Well-supported race. Friendly volunteers. Bus at Courtyard was a half-hour late (to bring us to the start). Scenic course through countryside and small towns, with glimpses of the lake along the way. Car traffic was not too bad, but running on one side meant running at a "tilt" for some of the route. Nice, cool day, so not much pedestrian traffic on the lakefront trail once we got to Milwaukee.

From the expo to the awards ceremony, you can tell the race organizers know how to hold a marathon. Sure the course isn't the most scenic at times (there's an especially dreary stretch along I-43) and the race doesn't have the crowds that Chicago or Boston does, but for a smaller marathon with a very reasonable registration fee, you can't go wrong with Lakefront.

My first marathon was perfect and a very good experience.
> The number of participants was just right.
> The expo was small but just enough.
> The high school had plenty of room in the hallways for us to stay warm (it was 38 degrees) and they opened all of the bathrooms, and even the teachers lounge.
> The UPS truck was there and the volunteers were helpful.
> The opening ceremony wasn't a concert or a big "to do"; it actually helped calm my nerves.
> The water stops had volunteers from various cross-country teams - they knew what we were doing and the magnitude of our goals, so they were not short on encouragement.
> The runners had the right of way at crossroads thanks to the volunteers in uniform - no need for us to break our stride.
> From noon on, the Brewers were playing a must-win playoff game (first in 26 years) and the Packers also had a game, YET we still had plenty of people cheering us on!
> The course was beautiful (farmland to subdivisions to huge houses with great landscaping and then the shore of Lake Michigan - all kept your mind occupied.
> Finally the most anticipated finish - the crowd all yells your name and cheers you on. Once you cross the line, they announce your name, a medical person walks with you and asks if you are okay, and several volunteers take your chip, give you your blanket, give you water and walk with you to the resting area.
> The resting area has food, massages, and tents to buy finisher items. One tent engraves your name and time!
> Overall, a GREAT experience. THANK YOU, Milwaukee Badgers, and volunteers! I will remember this day as a great day!!!

This race is extremely well organized and easy to maneuver. The expo is fairly easy to get to and there was plenty of street parking. The expo is a little small, but at least it is held in a large space so people are not packed in.

The marathon start is at an area high school and the building is open to use the bathroom or to stay warm and dry before the start (definitely not a problem this year though!). There is a USPS truck to drive your gear to the finish. The actual start is not over-crowded and it is well-marked, so you know where to line up based on your expected finish time.

The fan base along the course can be sparse though. It makes the miles seem longer. Although this year it seemed that there was no shortage of people with hoses and sprinklers poised and ready.

The finish is a mixed bag. It's slightly downhill (yay!) and along the waterfront. On hot days this means you smell rotten fish for about a mile though. :( You can also hear the announcer way too far in advance of the actual finish. It may sound motivating, but by the time you've reached mile 26, it's a little discouraging that you still have .2 miles to run.

The volunteers at the finish area are great and make sure you have water and are pointed in the direction of food. The line for the food wasn't long and they had plenty of fruit and cookies. The bags are organized in a large area by number and the volunteers can quickly find your stuff and get it back to you.

All in all, a well organized race, but I have a much better finishing time at larger races.

Beautiful back half of the course but this course is not flat. It is rolling up and down for the first half. There is a dirt shoulder for a majority of the race so you can make this one into a trail race if you so desire. Lastly, the last 2 miles of the course are a mess. When you think you are at the finish because you hear the announcer, you aren't. You are only at 26.

Be prepared for the 3.5+ mile gaps between the aid stations. Perhaps it was the heat, but I really noticed I needed fluids.

The organizers warned and warned about the heat and there was plenty of volunteer and neighborhood support to keep people cool. I ignored the warnings at my own peril and suffered like a dog as a result. There were plenty of facilities (H20, area to lie down, toilets, etc...) at the finish to accommodate morons like me. Hey, I needed a Boston time and didn't want to run another race to get it.

And best of all... the price!

