Des Moines St. Paddy's Marathon

This was the first time I have been to Des Moines and I was here to get Iowa off my 50 marathon state list. I liked to course very much. It is two loops which around 90% of the race is on a flat smooth asphalt trail. The section that is on the street does have pot holes and cracks. Aid stations were about every two miles. It should be noted that each aid station in addition to water/Gaterade also had Gu Shots. The race bib pick up was at Fleet Feet. There is no expo. The hoodie was a nice and a big improvement over a t-shirt. The race started on time and had plenty of volunteers. There was not much crowd support and no music on the course. This race is geared toward runners, so swag and crowds are minimal. That also means minimal fanfare at the end. You get a cookie, 1 beer, a glass and water. They do give you a finisher's medal, although they are all the same size (marathon, half marathon/5K) Overall I liked this race, with the exception of the wind which really picked up during the second loop. Des Moines is a lovely walkable town! Logistics were easy with several motels within short walking distance to the start/finish line. There are numerous restaurants in Des Moines and it was a very safe place to just walk around. The airport is about a 15 minute Uber drive to downtown. I would recommend this race if you are looking for a small town experience and a peaceful paved flat course through parks to run on!