Lost Dutchman Marathon Events

Runner Comments and Feedback

Lost Dutchman Marathon 2010

We think Lost Dutchman Marathon is a terrific event, but don't just take our word for it. Every year we get lots of positive feedback. See what runners from around the country have had to say about our race.

2010 Feedback

The new half marathon course is awesome!!!! Great job to the volunteers and organizers...This race is without question 10x better than PFChangs, we'll be back again next year!! Congrats on a well run race Grady, you definitely know what you are doing and what it takes to put together a successful event. Having all the distance options makes it great that all levels can participate too.

Heather Fetter - Mesa, AZ

Everyone had the best time at the race. We had about 15 people in our group (family affair - cousins/friends). We've been coming out each year since 2004. This is last year for our daughter since she'll be in college next year (back east). Our son is already in college (freshman) in Minnesota (and runs distance events/XC). However, the rest of the cousins and friends still plan to continue to come out each year. I attached a picture of some of the girls after the race. I'll be writing a comment/feedback on the web site this evening. Thanks again for a great event!

Pam Schweitzer - Queen Creek, AZ

Thanks for the great race experience. I came out from Minnesota with four members of my running club to run the marathon. All of us were impressed with your race. The start area fires and sunrise on the cacti were wonderful. Someone told me the course was only pretty for the first six miles. I disagree. I found it interesting throughout (well maybe not along Highway 60 - but all the rest). Your volunteers were enthusiastic and incredibly friendly. The finish area was nicely laid out and the amenities were great. I'm grateful you and the board were able to keep this marathon going in spite of the Rock & Roll tsunami. Keep up the good work.

David Shannon - Shoreview, MN

Sunday was my first Lost Dutchman 1/2 marathon but my 5th half marathon. I have to say that it was by far the best I have done so far! You guys did a great job! I had a great time and will be back next year!

Laura Del Guidice - Chandler, AZ

Thank you for a wonderful event! Your small marathon rivals the big guys on all measures. Great job. Your 10th next year is a great milestone. See you next year!

Patrick Albregts

I enjoyed the Race! Great organization, registration process, etc. Aid Station Volunteers were frequent and enthusiastic! The area and overall race layout on the edge of town were a "different" experience, with beautiful morning scenery. Great Race!

Jim Gramm - Dallas TX

Class act! Great event, well organized and you even called the shots for great weather. I brought a crew from Tucson with me including two fellows who just had their 50th birthday that chose this race for their first marathon after I suggested they try it....they loved it! and both did well. The new course was great, volunteers were excellent at the aid stations, shuttles were quick, medals were beautiful, awards were very nice and the course was superbly marked - mile markers were RIGHT on! Thanks for your effort in making this a great experience for all of us.

Elisa Kinder - Tucson, AZ

What a great race... really well organized, friendly and also wonderful to follow as a spectator. My husband was the runner - I followed around and waved support. He's run the Portland and Seattle marathons several times - but this was my favorite... thank you for all of your hard work! My husband is Dave Wenzel, he is 51 and finished 2nd in his division - Clydesdale.... This is the first time he has placed. Thank you again - great race! Warmly,

Hollis Wenzel

Thanks again for helping me out and reserving a bib # for me. The Lost Dutchman was a wonderful 8th Marathon in my quest for 50. The race was phenomenal and the volunteers/support before, during, and after the race was outstanding. I've already started recommending it to my fellow running buddies. Cheers!

David K. Cline

Congratulations for the great race you offered the runners yesterday! I have a great deal of respect for the energy, effort and love you put into organizing such an event. Please, send my best to your wife who welcomed me so warmly after the finish line. Running a third marathon in two weeks (after Miami & Sedona) was not an easy task but I gave my best effort and felt really, really happy I ended my running trip in your beautiful region.

Pascal Silvestre - Paris. France

WOW...WOW...WOW....I love the Lost Dutchman half marathon! I did the race last year and was impressed. I looked forward to doing it again this year and was not disappointed. The new course was great, the volunteers were awesome; I love the girl scouts and boy scouts handing out water, the great hometown feel, the view is like no other and I LOVE THE MEDALS!!!! You by far give out the best looking medals I have ever seen!!!!! If I had to change anything, it would be that the race shirts could represent the Lost Dutchman theme like the awesome medals do. Other than that...please...please do not change a thing. I will be back every year and will tell all my friends about what an incredible run you put on.

