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We Walk! 2009 Feedback

 

2009 is the first year for the We Walk! Marathon and Half Marathon.

 

This is the first time that Dave Daubert and Bruce Leasure have put on a point-to-point marathon and half marathon. Many of you gave us wonderful comments and suggestions about the event. We want to make the next event better by learning from this year's event. So, if you have anything you especially liked, or anything that you'd like changed, please let us know. Even if you told us on the day of the race, it would be good to drop us a note anyway, as we may have forgotten it with what else was going on. Just send an e-mail to: info@walkonmn.org.

 

The e-mail feedback we received so far:

 

 

Hi everyone,

 

Highlight and the full set on the two links

 

We Walk! Highlights
Photos

 

Please use in any way.You can download photos or use a link to the site.
Let me know if there are any problems.
 

GREAT FUN !!! THANKS AGAIN

 

Will & Leslie Loew-Blosser

 

 

Dear Dave and Bruce,

 

Sherry, Scott, and I would like to express our thanks for the great job that was done by all of you (staff and volunteers) involved in the planning and execution of the marathon. On the drive home to Waukesha/Kenosha, we all agreed that the time training and the trip to St. Joseph were made worthwhile by the delightful experience we had. We were very happy to be a part of the first (annual) We Walk Marathon and wish all of you future success.

 

By way of comments we would share the following:

  1. The choice of St. Benedict’s was excellent! The accommodations are reasonably priced, clean, quiet, safe and secure. While we have had limited experience with pre-race/walk dinners, we judged the We Walk spaghetti dinner as the best.
  2. The choice of the Lake Wobegon Trail was excellent! It provided a level, asphalt paved walkway; several small villages to pass through; a limited number of public street crossings (most of which were low traffic volume roads); a beautiful natural setting with lakes, rivers, streams, and woods in addition to the agricultural setting; and had the advantage of parallel public roads in close proximity for any needed support. While Dave mentioned cautions regarding the crossings of roadways we noted that every single time we encountered vehicles at the crossings the drivers slowed and waited for us to cross first. (Either you folks did quite a bit of advance community public relations work or else the vehicle operators residing near the bike Trail are incredibly courteous.)
  3. The staffing was excellent—support was where we were told it would be and they were congenial, encouraging, and supportive despite the length of time they had to man the stations in the relatively cold and windy conditions. The drink-cache stations were easy to find and well stocked, even as we—dragging the back end with us- followed up the main group of walkers.
  4. The start/finish line logistics were great. The gentleman who greeted us at the school in Melrose was extremely gracious and it was good to have full facilities available at the walk start. The walk finish food and drink were more than plentiful and arranging to have transportation back to the residence hall at St. Benedict was quite thoughtful.
  5. All of the materials associated with the marathon were professionally executed—from the web site, to the maps and materials at the check in station, to the shirts, to the mile posting signs on the trail (you can’t imagine how difficult it was to avoid the temptation to secure one as a souvenir), to the medals (first time we participated in an event that awarded medals to half marathoners.)
  6. With respect to the web site for the marathon, I felt that it was very good—not only pleasant to the eye, but also functional!
  7. Finally, the incredibly quick posting of times/results and the event photographs is wonderful.

 

By way of suggestion we would note the following information additions to the marathon web page:

 

  1. Advise potential participants that St. Benedict does provide full linen service with their rooms—towels, wash cloth, soap, and drinking glass.
  2. Advise potential participants that a late checkout can be accommodated.
  3. Advise potential participants that food and beverages are provided at the start location.
  4. Advise potential participants of the type/brand of drink available at aid/cache locations.
  5. Indicate that transportation is available from the finish line to the college residence hall.

 

Our experience has been limited to three marathons and one half marathon in Wisconsin. Each of these has sought and secured various levels of corporate sponsorship which might help defray a part of your costs. In particular I would suggest you research the Fox Cities Marathon held in late September/early October. That marathon engages residents of the communities through which the course is laid out to man the aid stations. While I am not suggesting that you need as many stations as they provide, that marathon has a station every mile with the volunteers dressing in costume representing the theme of the station i.e. “clown corner”, 1950’s sock hop, “zoo”, athletic teams and so forth. The level of support and encouragement is very enthusiastic and generates a high level of energy for the event participants as well as the communities’ residents.

 

We have some photographs that we would like to share with you and the marathon and based on your suggestions will do so. Secondly, the cookies provided at the finish line were fantastic! We understand that Phil had provided the cookies—please extend a hearty “THANK YOU” to him for us. In addition, could he please sent us the recipe?

 

Sincerely,

Don Martinson

 

 

Dave, Bruce and the other volunteers,

 

It was a wonderful event. Leslie & I found everyone to be so friendly and supportive. The weather was perfect (that’s a Minnesota version of ‘perfect’). The trail was beautiful. In short LETS DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR!!

 

Thank you also for the judging.. I am learning that knee thing... Believe it or not I was working on Bruce’s great suggestions from the 5k spring.. But practice makes perfect so back to the track, for the next goal - Straight knee, straight knee, straight knee......

 

Best regards
Will & Leslie Loew-Blosser

 

 

The walk was beautiful. Very nice trail. I hope to do it again next year with a group of people. The bathroom situation wasn't good for women. We did the half Marathon and there was only one port-a-potty that we came along. My sister was forced to go in the woods because there was water stations but no bathrooms. By the time we got to the bathroom we only had about 4 miles left. So that along with better directions and signs.. Other wise thank you and it was a great walk.

 

Heidi Smith

 

 

Hi Dave & Bruce,

 

Looks like our finish line photo didn't make the website, so here it is to add. It was quite an experience and the trail was beautiful. Your support team was great too.

 

Lisa St George & Norah Knudsen

 

[note - photo added to Bruce's pictures on the results page]

 

 

Thanks again for putting on a well-organized event!

 

I am amazed that all of the data and pictures were added to the website so
quickly. And there were so many of them!

 

I appreciate your monitoring of us throughout the race. And I like the DQ
column you created. After all, how often are the walkers in the majority at
a race? It's about time we gave the walkers some respect and not consider
them weak and inferior ("back of the pack") to the runners!

 

I remember at the start when Bruce admonished Roger for jogging a little by
telling all of us that this was a walking event. Roger and I managed to keep
us with Lori at the beginning of the race. I promised Lon the night before
that I would keep an eye on her, since it was her first attempt at a
marathon. But I could not sustain the 15 minute mile pace she was walking. I
noticed that Roger was having the same problem. After a few miles both of
them were way ahead of me. I think I saw Roger jog a little to catch up with
her at one point then, also. But I agree with you, he was also fast!

 

Thanks for having the two girls at some of the water/food stops. They were
very sweet. I ended up walking the whole thing by myself, so it was nice to
have somebody to talk to. What annoyed me was how clean the trail was. Even
though we wanted to throw down our empty G2 bottles and candy wrappers, we
stuffed them in our pockets until we got to the next trash receptacle. That
gave me my only idea for an improvement: it would be better to have the
discarded clothing container be a different color or style, to separate it
from the trash containers. And the other idea would be to remind us that the
weather in Minnesota can still be cold at this time of year. If the
temperature prediction is very low, be prepared for wind chill with a cap,
gloves, and leg tights/trousers in addition to layers on top.

 

Yes, I am sure you are proud of yourselves for producing such a successful
event.

 

Tom Peterson
Waterloo, IA

 

 

Thanks again.

Hope to see you all next year.

Please bring 100 of your closest friends.

 

Dave Daubert, race director

Bruce Leasure, assistant to the race director