Fargo was my 49th marathon and honestly it was so perfectly organized I was taken aback a little bit. I'd heard good things but really, I thought, how good or different can it be compared to the other 48? From start to finish, it was fantastic.

All of the pre-race communication was helpful and timely leading up to marathon day. There are lots of other events during the week for anyone interested. There's also a pub crawl after the main events on Saturday. The expo and packet pickup was super smooth and quick, and there were lots of vendors and merchandise.

I stayed at Candlewood Suites right next to the Fargodome; super conveneient as I walked to the expo and start/finish in just a couple of minutes. There's also a grocery store and CVS nearby for last minute necessities. Pre-marathon dinner at Grazie's was excellent too (drive not walk).

Weather forecasts were predicting rain up until the day before and lo and behold, it stayed off until well after noon. Awesome cool and overcast conditions, couldn't have been better!

The start and finish in the Fargodome is so nice. Plenty of bathrooms, warm, lots of space. They start loading up the chutes early enough to get everyone in and do a staggered start. Wheelchairs went at 7, then a couple of minutes later the rest of the marathoners went. Half runners went at 7:15 and 10k a few minutes later.

The course has a lot of turns but was perfectly marked with road paint, signs, and volunteers. I never felt crowded or like I couldn't find my stride. Plenty of water stops every 2 miles or so with lots of volunteers on either side of the road. The roads were also marked to direct half/10k/full runners and keep us separated to a certain degree.

The course was very nice as well. There were some very pretty neighborhoods and a few places where we ran in a great scenic park. Just a really nice, varied course with only a few small hills.

The finish area back in the Fargodome was nicely appointed with chocolate milk, pizza, fruit, etc. The medal is very nice and the marathon shirt is a great hoodie.

I highly recommend the Fargo Marathon. Great atmosphere and organization!

Weather can play a huge role in Lincoln, NE and this year's race was a good example. It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, and the temperature climbed quickly from 60 to 75+.

Aside from the weather, the race is very well organized and the course very well marked. The start is adjacent to the football stadium and there's an indoor practice field with bathrooms where you can hang out until the start. The finish is on the 50 yard line of the football field which was very cool.

Runners are supposedly organized by pace and bib color though I saw zero indication that this was enforced which is too bad. There is a wave start with a minute or so in between each wave. The gun went off at 7 and I crossed the line around 7:10 in the 8:00-8:59 pace wave.

The first several miles felt kind of congested, with lots of weaving and dodging slower runners. I'm not saying I'm a speed demon but people weren't seeded very well and one of the half marathon pace groups had a huge group taking up most of the road. After four or five miles things spread out some and by the 13 mile mark it was wide open!

This race did water stops very well, with not just one or two tables but several spread out over a significant distance with alternating water and Gatorade. I loved this. If you missed your shot at the first table it was ok, there were a few more chances just steps away. They also had lids and straws on their paper cups which was crazy to me at first but so nice. Additionally, it was a hot day and the water was SO nice and cold. It was kind of amazing actually. Pouring it on my head felt great. People were giving out bags and cups of ice too, which was a lifesaver in the second half as there was little to no shade. I also snagged an otterpop which tasted divine.

Overall the course wasn't bad. There were some pretty park areas, residential streets, downtown etc. I would not call the course flat at all though. It's not a monster but there are several hills and the back half has some rollers. I'm okay with hills but it shouldn't be called flat.

Finishing in the stadium was cool and the medal was pretty good. Water and Gatorade, Pepsi, chips and chocolate milk were among the food options at the end. I think half runners cleaned out the cookies and other treats though, those tables were empty.

Again, weather could make or break a race here but I squeaked in under 4 and call that a win. It's a good race with great support from the National Guard and community. I'd recommend it, especially for those running the states. Sign up early, it does sell out.

Zydeco Marathon is a great small town race in Lafayette, LA. It's a good size, not more than a few hundred full runners I'm guessing, with maybe two or three times that number in the half and other distances. It's well organized and well run on a decent course. The city itself has lots to offer in terms of lodging and restaurants, and if you have the time it's probably worth spending a day or so trying to hit a few local spots.

