Marathon Details - Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake

North America Marathons > USA > WI > Baraboo > Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake

Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake & 50M, 50K, Half Marathon, 10K

Baraboo, WI USA

July 13, 2024

http://www.dwddevilslake.com

Results:

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Top 3 Finishers by Year

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Number of Runners:	1,300
Number of Spectators:	500
Fees & Deadlines:	See website for details
Course Description:	The perfect midsummer road trip trail run! Just north of Madison lies Devil's Lake, an area of amazing geological, ice age creation, the perfect backdrop for an adventure run that includes "The most dramatic aid station location in the world!"
Start Time:	5:30am
Course Highlights:	Dances with Dirt continues to lure runners over to the dark side. Not a Peter Cottontail Bunny Trail run but an insane test of human endurance with muscles on fire and a finish line that will leave you beaten to a pulp but totally satisfied! Expect a day that leaves you knowing you are fully awake, alive and living life in full color out near the crumbling edge.
Race Day Registration:	Yes
Online Registration:	Yes
Packet Pickup Info:	See website for details
Marathon Ratings:	Course Scenery/Beauty/Interest: Good for First Timers: Crowd Support: Course Speed:



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Reviews

Course 4.3

Organization 4.7

Spectators 3.0

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Number of comments: 13 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 > ]

Rob Klein from Paradise, Michigan (7/12/2017) "Significant Hills, Flat Grassy Meadows, & Some Mud" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was quite an experience. The course was in the wooded hills near Devil's Lake, and we were in Devil's Lake Park - for much of the race and maybe all of it. So it must have been coordinated with the Park. They hyped it up as being a tough race - and it was difficult, with lots of elevation changes. But honestly, I expected it to be more difficult, given everything that I read about it beforehand. Parking was available near the start line, and there was long, wet grass everybody had to park in & walk through, so probably everyone started with wet feet. Check-in was allowed in the morning - an option that I exercised, because I arrived late Friday evening. There were five different races going on here. There was a 10K, a half-marathon, a marathon, a 50K, and a 50-mile race all being run this day - but with staggered start times. And they all were being run on portions of the same route. So with that, I wanted to say up front that whoever laid this out was diligent, and did an extremely good job. And each race had that specific part of race course marked with color-specific flags. For example, the marathoners followed pink flags for the first 20 miles, then the last 6.2 miles was the same course the 10K folks ran, and for that portion the flags were white (as they say, minor details). And where ever there were turns that separated the runners by race, those were clearly marked (e.g. marathoners turn left, 50K runners go straight). So the course was extremely well marked. And if you followed the flags of the color of your race, it would have been difficult to get lost. The other thing I wanted to mention up front is that there were no mile markers on this course. That was inconvenient, but perhaps they could not coordinated all the races and have correct mile-markers too. But that is just a guess. And at some of the hydration stations, where timing officials were present, it was hard to find someone who knew how far along on the course we were. Again, maybe too many numbers, given all the races that were going on. The course started out doing a small, irregular shaped loop (and small is relative) with the runners ending north of the finish line area. From there was a big loop that had us come back near, but south of the start line, finishing the first 20 miles. Off of that big loop, there were two out-and-back segments that had us come down from the hills into a meadow. That was a single path with two-way traffic on it - at least getting into the meadows. The meadows were six-foot high growth of some combination of grain, weeds, brush, and wild flowers that looked like someone had pulled a brush-hog mower through with a tractor to clear a six or eight foot wide running path; each was several miles long. In those meadows, there was no protection from the sun, but most the rest of the course was well shaded and temperatures were reasonably comfortable for July. In one of the meadows there was a stretch of boardwalk for getting through a swampy portion, but right at the start