The weather in Fargo on race morning was about 44 degrees with constant rain and a wind that blew anywhere from 15 to 25 mph and yet this was one of my favorites. The reputation of Fargo being full of exceptionally nice and polite people is well earned even though they have a wood chipper on display at the visitor center. Getting here is surprisingly easy, I rented a car at the airport and was glad to have it for getting around the city (which is also very easy).
The expo was small as to be expected for a race this size, but the people were so friendly I could have spent all day just chatting. The race swag bag is the best I have ever received. Very well constructed and plenty large, it will get a lot of use in my family. A hooded sweatshirt instead of the typical technical tee was a nice touch as well.
With a rainy race day, the start inside the FargoDome was a blessing of the highest order. Speaking of blessings, we actually had a marriage before the start of the race, definitely a first for me. And the bride and groom were serenaded by Elvis after the ceremony. You really had to be there for any of that to make sense. Basically it all means these race directors were on the ball and the race management was amazing.
The race itself can be summed in one word: Flat. Also cold, wet and windy but honestly once you’re out in those elements you adjust, it wasn’t that big of an issue for me. But, when they say the course is flat, it literally felt like running on a treadmill for long stretches. Not an issue but when you did hit a little up or downhill you definitely felt the muscles tighten up.
I can’t say enough about how many people were out in the neighborhoods cheering us on and all the volunteers who never missed a beat controlling traffic or giving out fluids. In that kind of weather, the support was amazing, truly a credit to this race. The course was mostly residential which would have gotten boring if not for all the neighbors out cheering on the runners.
The end of the race is back at the FargoDome with the race announcer calling out your name and people in the stands cheering. I’m not a big eater after a marathon so I can’t really speak to what the post race spread was like. I got my chocolate milk (my post race fave) and a banana and found a chair.
My review would not be complete without mentioning meeting Mike and Katie at the end of the race, very exciting to put a face and a smile to those names. I will be sporting my RaceRaves hat at future events and keep my eye out for others as well!
In summary, Fargo was fantastic. I ran it because I’m doing the 50 states but I would recommend this to everyone, regardless of what your ultimate goals are. This was a race that exemplified why we spend our money and go to these events, I loved it.