Fargo Marathon is one of the BEST in the Midwest. Running Fargo is a tradition for many and it’s a race that I look forward to attending whenever I can. When I come to Fargo, I know it’s going to be good.

This year was my third time running their full marathon and, in true midwest style, you never know what the weather will bring. 2011 had perfect racing weather. 2016 was more hot than usual. 2019 was rainy, windy and COLD. Yep, you just never know!

In spite of the drenching rain and cold winds, did I still love Fargo? Of course I did. Here are the deets:

Registration: I registered early online before the price increases began. Picking up my packet was a quick process on the Friday of race weekend and everything was ready to go.

Expo: The expo took place around the circumference of the Fargodome this year instead of in the middle of the building. Maybe it’s been this way for the past couple years; I’m not sure as my last time there was 2016. The Friday night 5k was in progress while we were picking up my packet and there was a lot of activity going on. My husband and I walked around to pick up some freebies and snacks. I was thankful to find a pair of free thin gloves to use and then throw away during the race!

Race Swag: Fargo had really cute shirts this year. They are a neutral and blue color scheme and super cozy for a cold, wet weekend.

Course: The race started and finished in the Fargodome. This totally messes up my Garmin watch but I certainly am not complaining. The 1,360 marathon runners (and that’s not counting the half and 10k runners there too) were able to stay dry before jumping into the steady rain. A wedding even took place while we were waiting to line up. It was pretty awesome!

The course itself was fine. Honestly I didn’t notice much besides the rain and wind. We weaved through residential areas, parks and some business areas. The elevation is mostly flat with a little incline/decline here and there. The Fargo fans are SO faithful. Even in terrible volunteer and spectator conditions, they were along much of the course. Thank you hardcore fans and volunteers!

Aid Stations: The aid stations offered water and sports drinks with GU gels available later in the race.

Awards: Fargo’s 15th Anniversary medal this year was a big one! Fargo never disappoints.

Post-Race Refreshments: I know I grabbed a banana and chocolate milk after the race but can’t remember much else. I’m thinking I saw pizza and cookie dough there too. My stomach struggles at the end of long races! They definitely had an assortment and a streamlined set up to handle the flood of runners crossing the finish.

Logistics: Fargo does get congested on race weekend but they plan accordingly. My husband and I stayed at the hotel by Cash Wise where a shuttle picks up runners on race morning. Finding a hotel with nearby shuttle is so worth it. The hotel offered early morning granola bars and bananas so I grabbed some and headed out the door and straight to my shuttle. We were dropped off at the Fargodome and ready to go. Bag drop is available at the race. These details make a full race day very easy to navigate.

For more race day details and photos, check out my blog post:
http://www.sherunsbyfaith.com/2019/05/fargomarathon-2019.html