This is the race in Iowa. I know you have Living History Farms and the Des Moines Marathon, but really this is the big ticket item. A large race (I think it's like 8,000 runners) with good crowd support.

In 2015, the start line was a bit chilly as it was cold, windy, and rainy. But the rain stopped before the race, the wind was a tailwind, and the temps were perfect for racing. The course starts out on a huge downhill before flattening out for a couple miles. There are two main hills on the course, one of which is around mile 5. There's an aid station right before, and they are well placed throughout.

As you get closer to the city, you get more crowd support going through the suburban neighborhoods of Des Moines. you don't really break into the city until you hit 10 miles. Here you cross on a tree covered boardwalk (my favorite part of the race) and emerge near the river in Des Moines. What follows are some bridges and bike paths as you near the heart of the city. The one disadvantage of a tailwind comes in the last mile, where you switch directions and head into the wind. At this point, though, you have less than a mile left and hit the wall of sound, where a lot of the local high school bands are situated.

The finish stretch is great, and the post-race is second to none. Sports drinks, water, and the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever tasted. Sure it was cold, and someone (oops) forgot to drop a bag, so I was freezing. Dam to Dam can have some rough weather, primarily heat, but it's a fabulous race!