I ran the Lakefront Marathon for the first time this year. I was very impressed. The race was exceptionally well run - from start to finish. The buses to the start were easy to use and plentiful; we had a large high school to warm-up in before the start; not too much crowding the first mile; and plenty of water stops and port-a-johns along the route. The course was beautiful (and mostly flat) - it starts out along country roads and gradually works its way into the city, passing mansions and ending on Milwaukee's beautiful lakefront. The near-perfect weather was a bonus. The only minus of the whole experience was the long line for food at the finish. Runners should not have to wait 15 minutes in line for food after running 26.2 miles. That said, it was a fantastic marathon experience. I'll definitely run it again.

Thank you for a wonderful first marathon. The weather, which I know you all ordered, was pristine. The course was a wonderful transformation from rural to urban life. The drying fields complete with geese feeding to the brilliant blue Lake Michigan. Also, having never been to Milwaukee, it really showed off some of the nice points of your town.

The volunteers were helpful and courteous. Eveything was well organized. The water stands could use some Gu, Power Gel or PowerBars. The spectators seemed a little reluctant to do much more than stand and stare.

This was my first time running this marathon and the third overall. It was easily the worst.
Course: much of the marathon is run along the side of roads with regular traffic, sometimes in both directions. There were some police officers along the course, who even stopped runners to let cars through.
Organization: there were few waterstops (at least each had Gatorade as well) and even fewer porta-toliets. How much can it cost to rent a few of those?
Spectators: the people we saw were great but there were not many and most were not doing the entertaining sorts of things that their comrades in other cities do.

For a city the size of Milwaukee, you would expect a lot more. The course starts out in Grafton and then makes almost a straight shot to the finish on the lakefront in Milwaukee. The vast majority of this race is run on boring country roads with virtually no spectators at all.

The course scenery improves in the last few miles as you approach the finish but the number of spectators
stays very low.

The only plus is that the course is all a gradual downhill.

The packet pick-up is a joke. There is no expo whatsoever - basically a card table with a couple of volunteers handing out packets.

I did like the fact that runners received a sweatshirt rather than another T-shirt. The medals were also nice the year I ran it.

My comments are about the 1997 race so the packet pickup and spectator support may have improved with time.

I recommend wholeheartedly the Lakefront Marathon. The fresh air, the beautiful scenery, the friendly camaraderie of only about 1000 marathoners, the guy playing the accordion ?it?s in just the right place, with just the right size and spirit. This was my first marathon and it started, appropriately, at my hometown high school and led into the Big City (a metaphor for my own life?s progress.) A few more water stops, especially between miles nine and thirteen and after mile 20 would have improved it. However, from cornfields to stately Milwaukee mansions to wind-blown lakefront vistas, this marathon was a visual (and physical) treat. And where else will you be serenaded live with polka hits played by a guy sitting out in his front yard in the rain with his accordion and amps at 8 am?

If you are looking for a well-organized, medium-sized marathon with a scenic course, then this is the marathon for you. I've run over 20 marathons, including large marathons such as Boston, New York, Walt Disney World and Chicago and smaller marathons such as Space Coast and Grandfather Mountain. Kristine Hinrichs, race director, and her volunteer staff did a great job in all areas. The web site, packet pickup, adequacy of parking and facilities at the start, water stations, mile splits, food and drink at the finish and the beautiful course were all excellent, especially for a race this size. For the faster runner, everything allows one to have the opportunity to run one's best without the logistical worries at the larger marathons that sometimes make it difficult to use rest rooms, get properly hydrated and get a proper starting position. I highly recommend this race to my fellow marathoners looking for a first class, medium-sized fall race. One final comment - If you like good beer, the post race beers on draft from a local pub were the best beers I've ever had after any race!!!

I thought Chicago was the windy city. Today it was Milwaukee. For my first Marathon I thought this was a great course. Vintage Wisconsin, Country running to city residentual in a few minutes. Great scenery, with good crowd support. The race is small enough that my family got to cheer me on at several points along the course. My only complaint is there could have been more water stations.

I will suggest this race to other runners. Had a great time, thanks to the organizers.

The course is nice but man was this one windy day. I still PR'd here because of the course - very fast and mostly flat to downhill. A great course for beginners/1st timers. I just came off the Beech Mountain Madness 50k the week prior so this was a pure treat. Next week? WhistleStop and Chicago!
-Billy

After running the Chicago Marathon twice, I decided forego the crowds and run the Lakefront Marathon. Although the fans were not lined up throughout the course as in Chicago, the beautiful landscape and the magnificant lakefront finish made up for the lack of cheers. Plus, my family and friends could follow me in their cars nearly the entire route, providing additional encourgement.

The course was flat/downhill and fast, giving me an unexpected PR. The timing is usually a week or two before or after the Chicago Marathon, allowing those from Chicago to train with the Chicago groups but run in Milwaukee.

In 2002, I have once again decided to leave the city and head north to run the Lakefront Marathon.

I ran my first marathon here, and thought I couldn´t have chosen a better one. Being from Wisconsin, it was great to be back running in the fallen leaves and in the brisk fall air. The course was flat, which makes it nice for first-timers. There aren´t tons of fans, but there's enough. Plus it's nice that it's a little smaller because then it's not so overwhelming. The organization was great-water stops every two miles, and they had clocks at major marks. I definitely recommend this marathon for first timers and for veterans who want to take it easy.