Bismarck Marathon vs Fargo Marathon — Marathon Comparison

Ron's review of 2026 race.   

Review

Good course. Lots of volunteers and very friendly and encouraging. The shirt is one of my favorites. I would have liked more runners in the race because sometimes it got rather spaced out, 500 to 600 is a good number for me. I wish they would have had age group awards this year, that was the only draw back for me. I would definitely recommend it.

Race Tips

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

wer's review of 2024 race.   

Review

Small aid stations almost every mile. They were staffed with cheerful volunteers that really made my day. Nice swag, too- black hoodie and knit cap- I feel like a longshoreman.

Potential for perfect weather given the date- we got 40s to start and maybe high 60s at the end.

The course itself is pretty narrow, often on sidewalks or paved trails, especially until the half runners split off at mile 7 or so. Some very pretty running over the river and back- but alot kind of monotonous in residential neighborhoods.

There is lots of parking at the start, and access was very easy.

Race Tips

The last three miles are uphill and were pretty tough, first up from a park on a steep grade to a highway- then along side the highway for a while into downtown. This was the least pleasant part of the race and was really hard after 23 miles. Save some energy for the finish.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Park at the capitol. Lots of parking. Flying in and out of Bismarck is a snap, but you really need a car once you're there. I'd planned to Uber but couldn't get one from the airport to the packet pickup. Luckily there were lots of affordable rental cars.

Billy Goat's review of 2018 race.   

Review

The marathon is well organized and supported by the community. The course is well marked. There was plenty of support and aid stations along the course. The out and back portions did not have a way to track if everyone did the out and back. In fact, this years women's winner should be in question for the following reasons - A couple of runners witnessed her jumping into a bush and later coming out in the first out and back section. One runner passed her while she was walking. Then later, the same runner passed her again. Several runners don't recall seeing her in the out and back sections of the course. But there wasn't any hard evidence to disqualify the winner who got away with a win and a course record with a bonus. The directors initially turned everyone away that complained. But, later they did some more investigation and stood by their recollection of the results, even though a number of runner were certain the winner had cheated.

Race Tips

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

JM's review of 2024 race.   

Review

Maybe I came during an off year, but I had higher hopes for this race. First, the race started adjacent to the dome in 2024. The pre-race area was lack luster. I didn't bring any warm clothing thinking I would be inside the dome. Second, the weather was much warmer this year. Usually that's not a problem as I live in a warmer, humid climate. However, I was blown away at the lack of water stops especially in the last 13 miles of the marathon. I think there were 4 small tables from mile 14-26. I consumed a lot of extra gels/salt tabs during the first half of the race, but I was dying of thirst around mile 18. Last, they changed the course at the 11th hour due to flooding. My watch said there was nearly 600 feet of elevation gain during the marathon. Still fairly flat, but over twice the normal elevation gain of the original course. There were some positives such as crowd support, volunteers, and swag. Overall, I won't return to this one.

Race Tips

It's very sunny course. Bring a hat. Also consider carrying your own water.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Parking is literally steps away from the start line.

EO's review of 2024 race.   

Review

I have run this race (10K or half ) every year since 2006 and it was always awesome! But 2024 race was not the usual class-act it was known to be. Totally missed the start and finish in the Fargodome where we could stay warm Until the start. Packet pick-up at Concordia was a crowded nightmare. took forever to get a parking spot and got pushed through the expo like it was a cattle drive. No cool UnderArmour swag bag either - still an okay race but just not what it used to be. I Was hoping change-up was a one and done deal, but looks like 2025 is a repeat of last year.

The course itself has plenty of turns but is flat, and is a nice tour of Fargo-Moorhead. Volunteers, crowd support still top-notch!

Race Tips

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Jeff's review of 2023 race.   

Review

This was an excellent race. The route is as flat as can be. The Fargodome is a nice venue, great for keeping warm before the race, loads of restrooms, and easy parking. Great volunteer presence throughout the race. Prepare for a lot of turns. One improvement could be tracking/results communication.

Race Tips

Prepare for turns, focus on tangents to avoid excess mileage. The route couldn't be more flat, a couple underpasses are the only real inclines/declines to speak of.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Pay attention to race time, the 13.1 started at 7:30 and 26.2 at 7:45. This initially concerned me, but the routes diverge immediately so it's not an issue.

George's review of 2023 race.   

Review

Volunteers, crowd support and the community were awesome. It was really nice to be able to wait inside the Fargo Dome before the race. The sun came up at 5:30am so I do not know why the race director waited until 7:45am to start the marathon. The sun was high in the sky by the time we started so it was too hot for me by the time we finished. Course has a lot of turns. I was getting dizzy. The post race food was ice cream, donuts and chocolate milk. Nothing salty and no beer. There was supposed to be an after party later in the afternoon in another location. Why you would not have it immediately following the race at the finish line is beyond me. We made plans to celebrate somewhere else closer to our hotel which was lucky because apparently they cancelled the after party but did not announce it.

Race Tips

Get ready for a lot of turns. The roads are really rough so you will have to watch your footing like a trail race not a road race. Race has a late start so plan to be running in the heat of the day.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

Since the race starts inside, try going outside just before you line up to start and get your watch to connect to the satellites that way it will connect faster once the race starts and you leave the dome.

RS's review of 2017 race.   

Review

This was my first marathon and BQ after 20 years of shorter distances, and it was excellent. Extremely well run and organized. Starting and finishing indoors was unique and set a gold standard. The course is a bit twisty, but excellent, with good scenery, and race support.

Race Tips

About as flat as you could expect, except for the short but steep underpass around mile 24/25. Coming into the finish you get a nice gentle downhill heading into the dome.

Logistical Tips (Hotels, Restaurants, Parking, Discounts, etc.)

The breweries in town are excellent, and everyone is extremely supportive of race participants. Plenty of parking an hour before race time right at the FargoDome. Bathrooms and showers inside the Dome are all open as well.