Lincoln Nat'l Guard Marathon

I'm not a super fast runner, I've had heart surgery which has left me struggling to get back to where I was before, but this race is brutal if you're not up in the sub-three hour group. The official start time is 7AM and runners are corralled based on expected finish time. I was honest and just selected 5-hours just so that I wouldn't feel bad being passed by a bunch of other runners - BIG MISTAKE! They only let a hundred or so runners start at a time, then have a pause before the next group is released. By the time I actually crossed the start line it was 7:40AM. Standing around for forty minutes for a start is unacceptable for a race this size. When I "ran" the Dallas Marathon last December it took about 15 minutes to reach the start and that was 12,000 people! The Bolder Boulder has close to 50,000 and it's more efficient.I'm a very honest person, but in this case I'm going to recommend that you LIE about your expected finish time so that you don't stand around while the temperature climbs, the humidity climbs, your legs get bored standing around, etc. When you sign up just list your expected finish time as 3-hours. Unless the organizers do something about making the start more efficient that's what I suggest.Aside from the horrible start experience the entire rest of the event has really good spectator turn out, awesome support from the National Guard at every turn, and a pretty cool finish inside Husker Stadium (even if you aren't a Husker fan). I wore my shirt the day after the marathon and discovered that it had a large section of hem that wasn't sewn and was unraveling. I sent a polite email to the race organizers and they mailed me a replacement shirt - good luck getting that kind of customer service from everyone.

I have run the Half Marathon in this event for the past two years. To note when you register, you need to know when registration for this event opens. For the 2015 event, it sold out in seven hours. There is a cap of 12,500 athletes total for both the half and the full versions of this. EXPO & PACKET PICK-UP: you will need to make sure you leave plenty of time to get your packet. The Expo is pretty large, so you will do a fair amount of walking around and shopping. The packet pick-up process is very well organized. Make sure to know what your race number is, as you will need it when you arrive for your packet. If you don't have it, you can look it up, but that just forces you to stand in another line and wait.PASTA DINNER: The Pasta dinner is free, so you should make sure to eat there on Saturday night! Many racers bring family and friends, who are also welcome to eat for free! ACCOMMODATIONS: While this is out of the event's control, hotels in the area for this weekend fill very quickly. It also happens to be the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meeting in Omaha, so many people end up staying in Lincoln for that meeting and commuting. When you register, you should get a hotel room! AirBnB is not very popular in Lincoln as of this writing, so you may have issues if you want to go down the "non-traditional" route. RACE: The start of the race is my least-favorite part. They do a wave start, since part of the race uses the trail system, which tends to get crowded. The start takes close to an hour. If you are a slower runner like me, it will be at least 45 minutes for you to cross the starting line. Take this into account on race morning. The half marathon course itself is pretty flat, although there is about a 1/3 of a mile stretch at mile 8.5 that goes uphill, and your tired legs will hate. Other than that, it's flat and fast. you can expect any type of weather on race day as well, since this is the first weekend in May. They have had years where it has snowed, or even last year when it was BRUTALLY hot and humid. You just never know what to expect. In terms of course support, there is quite a bit. you will have spectators for the majority of the half marathon course, but for the marathon course, the fans really drop off. I've found there to be a good number of aid stations that are adequately supplied as well.POST-RACE: The post-race food is good. However, I wish they didn't make you walk so far before handing you a water. You finish on the 50 yard-line of Memorial Stadium, and then they funnel you in under the stadium before you have the opportunity to eat or drink anything. After you have initially cool-down, head over to the Champion's Club for another FREE meal. I love this race, and will continue to sign up as long as I live in the area!

I PR'd this marathon in spite of the heat. The first half was lined with spectators and very exciting but when the half marathon turned off it became quiet. I finished at 3:09 and ran into a lot of congestion at the finish line aid station. Only suggestion would be to widen it out at the finish line. That said the medical was spot on and I saw them grabbing people that "didn't look well" and taking them to medical. The massage stations were very quick and very efficient. Overall a very good marathon, maybe create a marathon relay so the crowd support would be there throughout the full marathon.

Highly organized and well managed event. They've certainly bulked up the entry number, which is a definite problem on the bike path. This will be a disaster soon if the entry number keeps increasing. Finishing on the 50 yard line at Memorial is great. I wouldn't exactly say this was a pure flat race as Brian suggests... the course has changed since I've ran it in 2005, 2007, and 2013. I counted 5 good sized, lengthy hills in the first 13 alone. I'll be back next year.... GO BIG RED!