Pro's: Good communication leading up to the race; they even mailed "in training" soft cotton t shirts out weeks before the race. Great surprise!
Decent expo, efficient packet pickup day before, and offered day of
Nice medal and shirt, and a second medal for age group awards
Very well marked course with plenty of volunteers and police
Lots of turns - I was worried about this going in, as a misplaced cone could screw the distance up (like in Chattanooga their inaugural year), but they nailed it and it actually kept things interesting
Decent course - some nice areas, lovely neighborhoods, around the university. Not bad, and only small hills
Generous beer and food tickets
Staggered start
Great weather - cool, overcast, and the threatening rain never came in
Lots of water stops!

Con's: not a lot of these
Some bumpy roads out there, watch for potholes, but not the race's fault
It's southern LA, the weather could do anything
Because it was cold and windy, hanging around the finish area wasn't going to happen; space blankets would have been nice

Overall: I thought they did a great job with the race. Number one in my book is correctly measured and marked, especially with lots of turns, and they definitely accomplished this. They kept runners informed leading up to the race, the route never felt too crowded and there were plenty of police and volunteers along the route. Great attention to detail. I'm guessing this RD makes his race better and better each year. I'd definitely recommend it for Louisiana.

I'll start by saying that yes, I would recommend this marathon, but only if you know what you're getting into. ODM used to be a point to point race run from Cape May to Sea Isle City. After a few years of runners complaining about the nonstop headwind, the race decided to make it an out and back course starting and ending in Sea Isle City. I can't speak to the original course, but based on over half of this event, I can imagine it was even more of a meat grinder then! Pros and cons:

Pros: Well organized and well marked course; turns obviously marked with signs and cones.
Aid stations every 2.5 miles - decent given it's generally cool this time of year.
Some nice scenery; you run the boardwalk towards the end and the bridges have nice views, but you're also in a lot of neighborhoods.
Great shirt, decent medal, nice AG award.
Race day bib pick up if needed.
Warm tent for awards and food after the race, good options (pastries, sandwiches, broth, coffee, water, and other items).
Instant results.
Nice size event; there is no half, it's a marathon and a 10 miler.

Cons: not a lot of communication - one email after registering, one after they decided to change the course, nothing leading up to the race.
Expo was hard to find, just need to narrow down its location within the conference center (venue personnel there were not helpful until someone showed up who knew where the race expo was).
Plastic cups instead of paper made it difficult to drink on the move without sloshing water or Gatorade all over yourself. Paper lets you pinch the top together to sip more easily while running.
WIND WIND WIND. Since they changed the course, there were a few isolated spots that had a nice tailwind so the first half felt pretty fast. As soon as you round the cone at the halfway point, it's a vicious headwind the entire way back. I was somewhat mentally prepared based on previous years' reviews but it's still like running into a wall.

The location itself was pleasant; nice little restaurants, inns, and local flavor in Sea Isle city. I would have preferred a little bit more communication leading up to the race, but it worked out just fine. I don't have plans to run this race again, it was to cross off New Jersey, but I'm glad I ran it. I felt like I accomplished something more than the usual sense of accomplishment after finishing a marathon. This was number 47 and it was one of the toughest but I was proud of my time and the struggle made it more meaningful. If you are looking for something similar, I'd recommend it. If you're looking for big crowds, lots of on course support, and an easy day, probably not your cup of tea.

Mississippi River Marathon starts in Lake Village, AR and finishes in Greenville, MS. It's a very small race in the deep south but for such a small event, they do a fantastic job with the details, which can make or break a race. The cons:

Weather is unpredictable, which goes for any race, but it got unseasonably warm for this year's race. The saving grace was cloud cover and wind, which helped cool runners, but the sun could bake you if there were no clouds! There's no shade along the course.
Scenery is so-so. It's mostly along a lake and river which is okay, and crosses the Mississippi which is very cool, but otherwise there's not a whole lot to see.
Porta-johns: I know they have this on their radar to fix for next year, the line at the marathon start got long before the race.

Pros:
Fantastic RD and organization. There were water stations almost every mile, which on a hot day, makes a WORLD of difference. Great volunteers and lots of police manning the intersections.
Nice pull-over quarter zip top.
Cool medal!
Great awards for age group winners.
Race day packet pickup if needed.
Half marathon started at a different spot so there was no congestion or merging.
Lots of food at the finish - great spread!
Free race photos!

I'd recommend the race for all of those 'pros' listed above. The cons were fixable or out of their hands. Bottom line is it's a nice low-key race to knock out either Arkansas or Mississippi.