This was the fourth time I've run the Sioux Falls Marathon. For the last few years, I've been running mostly ultramarathons and only one or two marathons a year. The … MORE
This was the fourth time I’ve run the Sioux Falls Marathon. For the last few years, I’ve been running mostly ultramarathons and only one or two marathons a year. The only reason I did this one is that it is close to where I live, so travel time is short and I don’t have to spend money on a motel. If it was further away from me, I probably wouldn’t do it as often. There is only one short stretch that is scenic, which is near the falls. Much of it is along urban bike trails and the last 10 miles or so is along the Big Sioux River with no shade. This race is know for being very hot and humid some years, but this year we were lucky as there was plenty of cloud cover for the first 4 hours. The race was well organized and volunteers were plentiful and enthusiastic. I was a little disappointed in the swag though. The finisher’s medal was a rather smallish, plain medal in the shape of the state of South Dakota, and the shirts were very thin “t-shirt” hoodies. They had soft granola bars, bananas, ice cream bars, and beer from a local brewery. We started and finished at Howard Wood Field this year, rather than starting inside the arena. I actually kind of liked it better as it didn’t seem as crowded.
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Well run marathon on a fast course
This was the fourth time I've run the Sioux Falls Marathon. For the last few years, I've been running mostly ultramarathons and only one or two marathons a year. The … MORE
This was the fourth time I’ve run the Sioux Falls Marathon. For the last few years, I’ve been running mostly ultramarathons and only one or two marathons a year. The only reason I did this one is that it is close to where I live, so travel time is short and I don’t have to spend money on a motel. If it was further away from me, I probably wouldn’t do it as often. There is only one short stretch that is scenic, which is near the falls. Much of it is along urban bike trails and the last 10 miles or so is along the Big Sioux River with no shade. This race is know for being very hot and humid some years, but this year we were lucky as there was plenty of cloud cover for the first 4 hours. The race was well organized and volunteers were plentiful and enthusiastic. I was a little disappointed in the swag though. The finisher’s medal was a rather smallish, plain medal in the shape of the state of South Dakota, and the shirts were very thin “t-shirt” hoodies. They had soft granola bars, bananas, ice cream bars, and beer from a local brewery. We started and finished at Howard Wood Field this year, rather than starting inside the arena. I actually kind of liked it better as it didn’t seem as crowded.
Nice course
This was very slow for me even as an already slow runner. I had just run a marathon the weekend before and decided to walk a lot. The course goes … MORE
This was very slow for me even as an already slow runner. I had just run a marathon the weekend before and decided to walk a lot.
The course goes through nice neighborhoods, the nice parts of downtown, over the Falls, and along the river through the majority. Not one area was “Sketchy”. The medal was OK, the lightweight hoodie was nice (but I’m also glad I have the 1/4 zip shirt from last year’s cancelled race.) The expo was small but efficient. The volunteers were all great at every water stop. It seems the police and the city in general embrace this race.
I always recommend to all races to have an extra water stop near 24 and 25 miles. It seems like forever at the end and particularly with the heat.
Post race had ice cream bars!!! And I love any race that has another option than beer! And of course chocolate milk( however they had the chocolate milk on the table in the sun so it was not very cold. Maybe keep in ice coolers.
All in all a solid race and well run. I enjoyed the time and meeting new running friends!
So many parks and greenways
I drove 9hrs here in 2021 just to get rained out, so I flew this time. I am too cheap for Uber, so I tried to walk everywhere I needed. … MORE
I drove 9hrs here in 2021 just to get rained out, so I flew this time. I am too cheap for Uber, so I tried to walk everywhere I needed. Don’t do this. I walked about 10 miles this weekend before I even raced. The bus system only gets within a mile of the airport and the packet pickup location (Sanford Fieldhouse). Packet pickup was once again in a basketball court in the Fieldhouse. Race swag only gets 2/5 stars because WHY did they give me a black long-sleeved shirt for a race on August 28th. This was the first race I have ever seen zero people wear the shirt. Can’t imagine why; it was 69 at race time with >90% humidity.
I didn’t park, but I think there were still some parking spots at the start line (Howard Wood Field) at the start. Bag check was in the stadium, on the side opposite from the finish line. I was impressed with the Sioux Falls course, a clockwise loop around the city almost exclusively in parks, greenways, and neighborhoods. Running through Falls Park at mile 5 was a highlight, and miles 17-24 were alongside a river. There was almost no running on roads, which was great. You finish by running around an athletic track in Howard Wood Field, and the announcer calls your name. Plenty of stands to sit in post-race, but all of them are in the sun.
