Casper Marathon

From start to finish, it's clear that the race operators love a festive atmosphere! Packet pickup was held at a local brewery, and 21+ types get a free beer THERE in addition to beers at the post-race party. The party is well-stocked with excellent food, and there's live music!

The swag is excellent. A shuttle is offered from the finish area to the start, though distance between the two is minimal (though up a big ol' hill).

The race begins at the Wyoming Center, which is indoors, so you have that going for you, which is nice.

The RD and the people who volunteered were affable and great company.

You are running at altitude, so be mindful, and prepare yourself in advance if you're a sea-level kid like me.

The course is definitely "rolling" and heading into "hilly" territory; it's the mountains.

The course is marked tolerably well, but it's still possible to take a wrong turn if you're not careful; I saw a half-marathoner hit the marathon course by accident, and she didn't realize it for a while. Watch the ground, and if you see "NO" spray-painted, don't run there. Follow the arrows.

The Ramkota Hotel is within easy walking distance of the race's finish, as are several other hotels.

Casper is easy to reach via Denver (whether you drive or fly) and compares favorably to other marathons in the state in terms of price.

I chose this race because the of date. It allowed me to complete Wyoming and Montana (following weekend at Governor's Cup) in a single trip, while vacationing in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone in between. There aren't really a whole lot of options in Wyoming anyways.

The race director and course were new for this year and they did seem to be short on volunteers per a Facebook post. The expo, pre and post race were all great. You get to stay inside before the race with real bathrooms and easy gear check. The post race had a nice spread and free massages.

The only real flaw was on the most important aspect of a marathon, the course. It was not marked, at all. I was in the lead group through the first half and we had no clue what we doing. There was no lead vehicle, arrows or signs. We made wrong turns multiple times and even the volunteers didn't seem clear. The wrong turn that just about everyone made was when looping back around the golf course (side note: that was a horrible course decision. The first loop was fine as it was the first 3 miles and the only runners come upon are the half walkers who started 15min later). I initially went the correct way, but was overruled by the rest of the group when an aid station was spotted on the other side of the street. It should have been before the turn so we could hit it on both passes. Later sections of the trail you were just guessing. It wasn't until the way back that I started seeing arrows in spray paint and duct tape.

Study the route. Not a difficult course with just a couple small hills at the turnaround and on mile 8 or 9 and a massive downhill coming into town on mile 6.

This was one of the better marathons that I have completed. There are many pros to this race. There are at least five hotels within walking distance of the start/finish area and all were reasonably priced. A shuttle was available to the start if desired, but most people won't need it. It is a smaller race (only 120 finishers this year) with a home town feel to it. An indoor waiting area at the start meant that runners could stay warm and dry in the event of cold/inclement weather. There were also REAL indoor bathrooms at the start, and plenty of them. No waiting in lines at porta potties here. It was a scenic course. No skyscrapers, only wide open prairies, mountains in the distance, trees, the river and some wildlife. You can expect sunny weather as this is typical for Casper this time of year. Every aid station had water, Gatorade, GU, oranges slices and watermelon. Aid stations were available every 1.5 to 2 miles. The post race finish area also had these same amenities, with the addition of chocolate milk, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes, apple slices and pineapple at the finish. There were also Pizza Hut pizza and Subway sandwiches, soda and beer. Free beer. Plenty of shade at the finish area, too. There are a couple of drawbacks to the race, too. First, the weather. Yes, I know I listed the weather as a pro, but being sunny meant it warmed up quickly and there is not a lot of shade on the course. Hats and sunglasses are recommended. Miles 6-9 or so are on a curvy section of the bike trail. Be sure to "run the curves" so as not to add any extra distance to your race. The altitude can be an obstacle if you are not used to it. Being a smaller race meant there were not a lot of spectators/supporters on the course, either. Overall, I thought it was a very good marathon. For 50-staters, this should be your Wyoming race!