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Marathon Details - University of Okoboji Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > IA > Okoboji > University of Okoboji Marathon

University of Okoboji Marathon

University of Okoboji Marathon & Half Marathon, Triathlon, 10K

Okoboji, IA USA

~~July 17, 2021~~ - CANCELLED

http://www.threesons.com/pages/events

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Address:	The Three Sons Financial District Box 499 Milford, Iowa 51351
Phone Number:	(712) 338-2424
Fax Number:	(712) 338-4322
Email:	Email the organizers

Runner Reviews (74)

Course 3.6

Organization 3.1

Spectators 2.8

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Number of comments: 74 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 > ]

M. O. from United States (7/22/2019) "No Communication regarding weather" (about: 2019) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ University of Okoboji Marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I have run this race many times because I have a place at the lakes. I knew it was going to be hot as the temps the day before were around 100 degrees. The morning was cooler and storms were in the forecast. The storms did not come until around 9:30 or 3 and half hours into the marathon, there were 70 mile an hour winds the rain was going sideways and the sky was pitch black. My husband picked me up at 23 miles and said they were pulling runners from the course. I took along two fellow runners. As we drove back to the start the radio said they were pulling runners, but there were still people running. There was no communication out on the course to let us know what was going on, so I did not get to finish the race and it was very disappointing to have been so close and not finish.
K. M. from NH (7/17/2017) "You can do so much better. They can too." (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I wish I had more positive comments. I started around the front of the pack and there were two stops at the first half that had no water. No water at the start, no water at the half and they ran out of water at one of the later stops. The course is quite hilly on a cement bike path (I wondered why there was no elevation map). There were only bananas at the end. NO food on the course. Most of the sparse water stops were self serve. After the half the marathoners and half-marathoners separated and the marshalls did not know where to send the marathoners. I had to ask and the woman I asked said she 'thought' I took a right!!! The only markers were some paint on the road with no way to tell which markers were for halfers and which for the marathoners. The markers were on either the left or right of the road with no organization that I could figure so it was hard to know where to look. The only mile markers were painted on the road, either I missed some or they were non-existent. It was quite hot (I expected that) but to run out of water is ridiculous. The stops were very far apart at times (at one point more than five miles on a hot day (remember that two stops were un-stocked with surprised volunteers). The announcements at the end were great. The medals were very small and fairly generic. The awards consisted of another of the same small medal with engraving on the back. In sum, the few people were nice but this is by no means scenic and a runner can do so much better.
A. K. from South Dakota (3/14/2016) "Definitely not my favorite." (about: 2015) 3 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Coming off of running Grandma's Marathon a month earlier, this was a disappointment. It gets terribly hot this time of year, the course is difficult, there are limited areas for spectators, and the course is congested. You share the course with Marathoners, Half Marathoners, Triathletes, and 10K runners. The course was not marked sufficiently when these groups veered in different directions and I ended up running the wrong way onto a busy highway and only finished because a driver stopped and asked if I got injured and then offered to take me back to where I made the wrong turn. If you're looking for a PR and runners to push you, I wouldn't go here. If you're looking to be challenged in every imaginable way and possibly run 27.2 instead of 26.2 because you ran the wrong way...this is your course.
Victoria McLachlan from Minnesota (11/15/2013) "Pretty course, ran alone, good time" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I won the womens 20-29 age group with a time of 3:47, so you can image how small of a race this thing is. This was my second marathon. I have done 2 since this one, but this one was my favorite. If you are the type of person who enjoys running alone, then this course is for you. I was alone or running with 1-2 people the majority of the race. It was nice that I didn't have to weave in and out of people... 1. The half marathoners start at the 13.1 point in the course, and they start 2 hours after the full starts. The first 1/2ers passed me around mile 16. I thought I would not like this, but I actually loved this. The first 20 or so people blew by me, but then around mile 19-22 I was surrounded by people who were running about the same pace as me! I LOVED it. It was awesome motivation and pacers to finish off the race! 2. There were not toliets or specators 3. There was not a lot of food 4. we did not run out of water :)
