If you're a marathon runner, flat is not a bug, it's a feature. (Which is why running marathons in Chicago is kinda awesome.) And for me, fwiw, the miles of running path along the lakeshore are inspiring.

The east side of Kansas surrounding Kansas City is hardly flat. It's no Utah, but flat? Kansas City most certainly is not that.

The drive down to Witchita from Topeka certainly has its own class of wonderful views akin to what you would experience between Heber and Orem in Utah. These are just different scales of horizon, and both are enjoyable.

What would be really nice though, in the Kansas City area, if there was more light-pollution discipline to maybe bring back the experience of seeing the Milky Way again, without a long-ish drive.