It was a great race for my first marathon. It was nice to finish up by the lake. The rural start was beautiful.

One of the best marathons I've ever run. I am used to big races like Chicago, with thousands of expectators. This course was absolutely beautiful. A great race indeed. I am planning on running it again next year.

Sandra Partridge
Westchester, IL

This is one of the best races I've run! The course was pretty and flat enough for me to cruise most of the time and not feel too tired out. Having the start at Grafton High School is a great idea.... It was nice to have a real toilet to use before the race, and a warm place to wait. The finish rocks! Great food, great beer, Starbucks coffee. I couldn't ask for more! And the spectators were awesome! There were more spectators cheering us on at this race than at almost any other race I've run, which surprised me since it's a pretty small race. Overall, great spectators, great organization, great course and FANTASTIC RACE!!

This was one of my favorite marathons (I have run seven now). I like the large marathons for the crowd support, but you can't beat the smaller venues like this! The crowd support was appreciated, especially as you come into Milwaukee. The aid stations, bathrooms, etc. were plentiful. Everything about this race speaks to the race organizers, the Badgerland Striders. Way to go on a great race!

Course was not overly scenic but it was not particularly difficult either. Well organized with water stops roughly every two miles. The crowds were not large but that was expected. They were very supportive. Some fans even popped up a number of times along the route. The downhill and flat ending was appreciated.

Milwaukee offers a finely-tuned event among other, more popular, fall, Midwest marathons. They, however, do everyone a favor by capping the race at a reasonable number. The expo is small and easy to get in and out of, the shirt is tasteful and a technical fabric, and the pre-race accommodations at Grafton High School are really runner-friendly. The course is rural and beautiful and thins out within a mile, so there is no bumping elbows with other runners. It is advertised as "flat" and I agree with an earlier post that it really is not. While the hills are rolling and not difficult, they are consistent throughout the first 23 miles of the race and may eventually take their toll on your legs if you haven't trained for them. The last three miles along the lakeshore are gorgeous. The aid stations are manned with enthusiastic volunteers but in my opinion, there are not enough. They could stand to add at least three more to the course (at one point we went 3 1/2 miles between aid stations). The finish area is great - tons of food, beverage and grass to stretch out on. I would definitely recommend Milwaukee to runners of all abilities. It really caters to its entrants!

I live in the Chicago area and have chosen the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon over the Chicago Marathon for the past four years. It is very well run, scenic, and an overall pleasant experience. Capping it at 2,500 people allows runners to run at their desired pace after about half a mile. But, at no time during the race did I ever feel completely alone. The volunteers were plentiful and friendly. They bus runners to the start from the finish and it's as organized as Boston or New York. The scenery - the northern suburbs of Milwaukee in early fall - can be spectacular, especially when you get a glimpse of the lake. This year, we were especially blessed to have almost perfect weather. If I had to critique anything, the food at the end of the race was mediocre and I'm not a fan of drinking beer after a marathon, which they promote. I'll still plan on running this again in the fall for years to come.

Take the beauty of Twin Cities, the Lake Front of Chicago and the size of Lincoln or Des Moines, and put them together to get what is one of the best combinations in a Midwest race in Milwaukee's Lakefront Marathon.

I had never been to Milwaukee before and was very pleasantly surprised at what a nice place it really is. The course was a good challenge with a nice finish on the water. The organization was excellent from expo to shuttles to start/finish areas and the support along the course was very well done. I had heard that the crowd support was not good, but I didn't find that to be the case. I thought the crowd was abundant and supportive, at least for the middle of the pack.

I serve on the committee for another mid-size, Midwest marathon and I know what an undertaking these events are. The Badgerland Striders should be proud of the job they have done with this race. I will highly recommend the Lakefront Marathon and Milwaukee as a midwest destination.

This is a great race! The course is awesome and definitely a place to get a PR. There are not a lot of fans but there are enough to keep you going.

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 have been doing the 50 states), 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.