Really enjoyed running this inaugural race around Tuttle Creek State Park. As the sun came up over the lake, it was just beautiful running along the park roads with all the fall foliage. The course consists of 6.x mile loops (two for half and four for full marathon) and was mostly flat, with only a slight hill in the middle. One part of the loop was on a concrete sidewalk, but it didn't last very long. The rest of the race was on paved roads.

The aid stations were well staffed and it was nice to have several GU choices. I was really happy to have earned my beer at the finish line, standard food included bananas, granola bars and the like. They also had chocolate milk!

Race shirts were just cotton t-shirts. The women's cut was very short, so I had to switch afterward to a men's style. Maybe they will have tech T's next year. Medals had the marathon logo with the distance run.

This was my first marathon and I ended up super happy with how everything went.

I got to chat with a lot of friendly people while volunteering at the Expo the day before the race. I picked up some good tips from people who had run it before. On race morning, I caught the shuttle bus from the ICC downtown to the Grafton high school. It was great to be able to stay warm inside the school while waiting for the race to start. There were also plenty of port-o-potty's in the parking lot.

The weather was just about perfect once the rains cleared out just as the race was starting. I mostly ran between pace groups, but did find the pacers for the 4:30 to be just a tad fast. The course was pretty and it was cool to run through areas where I'd grown up. Also, it was super convenient to have friends and family meet me through the race along the course since they could easily bike or drive and park in different areas along the route.

I wish there had been a few additional GU flavors handed out, but felt like the aid stations were all well staffed and as often as I needed them to be. It was great to get a little bag of treats at the finish line. I had volunteered here previous years and was disappointed this year to NOT have pretzels!! Also, it was a total mud-pit. Rains had come the week before the race and they had tried to lay hay down, but it was really a pig-sty. There also wasn't a ton of seating available in the area where spectators were allowed, but this may have been due to the mud fest. Was great to get a brat and beer after my hard work!

A side note on the race shirt - nice to get a long sleeve tech shirt, but wasn't a fan of the style/ color scheme. Nothing's going to make everyone happy though! The medal was pretty sweet.

Though there is not a real "expo" for this run, packet pick-up at the running store is super quick and easy. It was more convenient for me to get dropped at the starting line than to take the shuttle bus, and that was no problem since the roads remain open to traffic. It was raining, so was nice to be there a bit early and get a covered spot in the tent. Not everyone fit in the tent, so some people did have to wait in the rain for the race to start.

First half of the race is mostly downhill, a bit rolling, with lovely view of the Konza prairie. After that it's fun running through downtown and campus. I suggest being familiar with the route if this is your first race since there is a lot of snake action through campus, which makes it feel like you are running much longer than you actually are. Same thing when you finally are excited to see the stadium / finish line, you actually have to snake around the parking lot. Aid stations were well staffed and at appropriate distance intervals.

The finish area had chocolate milk! There were a few snacks, but I was expecting a couple more. There was entertainment for kids, but not many places to sit down that I saw. Was a great course for spectators/family to be able to show up at different points. Also plenty of parking at the finish! They had nice tech shirts, but it seems like they are purple every year?