Okoboji, Iowa is a beautiful area. The course was mostly run around a lake (and was mostly scenic). The pictures above are from various places along the course; in some of the shots you can see the water in the background. They don't adequately show how hilly the course was, but believe me, this was not a flat course! It was a hot day but the run started at 6am, which was definitely the right time to start. Once the sun came up and the trees thinned out, I couldn't drink enough water. A couple places spectators along the route had sprinklers set up on the road - a very welcome relief! This was just a fun atmosphere as there was also a triathlon, half-marathon, and 10k all happening simultaneously; there were many athletes at the finish line. So went #4. Now it's on to #5...
