Race is very well organized. Lots of runners were waiting in the Hy-vee waiting to start. Course is not flat but hills are quite manageable even for this flat Florida girl and having run Kansas City the day before. First ~16 miles are downtown or residential so definitely some spectators out and there are a few miles of out and back so you see your fellow runners. After that, there is a brief wooded area and the open field/park areas so spectators really dwindle. Volunteers were great and someone must have complained about port a potties in the past because THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. serisouly if there is a line at one just wait half a mile (if that) and there will be another one!

Holiday Inn on MLK Blvd (right at mile 2) is great place to stay and they have a shuttle that will take you to the start morning of!

A well run marathon and a good value for what it cost for what you get.
A good expo, post race party and race start. The course is nice and has some nice scenery. I look forward to running this again but since it is hilly I would not run this if I was looking to try for a PR or trying to BQ.
I would stay in one of the many downtown hotels and just walk to the start.
The race SWAG was great. One of the better medal and they gave a nice vest versus a t-shirt.
The pacers were very good and the finish/ start line had plenty of bathrooms.

Great Race. Lots of hills until mile 9. tons of restrooms. 7 hrs. time limit.
Good race to knock Iowa state off.

This was a very well run race with plenty of volunteer support. Even support people on bikes. Also there were a lot of neighborhood residents sitting out cheering us on.

This is a beautiful course. Be prepared for some uphill the first 8 or so miles. You run around the track at Drake University and around the lakes before heading back into downtown. Well supported race with excellent volunteers and spectators.

Race is very well organized and expertly managed. Hilly first 9 miles on the course. Great run through Drake University and the track where the Drake Relays are held. Good spectator support for a lot of the course until you hit the trails along the river and lake. Music galore throughout which helps later in the race along the river. Parking availability within 1/2 mile of start/finish is great.

Love races with shorter events the day prior and the Mercy One 5-Miler did not disappoint on Saturday despite the rain.

I enjoyed this run and ran it for “fun” vs time. The route was mostly asphalt with cement now and then. The course seemed 60+% shaded. We had a beautiful sunny day: 43 F at start. Ample water stops: curiously I found 3 of them within a half mile. Only one informal beer stop! The course went through scenic neighborhoods and parks. Between miles 4-8 were the hills. One hill seemed similar to Boston’s “heartbreak” hill, otherwise the course was mostly flat. Parts of the course were out-and-backs, which I dislike. Great volunteer and crowd support! Expo was pretty standard. Swag was a nice run jacket. No finisher shirts given away, but you can buy them online. The finisher chute was odd in how it was oriented for post-run snacks: Better signage needed. Good variety of snacks available once you found it. Race communication was good before and after the race. Good mobile app. I stayed downtown and walked to the start. In hindsight should have stayed in the burbs - less costly.

Enjoyed the start even with so many people running. Had bicycle support with everything you could possibly need throughout the race in addition to the water stops.

Love this race! Beautiful course with lots of support through out! Great entertainment before, during and after the race!

This was a nice well-run race - plenty of well supplied aid stations, and nice post-race food even at 5 hour finish. We had perfect racing weather!

Some minor hills to keep things interesting, but manageable.

he expo was nice size (not too big not too small), the post card in the mail added a nice personal touch. Race start was easy to get to! (Tons of marathon maniacs) The first part of the course had quite a few long inclines winding through beautiful neighborhoods. Mile 12 was race on the blue track of Drake University. The second half began in a nature trail (paved) leading to Waterworks Park then circling around Grays Lake crossing the bridge leading us back in town to the finish.

Aid stations were plentiful, and really like the mobile aid stations on bikes with everything from biofreeze, Kleenex, to Vaseline.

Medals were pretty heavy and had a nice design/color. We also got a nice zip up finishers jacket. Post race party was good with free massages and 2 free beers (however, closes down about the 5 1/2 hour mark, not great for slower runners).

Overall, great race, great production with very friendly people!

I have run this race each year since 2011. Without exception, each time this event has been well managed and well supported. From the expo vendors and volunteers, to the course volunteers at each station, to general community support--absolutely a great experience for runners.

Very hilly. Lots of volunteers and many water/ Gatorade stations!! Post race nutrition could have been better. No clear direction where it was and not immediately seen after crossing finish line.