Just to give you an idea of the heat, LakeFront Marathon (LFM) 2007 was on the same day as Chicago 07 (where 1 person died and several hundreds were hospitalized from heat issues)! 90 miles north in Milwaukee, I had the experience of my life running the Lakefront Marathon (After I had decided against LaSalle Chicago Marathon, primarily because of the cost).

First LFM Tee-Shirt was awesome... no Ad's!! expo was great!

LFM organizers warned us at the start line to re assess our goals taking the heat into account... As a first timer I took the advice very seriously and started slower than planned. Other than this one wise decision I made, everything else to the success of my first marathon has to be attributed to the EXCELLENT race organization and SUPPORT AND GOODWILL of the volunteers and Milwaukeeans!!

The course starts out in the rustic, scenic country side and meanders along to finish along Milwaukee's lake front. Course is pretty flat... rolling hills.. couple of hills and one downhill near the end!

Aid stations logistically placed... water and Gatorade in every station... gel packets were available at mile 19 and 23... never was short of anything... in fact found a lot of fluids right through the end...

crowd support was really great... people made sprinklers out of garden hoses to cool the runners down on a very hot and humid day... even though Milwaukee doesn't have the huge number of spectators as in other big races, they truly made this event extra special.

I finished 50 minutes after my original time.. mainly because of a horrible hamstring pull.... in spite of that, it was a wonderful experience!!!

Finish line was awesome... The medal... Place to shower.. PLENTY of food..

No complaints... Hats off to organizers, volunteers, and milwaukeeans...

organizers Made the race memorable inspite of the extreme weather conditions... WILL DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS RACE TO EVERYONE!!!

Very nice experience for my first marathon. I have run many other, shorter distances however. The organization was first rate and I never found myself looking for anything or wondering where to go. I like the idea of a pasta party, and a few more porta potties at the high school. That is really all I can see for improvement. Really a first rate race, I believe.

This was my first marathon and unfortunately an unseasonably hot one, I was not able to go farther than 19.5 miles. At that point is where the course workers were exceptional. One person specifically (Colleen)stayed with me until medical help arrived and then went out of her way to ensure I made it to the finish area where my family and friends were waiting. The run was fantastic and although I didn't finish people like her are a major reason why I will be back, I will complete the Lakefront marathon. My thanks go out to her and all the other volunteers that ensured a safe and memorable experience for the runners

Wow! I was impressed with the race organization, kudos to the Badger Striders. Having read the comments about the Chicago Marathon, the organizers of this race are to be highly commended. Extending the course limit to seven hours and asking residents to turn on their sprinklers and hoses for us is to be applauded. The volunteers at each stop were also wonderful. Couldn't ask for more.

However, I do have one complaint. No pasta party. Traveling by myself to this race, this would have been a nice way to connect with fellow runners and welcome out-of-towners. Not much fun eating at a "recommended" restaurant by yourself.

Having said that, I take my hat off to the volunteers, the residents and all involved with this race. The residents were out with their hoses and sprinklers, and several had even set up water stops themselves for us. The ice at the later aid stations was a nice bonus. I carry a water bottle and my own gels so the distance between aid stations wasn't an issue for me. Having trained in the heat, it didn't bother me, but the humidity did. Plus, the rolling hills in the early part of the course.... Nope, it's not flat as advertised.

Again, thanks to the volunteers, residents and organizers.

It was stressed several times before the race that this marathon is put on solely by volunteers. I never expected the level of enthusiasm, cohesion and thoughtfulness that I experienced that day. The weather was very warm, so the race director did what she could to accommodate the runners by extending the finish time and supplying the water stops with ice. The volunteers at every stop were very enthusiastic and mindful of all the runners - asking if we were ok, if anything looked amiss. The course is scenic, not crowded by runners, had spectators and was mostly downhill. As my first marathon (opting to forgo running in Chicago), I couldn't have been happier. I have done many races big and small, and would say this was the best experience I could have asked for. I would highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a well-run, scenic, fun and intimate experience.