on the boardwalk was an enormous mud hole that was difficult or impossible to get through with clean shoes. And as I said earlier, there were lots of hills in this course. So there was plenty of time going downhill for tearing up quad muscles. The aid stations were not every two miles like you'd hope for, but they had an enormous spectrum of things to eat. Of course, water and Gatorade; they were not all serving the same stuff, but some of the items were cinnamon rolls, quartered potatoes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, M&Ms, watermelon, pretzels, red licorice, various kinds of cookies, boxes of several flavors of GU gel, and lots more. Well done. The map they have on the website is confusing. The course was broken down into sections, and each section had landmarks that identified that section. You had to go to the chart to determine the distance of each section - and they were not all the same. But they all added up to the correct distance for the course. Before the race, several of us were looking at the map there discussing it, but were uncertain about details. Now having run the course, and looking at the map again, it all makes perfect sense. I like to camp for summer marathons when I can, so I hoped to find a place to camp in one of several state parks in the area serving the Wisconsin Dells and Devil's Lake. They were all full! Fortunately I found out about Wheeler's Campground on the Internet. They were 2.5 miles from the start-line, they had a section of their park just for the runners, and discounted rates too. There was a nice grassy area to pitch a tent, and hot showers too. If you want to camp, check them out.
tim gonyea from s. rockwood,michigan (7/14/2016) "as expected.....a b#@& of a run...and fun" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 First let me give a quick shout out to lori and r.j. who were kind enough to stop and make sure I was ok after I had decided to catch my toe on a rock and take a closer look at the trail. Thanks guys. Ok. I've done some tough ones, and this one ranks right up there with the toughest. Presented some unique challenges, such as navigating difficult terrain while avoiding on-coming runners on the out-and-backs; and navigating difficult terrain while being distracted by some great vistas; and navigating difficult terrain while navigating difficult terrain..... If you sign up for this, be forewarned. You will face some challenges you might not have ever had to deal with before. Suck it up, pound it out, and be proud of yourself when you cross the finish line; trail tattoos and all..... Thanks for a one-of-a-kind race guys p.s. My wife Beth had a great time as a last-minute volunteer
David Weiss from Bay Village, Ohio (7/20/2014) "Tough technical course, but well worth it" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 A tremendous race! My girl and I decided to camp at Mirror Lake and do this race together, her the half, me the full, and we were very glad we did. The good... Tremendous organization...putting together an event w a 50 mile, 50K, full and half marathon and 10K at the same time, I cant imagine the work that goes into doing this! -Packet pickup easy, friendly workers, course well marked (maybe 2 hiccups on turns where it took a second to figure out where to go) -Course technical, difficult w roots, rocks, hills, descents, cliffs, narrow trail w runners going both ways...some may think of that as a negative, but after doing lots of road races, I found this to be super cool and enjoyable -no mile markers, so as a runner you concentrated on the run and the scenery, not what mile you were on -great runner comraderie during the race -most of the course in the shade -GORGEOUS scenery -unique medal -excellent food at finish line -aid stations well stocked, and some had real food; sandwiches, fruit, chips, cookies (fig newtons I ate were like a B12 shot) -being trails, my joints didnt take the beating that they typically do on a road race -Overall, after the race, we just felt like we absolutely loved participating in this race The bad... -Cant control weather...it was quite muggy, but the rain stayed away -Have to concentrate on every single step, i actually fell down 2x on the course, so you have to be extremely careful-uneven ground, tape those ankles! -First 2 miles a major climb, and all the runners are bunched up, so its a slow slog for a little while, that being said, it wasnt too bad -sometimes on a narrow trail with runners going both ways, tough to pass by one another -phone had no signal on way to packet pickup, so i didnt have a map, some more signage on roads leading to start would have been helpful The ugly... -If it had rained, this course would be downright trecherous and dangerous, with slippery rocks and inclines/declines, as it were, especially the last couple of miles where you are sharply descending when your legs are fried is extremely tough...without rain, i passed a lady with about a mile to go who looked to have fallen and potentially broken her nose, and a guy i was running with fell, and I had to help him up, I also fell on the course 2x and had sore wrists the next day where I caught myself...high levels of concentation is needed all 26.2 miles! Overall, we were thrilled with our experience running this race!!! We also enjoyed traveling to this area and spending our time and money in this beautiful part of Wisconsin that I had never visited before. If you enjoy a challenge, go for it! Bravo race organizers!
