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Race Details Ratings 17 Reports 18

Race Reports for Des Moines Marathon

[1]
Reported by:
User photo
  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: DNS DUE TO INJURY
[2]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: My first ever marathon! There was an aid station at least every mile except a 2-3 mile stretch through a 8' wide paved forest trail. The course was a little hilly for the first 8-9 miles then flattened out. There were plenty of volunteers and fans lining most of the streets.
[3]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I will be doing another Marathon sometime in my life. Maybe this one, maybe another one. Des Moines does a great job on their events and I had a great experience. Beautiful weather. Great numbers of volunteers. They had music playing at least every 2 or 3 miles which was really cool.
[4]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I'll definitely be back, hopefully running with my wife :) This is a really well-done event with great volunteer support.
[5]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Great volunteers - good water stations - good gel distribution. New this year was fruit out on course - but following mantra - Nothing new on race day! - did not take any. This is not the typical course for people to try and qualify for Boston - the hills early are challenging - but I think early hills are better than late hills. Being the second year I have run this course - I amped up my hill training significantly this year.
[6]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Can't say enough good things about this race. There's the beautiful but challenging course, the outstanding and plentiful volunteers, great aid stations and on-course support (medical and cyclists with supplies), well-organized start/finish area, plenty of amenities and varied tasty food at the finish. I'm proud to have such a great home-town race. I think people are noticing, once again a record crowd this year, with 8,413 registered (most for the half marathon).
[7]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Great race - great volunteers. If this fits into my schedule - would definitely run Des Moines again.
[8]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Too hard

  • Comments: Being that this was my first marathon I am happy the way it went. I had orginally wanted to finish in about 5:30 so I only went 30 minutes past my target time. I will be back next year to beat my standing time.
[9]
Reported by:
Race rating (3)
User photo
  • Organised?No
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?No
  • Plenty of drink stations?No

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Ok so I have a few issues to take the race director to task for. First, if you advertise a 7 hr. finish limit, don't start taking aid stations down ahead of that pace. The GF was out on course the last 45 min. before dropping out ahead of that pace but had no water available and got dehydrated. Then also she was picked up to be taken back to the start line, and they dropped her off by herself almost half a mile from the start. If she had really been dehydrated or in severe need of medical attention that would be very dangerous. So once I found her, I walked her back and went to the medical tent to get ice and guess what I found? Absolutely no one there, asked the cop nearby where they were, apparently they "went home". And this was only 5 hr 30 min into the race. Totally unacceptable! So I have to say, if you are a slower runner, do NOT do this race! Sorry BT...rant over now!
[10]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I would to it again, with a bit more hill training.
[11]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: IMT puts on this race and does an amazing job. The shirts were excellent this year. The course is well marked and there are lots of drink stations and toilets. The out of town runners kept remarking on the quantity and frequency of the porta-pottys. Having done plenty of races with minimal drink stations and toilets I have to applaud this race for being very runner friendly.
[12]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Great race! They had something like 1200 volunteers and pulled off a great one. I will definitely consider doing it again in the future. Perhaps to get my 3:30........
[13]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Great race, look forward to doing again next year!
[14]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Great SWAG, really well run!!!! It is a definite yearly event!!!!
[15]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: the volunteers were helpful
[16]
Reported by:
User photo
  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: [url=http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/photos/photo-thumbnails.asp?albumid=6892&Page=1&sortdir=asc]pictures of race in my album![/url]
[17]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: This was a GREAT race. I would totally reccommend this to anyone. The volunteers were wonderful, the course is great, and there is a surprising amount of crowd support. I think the Des Moines marathon organizers put on a class act. I'd like to thank everyone here on BT for all your encouragement and support in this little journey I've been on to BQ. I thought about all of you when I was out there running, and that was such a great motivator for me. I know that I wouldn;t be anywhere near where I'm at right now if it wasn't for BT. Thanks everyone!!!
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