Such a great combination of scenery on the course and nearby, unusually good weather, community involvement, wonderful volunteers, and remarkable organization and coordination of simultaneous events made the 2004 race a real gem! The trail surface was clearly in better shape than in 2003. Day 2 post-race, the leg muscles are about as sore as after a 10K and there's no joint soreness.

Local folks were helpful and welcoming. The post-race snacks were plentiful but several runners seemed to find the mix a bit unusual; the ready access to nearby concessions and restaurants helped. A little award ceremony rowdiness capped a great event. Thanks to all concerned!

I ran the Whistle Stop as my first marathon last year (2003). I am used to running on quiet back-woods trails and so I thought this course was perfect - really quiet, incredibly beautiful, and peaceful! The water stops were frequent & well stocked with Gatorade, bananas, cookies, etc. (Even for us who were towards the back.) I ran with my good friend & the best part for us was that our husbands could easily drive up ahead every couple miles to cheer us on. I can't say enough of how spectacular the fall leaves were. I drove up from Chicago for this race and the drive was so gorgeous!

The last mile was the best, because suddenly you come out of the woods and you are running down mainstreet & everyone is there cheering you on. Our fastest mile was the last mile, because, it's just such an exciting finish.

The main reasons I picked this marathon were, 1) Saturday race 2) soft gravel trail & 3) perfect size. If you need to be entertained along the course, this may not be the race for you. (Although the cows with bells around their necks at the half-way point were pretty exciting.) Next time I would bring an MP3 & have my husband hand it to me to get me through the last part of the race.

One recommendation: get your accomodations early. We didn't and had to stay pretty far out of town & had to take an ice cold shower in the rec. center afterwards. Still, I would do it again & highly recommend it.

I ran the 1/2 in 2000 and had a blast, the course was well maintained, and such a perfect day for a race. I attempted the marathon last fall 2003 and had a terrible experience. Somebody let the local snowmobile club go out and 'prep' the trail for the upcoming winter season a little early. By doing this they ruined the course by making it very soft - the first 5-6 miles of the marathon were similar to running on the beach. Also, after talking with many of the fellow runners at the finish I learned I wasn't the only person that had GI upset. A lot of nausea/'back door trots' that day. I personally think I got mine from the water station.

Having said all that, I will most likely be back to give it another try one more time before giving it my final score. One great year and one not-so-great! If anybody else experienced GI problems please post them.

This marathon is ideal for the older runner looking for a forgiving surface (soft trails) with spectacular views of the North Woods. Unbelievable support from the community.

The course is flat and fast. It actually drops 500 feet. Twenty four miles of it are on dirt/gravel path that used to be railroad. Basically you are in the woods on a path. Somewhat scenic, though technically I suppose it is monotonous. Perfect for me though. I don't like huge crowds the whole way. The fans at the water stops were more than enough. They cheered loudly. The food afterwards was pretty good and they had a rocking party with a very good band later that night. They had chip timing that worked fine.

This isn't Boston or New York or Chicago. No huge expo. It is just a very friendly, well-organized, pretty marathon. Perfect for you and about 900-1200 of your closest friends.

FYI: I had a terrible race there. The worst marathon I've ever run. Yet I still recognize how great this marathon is.

For those of us who run on Saturdays, this is a great race on a flat course. I would recommend taking the bus to the start line because we tried to drive there ourselves and got lost. The beautiful fall foliage is worth the effort to go to such a small town. The spectators were lively, but few and far between.

I can only say good things about this point-to-point marathon that runs from Iron River to Ashland along an abandoned rail line (it's flat). Only two miles of the marathon are blacktop with the balance on nicely packed gravel with trees lining most of the course. The fall colors are spectacular and the support along the way is excellent. There are numerous locations along the route where friends and family can follow their runners and offer support. In addition to the marathon, they offer a same day half marathon, 10K and 5K all run on the same course with the same finish. The running events are part of Ashland's fall festival so there are other things to do in this city of 9,000 people. I've run this marathon three of the last five years and would recommend it without reservation.

Well run race from entry to finish. Packet pickup well organized. Very good pasta feed. I didn't particpate in the pre race festivities as the priority was to run a Boston qualifier, (which was accomplished in spite of the rain). I was a little concerned about wearing the velcro chip around my ankle but found it created very little discomfort. Excellent course. Enough runners to keep you going and not be left in no man's land. Fans on the course were very encouraging and helpful. Fall colors were absolutely awesome. A great marathon for a seasoned veteran or first timer.

This is the marathon people better take a look at if they really want to qualify for the Boston Marathon. This marathon starts at an elevation of 1150 feet and you go all the way down to 640 feet when you cross the finish line in Ashland. If you know how to run downhill for a full marathon you should be able to put in a very good time if it is not raining like it did this year when I ran it. The race is on dirt for 24 of the 26 miles. Mile 1 and 26 are on blacktop or concrete with the remaining portions on dirt trails and railroad bridges, I think there were 6 of the bridges if I remember right. The miles flew by even while it was raining this year. Watch out for the pea sized stones on the trail getting in your shoes. We had 397 finishers this year even in the rain and I would hope they will have many more people running next year.

I did not have an ideal race because it rained the ENTIRE time. Not one break! But that can happen at ANY marathon so I feel compelled to tell you all the great things about Whistlestop as I think it could grow to be a great marathon. It's a pretty course. Although there isn't much change to it (tree lined packed limestone gravel course most of the way) so if you need urban type setting & lots of change you won't like it. But it is very peaceful & pretty! The colors on the leaves were pretty although I wish the race was 2 weeks earlier as a lot of the leaves had fallen in N. WI by then this year. The course is very flat & the packed limestone course is great on the body and some spots on the course were packed enough that if you are not used to running on a softer surface you'd still enjoy it. The rain produced some puddles on the gravel course that I didn't enjoy but again that was mother nature. The only thing I'd change if I could is 1) no rain & 2) more fans. There were very little fans & many runners I don't think showed up probably because of again the rain. I would definitely do this race again & I hope to encourage others to do the same. It's a good course for a faster time I think. Although I didn't get one this year. Next time! OH... I got my favorite medal YET & a long sleeve finisher t-shirt that's made out of dri-line material!