The course was great, the crowd support was okay, but I wish they had more water stops. They were only every two miles. And WHY do so many marathons forget to put up a mile sign in the last few miles?? There was no mile 24 marker here, just as there were none for 17, 20, or 23 in Denver. Takes a mental toll on the runner when they never see the next mile marker.
Scenic course, over indexes on river
As others have commented, small town race, small but organized expo and production. First time to the city and enjoyed sight seeing. I stayed near Sanford hospital which required an … MORE
As others have commented, small town race, small but organized expo and production. First time to the city and enjoyed sight seeing. I stayed near Sanford hospital which required an easy 2 miles to the start and a miserable 2 miles back home afterwards.
Course was a big loop starting downtown out to Falls Park and then through a very nice residential part of the city. Nearly the entire remaining 14 miles was along the riverside which, while nice at first, became hypnotizing as it went on and on. Preferred it to all residential, but was very happy to finally escape the river. My performance was poor due to lack of training and surprising heat / humidity. Not a glorious finish, but proud to have stuck it out.
Small town race.
Good communication with the race Staff beforehand via email regarding parking. The expo is rather small but package pick up went very smoothly. It turned out to be pretty warm … MORE
Good communication with the race Staff beforehand via email regarding parking. The expo is rather small but package pick up went very smoothly.
It turned out to be pretty warm on race day, but other than that had a nice time on the course until they ran out of water at the aid station near mile 20. With the sun beating down and the heat and humidity high I was lucky I carried my own water bottle.
The after party was pretty quiet, but then again I took a long time to finish
Race review
Beautiful views of the course, and breathtaking views of the water, and a awesome medal. The one thing that needs to be improved is mileage signs for the half marathon … MORE
Beautiful views of the course, and breathtaking views of the water, and a awesome medal. The one thing that needs to be improved is mileage signs for the half marathon after mile 8. Also, all the people working the race were so friendly.
Sioux Falls Half Marathon
We could not have had better weather for this run! The course was beautiful and was a mix of running through (paved) park trails and urban areas. There was amazing … MORE
We could not have had better weather for this run! The course was beautiful and was a mix of running through (paved) park trails and urban areas. There was amazing course support. Everyone was super positive and cheered on everyone… even those of us towards the back.
Race production was good. The expo was very small, but the vendors were relevant and they had some great information available. The only complaint I have is that from miles 8 – 11, the mile markers seem to have disappeared. It made the miles in between feel longer which made the run more difficult.
There were aid stations every couple of miles and one first aid station about halfway through the course. Aid stations had Powerade and water, but no gu or snacks, so you’ll want to bring those if you need them.
I LOVE the shirt for this race. It is a lightweight long-sleeve hoodie. It will be perfect for running this fall. This shirt has minimal advertisements. I get why they are on so many shirts, but it makes it less likely that I will wear them. This one will definitely be worn. The medal isn’t the greatest design, but it’s OK.
One potential word of caution… they say there is a strict 3:15 limit for the half marathon and a strict 6:30 limit for the full. If you’re concerned about that timing, this may not be the best race for you.
All in all, this is one of my favorite races so far. I could see myself returning to Sioux Falls to run it again in the future.
So disappointed with my 12 minute PR :,(
I drove 9.5 hours from eastern Illinois to run this marathon. The night before the race, there were record floods, and the morning of the race, they cancelled the full … MORE
I drove 9.5 hours from eastern Illinois to run this marathon. The night before the race, there were record floods, and the morning of the race, they cancelled the full marathon because many parts of the back end of the course were flooded. I was devastated and I felt sick. 625 miles of driving alone, for this.
They still ran the half marathon, though. I shrugged and decided to run that. I took all the energy I’d been saving for my marathon, and ran a 12 minute PR for the half. Oh well.
The half course was pretty good, though. You run through downtown a few times, and loop past Falls Park, which is Sioux Falls’ pride and joy. Great crowd support and the finish line was on a track, with the announcer yelling your name. Most of the course was parks and downtown, so you don’t really run through neighborhoods at all.
*a month later, I wondered, why did they have to cancel the marathon? Why couldn’t they have just run the half marathon course twice over?
