I did not research this marathon a lot before picking it to run. With that said, it was a great marathon with a scenic course. The event was very well organized and the volunteers and spectators were great too.

The full marathon course was very nice. You run through wooded parks, the neighborboods of Eau Claire, on a bike trail near the water, through downtown and through UWEC campus. I could have done without the hill right before the finish but overall, the hills are not an issue. The only part of the course I really didn't like were around mile 21-22 on the dirt trail towards the end of the race. After mile 21, I'd rather not change running surfaces. It's definately a PR or Boston qualifier course if that's you goal.

For a young marathon, the organization was excellent. The expo was really a packet pick up with a couple booths but I thought it was fine. Much better than fighting crowds at the bigger events. The course itself was well marked and volunteers guided you at every turn. Finishers were provided fruit, bagels, sandwiches and plenty of water.

If you're looking for a reasonably priced marathon where you can park your car next to the start/finish, want friendly volunteers and spectators, give it a try.

I PR'd this marathon by 14 minutes!
90% of this course has great scenery (the other 10% is through an industrial area). This year's weather was ideal. The course was very well marked and the race officials did a great job of keeping the marathoners on the correct course. My only suggestments for improvement would be: a better medal (I would pay higher registration for better swag) and chocolate milk at the finish line (seems doable for 'America's Dairyland').
Great Job Eau Claire.

I ran this , finishing in 4H 36 m 541 secs and was first in my age division but I'm not even listed in the results Are the results chip time or clock time? Also I see in the results that a friend of mine who came in 15 minutes after me was listed as the age group winner for our age and they even have her age wrong. Mostly I'm wondering what happened to me and my results???
One change I think that could be made is put the second mat past the finish line, though I suppose a few seconds more because you already thought you were done wouldn't matter.

Weren't we lucky with the weather!!

At age 41, this was my 3rd marathon, and all have been in the past 7 months. I was shooting for a BQ and missed it by 1 min, 33 sec! Bummer, oh well, will get it next time, but REALLY wanted to in my home town. The great part was that several relatives/friends came out and braved the cold to cheer me on. I ran through neighborhoods where I used to train in track and field and X-Country near Eau Claire, North where I went to hs. Many memories in Eau Claire that I was running by.
The negative of course was the weather, but who can predict that. The weather stayed in the 30s and didn't make it up in the 40s as was forecasted. The first half went well, even the 2 hills weren't that bad really, it was getting on top near the airport, then about 5 miles going S on Hastings to Galloway that was brutal and taxing and threw off my pace. Drafting really didn't even work as wind was 20-30mph from the W.
Organization was great; pasta feed night before excellent.
Great value and small race on a certified course - you can't get that very often! Very little hassle - I parked about 40 ft from the finish! and was able to use the porta potty within 5 min of race start! awesome. The race had about 300 runners, which I believe included both marathon and half.
One thing that could be improved, however, is making sure the turns are well-marked. There was a spot along the river downtown that I started going the wrong direction and then a couple people were there directing waved me back on course - they could've used arrows on the pavement or something. Also could've used more volunteers at water stops and who shouted gatorade or water because I wasn't sure which was which.
Also, the part of the race on the trail was not good, at mile 23-25 when you're legs are tired, I would've preferred to just stay on the road, skip the trail and go down Water Street, where more spectators would be, as the whole rest of race was road. Trail was wet and uneven w/ potholes of water.
Would I run this again? Yes, but hoping for better weather next time!

This is a nice, small marathon. The course is not overly hilly and the scenery is nice. The wind and temperature were not kind this year and the spectators were few and far between, but the volunteers were great.

The mile markers were huge; you could see them a quarter-mile away. Also, the after-race food was very good. Along with the water, milk, fruit, juice and yogurt, there were nice ham or turkey sandwiches. Everyone was so nice that I am glad I picked this race for my Wisconsin marathon!

For my first marathon I was just taking everything in as it came. The start/finish line was easy to find. The course had good scenery, with all of the river valleys and parks and the revamped downtown area. The volunteers in bright green shirts were helpful and very encouraging. Aid and water stations were well spaced, and the two GU stations were a definite PLUS. Only two small gripes: there were only 11 porta-potties at the start line for 1,200 people, and the mile markers on the PDF terrain map seemed to be slightly off from their locations on the course. Overall it was a great experience; I just wish it were later in the year so that I could get more training in.

I really enjoyed this marathon. I was worried because I am a 5:00-ish marathon (5:01:07 this time) and I was afraid I would lonely by myself. I wasn't surrounded by other runners, but the volunteers at every stop, the spectators, and the people at the finish all made it a great day. The course is very flat by New England standards but it is pretty. Much of the running is along the river and I was never bored. I ran this race to get Wisconsin off of the 50-state list. Unless you need big crowds, this is a perfect race.

I want to thank the race directors as well as the City of Eau Claire for putting on a fantastic race. It was very organized and scenic. You will be sure to see more of us Canadian folks next year. Great memories of my first full marathon!