Emma Davis from USA (3/9/2014) "What a BEAST of a run" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first trail run, and WOW.. I'm glad I'm still alive! This run is not for the weak minded. Also, do not try to get you P.R. during this race. The trails are meant for one person at a time, and you must watch your footing the entire time. The hills are steep and dangerous, but that just adds the thrill to it. The weather was ideal. It's about 90% shaded since you're going through the woods, and the other 10% was through a beautiful prairie. There is some rock climbing involved, but once you reach the top of the ginormous hill.. It's breathtaking. Wear extra water and a fanny pack to hold t.p and your phone/camera. You will want to take photos during this run. There weren't very many aid stations, but when there were - they were awesome. The aid stations had legit sandwiches, oreos, fruit, pop, water, gatorade.. Just about everything! There was minimal crowd support beings people couldn't go into the woods, but the runners supported each other. There were some loop parts, and I've never been encouraged so much during a marathon by my fellow runners than with this race. It's awesome. There's no bands, no huge crowd support, minimal mile markers, about two porta-potties along the course, and every single muscle in your body will ache.. but this is one of my favorite races. Everyone even stuck around after they finished to cheer everyone else on some for 10 hours!! This is a course where you just might get injured.. I had my endorphins go crazy around mile 22, and I got going too fast and biffed it over a huge tree root in the path. So, once again.. Watch your step and be careful! Enjoy this run through hell! :)
Matt Mancini from Pennsylvania (7/18/2013) "Trail Newbies Beware" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 First off, I didn't know what to expect with this race after reading some earlier postings. I had already run two trail marathons (Grand Island & Instant Classic) this past year that were completely different, and therefore assumed, covered everything (beach running in GI to root/rock/hill in IC). I couldn't have imagined the narrowness of this trail right from the start. If you're looking to run in the 4:00 - 5:00 pace, be sure to start in the front wave. After reviewing the elevation changes listed on the website, I knew I was in for some 'fun', especially since the last two miles are straight downhill, when the legs were already weakened / cramping as I watched others trip/fall on their way down. The volunteers were wonderful throughout the entire race, offering all types of goodies (granola, pbj, candy, etc.) that you don't always see in city/road races. Thanks again for your support. I definitely want to come back to Wisconsin for this race but once I've 'mastered' all types of trail terrain since this race has it all.
B. T. from IL (7/15/2013) "A great race!" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 3 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lakes COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The latest course change has made it even better! It gives a certain advantage to the locals - those runners who have never been there had to stop several times to make pictures of the scenic views from the East Bluff! I have only one suggestion - please (please!)put a sign before the last turn before the finish(from the paved trail into the woods)! I have missed that turn last year and I have heard of many who did it this time as well. Also, the XL shirt was a couple of sizes smaller than the last year's. However, these minor things just underscore the overall quality of this festival of races.
D. H. from Kirkwood, MO (7/14/2013) "Not for the road racing aficianado" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Pro: Well organized. Communication from RD was excellent. Aid stations were well stocked & staffed. All staff were very polite. Trail was well marked. Bag drop allowed me greater range to bring my favorite supplies. Cons: Single track trail with limited opportunity to pass made much of it a slog. The only spot I felt was unnecessarily unsafe was an 8 mile out & back on single track trail. On a trail that rough, requiring runners to look at the ground to manage foot placement, having them run at each other seems unwise. The medal was dull pewter with boring, monochrome ribbon. Overall, I didn't like it. This was my first trail run, and I don't care for the format. The overall work-to-fun ratio wasn't favorable to me.