Julie Moore - Queen Creek, AZ

On behalf of Team HOV (Hospice of the Valley,) thank you for a fantastic day of racing yesterday! You made it possible for me to organize runners/walkers of all abilities from our organization to train and participate in the Lost Dutchman events. For many of them, this was the first time to participate in a running/walking event. The scenery was breath taking, the weather perfect, the volunteers and spectators oh so friendly and helpful, but most of all the organization of the event was outstanding. From the pre-race communication, to the packet pick up, to the shuttle service, to the aid stops, and more, you coordinated a first rate event. This was my 21st marathon, and it doesn't get any better than the Lost Dutchman. Please share our appreciation with your entire team on a job well done. Congratulations.

Jody Goldman - Scottsdale, AZ

This was my first race and what a wonderful event it was. Great first one to try out because now I will be coming back for more. Very well organized, wonderful and helpful volunteers and such a beautiful location to be running in. Thank you for everyone's effort who put on such an awesome event.

Thanks for a fabulous event. Well-organized, lots of fun! Truly a best-kept secret. I loved experiencing the smell of the desert at sunrise, and the early morning light on the surrounding mountains. I liked the home-town feel of the event. All of the volunteers were so friendly and helpful. The seniors, boy and girl scouts, Explorer Scouts, all the law enforcement staff. I apologize that I have probably left some groups out, please extend our appreciation to everyone who made the 9th Annual Lost Dutchman event a memorable day for thousands of us folks. It's like Apache Junction opened its home to us for the day. Thanks, and we will see you again next year.

Hi there! Loved the race and am already planning on doing it again next year. I was so surprised that I got a ½ Marathon PR

Syndie McNaughton - Cave Creek, AZ

What a pleasure to "Run For The Gold". My 5th time in 9 years all in the 10K. Improvements made by you are the following:

Keep up the great work and looking forward to the 10th Annual LDM Weekend, time sure is flying by! Congrats to you and your organization. Honestly, I keep coming back because the medals are AWESOME!!! Thanks again and look forward to 2011

William McGowan - Mesa, AZ

Great race today! Very well run, helpful full volunteers, fun course. Thank you for the great event and all of the wonderful people who made the race happen. Best Regards,

Ted Braun - Mesa, AZ

I ran your half marathon course after reading all the accolades and had to add my own. I've run several Halves with varying numbers of runners and this is by far the BEST! The course is beautiful, but the volunteers and organization of the entire event are what make it an incredible experience! Everything was so well planned, well supported, well marked...I just can't say enough! Thank you so much for all the work you put into making this a joy of an event! I flew all the way from Seattle to take part in this event and plan to make this a yearly MUST DO! Maybe next year I'll have the courage to do the Full, just to make the great experience last that much longer!

Mary Anne Lappier - Seattle, WA

Loved this event! Ran the10K with my husband. This was my third race ever, so I am a beginner. Loved the course. Well managed event. All the volunteers were fabulous. Loved the hot burritos at the finish because I was starving! I'm only bummed that they ran out of 10K medals. My husband gave me his for Valentine's Day though! Look forward to running faster next year.

I just want to compliment you all on a wonderful race. I last raced this course in 2008 and was reminded today what a beautiful course it is. Not to mention, the wonderful support along the entire race route! I was also struck by how polite all the runners were - not only to each other but to the volunteers as well. That is not something I normally see in 1/2 marathon races. Thank you very much for putting together such a fantastic event. It is one that I will definitely participate in again in the coming years.

Kerri Zitar - Chandler, AZ

What a great event! The expo was well organized, start times and staging went smoothly, and the course provided a nice challenge for my third 10K. I ran a personal best 54:41 even though my shoes were too tight and I was a bit congested. My wife and I earned medals and will wear them proudly on our first day back at work. We'll see you next year - maybe for the half!

Michael Buist - Queen Creek, AZ

I ran my very first half marathon at the Lost Dutchman in 2009 after losing 80 pounds. I was so thrilled to run in your event. The scenery is beautiful, the local residents are extremely supportive and the volunteers are wonderful. I love the smaller venue of this race. After such an amazing first experience there of course I had to come back again this year and was not disappointed. Thanks so much for putting on such a great event. I will echo the sentiments of others in that the only thing I would change is the race t-shirts. It would be nice if the design more fit the theme of the area, even something similar to the great design on the medals. And also if the shirts were a tech fabric so we runners could proudly wear them on our runs. The long sleeve cotton shirts are just too hot to run in. Other than that everything is awesome!