Come in summer
It didn’t affect me, but storms took our the marathon course, causing the marathoners to be dropped into the half. The course is mostly urban& flat with a couple hills, … MORE
It didn’t affect me, but storms took our the marathon course, causing the marathoners to be dropped into the half. The course is mostly urban& flat with a couple hills, looping around the falls a bit. Really nice crowd of runners made for good race motivation. Nice people in the streets with fun signs. Water stations every 2 miles. I picked up my packet day of vs night before so missed expo goodies. They announce most runners’ names and cities over the loud speaker upon finish line (except mine because a toddler went missing around that time lol…turned out ok tho). Beer at finish line (amazing from local brewery) & unique medals. The race team forgot to stamp my bib and my niece’s as being 21 so jic bring your ID. Bottom line: I’ma Midwestern gal, this race isn’t too far for me, so I would do it again.
So many feelings
Well, I know race directors can’t control the weather. I travelled to SD for this race, went to the expo, checked in to my hotel. (No ubers—walked; hopped into another … MORE
Well, I know race directors can’t control the weather. I travelled to SD for this race, went to the expo, checked in to my hotel. (No ubers—walked; hopped into another rubber’s Uber).
Would have been nice if the expo would have been at the start, but I chose a hotel by the start, so race morning going to be smooth. Then there was a storm overnight. Woke up, got all my outfit on, went to the start—surprise! The full was cancelled! The half was available. Could we run it twice? No. Much sadness and disappointment. The half course was lovely (isn’t it alway the prettiest part?) we ran over the falls, through downtown, finished in the track. Weather was great for the race itself. I may return to SD; not sure I’ll do this race. I think there was flooding last year, too, but not to the same extent . The medal is pretty—but it says full and it feels like a lie. Happy I got to run something in SD
A good choice for South Dakota
Race expo was bigger than I expected for a smaller race and packet pickup went smoothly. Indoor start and finish was nice because of rain at the start, but of … MORE
Race expo was bigger than I expected for a smaller race and packet pickup went smoothly. Indoor start and finish was nice because of rain at the start, but of course this brings with it GPS issues. Post race food was good (BBQ sandwiches and fudgesicles) and they didn’t seem to be in any danger of running out. Course was a mix of streets and paved bike path most of which was fairly flat with only a few bigger climbs. Swag was not all that impressive. Race shirt was a fairly plain, lightweight cotton hoodie and the medal was kind of small by today’s standards. There were less than 300 marathon finishers, which made the end of the race kind of lonely while running on the river levees. Overall I think it was a decent race, but not an outstanding race. I would recommend it to others, given that there are not a lot options for South Dakota and it is in fact the largest in the state.
Well-organized small marathon
The Sioux Falls Marathon is an outstanding small marathon that feels like a medium-sized marathon. The expo is small, but well-stocked by competing running stores to sell you all the … MORE
The Sioux Falls Marathon is an outstanding small marathon that feels like a medium-sized marathon. The expo is small, but well-stocked by competing running stores to sell you all the last minute running gear that you forgot at home. The race starts and ends inside a modern arena, so you are completely sheltered and comfortable before and after the race. The course is scenic and gently rolling with miles 15-25 on trails along the river. (If I had a complaint about the course, I’d say that it had a few too many turns.) Aid stations were plentiful and well-stocked with water and sports drink, and three stations offered Gu sport gels. Volunteers were plentiful and enthusiastic despite the pouring rain for the first half hour and rainy conditions all day. (If I had a second complaint about the race, it would be that the mile markers could best have been taken as approximations.)
Hillllssss
Disclaimer: ND is wicked flat, and to get hills, I run over the overpasses on the interstate. That being said, I’m not sure how the race director did it, but … MORE
Disclaimer: ND is wicked flat, and to get hills, I run over the overpasses on the interstate.
That being said, I’m not sure how the race director did it, but he managed to have the wind in our face for every hill. That’s some major skill! 😉
The packet pickup was really quick, and the vendors there were really nice. I had a hard time navigating the Sanford center to find the bag drop, there were only signs from the main enterance, but I managed to find it before the gun went off.
The course was really pretty. Google Falls Park. It’s beautiful. The paths were nice and tree lined. The weather was cooler and perfect for me running. I did cramp a little today, but I didn’t get much stretching in so I was a little tight all race.
Scenic course in Sioux Falls
The course starts indoors, so signal may not be accurate right of the bat, but it's a fairly flat course with a few minor hills. Crowd support is nice and … MORE
The course starts indoors, so signal may not be accurate right of the bat, but it’s a fairly flat course with a few minor hills. Crowd support is nice and there’s just enough water and aid stations on the course. Swag comes with a nice long sleeve shirt and medal is pretty good as well.
Excellent, but windy, run
Overall Rating: Very good. Nice run through the falls and historic parts of the city. Course Difficulty: A little challenging with the wind, but overall not bad. This was my … MORE
Overall Rating: Very good. Nice run through the falls and historic parts of the city.