S. S. from Omaha, Nebraska (8/5/2013) "Much improved from 2010. Enjoyed it very much" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 University of Okoboji Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I enjoyed it and had a great time. Enjoyed the course around Okoboji. Had postcard beauty at sunrise on the lakes and cool gentle breezes in the morning. Enjoyed the weather very much Spectators were sparse but very supportive. It would be fun to have some music and festivities at the finish line. I would do it again.
R. W. from Chicago (7/21/2013) "Tiny marathon. Nice enough but 0 spectators" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 As mentioned in previous reviews this is a small marathon (79 runners) with limited support. People are nice and the course is fairly flat and pleasant except for the portions of concrete bike trail. Weather was in the 70s. All water stops were well stocked but many were not manned by the time I came through. No porta johns along the route. Zero spectators except for the very end. No food at the end but there was a bottle of Gatorade. I know this sounds negative but I had a nice time during the race and over the weekend. I recommend the event but know what you are getting into
S. W. from Madison, WI (7/21/2013) "Great Iowa Race!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I went into this race thinking that it wouldn't be very scenic, but I was totally wrong! I really enjoyed running along the bike path as well as along the lake. I didn't enjoy running with the half marathoners as well as the 10Kers at mile 13 until the end. It got too congested. There were many aid stations which was wonderful. Not too many spectators, but I had my headphones in the whole time, so my mind was occupied. This is a great Iowa race!
A. C. from Norwalk, Iowa (7/29/2012) "Pleasantly uneventful!" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and my only goal was to finish. I did a lot of research and preparation, and I went in with the understanding that I would walk when necessary. The 'rolling hills' people refer to are no joke. However, they didn't cause me any problems - remember my only goal! We had an unseasonably cool morning, so that really helped. My sister and I ran together (hence my back and forth I/we), and she convinced me to drive the course with her the night before. I'm glad because we were able to eliminate any confusion (we had read that people often get lost), but those hills almost scared me off. They ended up being not so bad, but I really don't have any other marathon times to compare it with. If you're running to make a particular time, you could have trouble. We also planted GU packets along the route. I really liked finishing on the same route we started with. There was something comforting with knowing I had already conquered those miles; I just had to do it again. True, there were no frills, but we weren't expecting any. I could see where people would get confused on the route. Some vertical signs would really help. What made the experience for me were the few spectators and other runners. Our pack consisted of people who were truly happy for us to be running our first marathon. We also had a lot of fun banter with Okoboji residents who were just out and about. Our families were unable to be there, but it would have been easy for them to follow along the route. We saw several repeat spectators who encouraged and honked along the way. Like I said, pleasantly uneventful. We read what we needed to provide for ourselves, and did just that. Some of the pre-race correspondence was a little gruff (like we were being scolded in advance), but that was humorous to us. Everyone was very fun on race day, and we appreciated it. Thanks to all fellow runners, spectators, volunteers, and officials!
B. B. from Pittsburgh, Pa. (7/28/2012) "Thank you clouds." (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 A nice small town race with friendly fellow runners and a pleasant course. You don't get much bang for your buck in this one though. No food on the course and no food-that I saw anyway- after the race. Good shirt, and small, but nice, medal for the marathon finishers but no medal for the halfers. The threatened 90 degree heat with sunshine didn't meterialize, thanks to persistant clouds. I liked that the halfers joined us two hours after the full started, as it was energizing to run with some fresh faces through the second half. A good excuse to visit Iowa in the summer, but not a very memorable event.
J. C. from Chicago (7/27/2012) "Too expensive for what it is" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This is typical of small marathons that I have ran however, this is the first marathon where there were no porta johns anywhere on the course and no water/sport drink at the start. At one point we were mixed with cars and triathletes on bikes. I did not like this at all. Cars were not slowing down or moving to the left lane. I had to run in the gravel/rocks along the side so I did not get hit buy a triathlete. As far as spectators, there were more than at most small marathons that I have ran. Bananas and powerade at the end. Nothing more. I would not pay $70 to run this marathon.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 > ]