C. S. from Madison WI (7/24/2012) "Probably my last DWD" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lakes COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I ran the 50k in 2011 and had a blast - great course, great organization, nice shirts/medals and tasty post race food. I was signed up for the 50k again this year but due to some less than stellar training and a really hot forecast for race day I requested to drop down to the marathon (a $15 change fee was applied since it was a few days before the event). Running Fit staff were prompt and helpful with my request. The course is very hilly (3900' ft of elevation change) and challenging but it was not as pretty or fun as last year's course. In 2011 the course ran all the way around Devil's Lake. This year the Park did not allow that (honestly can't blame them with how busy the trails are without adding hundreds of runners) and the course only briefly skirted the east shore of the lake. It also seemed that there was quite a bit less single track (fun) and a lot more fire road (ho hum) included in the course. To make up the distance lost in the State Park there was an out and back that was a long downhill one way with a turn around in a wet and overgrown marshy area followed by a long uphill on the way back. It was nowhere near as scenic as the lake loop from last year. I noticed a lot of what I am going to call 'Warrior Dashness' in this year's event that I didn't notice last year. A lot of hooting and hollering from runners, an alarming number of headphone wearers and even one runner carrying an iPhone playing her (crappy) music. I've run 27 marathon+ distance races with most of them being on trails. Trail runs usually have a very laid back and peaceful atmosphere. People tend to sign up for them to enjoy the peace of nature. They don't want to hear someone blasting music from tinny cell phone speakers or have people yelling 'AY-OH-AY-OH-AY-OH-AYYYY!!!' every quarter mile. The noise/headphone wearing is one thing but what really irked me this year is the amount of litter that I saw on the trail. Most trail runners are borderline fanatical about keeping the trails clean so I was surprised and disappointed to see so many gel wrappers strewn on the ground. To make it worse they were discarded far from aid stations where it is very unlikely that race organizers will clean them up. I'm hoping that this is an anomaly and not a trend. The overall organization was good, no mismarkings, adequate aid, etc. but the results are a mess. When I crossed the finish line I was told that I was 4th in my age group (which surprised me) and handed an award. My name was taken down by a volunteer and added to a list of award winners. A few days later when results were online my name was nowhere to be found in the overall or age group standings. I checked in all the distances to see if maybe I ended up listed in the wrong race (thinking that maybe my prerace distance switch didn't 'stick). Nope, Nothing. To make things more confusing my time would not have put me in 4th place of my age group. I didn't look too thoroughly but it's more likely I was sixth or seventh. Odd. This race is convenient for me to get to, priced reasonably and is a challenging course but the issues I experienced, albeit minor, are enough to make me look elsewhere for a more subdued trail race next year.
K. H. from Wilmette, IL (7/15/2012) "Tough but scenic" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the 50k, which was basically the marathon course + a 5 mile loop around the ski resort. Really tough course, exactly as one of the reviewers before me stated - very rocky and rooty footing at times, some parts weren't even a trail - just matted down brush or grass. The steep climb halfway through is well worth the effort...the views of Devils Lake from the top of the bluff are breathtaking. Aid stations and volunteers are amazing. Really fun race and great challenge!
M. M. from Madison, wi (7/15/2012) "Really fun endurance challenge" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Wow, what an amazing experience. For me, this was not a race, this was an endurance challenge and my goal was to finish. The trail requires concentration from start to finish. Fellow runners were all super helpful and friendly. This finisher's medal is my biggest accomplishment. One more thing, definitely read all the information they provide about the course ahead of time.

