The race started in Grafton with cornfields (very peaceful), continued through the fancy lake-side neighborhoods and ended at Veteran's Park on the lake. Along the way there was a guy playing "Role out the Barrel" on his accordion, someone hunting (we heard a shot and saw a bird drop from the sky), great spectators, and in Wisconsin style - beer at the finish line. It's a small marathon, so there are not the spectator numbers of Chicago. However, the spectators were very supportive. They cheered, rang cowbells, blew bubbles, and held up signs - "Beer at the Finish." There were many spectators who stopped at several points along the race, and I began to recognize them.

We were fortunate to have great weather and cool lake breezes.

This was my first marathon and I am so glad I chose Milwaukee - very laidback and less stressful than a large marathon, which I may try next year for a comparison.

I would highly recommend Milwaukee if you are looking for a smaller race to do in the Midwest.

I am a member of 50 States Marathon Club. On May 28, 2006, I DNFed the Mad City Marathon in Madison, WI at mile 23 due to heat exhaustion. Ever since that humbling running experience, I had been thinking about returning to WI to avenge the DNF! Originally, I was thinking of running the 2007 Mad City Marathon. Then I found out about Milwaukee's Lakefront Marathon. I researched it a bit, learned that it was a popular running event, and signed up for it. The marathon reached its cap of 2,500 six weeks in advance of the race day!

The 26th edition of the race was on Sunday, October 1, 2006. It was a beautiful fall morning. Temperatures ranged from upper 40s to mid 60s. It was sunny, and the light wind was not a significant factor. At 5:45 a.m., buses began transporting the runners from the finish line and the two race hotels to the starting line at Grafton High School, north of downtown Milwaukee. School's cafeteria and gym were available to runners which kept us warm and comfortable while waiting for the race to begin. The race began at 8 a.m.

The point-to-point course was scenic and included a fair number of rolling hills. As I travel the country to run marathons, I realize that different regions use different criteria to define a flat or hilly course. For example, this marathon was advertised as flat and fast. It was not flat to me. The hills weren't too bad, but I certainly felt them. We ran through countryside and several attractive neighborhoods to the finish line at the Veteran Park by Lake Michigan. There were 13 water/Gatorade stations, staffed by a large number of enthusiastic volunteers. Splits were given at every mile. Sports gels at two locations after mile 19. The crowd support, although sporadic, was good. All participants received a long-sleeved Coolmax T-shirt. Finishers received nice medallions. Milwaukee's Badgerland Striders running club had organized the race and paid careful attention to all details, which made this an excellent running event. I strongly recommend Milwaukee's Lakefront Marathon.

I ran this marathon in 2006. The organization was great. The course was good; I was disappointed that we were not lakefront until Mile 23. Nice, quiet course. The fan suupport was not there for the "back of the pack" runners and the finish area was all but closed down for anyone who finished in over 5:30.

This is a great race! Topped off at 2,500 runners, it was the perfect size. I loved being able to stay in the school until about 10 minutes before the start - lots of room to spread out and stretch in the hallways. The weather was perfect this year - high around 60. Flat and fast course - very scenic through some great neighborhoods. This is a race to choose if you want a PR for sure!

This marathon is the BEST EVER!!! Thank you so much to all the people who put together this GREAT event, and make it so nice for all of us runners!!This one is still my favorite, and always will be! God bless you GREAT people!!

This was my first marathon, way back when. I've run a couple more since (so I might not have the largest sample size), but I can already tell that Lakefront is going to be my metric for a great marathon. The course was beautiful, & wonderful for those of us who don't like running in nonstop commotion & cities. It was a nice mix of areas full of cheering fans & quiet stretches where one could focus on just running well. Milwaukee is often quite beautiful this time of year (I grew up there, so I at least have a large sample size for that comment!), & the year I ran it was no exception - we're talking the most perfect, beautiful fall day you've ever seen. Top that off with a wonderful lakefront finish, & you've got a really nice course. I found the organization to be great (I don't need a lot of 'goodies' & such, I'm just there to run; but there was definitely enough food & drinks & such throughout the whole course & at the end). Oh, & the year I ran it, the drinks at the aid stations came with straws! AWESOME! I would highly recommend this race, especially for those of us who like smaller crowds, less commotion, beautiful scenery... oh, & fast times (I qualified for Boston there no problem). I think I might do it again this year, even though I now live in CA.

This was my very first marathon and I absolutely loved it! It's really great for your first time because it isn't so crowded (approximately 2,500 runners). There was only about a 2-minute delay to get to the starting line. You can stay in Grafton High School at the start if it's cold out, and they offer reflective wraps at the end if you're cold from the lake wind! It is windy at the end, but it's mostly a gradual decline so I didn't find it bad at all. I suppose it might be worse if it was really windy. When I ran it, it was close to 70 degrees outside, which worried me, but there was a lot of shading around that course that helped a lot.

Only one gripe: there was one water stop that completely ran out of drinks for the slower runners, so they had to wait till the next stop (about 4 miles total in between). I was hydrated enough, but if you hadn't had a drink at the previous stop, you could be hurting. My advice: drink at every stop. If you're looking to try a less-crowded type of race, this is your best bet overall. Plus, it only cost $40!

This was my first MARATHON. I thought it was well planned, very organized, and great course. I could not have asked for a better experience.... A job WELL DONE!!!

Course was great...pretty...nice roads...shade...not too many fans, but they made up for it with quality. This is my 8th marathon course and the 1st one I REALLY want to do again. Also can't beat the price

Outstanding organization and a very scenic course. I would strongly recommend the race to novice and experienced runners. The finish area and post-race 'prizes' were great - plenty of food and beer, of course.

Beware, however, this is advertised as a 'fast' race. While that may be true, the hills - both down and up - and the headwind during the final three miles really challenge you!