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M. O. from United States (7/22/2019) "No Communication regarding weather" (about: 2019) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ University of Okoboji Marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I have run this race many times because I have a place at the lakes. I knew it was going to be hot as the temps the day before were around 100 degrees. The morning was cooler and storms were in the forecast. The storms did not come until around 9:30 or 3 and half hours into the marathon, there were 70 mile an hour winds the rain was going sideways and the sky was pitch black. My husband picked me up at 23 miles and said they were pulling runners from the course. I took along two fellow runners. As we drove back to the start the radio said they were pulling runners, but there were still people running. There was no communication out on the course to let us know what was going on, so I did not get to finish the race and it was very disappointing to have been so close and not finish.
K. M. from NH (7/17/2017) "You can do so much better. They can too." (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I wish I had more positive comments. I started around the front of the pack and there were two stops at the first half that had no water. No water at the start, no water at the half and they ran out of water at one of the later stops. The course is quite hilly on a cement bike path (I wondered why there was no elevation map). There were only bananas at the end. NO food on the course. Most of the sparse water stops were self serve. After the half the marathoners and half-marathoners separated and the marshalls did not know where to send the marathoners. I had to ask and the woman I asked said she 'thought' I took a right!!! The only markers were some paint on the road with no way to tell which markers were for halfers and which for the marathoners. The markers were on either the left or right of the road with no organization that I could figure so it was hard to know where to look. The only mile markers were painted on the road, either I missed some or they were non-existent. It was quite hot (I expected that) but to run out of water is ridiculous. The stops were very far apart at times (at one point more than five miles on a hot day (remember that two stops were un-stocked with surprised volunteers). The announcements at the end were great. The medals were very small and fairly generic. The awards consisted of another of the same small medal with engraving on the back. In sum, the few people were nice but this is by no means scenic and a runner can do so much better.
A. K. from South Dakota (3/14/2016) "Definitely not my favorite." (about: 2015) 3 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Coming off of running Grandma's Marathon a month earlier, this was a disappointment. It gets terribly hot this time of year, the course is difficult, there are limited areas for spectators, and the course is congested. You share the course with Marathoners, Half Marathoners, Triathletes, and 10K runners. The course was not marked sufficiently when these groups veered in different directions and I ended up running the wrong way onto a busy highway and only finished because a driver stopped and asked if I got injured and then offered to take me back to where I made the wrong turn. If you're looking for a PR and runners to push you, I wouldn't go here. If you're looking to be challenged in every imaginable way and possibly run 27.2 instead of 26.2 because you ran the wrong way...this is your course.
Victoria McLachlan from Minnesota (11/15/2013) "Pretty course, ran alone, good time" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I won the womens 20-29 age group with a time of 3:47, so you can image how small of a race this thing is. This was my second marathon. I have done 2 since this one, but this one was my favorite. If you are the type of person who enjoys running alone, then this course is for you. I was alone or running with 1-2 people the majority of the race. It was nice that I didn't have to weave in and out of people... 1. The half marathoners start at the 13.1 point in the course, and they start 2 hours after the full starts. The first 1/2ers passed me around mile 16. I thought I would not like this, but I actually loved this. The first 20 or so people blew by me, but then around mile 19-22 I was surrounded by people who were running about the same pace as me! I LOVED it. It was awesome motivation and pacers to finish off the race! 2. There were not toliets or specators 3. There was not a lot of food 4. we did not run out of water :)
S. S. from Omaha, Nebraska (8/5/2013) "Much improved from 2010. Enjoyed it very much" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 University of Okoboji Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I enjoyed it and had a great time. Enjoyed the course around Okoboji. Had postcard beauty at sunrise on the lakes and cool gentle breezes in the morning. Enjoyed the weather very much Spectators were sparse but very supportive. It would be fun to have some music and festivities at the finish line. I would do it again.