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Rob Klein from Paradise, Michigan (7/12/2017) "Significant Hills, Flat Grassy Meadows, & Some Mud" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was quite an experience. The course was in the wooded hills near Devil's Lake, and we were in Devil's Lake Park - for much of the race and maybe all of it. So it must have been coordinated with the Park. They hyped it up as being a tough race - and it was difficult, with lots of elevation changes. But honestly, I expected it to be more difficult, given everything that I read about it beforehand. Parking was available near the start line, and there was long, wet grass everybody had to park in & walk through, so probably everyone started with wet feet. Check-in was allowed in the morning - an option that I exercised, because I arrived late Friday evening. There were five different races going on here. There was a 10K, a half-marathon, a marathon, a 50K, and a 50-mile race all being run this day - but with staggered start times. And they all were being run on portions of the same route. So with that, I wanted to say up front that whoever laid this out was diligent, and did an extremely good job. And each race had that specific part of race course marked with color-specific flags. For example, the marathoners followed pink flags for the first 20 miles, then the last 6.2 miles was the same course the 10K folks ran, and for that portion the flags were white (as they say, minor details). And where ever there were turns that separated the runners by race, those were clearly marked (e.g. marathoners turn left, 50K runners go straight). So the course was extremely well marked. And if you followed the flags of the color of your race, it would have been difficult to get lost. The other thing I wanted to mention up front is that there were no mile markers on this course. That was inconvenient, but perhaps they could not coordinated all the races and have correct mile-markers too. But that is just a guess. And at some of the hydration stations, where timing officials were present, it was hard to find someone who knew how far along on the course we were. Again, maybe too many numbers, given all the races that were going on. The course started out doing a small, irregular shaped loop (and small is relative) with the runners ending north of the finish line area. From there was a big loop that had us come back near, but south of the start line, finishing the first 20 miles. Off of that big loop, there were two out-and-back segments that had us come down from the hills into a meadow. That was a single path with two-way traffic on it - at least getting into the meadows. The meadows were six-foot high growth of some combination of grain, weeds, brush, and wild flowers that looked like someone had pulled a brush-hog mower through with a tractor to clear a six or eight foot wide running path; each was several miles long. In those meadows, there was no protection from the sun, but most the rest of the course was well shaded and temperatures were reasonably comfortable for July. In one of the meadows there was a stretch of boardwalk for getting through a swampy portion, but right at the start on the boardwalk was an enormous mud hole that was difficult or impossible to get through with clean shoes. And as I said earlier, there were lots of hills in this course. So there was plenty of time going downhill for tearing up quad muscles. The aid stations were not every two miles like you'd hope for, but they had an enormous spectrum of things to eat. Of course, water and Gatorade; they were not all serving the same stuff, but some of the items were cinnamon rolls, quartered potatoes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, M&Ms, watermelon, pretzels, red licorice, various kinds of cookies, boxes of several flavors of GU gel, and lots more. Well done. The map they have on the website is confusing. The course was broken down into sections, and each section had landmarks that identified that section. You had to go to the chart to determine the distance of each section - and they were not all the same. But they all added up to the correct distance for the course. Before the race, several of us were looking at the map there discussing it, but were uncertain about details. Now having run the course, and looking at the map again, it all makes perfect sense. I like to camp for summer marathons when I can, so I hoped to find a place to camp in one of several state parks in the area serving the Wisconsin Dells and Devil's Lake. They were all full! Fortunately I found out about Wheeler's Campground on the Internet. They were 2.5 miles from the start-line, they had a section of their park just for the runners, and discounted rates too. There was a nice grassy area to pitch a tent, and hot showers too. If you want to camp, check them out.
tim gonyea from s. rockwood,michigan (7/14/2016) "as expected.....a b#@& of a run...and fun" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 First let me give a quick shout out to lori and r.j. who were kind enough to stop and make sure I was ok after I had decided to catch my toe on a rock and take a closer look at the trail. Thanks guys. Ok. I've done some tough ones, and this one ranks right up there with the toughest. Presented some unique challenges, such as navigating difficult terrain while avoiding on-coming runners on the out-and-backs; and navigating difficult terrain while being distracted by some great vistas; and navigating difficult terrain while navigating difficult terrain..... If you sign up for this, be forewarned. You will face some challenges you might not have ever had to deal with before. Suck it up, pound it out, and be proud of yourself when you cross the finish line; trail tattoos and all..... Thanks for a one-of-a-kind race guys p.s. My wife Beth had a great time as a last-minute volunteer