Course Difficulty: A little challenging with the wind, but overall not bad. This was my second run of the week and I was trying for 5 hrs. Missing it by only 58 seconds should give some insight to the course difficulty.
Course Scenery: Nice sunny day running a loop around town. Got a little boring on the levee, but not terrible.
Race Production: Excellent. Nice expo, plenty of parking, easy packet pickup.
Race Swag: Excellent custom medal and 1/4 zip pullover
My Performance: Hit exactly the time I wanted so good.
Second run in a four run week. Happy with the finish.
Third time was not a charm
This was the third time that I've run the Sioux Falls Marathon, but did not have too high of expectations for my performance. I had just come off of my … MORE
This was the third time that I’ve run the Sioux Falls Marathon, but did not have too high of expectations for my performance. I had just come off of my first hundred mile finish the weekend before, so just wanted to take it slow and easy, which I did. Everything went well right up until the last two miles. The weather wasn’t too hot, with a nice tailwind on the home stretch along the Big Sioux River, and I enjoyed chatting with a fellow runner for the first 21 miles or so. There was some lightning and light rain before the start, so the start was delayed 15 minutes. When I turned north to return back to the Sanford Premier center, most of the course markings disappeared. I saw one arrow on the right hand side of a median between the sidewalk I was on and a frontage road, so I continued straight ahead. I thought that the course turned south to return to the start, but I never saw another arrow or sign. After going quite a ways north of the Premier center, I saw one of the pacers who finished earlier and told him I was lost. He said to head back the way I came, and so I did. I eventually found my way into the entrance to the Premier center where we started, and finished with just 10 minutes to spare with the 6.5 hour time limit. After I finished, I discovered that there was plenty of Gatoraid, pallets of it, but no food and no beer. Apparently, the half marathon finishers cleaned up the post-race refreshments. I found out later that the reason that there were no course markings for the last 1.5 miles was that the local police removed the cones that marked the course before the course was suppose to close. I assume that this was because they weren’t informed that there was a late start, so they opened up the streets according to the original schedule. I let the race director know how disappointed in the situation, and she told me that she would share my concerns so that it wouldn’t happened again. I am going to be sure to ask questions before signing up again. Don’t get me wrong; I think it is a nice marathon, but it was ruined for me because of the events that transpired near the end of the race. On the bright side, the medal was a lot nice with more detail than I’ve seen in year’s past, although it was smaller compared to some.
Well organized, beautiful scenery
This was my first run literally after fracturing my foot 6 weeks ago so my performance was lacking as I had to listen to doctors orders about slowing my pace … MORE
This was my first run literally after fracturing my foot 6 weeks ago so my performance was lacking as I had to listen to doctors orders about slowing my pace and taking walk breaks.
Packet pick up and the morning was a bit confusing trying to figure out where to go. The race was much larger than what I thought!
Unbelievable to start in the stadium and loop through downtown and all the parks in Sioux Falls. There are some hills on the course-seemed they were all uphill with no downhill on the backside. The parks make you want to slow down and admire their beauty.
Swag was the average though you do receive a quarter zip long sleeve shirt versus the traditional shirt. You do get a bag filled with coupons but not being from South Dakota-they were not of use to me.
There were tons of people on the race course cheering you on. Finishing at the stadium you are given a beef sandwich, chocolate milk, gatorades etc-tons of food and beverages.
Overall, really great race-highly recommend it!!!
Sioux Falls Arena
The race started and ended in the Sioux Falls Arena. We stayed at the Sheraton hotel which was right across the street. I really loved walking around this town. MORE
The race started and ended in the Sioux Falls Arena. We stayed at the Sheraton hotel which was right across the street. I really loved walking around this town.
Start and Finish Indoors
Beautiful scenery along the river, basically flat Good support from residents and volunteers on course nice college town with good restaurants and hotels MORE
Beautiful scenery along the river, basically flat
Good support from residents and volunteers on course
nice college town with good restaurants and hotels
Well thought out course
This was the second time that I've run this race, and the organization and course was much better than the first time. This year's version featured a single large loop … MORE
This was the second time that I’ve run this race, and the organization and course was much better than the first time. This year’s version featured a single large loop mainly on the meandering bike trails along the parks of Sioux Falls and the Big Sioux River. I particularly enjoyed the detour through beautiful waterfalls of Falls Park. Towards the end of the course, the bike trails passed the portion of the Great Plains Zoo where the Bison were resting in their pen, and I saw a bald eagle flying overhead near one of the last rest stations. The aid stations were located as expected and the volunteers were friendly and helpful. This marathon has improved a lot since it first began.