Waddell & Reed Kansas City Marathon

I finished the 2009 Waddle and Reed Kansas City, MO marathon way back in 2009. Not sure why there isn’t a Unilocal business listing between now and then, as of 12/​28/​2014. Maybe there is, but I can’t seem to find it. Race day was 10/​16/​2009, started in downtown Kansas City, meandered through the surrounding residential areas, into some pseudo industrial areas before snaking back into the downtown areas to finish. It was my first real test to see if I could handle marathons within back to back weekends of each other. So a marathon within 6 – 7 days between, I chose Chicago the week before and planned accordingly. It was a whirlwind and wild experience. To be able to rock 2 marathons in a span of 7 days is pretty thrill, magical, and an experience that just can’t be categorized, defined, or put into words. 2 years later in 2011, I embarked on 2 marathons in 2 days, but that’s another story for another time. But in October 2009, I did just that and the 2009 Waddle and Reed Kansas City marathon proved to be the lightning rod that sparked the marathon maniac in me to kick start this whole 50 States marathon project that I have since completed in 5 years since its creation.
The Waddle and Reed Kansas City marathon was pretty great, since it was a PR race for me, back in my formidable years. You can get to Kansas City through flying or driving, but for me, I chose to fly via United Airlines at the time. It was a direct flight at the time and made it with a week or so for relaxing and recovery before the big day. The Waddle and Reed Kansas City marathon packet pick up was held at the Crown Center in downtown Kansas City. It was pretty cool to be there in luxurious surroundings. The expo was pretty nice, with a lot of vendors selling marathon and running related apparel and accessories, while there are others there selling their business’ wares and services. Whatever you wanted, you probably needed for the marathon. Then again, you may not want to test out anything you have not tried out in training. That’s a golden rule of marathon training for sure. But if you had forgotten something at home, best bet is to find it here at the Kansas City marathon expo for sheer conveience and possibly luck of the draw. The year that I ran it, I got really lucky to stay at the nearby Westin Kansas City Resort & Spa, which was price real nice at the time at under $ 125/​night. Score!
The Waddle and Reed Kansas City marathon is a mid sized marathon, capping out at roughly 10,000 participants. The weather here can dip down into the upper 30’s, but average from the lower to upper 50’s and on up. The race start was very crowded and the sheer number of participants was pretty thick. I love large events, since there is usually always someone slower than you, so you don’t have to be the last one. We left downtown Kansas City on the quest to run 26.2 miles with many others that chilly October morning. It was fun to run amongst other like minded individuals. We logged those miles and saw some pretty nice residential neighborhoods in the early going. It made me sort of think of moving to Kansas City at the time, but that’s a story for another time. There were adequate aid stations and the course support was adequate for the most part. We didn’t have much of a cheer section in the 2^nd half, but that’s alright though. For my experience, it was great, since I scored a PR, a personal best at the time. It was a great feeling to finish that time and pushed myself, even if it was just a 9 minute shave.
If you like a mid-​size marathon in the Midwest for your fall racing plans, do check out the Waddle and Reed Kansas City marathon, put on by the Kansas City Sports Commission. They do a great job, year after year, and have fond memories of that race. The finisher medals are average in design, but who really cares. You just finished a freaking marathon! Checking off Missouri for my 50 states marathon goal was amazing here in Kansas City and hope to be back soon for the 2^nd round. Best city ever. Finishing at Crown Center in downtown Kansas City was great. It was nearby to my hotel, so I didn’t have to limp anywhere to get back. Great logistics and everything was great. Couldn’t have been a greater script to write here for my PR at the Kansas City marathon!
Run more!
Support local!
B+