Diana Huffman - Gilbert, AZ

Congrats on such a well-organized event!! We had a ton of fun partly because there was a buffet of events, and we did it as a family. I did the full, my husband did the half, and our 13 year old daughter ran her first 10K. And we all PR'd. The marathon course was an interesting route—an easy first 6 miles of packed dirt while listening to the cactus wrens and feeling the warmth of the rising sun, some flat highway stretches for distance viewing, and then some undulating washes/hills in neighborhoods. The volunteers from the kids/scouts/parents were awesome. And the seniors were out in force. Ya-hoo!! It was like taking Heed from mom and having dad point out the potholes, literally. I loved the attention! LD is now on our radar. See you next year.

Jan, Rick, Julie - New Mexico

Wow! Awesome race! My wife had the best race of her life; she took 7 minutes off her time! Plus this was my first race after my back surgery 2 years ago and it went great! We will be back for sure (...and registering early!) Thanks again and see you next year!

Kevin Renwick  - Gilbert, AZ

Wonderful job on Saturday's and Sunday's events. Very well organized and a lot of fun—should make this community very very proud! Thanks for all the blood, sweat and tears.

Roger Hacker - City of Apache Junction

My girlfriend and I have been coming to AZ together for the last three years and running the 10K event each of those years. I don't know what it is about running the Lost Dutchman 10K but each and every year the energy from this area keeps me going. It's absolutely beautiful to run down here! The race is always well organized, the medals are the best in racing, the new course is great and the aid stations were awesome. I feel guilty not utilizing them but they keep spirits up. I've yet to run the full marathon but after driving to and hiking the Peralta Trail I'm starting to think it's a must-do marathon. The scenery is truly amazing as is the race. Great job Lost Dutchman Team!!

Kevin Brown - Bellevue, NE

What a great event!! I couldn't sign up due to waiting until the last minute, but still couldn't resist pacing a friend through her first marathon from about mile 6 through to the finish. As a participant in 20+ years of races from 5k's to Marathons, I can say this was one of the very best and well-organized races I've ever experienced. Keep up the great work and next year I'll sign up early!

John Schultz

This was my second year out. I ran the half last year and the full this year. What a great event! Well organized, great Web site with all the right information, an all around great experience! Please thank all the wonderful volunteers and workers. What a nice, happy, helpful group of people! This was my first full marathon, and although the course is challenging, the beautiful route and support along the way made it a great one. Thanks again. See you next year.

Barry Oleksak - Phoenix, AZ

I have been a loyal supporter of the LDM since 2002, having participated every year except one. There is little or nothing to criticize, much to praise, and I hope you keep things the same year after year, including the long-sleeve T-shirts. I tried the marathon this year, and completed it. A wonderful experience and I hope to be back next year for the marathon.

Bill Vallicella - Gold Canyon, AZ

Phenomenal! What an incredible race! I had only done large urban marathons previous to the Lost Dutchman, and now, I'm never going back to the city running. From the camp fires at the start of the race, to the sight of the sun rise reaching across the desert landscape and illuminating the red cliffs looming above the race route, to the fantastic volunteers at the aid stations, the marathon was amazing. The organization and logistics were unparalleled. Thank you for a one-of-a-kind experience.

Brett Major - Phoenix, AZ

THANK YOU!! The Lost Dutchman Half Marathon was a great race and one of our new favorites! It was so organized and everyone was so kind and helpful. We plan to make it an annual tradition. Keep up the GREAT work. By the way...my aunt Maris Love found a little Valentine bow in her race bag to wear on her shoe. We did not see anyone else with that bow and we were wondering if you knew anything about it. Maybe with her last name of Love and it being Valentine's Day someone doing race bags might have put it in there for her? Just a thought. It was a really sweet touch and she felt special because of it. So thank you to whomever that was.

Shonda Love Richardson - Tucson , AZ

Feedback Welcome

We welcome and encourage your feedback on our event.  We read everything and seriously consider all advice and criticism with the objective of making the Lost Dutchman Marathon better every year.

Nearly all feedback is published to our web site, however we may not post angry comments about specific isolated instances or those strictly offering advice. Editing is limited to cosmetic changes.

Grady McEachern - Race Director