R. W. from Chicago (7/21/2013) "Tiny marathon. Nice enough but 0 spectators" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 As mentioned in previous reviews this is a small marathon (79 runners) with limited support. People are nice and the course is fairly flat and pleasant except for the portions of concrete bike trail. Weather was in the 70s. All water stops were well stocked but many were not manned by the time I came through. No porta johns along the route. Zero spectators except for the very end. No food at the end but there was a bottle of Gatorade. I know this sounds negative but I had a nice time during the race and over the weekend. I recommend the event but know what you are getting into
S. W. from Madison, WI (7/21/2013) "Great Iowa Race!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I went into this race thinking that it wouldn't be very scenic, but I was totally wrong! I really enjoyed running along the bike path as well as along the lake. I didn't enjoy running with the half marathoners as well as the 10Kers at mile 13 until the end. It got too congested. There were many aid stations which was wonderful. Not too many spectators, but I had my headphones in the whole time, so my mind was occupied. This is a great Iowa race!
A. C. from Norwalk, Iowa (7/29/2012) "Pleasantly uneventful!" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and my only goal was to finish. I did a lot of research and preparation, and I went in with the understanding that I would walk when necessary. The 'rolling hills' people refer to are no joke. However, they didn't cause me any problems - remember my only goal! We had an unseasonably cool morning, so that really helped. My sister and I ran together (hence my back and forth I/we), and she convinced me to drive the course with her the night before. I'm glad because we were able to eliminate any confusion (we had read that people often get lost), but those hills almost scared me off. They ended up being not so bad, but I really don't have any other marathon times to compare it with. If you're running to make a particular time, you could have trouble. We also planted GU packets along the route. I really liked finishing on the same route we started with. There was something comforting with knowing I had already conquered those miles; I just had to do it again. True, there were no frills, but we weren't expecting any. I could see where people would get confused on the route. Some vertical signs would really help. What made the experience for me were the few spectators and other runners. Our pack consisted of people who were truly happy for us to be running our first marathon. We also had a lot of fun banter with Okoboji residents who were just out and about. Our families were unable to be there, but it would have been easy for them to follow along the route. We saw several repeat spectators who encouraged and honked along the way. Like I said, pleasantly uneventful. We read what we needed to provide for ourselves, and did just that. Some of the pre-race correspondence was a little gruff (like we were being scolded in advance), but that was humorous to us. Everyone was very fun on race day, and we appreciated it. Thanks to all fellow runners, spectators, volunteers, and officials!
B. B. from Pittsburgh, Pa. (7/28/2012) "Thank you clouds." (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 A nice small town race with friendly fellow runners and a pleasant course. You don't get much bang for your buck in this one though. No food on the course and no food-that I saw anyway- after the race. Good shirt, and small, but nice, medal for the marathon finishers but no medal for the halfers. The threatened 90 degree heat with sunshine didn't meterialize, thanks to persistant clouds. I liked that the halfers joined us two hours after the full started, as it was energizing to run with some fresh faces through the second half. A good excuse to visit Iowa in the summer, but not a very memorable event.
J. C. from Chicago (7/27/2012) "Too expensive for what it is" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 University of Okoboji Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This is typical of small marathons that I have ran however, this is the first marathon where there were no porta johns anywhere on the course and no water/sport drink at the start. At one point we were mixed with cars and triathletes on bikes. I did not like this at all. Cars were not slowing down or moving to the left lane. I had to run in the gravel/rocks along the side so I did not get hit buy a triathlete. As far as spectators, there were more than at most small marathons that I have ran. Bananas and powerade at the end. Nothing more. I would not pay $70 to run this marathon.

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Marathon Details - University of Okoboji Marathon