David Weiss from Bay Village, Ohio (7/20/2014) "Tough technical course, but well worth it" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 A tremendous race! My girl and I decided to camp at Mirror Lake and do this race together, her the half, me the full, and we were very glad we did. The good... Tremendous organization...putting together an event w a 50 mile, 50K, full and half marathon and 10K at the same time, I cant imagine the work that goes into doing this! -Packet pickup easy, friendly workers, course well marked (maybe 2 hiccups on turns where it took a second to figure out where to go) -Course technical, difficult w roots, rocks, hills, descents, cliffs, narrow trail w runners going both ways...some may think of that as a negative, but after doing lots of road races, I found this to be super cool and enjoyable -no mile markers, so as a runner you concentrated on the run and the scenery, not what mile you were on -great runner comraderie during the race -most of the course in the shade -GORGEOUS scenery -unique medal -excellent food at finish line -aid stations well stocked, and some had real food; sandwiches, fruit, chips, cookies (fig newtons I ate were like a B12 shot) -being trails, my joints didnt take the beating that they typically do on a road race -Overall, after the race, we just felt like we absolutely loved participating in this race The bad... -Cant control weather...it was quite muggy, but the rain stayed away -Have to concentrate on every single step, i actually fell down 2x on the course, so you have to be extremely careful-uneven ground, tape those ankles! -First 2 miles a major climb, and all the runners are bunched up, so its a slow slog for a little while, that being said, it wasnt too bad -sometimes on a narrow trail with runners going both ways, tough to pass by one another -phone had no signal on way to packet pickup, so i didnt have a map, some more signage on roads leading to start would have been helpful The ugly... -If it had rained, this course would be downright trecherous and dangerous, with slippery rocks and inclines/declines, as it were, especially the last couple of miles where you are sharply descending when your legs are fried is extremely tough...without rain, i passed a lady with about a mile to go who looked to have fallen and potentially broken her nose, and a guy i was running with fell, and I had to help him up, I also fell on the course 2x and had sore wrists the next day where I caught myself...high levels of concentation is needed all 26.2 miles! Overall, we were thrilled with our experience running this race!!! We also enjoyed traveling to this area and spending our time and money in this beautiful part of Wisconsin that I had never visited before. If you enjoy a challenge, go for it! Bravo race organizers!
Emma Davis from USA (3/9/2014) "What a BEAST of a run" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first trail run, and WOW.. I'm glad I'm still alive! This run is not for the weak minded. Also, do not try to get you P.R. during this race. The trails are meant for one person at a time, and you must watch your footing the entire time. The hills are steep and dangerous, but that just adds the thrill to it. The weather was ideal. It's about 90% shaded since you're going through the woods, and the other 10% was through a beautiful prairie. There is some rock climbing involved, but once you reach the top of the ginormous hill.. It's breathtaking. Wear extra water and a fanny pack to hold t.p and your phone/camera. You will want to take photos during this run. There weren't very many aid stations, but when there were - they were awesome. The aid stations had legit sandwiches, oreos, fruit, pop, water, gatorade.. Just about everything! There was minimal crowd support beings people couldn't go into the woods, but the runners supported each other. There were some loop parts, and I've never been encouraged so much during a marathon by my fellow runners than with this race. It's awesome. There's no bands, no huge crowd support, minimal mile markers, about two porta-potties along the course, and every single muscle in your body will ache.. but this is one of my favorite races. Everyone even stuck around after they finished to cheer everyone else on some for 10 hours!! This is a course where you just might get injured.. I had my endorphins go crazy around mile 22, and I got going too fast and biffed it over a huge tree root in the path. So, once again.. Watch your step and be careful! Enjoy this run through hell! :)
Matt Mancini from Pennsylvania (7/18/2013) "Trail Newbies Beware" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 First off, I didn't know what to expect with this race after reading some earlier postings. I had already run two trail marathons (Grand Island & Instant Classic) this past year that were completely different, and therefore assumed, covered everything (beach running in GI to root/rock/hill in IC). I couldn't have imagined the narrowness of this trail right from the start. If you're looking to run in the 4:00 - 5:00 pace, be sure to start in the front wave. After reviewing the elevation changes listed on the website, I knew I was in for some 'fun', especially since the last two miles are straight downhill, when the legs were already weakened / cramping as I watched others trip/fall on their way down. The volunteers were wonderful throughout the entire race, offering all types of goodies (granola, pbj, candy, etc.) that you don't always see in city/road races. Thanks again for your support. I definitely want to come back to Wisconsin for this race but once I've 'mastered' all types of trail terrain since this race has it all.
