The race itself is well organized, the course is flat and scenic. Des Moines is a smaller city and so the logistics of hotels, parking, etc. are all fairly easy. … MORE
The race itself is well organized, the course is flat and scenic. Des Moines is a smaller city and so the logistics of hotels, parking, etc. are all fairly easy. 13.1 mile double loop course was not overly crowded even the the 1st loop of half runners. Bitter cold may have kept folks away some. Aid stations, etc. we’re all reasonably spaced. Water, Gatorade, and GUs were all I saw. Our temp was 10 deg with 20 mph winds and a -9 windchill. Be ready!
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Unbelievably cold this year
The race itself is well organized, the course is flat and scenic. Des Moines is a smaller city and so the logistics of hotels, parking, etc. are all fairly easy. … MORE
The race itself is well organized, the course is flat and scenic. Des Moines is a smaller city and so the logistics of hotels, parking, etc. are all fairly easy. 13.1 mile double loop course was not overly crowded even the the 1st loop of half runners. Bitter cold may have kept folks away some. Aid stations, etc. we’re all reasonably spaced. Water, Gatorade, and GUs were all I saw. Our temp was 10 deg with 20 mph winds and a -9 windchill. Be ready!
Iowa cold is COLD!!
Let me start by saying that this race was exceptionally cold and windy with a -10 degree windchill at the start and never getting above 25 degrees. There was a … MORE
Let me start by saying that this race was exceptionally cold and windy with a -10 degree windchill at the start and never getting above 25 degrees. There was a lot to like about this race and I believe that much of what was lacking was due to the weather.
Packet pickup was at Fleet Feet near the start line. Apparently the entire race showed up at the same time on a Friday, one hour before store closing. Not sure how this could be avoided unless the store stayed open until 7 or 8 (they might have made some sales as it was too packed to shop)
Parking was a breeze on race morning as there is a free parking garage 2 blocks north of the start line. Unfortunately the only mention of parking was in broad strokes leaving you to wonder if you’d be able to get into any of the garages on race morning.
There were plenty of port-o-John’s with no lines – yay! The sound system was hard to hear and most people had no clue the National Anthem was even being played. The half and full started at the same time with a staggered start and it went well.
Volunteers were great and I honestly don’t know how they handled the cold as we were at least moving. The water was freezing in the cups and the Gatorade was slushy, and yet they made it work. Kudos to all of them!
The finish line was pretty sad (I’m a slower runner but still had 35 minutes to spare), but I’m going to attribute it to the cold. No names were announced, I didn’t see a time clock (maybe because of wind) and there were definitely no spectators and I don’t blame them. There were Shamrock cookies, trail mix and granola bars along with bottles of water and cans of beer. With better weather, I’m sure it would have been a fun celebration.
The race shirt was good looking (unisex only), the medal was nice and the pint glass was a nice touch.
We chose this race because our prior Iowa race (Wabash Trace) was cancelled due to lightning about 3-6 miles in and we were thrown off course without explanation, and nobody at finish to explain things. They then let the half runners continue and didn’t even offer us the option to do that distance. Trust me when I say that even with the brutal cold, I’d pick this race again.
Nice, small race in a flat park
Things I enjoyed: * the double out-and-back course (with a few detours) was both varied and predictable, nice and flat through a park, with a little city vibe near the … MORE
Things I enjoyed:
* the double out-and-back course (with a few detours) was both varied and predictable, nice and flat through a park, with a little city vibe near the start/finish/13.1 turnaround.
* The half marathon started 1 hour and 15 minutes after the full, so there was not any congestion, but we saw them on the course.
* There was a morning bib pickup option, and an option to have it mailed
* start/finish is close to a nice area with hotels and cute shops
* Des Moines is a nice city and easy to get to; no need to rent a car (if you stay near start/finish).
* cool photo ops in front of the state capitol.
The literal only thing I didn’t like (which feels so picky) is there were no bananas at the finish–only cute Shamrock cookies and water (in a cup).
Ran on my own (official race postponed)
Since they did not have the actual race due to Corona fears, my opinions will be of what my virtual race entailed. Communication before the race was good. Packet pickup … MORE
Since they did not have the actual race due to Corona fears, my opinions will be of what my virtual race entailed.
Communication before the race was good. Packet pickup was easy and the fleet feet people were real nice. They gave out the swag (minus bibs) incase you want to come back and run the race at the rescheduled time. I did not so i ran most of the course on my own and put my results in as a virtual race.
Swag included a decent themed medal, long sleeve 1/4 zip and a pint glass.
I also added in the “kiss me i’m a runner” green t-shirt as you know it was St Patrick’s Day. Many hotels near the start/finish line and the city is easy to navigate especially on a weekend.
The course is very flat and mostly along the river on ‘bike trails”. It was cold (28-35) and a little windy (15MPH), but the river and city scenery was pleasant. Had a great meal at a local restaurant and met many nice people from there and also those who showed up to run.