I didn't have a lot of expectations for this race going in due to the small size and small-town location, but boy did they ever over-deliver. There were less than … MORE
I didn’t have a lot of expectations for this race going in due to the small size and small-town location, but boy did they ever over-deliver. There were less than 15 starters this year (but over 10 finishers to meet the 50 State Marathon Club requirement) and everyone finished. Race organization and amenities were second to none. They had a packet pickup the day before at the Hebron Community Center and had a complementary spaghetti dinner for participants. There was also an option to pick up your bib and swag at the shuttle pickup the morning of the race. There was a short shuttle ride to the start, which was at a turnaround at a historical marker for the Oregon Trail. We had a shotgun start, and ran around the turnaround before heading east parallel to the actual route of the Oregon Trail. There was a 10-15 mph headwind for the first 9-10 miles, but then we had the wind to our backs for the rest of the race. The route was very well marked with mile markers and signs at the turns, but they still had volunteers at each turn to make sure we stayed on course. Aid stations were every three miles, so if you need a lot of hydration, I’d recommend carrying a bottle, but it wasn’t really necessary with the cool temperatures. There was another short shuttle after the finish back to the Community Center where they had some light snack food and water. Swag consisted of a technical running shirt and a small, but nice medal. I was kind of disappointed with the number of runners, because I felt that the humble and hard working race organizers deserved better.
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Full service marathon at a bargain price
I didn't have a lot of expectations for this race going in due to the small size and small-town location, but boy did they ever over-deliver. There were less than … MORE
I didn’t have a lot of expectations for this race going in due to the small size and small-town location, but boy did they ever over-deliver. There were less than 15 starters this year (but over 10 finishers to meet the 50 State Marathon Club requirement) and everyone finished. Race organization and amenities were second to none. They had a packet pickup the day before at the Hebron Community Center and had a complementary spaghetti dinner for participants. There was also an option to pick up your bib and swag at the shuttle pickup the morning of the race. There was a short shuttle ride to the start, which was at a turnaround at a historical marker for the Oregon Trail. We had a shotgun start, and ran around the turnaround before heading east parallel to the actual route of the Oregon Trail. There was a 10-15 mph headwind for the first 9-10 miles, but then we had the wind to our backs for the rest of the race. The route was very well marked with mile markers and signs at the turns, but they still had volunteers at each turn to make sure we stayed on course. Aid stations were every three miles, so if you need a lot of hydration, I’d recommend carrying a bottle, but it wasn’t really necessary with the cool temperatures. There was another short shuttle after the finish back to the Community Center where they had some light snack food and water. Swag consisted of a technical running shirt and a small, but nice medal. I was kind of disappointed with the number of runners, because I felt that the humble and hard working race organizers deserved better.