I planned this marathon around a motorcycle vacation with my husband and to knock off the state of Wisconsin in my quest to run a marathon in very state of America. I loved the 6 a.m. start, the solitude of the trail, the limestone terrain, the cheery and enthusiastic volunteers at the aid stations, the plentiful water, the refreshing ice and sprinklers toward the end, the police blocking the roads, and the beautiful setting in the quaint German festival town of West Bend. Tech shirt was nice, although it did not have the marathon name on it, and I wish the medal had more of a Wisconsin cheese or trail theme on it or the neck band to represent the state. And a big thank you to the YMCA for the wonderful shower, warm towels and changing accommodations at the end. I felt I was in a top-notch hotel!! Great job!!

First-year marathons always have their challenges, but I would say the race organizers did a very good job. The buses to the start were a little overcrowded but that gave you time to meet your fellow runners. I also suspect that the mile markers were slightly off as my times bounced from fast/slow on the miles - someone with a GPS could verify. The hills were indeed larger than I expected but they added some variety to the otherwise flat, straight course (thankfully, they were on the front half). I would definitely do this race again.

This is a good race with a lot of potential. The course is very lovely with just enough hills to make it interesting. The support staff were outstanding. This is certainly worthy of consideration if you like small, efficient races.

This marathon was very well done. Even though this was its first year, it's obvious these folks know what they're doing. The course is almost all on a converted railbed. The surface is crushed limestone (small, like pea-sized gravel, and pretty well packed). There is ample shade. It is super flat with the exception of the two times you leave the course and head out on county roads. The first time, around mile five, has a couple of big climbs. The second time, around mile 11, has some pretty good rollers. When you're on the railbed, it is just plain flat. The elevation chart off my Garmin shows it being net downhill, but you won't think so when you're running it. Once you get close to town, the railbed is paved with asphalt so you know you're almost there. If you're looking for Wisconsin as one of your 50 states or just want a nice summer marathon... give Eisenbahn a try!