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FAQ – GARMIN OLATHE MARATHON

GENERAL

The proper way is “oh-lay-thuh” with the emphasis on “lay.” Olathe is a Shawnee word for “beautiful.”

  • No, all participants are welcome to register. The marathon will have a 6.5 hour time limit, after this limit has passed, timing will not be available.

Yes! Our half marathon is a member of the Heartland 39.3 Series – link

In 2024, we had our largest group yet with over 3,000 runners!

No. We have a 18 and under category and a 75 and over category for results. See Race Details Page for more info.

REGISTRATION

No, online registration closes at 5 pm on the Friday before the race.

Yes, you can switch events by logging into to your Run Sign-up account, or by emailing the Race Director at marathon@olathe.org. There will be no refunds and no event changes allowed on race day, all requests must be submitted by 5 pm on the Friday before the race.

The Garmin Olathe Marathon in the Land of Oz has a No Refund / No Deferral policy. All entries are considered final upon payment. Transfers to another person are not allowed. Any athlete who allows someone else to participate in their place will face disqualification from the event and not be allowed to participate in future events.

There are no refunds for any registrations, or partial refunds or credits for non-application of a coupon code.

EXPO AND PACKET PICK-UP

No, race packets will not be mailed and can only be picked up at the Expo.

Yes, runners can pick-up on race day near the Start/Finish area after 6 a.m.

BIB NUMBERS & TIMING

The full marathon, half marathon, and 10K will use disposable bib chip timing attached to the back of your race bib. The chip does not activate until you cross the start line. There will be multiple split times along the course.

In order to receive an accurate time, please confirm your bib is:

  • Clearly visible on the FRONT of the torso.
  • Unaltered or modified. Do not fold or wrinkle or you risk breaking the timing chip.
  • Pinned in all four corners so the timing chip stays flat.
  • Not covered with jackets, water bottles, etc. so as not to block the reading of the timing chip.

WEATHER

Based on average temperatures, race day is likely to reach a high of 60 degrees F (16 degrees C) with a low of 40 degrees F (4 degrees C).

The race will go on regardless of precipitation. The race will only be delayed or cancelled if weather conditions present imminent danger to participants.

In case of severe weather, the race director reserves the right to delay, postpone, or even cancel the race in the interest of safety. There are no refunds due to weather.

STARTING/FINISH LINES

6:45 a.m. for the full and half marathon. 7 a.m. for the 10K.

It is recommended that participants arrive one half hour early to allow enough time to warm up and get to the starting line.

Full marathon and half marathon runners will line up according to their estimated finish time (look for SmartPacer time flags). 10K participants will line up BEHIND the full and half marathon runners. DO NOT LEAVE EARLY with the marathon group if you are running the 10K.

Full and half participants WILL NOT be allowed to cross the starting line for these distances after 7:00 a.m. 10K participants WILL NOT be allowed to cross the starting line after 7:30 a.m. If you are late, you MUST run along the sidewalk until you have caught up to trail emergency vehicles and bikes to join the closed course.

Early starts will not be allowed.

Upon entering the "Emerald City Festival," you will have access to free snacks, free beer (21+), and multiple complimentary services offered by our vendor partners.

COURSE AND SUPPORT

Yes, the full and half marathon courses are USATF certified and sanctioned. The 10k is certified and the kids run is measured.

Runners in the Marathon will have 6.5 hours of course support starting from when the last corral is released from the Start Line. To satisfy city permit requirements for street closures, marathon participants must maintain a pace of 14 minutes per mile or faster. If you are unable to maintain this pace, a support vehicle will be present at these locations:
Cut off 1: Mill Creek Steamway Park Parking Lot - Northgate and Timberland Blvd. near aid-station E at 11:15 a.m.
Cut off 2: North Moore Ave/127th St at aid-station H just past mile marker 21 at 12:30 p.m.

Aid stations will be placed along the course about every 1.5 to 2.5 miles. For locations, please check route map. Restrooms will be placed along the course at or near each aid station. Water and Gatorade will be provided at each aid station and GU is available at 3 to 6 Aid Stations.

Strollers (with the exception of the Munchkin Run where we ask that all strollers be at the back of corral), roller blades, roller skates, any wheeled item other than wheelchairs. No animals with the exception of ADA approved service dogs. All individuals running with a service dog will need to fill out a waiver and get prior approval.