B. T. from IL (7/15/2013) "A great race!" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 3 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lakes COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The latest course change has made it even better! It gives a certain advantage to the locals - those runners who have never been there had to stop several times to make pictures of the scenic views from the East Bluff! I have only one suggestion - please (please!)put a sign before the last turn before the finish(from the paved trail into the woods)! I have missed that turn last year and I have heard of many who did it this time as well. Also, the XL shirt was a couple of sizes smaller than the last year's. However, these minor things just underscore the overall quality of this festival of races.
D. H. from Kirkwood, MO (7/14/2013) "Not for the road racing aficianado" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Pro: Well organized. Communication from RD was excellent. Aid stations were well stocked & staffed. All staff were very polite. Trail was well marked. Bag drop allowed me greater range to bring my favorite supplies. Cons: Single track trail with limited opportunity to pass made much of it a slog. The only spot I felt was unnecessarily unsafe was an 8 mile out & back on single track trail. On a trail that rough, requiring runners to look at the ground to manage foot placement, having them run at each other seems unwise. The medal was dull pewter with boring, monochrome ribbon. Overall, I didn't like it. This was my first trail run, and I don't care for the format. The overall work-to-fun ratio wasn't favorable to me.
C. S. from Madison WI (7/24/2012) "Probably my last DWD" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lakes COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I ran the 50k in 2011 and had a blast - great course, great organization, nice shirts/medals and tasty post race food. I was signed up for the 50k again this year but due to some less than stellar training and a really hot forecast for race day I requested to drop down to the marathon (a $15 change fee was applied since it was a few days before the event). Running Fit staff were prompt and helpful with my request. The course is very hilly (3900' ft of elevation change) and challenging but it was not as pretty or fun as last year's course. In 2011 the course ran all the way around Devil's Lake. This year the Park did not allow that (honestly can't blame them with how busy the trails are without adding hundreds of runners) and the course only briefly skirted the east shore of the lake. It also seemed that there was quite a bit less single track (fun) and a lot more fire road (ho hum) included in the course. To make up the distance lost in the State Park there was an out and back that was a long downhill one way with a turn around in a wet and overgrown marshy area followed by a long uphill on the way back. It was nowhere near as scenic as the lake loop from last year. I noticed a lot of what I am going to call 'Warrior Dashness' in this year's event that I didn't notice last year. A lot of hooting and hollering from runners, an alarming number of headphone wearers and even one runner carrying an iPhone playing her (crappy) music. I've run 27 marathon+ distance races with most of them being on trails. Trail runs usually have a very laid back and peaceful atmosphere. People tend to sign up for them to enjoy the peace of nature. They don't want to hear someone blasting music from tinny cell phone speakers or have people yelling 'AY-OH-AY-OH-AY-OH-AYYYY!!!' every quarter mile. The noise/headphone wearing is one thing but what really irked me this year is the amount of litter that I saw on the trail. Most trail runners are borderline fanatical about keeping the trails clean so I was surprised and disappointed to see so many gel wrappers strewn on the ground. To make it worse they were discarded far from aid stations where it is very unlikely that race organizers will clean them up. I'm hoping that this is an anomaly and not a trend. The overall organization was good, no mismarkings, adequate aid, etc. but the results are a mess. When I crossed the finish line I was told that I was 4th in my age group (which surprised me) and handed an award. My name was taken down by a volunteer and added to a list of award winners. A few days later when results were online my name was nowhere to be found in the overall or age group standings. I checked in all the distances to see if maybe I ended up listed in the wrong race (thinking that maybe my prerace distance switch didn't 'stick). Nope, Nothing. To make things more confusing my time would not have put me in 4th place of my age group. I didn't look too thoroughly but it's more likely I was sixth or seventh. Odd. This race is convenient for me to get to, priced reasonably and is a challenging course but the issues I experienced, albeit minor, are enough to make me look elsewhere for a more subdued trail race next year.
K. H. from Wilmette, IL (7/15/2012) "Tough but scenic" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran the 50k, which was basically the marathon course + a 5 mile loop around the ski resort. Really tough course, exactly as one of the reviewers before me stated - very rocky and rooty footing at times, some parts weren't even a trail - just matted down brush or grass. The steep climb halfway through is well worth the effort...the views of Devils Lake from the top of the bluff are breathtaking. Aid stations and volunteers are amazing. Really fun race and great challenge!
M. M. from Madison, wi (7/15/2012) "Really fun endurance challenge" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Wow, what an amazing experience. For me, this was not a race, this was an endurance challenge and my goal was to finish. The trail requires concentration from start to finish. Fellow runners were all super helpful and friendly. This finisher's medal is my biggest accomplishment. One more thing, definitely read all the information they provide about the course ahead of time.

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Marathon Details - Dances With Dirt Devil's Lake