fargo marathon

This race is so overcrowded that you actually have to run 15 miles to do a half marathon due to all of the people you have to try to run around. There should be corralled starts with time verification to get into each corral. Organizers want to make this bigger and bigger every year. But I won't be going back due to too many runners.

great job organizing! People from all over the world were here! security was visible everywhere, Cant wait for next year!

I've participated in the past five years of the Fargo Marathon. When I started I wasn't a runner, and still don't consider myself to be a runner, but the Fargo Marathon is a fun event for people of all abilities. This year I ran the 5K on Friday night and finally took on the Half on Saturday morning. This was my first half and I cannot wait to race my first full in Fargo!

The route was excellent and the marathon atmosphere was fun! I was so glad that I signed up and went through with this. I hope to do it again next year.

This event truly brings the community together. Even if you don't consider yourself to be a "runner" or even an athlete - the Fargo Marathon encourages all to come out, even if you will only be walking.

One of the best half marathons in which I've ran. The expo, pre-race, course, and post-race were all well-organized. The long-sleeved tech shirt and goodie bag were the nicest I've ever received. The city as a whole made us feel very welcome. While it's tempting to think "it's just Fargo, ND" the course was clearly designed to show the best that the cities (Moorehead, too) had to offer as far as parks, neighborhoods, and commercial districts. Lots of fan support along the route and almost as many bands as a Rock 'n' Roll race. This is clearly one of the (if not THE) big events for the city and its residents. Free beer at the finish line, too - very nice. And pizza, chocolate milk, etc. Very nice finisher's medal. The only negative is that a city of this size (with no other decent-sized towns nearby) has trouble with hotel space when hosting a huge event like this. We paid almost $200 for a night at a LaQuinta Inn, and we booked about 4-5 months in advance. So book your hotel as soon as you register.

The Fargo Marathon was great. The event was very well organized. The Fargo community really makes the event special. People along the race route were supportive and friendly. It was an awesome experience. Lodging can be tough to find, we've already reserved our room for next year!

I participated in my third Fargo Marathon this Year. I don't run a marathon. This year I did the 5K on Friday night and the 10K on Saturday. So, I did the "Go Far Challenge" and got an extra participation metal for that. The shirts, sports bags, and medals were fantastic. The crowds (both in the races and on the sidelines) were fantastic. There are world class runners there; I am a jogger. All levels of runners are accommodated well, and have a great time. The related events, bands, booths, and volunteers always make this a great event. There are thousands of people that participate.

This was my first half marathon and I'm glad I choose Fargo. The course is nice and flat, the spectators where great, and the swag is awesome. Will definitely do it again next year!!

I travel around the U.S. running marathons. This is a marathon in my 43rd state so I have seen quite a bit. I would put this experience in my top 3 because of the involvement of the entire city. I expect to see a lot of people at Chicago or L.A., but Fargo they all come out to support AND run. The 5K on Friday night was HUGE@! The marathon Saturday was special because the people line the streets and cheer you on. The people made the race. Finish was in downtown Fargo! The post race party on Saturday night was one more reason. Definite recommendation for this race. Great Job Fargo!

If your looking for a marathon to run. Fargo really does a good job putting on a great weekend for all types of runners. Lots of Bling for the runners. The Marathon course winds around alot of neighborhoods and that can get old. But, the fans, bands and all is good!!. This year the marathon ended on Broadway. Not as nice as going to the Fargo dome. So hopefully the next run goes back to the Fargo Dome. After party with Pop rocks and Hairball was awesome. Stopped at 10pm which was disappointing. But, great family weekend for all

If you are wanting to run or walk in an event that is first class, then this is for you. They go above and beyond to make sure you will experience a fantastic time during the race and throughout the city of Fargo/Moorhead.

The 5k on Friday night is so fun even if you just take a leisurely walk. There's a great feeling all day at the marathon events on Saturday whether you compete or not. Bring a noisemaker and go cheer on the athletes, the music is always great and everyone is so nice on marathon day.The swag in the race bags are great and the Swanson Health Products Expo is full of goodies and food, a must do!

The traffic was minimal as we went early. Very well organized and the weather was awesome! Can't wait to go again next year back to the dome.

My quest is to do a half in every state and DC so this was my ND race. The registration is very easy and the communication from registration to race time was just right. Not too much and not too little. I love that they tell you what your bib number is (had not seen that before) and that they email you after the race with your results. Again a nice personal touch. I know I can time myself and look it up myself but still. Wasn't expecting the runner tracking, which was a nice surprise. Didn't work when my friend tried it on her phone but my friends who tracked me on their desk/lap tops had no trouble. Well organized race. Very smart to get runners into the starting line and into their places early. I did the Sarasota half and heard no cues to get in line. By the time I got to the starting line, the area for my pace was packed and I couldn't get in there, plus the start line was completely barricaded. I had to start with the walkers and weave my way after the race started. So making clear announcements and getting runners in line early is a good thing. Enjoyed the course--bridge start, foray into MN, a nice distance on a pretty street with oak trees lining the sides, a short time through Concordia college. Flat as they advertised. My knees are grateful. Crowd support was fantastic! Loved all the residents, especially the ones serving orange slices. Didn't use the "beer and bacon" station but funny that a resident set that up. Music set up all over the course. I don't run with headphones anyway so I'm used to it but music along the way is always helpful. Posters were entertaining, loved the cheer squads and people dressed up in costume to cheer us on.Good amount of port-o-lets at the start and during the course--lines were short. Post-race food and entertainment also good. My only suggestion for next year--the finish area needs more signage to direct runners to the various finish-line things. Had a hard time finding the post-race refreshments and they were all on one big table so there was a lot of congestion. I would suggestion putting the same refreshments on different tables so runners can be dispersed. Thanks for the cheese pizza though. I always need some sort of greasy junky food after a race. Balanced with the bananas, it was perfect. :-) Complimentary video of my finish--totally awesome! I have so many races to do in other states so I doubt I will do this one again but I highly recommend it!!! Great race!