We also do not allow:

  • A weapon of any kind, including firearms, knives, mace, etc.
  • Any dangerous item or “dual-use” item that could be considered dangerous, including hammers, saws, sharp objects, etc.
  • Flammable liquids, fuels, fireworks, toxic chemicals, and explosives.
  • Off Premises Alcoholic beverages and illegal substances of any kind.
  • Unmanned aerial devices, drones, survey balloons, photography mini-copters, and any flying device with an on/off switch.
  • Glass containers.
  • Containers of liquid larger than one liter.

Running belts, hand-held water bottles and clip-on water bottles less than one liter are allowed.

No persons are authorized to be on the course unless they are registered participants or authorized Marathon staff. Therefore, no person shall be allowed to accompany a participant if they are not registered, nor shall any participant be allowed, without the permission of management, to receive assistance or refreshment from anyone during the progress of any race. Any person not properly displaying an official bib number will be directed to leave the course.

A combination of commercial development areas, residential streets and paved suburban running trails.

No, however, city officials will cone and monitor the course to assure the safest environment for all participants. All runners must keep to the right, unless otherwise posted along the route. This will allow faster runners to pass on the left.

  • We allow walkers for the half and 10K races. For the start line, all walkers must line up in the back of the pack. The timing does not start until they cross the start mat. Starting in the front of the pack may cause congestion and may be unsafe for the walker.
  • Although walking is allowed with the half and 10K events, you must meet the course time limit requirements. There is no walking race category or award category.

There will be 20-30 restrooms near the starting/finish line. There will also be restrooms at aid stations along the course.

PARKING

Free parking is available on-site. Attendants will be on-hand on race day to direct you. Please see the parking page for more information.

GEAR CHECK / LOST AND FOUND

Yes, participants can drop their gear prior to the race and retrieve it from the same location after the race. Gear check will be located near the start/finish line area.

Gear check closes at 1:00pm on Race Day and all bags must be picked up before that time.

Lost and found is located at the Gear Check booth. Items discarded along the race route will be collected and donated to local shelters.

We strongly recommend that you leave your valuables at home. The Garmin Olathe Marathon is not responsible for lost or stolen property, including any and all property checked at the gear check.

QUALIFYING FOR THE BOSTON MARATHON

Yes! The Boston Marathon accepts qualifying times from the Garmin Olathe Marathon. Qualifying times for the Boston Marathon vary by age group.

Click here to view the new Boston Marathon qualifying times.

When registering for the Boston Marathon, enter your finishing time, finishing place, race name, and location and date of the race in the section entitled “Qualification Information.” Be sure to indicate if the time you entered is gun time or tag time (chip time).

Yes. The Boston Marathon automatically receives a list of all official finishers of the Memorial Marathon and their tag (chip) and gun times. The time entered on your Boston Marathon registration will be checked against the official time that is on file. For questions regarding qualification for the Boston Marathon, please contact the Boston Athletic Association.

AWARDS AND RESULTS

The awards ceremony for the overall and masters winners will be as soon as the official results are confirmed.

AGE GROUP awards from the 2025 Oz Marathon are available on race day before 2pm, or for pick up at the Olathe Chamber of Commerce office, 260 E. Santa Fe St., Suite 101, Olathe KS 66061, M-F 8:30-5pm. We will not mail out age group awards, please collect your award day of event.

The age group and 1st masters awards will be determined by chip time.

Pace Team members of the SmartPace Team will be listed on the results, but will not count towards awards.

All results will be final within one week of the event.

Per USATF rules, gun time is used to determine winners. Tag time (chip time) is used to determine all age-group winners and other award recipients.

SPECTATORS

You can sign up to volunteer! Our volunteers are essential to making the Run to Remember successful – and doing so comes with perks! Check out the volunteer page to learn more!

Tracking will be available for participants, spectators, family and friends to utilize during the Garmin Marathon through RaceJoy, a GPS-based tracking app that follows your progress in real-time as you run your race. Both the runner and the spectator must download the app and keep their phones with them.

MERCHANDISE

We can only provide one T-shirt per registered participant. There is a variety of Garmin Olathe Marathon merchandise available for sale at the Expo and in the merchandise tent on Race Day.

Yes! Runners may purchase official race merchandise on Race Day at the Merchandise Booth in the Emerald City Festival.

Runners in all races receive a participant T-shirt and a beautiful finisher’s medal. All runners will also receive food and drinks along the course and at the finish line. Vendors at the Health & Fitness Expo often hand out free samples.

Garmin Olathe Marathon is managed and organized by:

The Olathe Chamber of Commerce Convention & Visitors Bureau

260 E. Santa Fe St., Suite 101 Olathe, Kan. 66061

Contact us:

marathon@olathe.org

Phone: Please email


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