An excellent event in virtually all respects. Course is quite beautiful and mostly flat or downhill -- fast, except for a couple of minor ups in the first half. Not many spectators, and a small expo, but extremely well organized overall. Plenty of aid stations. Would highly recommend it for anyone seeking a modestly sized event that is VERY well done.

I loved the people who yelled your name as you ran by. Helped me carry on. Beautiful finish! Super support after you finish. One of the more enjoyable marathons. Thank You.

Any runner who is looking for a nice race should consider this one. It is very well organized and maintains manageable numbers. The course is nice, rural to start, then suburban, before finishing in Milwaukee. The first several miles contain many declines allowing people to 'put money in the bank' before the halfway mark. Runners are always less than 1/4 mile from Lake Michigan after the first few miles, which makes it scenic and keeps it a little cooler. I live in the Chicago area and have chosen to drive 75 miles to the north for the past 3 years to avoid the crowds of the Chicago Marathon. There aren't 40,000 runners, 500,000 spectators and all of the fanfare associated with larger races. There is a great race for runners who just want to run a well-run marathon on a pretty fall day. Congratulations to the Badgerland Striders on their 25th marathon.

The Lakefront Marathon is really the BEST! Even though the temperature was a bit warm this year, the point-to-point course is blessed with great (if not substantial) spectators, wonderful course volunteers, and a fantastic course that is both scenic as well as fast. I ran a 7+-minute PR and bested my goal of 3 hours! The post-race festivities are at Veteran's Park on the lake, and there is plenty to see and do and lots of space to do it.

As many people have said, if you are looking for the crowds and the amenities of a large race, then this isn't for you. But if you want a good time (race- and enjoyment-wise) and an early fall race works for you, this is a great choice for a marathon. If you wish to run next year, you will have to register early; they had a cap of 2,300 and filled it a month early this year. As for the relay runners, they are easy to spot because they have bibs on the front and back that they wear.

This is an all-volunteer marathon, and they really do a wonderful job. Thanks again!

Technically superb course; you can run your race. Just enough supporting spectators to keep you motivated. The aid stations were very good and encouraging. I thought that the weather was good. Maybe I could have run better if it had been 10 degrees cooler, but the breeze from the lake was great. The expo was just right and the course session was concise and helpful. Buses to and from the hotels to the expo, start and finish were on time and necessary (parking is at a premium). I would recommend this course to any runner wanting to PR or make a Boston qualifying time. Most first-timers want more sizzle but you can't beat being able to start without the crush of the crowd or ease in getting to a bathroom!

For someone who's shooting for a PR/fast finish, this point-to-point course is a pleasant surprise: a gradual downgrade without too many turns. For the runners, the aid stations and volunteers are simply awesome. Having mile markers and clocks at EACH mile is a big plus. It helped me to stay on pace without looking at my watch! No shortage of porta-johns either. Since it runs mostly along country roads (with nice fall colors), there're very few places where spectators can gather and watch. If you need huge crowd support you'll have to sign up for the race 90 mins. south of here. All in all this is a great no-frill event.

Nice, not overly crowded race. Fans were great, aid stations great. Volunteers were the best, extremely helpful and very courteous. Well done!!

I've run this marathon twice. The best new feature was having the runner's name on the bib so the spectators knew who you were. Many called out my name and my son's name as we raced together. My compliments to whoever had this idea.
It made the ran a lot more special. It helped us persevere when the going got tough in the last few miles. Thank you!

Small -- 2300 runners
Flat -- Even the overpass is flat
Point-To-Point -- novel with everybody else's loop course
Mostly farm fields(18+ miles), but it ends by the lake.
Badgerland Striders who puts on the race always does a good job for a good value.

Ran this in 2002, except for very strong headwind last few miles, it was just a wonderful marathon.Very nice people, course, not overly crowded and more nice people. Wish there was no relay, could not tell who was or was not in the relay. I will be back in 2006.