'I ran the half marathon in 2013. I wanted to rate this race higher, but the lack of organization was really a downer. When they were announcing the winners, they got both the male and female winners wrong. It got sorted out, but everyone was wondering how accurate the results really were.

the course is fine. It is an out and back on a dirt trail. Basically, a gravel road. Some spots still had snow on them and were pretty slippery.

There is basically no crowd support, but the volunteers at the water stations are enthusiastic.

No finishers medals. Hooded sweatshirt for the Half/full marathoners. I should have taken my own water on the course because the aid stations were pretty far spaced (6 on the half marathon course).

I don't know if I would do this again, but they also offer a marathon relay, which could be a nice options for some of my friends who don't want to tackle a longer distance.'

I love small races. The people at the aid stations were super. I love running on dirt so this course was perfect. I put the fans at 4 eventhough no one was really on the course but the aid station workers made up for that.

I just completed my first Pine Line Marathon this past weekend. We lucked out with fantastic weather! Though it was such a small race, the volunteers and organizers did a fantastic job day-of. The organization of the website and registration information left something to be desired, but they were very good at answering questions and concerns via email.

There were 6 waterstops, and since it's out-and-back, you hit each one twice. The stops all had bananas and oranges and some had fig newtons too. My favorite part was since there were so few runners, the volunteers would see me coming while unscrewing my handheld water bottle top and they had pitchers ready to refill me! I've never seen that before and it was so appreciated. It would probably not have been necessary to carry water if it had been cooler, but that sun got hot by the end of the race. The surface varied from dry gravel, to soupy mud to snow and slush.

I would recommend this race to anyone, but be prepared for solitude. This would probably not be a good choice if you've never run one before, but as long as you know what you're getting into, this is an inexpensive, well-run, and beautiful trail race.

You will not find a better marathon for the money. Amazing organizers, volunteers, schwag and awards. You get a hooded sweatshirt and, if you place in your age group, the coveted bronze, silver or gold railroad spike! Home of Tombstone pizza so if you get done in time, there's pizza!

One of the best marathons I have done of the 50+ I've done so far. Everything is great, the flat out and back course, the volunteers, the aid, the organization AND I come all the way from AZ because I love that hooded sweatshirt and mug AND the pizza and chocolate milk at the finish! Oh, and it's taken me a long time but I finally secured the much sought after railroad spike in my age group. Way to go Medford; you never disappoint!

I did the Pine Line thinking it was going to be a fast course because it was flat. The trail is more of a grassy dirt mix and it isn't flat. It basically has 231 feet of gain to the turnaround point. You do get it back when you head back, but that is not flat.

The elevation gain is slight and gradual, but is noticeable, especially when it is wet and your footing is not sure. I personally would rather run up 3 steep 100-foot hills, then have it dragged out of 3 miles or so.
There is some gravel, but not enough to make the surface hard enough for good traction when it is wet. The course does get muddy in some spots. There is a lot of slipping and sliding. I spent so much time concentrating on my footing that I didn't really get the opportunity to take in the scenery.

On the way back I tripped over an iron rod that was sticking about 3 inches of the ground dead smack in the middle of the trail!
Needless to say, I was not happy. Luckily I did not get injured and I continued. I saw another one a few miles later. Things like this should not happen.

If you are going to run this race, make sure you train on some trails. If you are not used to running on uneven surfaces, it can really pound your body. My lower back really took the worst of it. My back never hurts when I run.

The race is a great value at $45.00. I thought the after-race food (pizza) was fine.

The sweatshirt is nice and the volunteers were great.

Registration was well organized.

They do need some more bathrooms at the start/finish line. They also need to start providing GU or gel at the aid stations. I would rather pay $5 and not have to carry GU.

This was my first marathon and I could not have asked for a better experience. The event was extremely well organized, the support was plentiful and the trail was flat and fast. Thank you, Medford!

1. You come to Wisconsin in April... don't complain about the weather. And I came all the way from Arizona! Don't complain about the lack of spectators either; do you really need a pat on the back? Be a big boy/girl and buck up; you're in northern Wisconsin.
2. I've run 30+ marathons and have never had food at every single aid station. Nice job, Medford.
3. They had pizza for post-race food - a welcome change from all of that tree-hugger fruit and bagel stuff most races have.
4. Awesome awards: rail road ties! And yet I can never win one!
5. Great shirt: a hooded sweatshirt! Never do away with the sweatshirt. We all have more t-shirts than we can stand.
6. Volunteers were standing out there for hours in the cold, snow, and rain; again, runners, you have nothing to complain about.

This was an easy, flat, course through a rail trail, much like the Whistlestop. The weather was horrible, blowing sideways snow, but that's just something you have to accept. I have to say, however, that the organization was poor. Any volunteers who came out were definitely appreciated, but there was a lot of confusion at the turnaround point when four of us went too far and had to be called back. Then we were called back again to recieve a stamp that rubbed off anyway.

It's a smaller race and that kind of thing is to be expected, but I think other runners were pretty upset. Also, at the end (before coming into the parking lot), there was no direction whether to go one way or the other or to go across the road to the continuing trail. After 25 miles, trying to remember such things can be hard.

Other than that, there were enough stations, it was friendly, the awards were unique, and it was a great race. If you're into the high-profile stuff, it's not for you, but if you enjoy small and low-key, this marathon is awesome.

I gave the 'Spectators' rating 1 star because there really weren't any, but who needs a million spectators? I wouldn't want to spectate a marathon either, especially on a day like that one.

I completed the half marathon and ran portions of the second half to support a friend. Based on earlier comments, I was prepared for a boring course with few amenities, but I was pleasantly surprised. The weather was the only bad part. It was cold (about 32 degrees) and we had terribly strong headwinds for the second half, but that's Wisconsin weather for you. There were many water stations. Apparently the organizers are listening and added extra water stations, so there was one about every 2 miles. The route was quite pretty and I thought it was an easy trail - well crushed gravel and grassy in some areas... not to mention, flat as a pancake. It is rural Wisconsin and the course can get quite lonely... very few spectators or other runners, but I found it peaceful. It was a nice change from the big races... no parking issues, fighting for position, tripping over people that line up in the wrong pace groups, etc. It is a very low-key race... no finisher's medal (but with so few participants, you have a good chance of winning an age group medal), very few people to cheer you on, not much pre- or post-race ceremonies, no race expo, and no timing chips. However, if you are looking for a low-key race, this is a good one. The organizers and volunteers were all very friendly. They took good care of the runners and there was plenty of food at the finish. It's also a great race for your fans to cheer you on. For the most part, there were spectator spots about every mile or two and it was very easy to get around the race course. Good job, Medford!