also watchful for the course markings. The course was well-marked on the ground and with signs, so even when I couldnt see other runners and the volunteers were playing on their phones, I always knew which way to turn. It's a smaller marathon, so it's not spectator-lined, but those who were out were amazing! Size: This race has 500-700 runners, so I knew that I had the potential of running alone, and after the half marathoners split off after the 10K mark I ran alone for nearly 20 miles. I passed a handful of men during the second half of the race, and passed half runners when we overlapped back with them (around miles 13.5-17.5), but never had anyone actually running with me. The field is going to be thin out front (I finished in 2:58). Weather: The weather factor at this one is kind of risky, as early October in Kansas can be nice or can be hot and windy. In 2016 we lucked out and it was around 52 at the start with cloud cover, and maybe 60 when I finished (not perfect but not 80!). We also had light winds, which meant a fantastic race day in Wichita. Pace Groups: The race changed all of the pace groups by 3 minutes on the Tuesday during race week. Although this made sense for Boston qualifying time seekers, it was a sweeping change even for groups this didnt apply to (e.g., 3:00 became 2:57). I also didnt like the strategy used by the 2:57 pace group, which was a slower first 5 miles, 16 miles in the 6:30s, then a slower final 5 miles. They ended up running the 16 middle miles even faster than planned, with many in the 6:20s. I did not run with them much (only when they were running close to my pace plan of a conservative start with a negative split), but I passed all of the men who tried to run with the group, even though I finished a minute slower than their targeted time. I would have liked to have seen a conservative start followed by even pacing. Co-Occurring Half Marathon: Having the half runners with us was nice for the first 10K, as it meant more runners around, but it may have been crowded at some paces. Picking back up with the half runners from 13.5-17.5ish was rough, as us marathon runners were over-lapping with half runners who were running a much slower pace and the course was very crowded. I also got nervous because I wasnt sure how the point where we split back off from the half runners would be marked, and I didnt want to miss it (however, it was well-marked when we got there). We again picked up with the half course towards the end, and the half field of walkers was pretty thin at that point so wasnt as big of an issue. There were separate full and half finishing stretches separated by cones, which was helpful. This whole issue will vary based on the pace youre running in the marathon. Swag: The shirts and medals were great. The expo was small, as expected, but nice. The race also offered free professional photos, which was nice but they didnt take finishing clock shots which was disappointing. There was plenty of food and a wide variety of it at the finish festival, although you had to walk around to find different items. The overall and age group trophies were high quality. They also have space blankets for finishers and outdoor tent areas, but no indoor areas for the awards ceremony or waiting for it. This is a great one to do if youre trying to check Kansas off your list! I would definitely run it again, as the positives outweigh the things to improve. I wrote more about my experience here: http://runningbcba.blogspot.com/2016/10/prairie-fire-marathon-262-details.html
W. F. from Denver, CO (10/12/2015) "A solid race" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first Prairie Fire Marathon and tenth marathon overall. I chose to run PFM due to it's reasonable registration price, generally flat course description and proximity to Denver (where I live). Overall, I thought this was a solid race. I don't know that I would recommend seeking it out, but I would recommend PFM for someone looking for a well-organized local marathon. PROS: -The course gives you an interesting tour of Wichita. -GIANT finisher's medal (if that's your thing) -Excellent volunteers and aid station support -Good pre-race communication from the race organizers -Generally flat course -Nice beach towel as a participant gift -Spectator-friendly course (husband was able to see me many times on the course) CONS: -There are points on the course when the middle of the pack of the marathon is forced to dodge the back of the pack half marathons (who are walking several abreast). This happened around mile 12 of the marathon and at the end of the marathon. -The weather was HOT. This is obviously out of the race organizers' control, but an earlier start might mitigate hot weather. Also, the latter miles of the marathon had very little shade. -The expo was boring and uneventful. Also parking for the expo was a nightmare (there was a Christmas craft fair going on at the same time). -They were out of women's small finishers' shirts with 4 hours on the clock. -I only saw bananas for post-race food. I really wish there had been some more options. Overall, PFM was a good race.
G. M. from Seattle (10/15/2013) "Shady Fun Course" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great course. A lot on streets of older shady neighborhoods (possible because of only 626 Marathoners), lot's of twists and turns and running through parks. No filler miles on big warehouse district boulevards present in so many larger races. Windy but only true headwind was last 3 miles, mercifully cool. Phenomenal number of volunteers with great street control and water stations. All other aspects of the race were just fine (parking, expo, etc.) First pasta feed I've been to where the director went table to table having everyone introduce themselves. A great motivational speech by a survivor of a horrific car crash that ran the race a year after he just learned to stand again.
Lord AARP from Wylie, Texas (12/29/2012) "Nice race ... okay course ... okay spectators" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Nothing really to complain about. This has the feel and the charm of a small town race, but it is run like a big city marathon. Good organization and volunteers. The course was a little plain in stretches, and some of the footing was iffy. Still a nice race, especially if you are trying to mark the state of Kansas off your list.

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Marathon Details - Prairie Fire Wichita Marathon