Garmin Marathon (prev. Oz Marathon)

I ran this race in 2023 as part of my 50-marathons-in-50-states goal. It was my 29th marathon overall, so I have a lot to compare it to. The positives: * Race morning logistics were easy. Parking was plentiful, packet pickup was available the morning of (which was nice because I came in from out of town), and the start/finish line couldn't have been any closer to my car. Port-o-potties were plentiful, which usually isn't the case. * The course was nothing special, but pleasant: some nice neighborhoods and some paved trails through forest preserves. * In terms of quality, the t-shirt was average, but the medal was definitely above average. * Everything I needed as an out-of-state traveler was easy to get: flights to and from KC, rental car, decent hotel, food, etc. This is a good race to do if you share my 50-state goal. Opportunities: * WATER/GATORADE The cups at the water station were small and the pours were insufficient. It wasn't a warm day, but I needed 2-3 every time I passed through. At several of the tables, you had to grab your own drinks yourself instead of having someone hand them to you in stride. They could have added one or two tables and brought down the average distance between hydration stations. * There was at least one road crossing that was completely uncontrolled by race volunteers or local police. This was right before the turnaround in the 12th or 13th mile. * The race directors shouldn't start the race IMMEDIATELY upon the conclusion of the national anthem. Give people a second to get their hats back on, get their music turned on, etc. * This is a tougher course. The first half of the course is generally downhill and the second half is generally climbing back up the same hills you just came down. I'm not complaining; it is what it is. Just be forewarned if you think 'flat' when you think of Kansas.

I wish this race was longer, said no marathon runner, ever. Except in this case. What do you say about a marathon that didn't count because it was too short? Apparently somebody misplaced a traffic cone at one of the turnaround points. When I got home my own Garmin watch congratulated me on running a half marathon (It had only logged 26.08 miles). It's a shame it was all for naught because it wasn't an easy race to run. Half the race was into winds in excess of 25 mph. And it got steadily windier as the day went on. After I finished I couldn't even drink a free beer. I'd tip the cup up and the wind blew the beer out of it before I could taste it. I came in from out of State and paid for airfare, rental car, hotel room, race registration and other expenses and in return I got some cups of gatorade, a few Power Gel's, a tee shirt, a large medal, and a letter of apology. As you can sense I'm not happy about this. The Pros were: Very small expo for packet pickup. Hotels very near the start/finish A nice course on bike trails Race pacers A parking garage at the start and finish to get out of any bad weather. The Cons: You'll be running in Kansas which can be extremely windy Several turn arounds on the course A little hilly but only noticed when you face into the wind. I'd run it again if Garmin paid for my registration.

I was concerned about this marathon based on reviews from prior years. This marathon exceeded my expectations and more. Easy package pickup the day before or the morning of the race. Easy parking in a covered parking deck right at the finish line. I was able to stay in my car until minutes before the start which was great since it was mid-30's. My car was closer to the finish than the bag check! Start only a short walk away. Course was mostly paved greenway with plenty of water stops and Gu at many of them. Volunteers did great job of having water, gatorade or gu ready. Police kept traffic stopped at all intersections. As stated most of the climbing is in the second half of the marathon but nothing major. Finish line had plenty of good food, burgers, hot dogs, chicken and BBQ in addition to normal post run bagels, chocolate milk and beer. Even had margaritas. Massage available, results easy to get and age group awards handed out immediately. There was a mix up with the medals at the end, but race director will be mailing out correct medals. Easy to fly in and out of KC. Free photos from several spots on the course and the finish line.