Fox Cities Marathon - Race Reviews

This was marathon 101 for me and 99 for my friend. We made the easy 4 hour drive from the Twin Cities. Packet pick up was a breeze. We stayed at the Doubletree in downtown Neenah - Bus to the Start was right in front of the hotel and just a few blocks walk from the Finish line. They even gave runners a 2pm check out. The race is very well organized! Tons of biffy's at the start and along the course. Volunteers and police at every intersection and turn. The spectators were amazing on this HOT day offering us water, bags of ice, misting us with their hoses and cheering like crazy. Great community support! Nice shirt and medal. Nice race App to download with all the information. Good email communications. Beautiful finish area with lots of snacks and goodies. My only complaint is the amount of concrete - ouch! Highly recommend!

Thanks to the Race Director, the medical staff, the volunteers, and all the spectators for a fantastic marathon in hot running conditions. Loved the amount of aid stations, the extra water on the course, the popsicles, the GU's, and the fruit. Amazing is how many residents had put out sprinklers and had provided extra water along the course. My 10th time completing this year. Fantastic marathon if you need Wisconsin for your 50 state goal, or to marathon and I will be back again next run your first marathon.

The Fox Cities Marathon is a nice, smaller marathon that truly showcases the communitys support for the event. The race was very well- organized, packet pickup at the college was easy, and parking downtown for the shuttle busses to the start line was no problem at all. (I also really appreciated that we were able to wait for the race to start indoors.) Unfortunately, I found the course to be pretty boring. The majority of the marathon is run through subdivisions and it got monotonous very quickly. 2016 was also a warm year, and there is very little shade available. Overall, this was not a super- hilly course, but I wouldnt call it flat or fast either. For a small- town marathon, I did feel that there was a good amount of crowd support which was very much appreciated. The aid stations were plentiful and well- manned, and there were lots of organized cheering sections. The highlight of my race was our fantastic 3:35 pace leader, John, and the super- nice people in our pace group. I ended up talking to them for the first 20 miles or so, which really helped keep things interesting. The finish at Riverside Park was great: lots of food and drink and a lovely setting to relax after the run. I really appreciate the work that went into this event, I just didnt enjoy the course as much as other races I have run.

I'm pursuing a marathon in all 50 states. This was my 37th marathon and 34th state. It was an excellent choice for Wisconsin! I'm glad I did it. Pros: -Excellent traffic control Plenty of aid stations and EVERY SINGLE station had the same order of fluid (water vs. Gatorade). This a small but important detail. -Supportive of slower participants -Great expo where you were able to record a short video greeting to be shown on their Facebook page app for my smartphone was very handy, and all of the communication was excellent -Great hospitality by UWFox Valley at the start and at the expo -Loved the cheerleaders!! -Beautifully scenic course. Loved the pedestrian bridge! -Excellent finish area; very pretty -Finish chute was closed off to spectators which was great so no one to get in the way as you finish Areas for improvement: -No Arby's sandwiches left for the 4+ hour marathon finishers -Congestion getting to the start area, even for the shuttle buses -First couple of miles are a little congested until the half marathoners break off (and the motorcycles that were supporting us gave off awful fumes) Overall, my complaints are minor. This was an excellent marathon that I highly recommend. I'm really glad I chose it for my Wisconsin marathon. The course was not too challenging and I loved all of the turns. (Side note: I rented a house via Airbnb in Menasha that was close to both the start and the finish.) Thanks to the Fox Cities for their hospitality!

This was my third marathon in another state. Was there for work so decided that I would go ahead and register for the marathon. My race didn't really go as planned, but that was not the fault of the race management. Very well marked with cones, signs and people. Plenty of support (Gu, water, Gatorade). The medal was nice and there were still people at the finish line despite my slow time. Packet pick-up was easy and the bus shuttle service was easy to navigate!

This marathon was the 25th! It started at the UW  Fox Valley campus in Menasha, and ended at Riverside Park in Neenah. There was an expo the day before the race, and they were giving stuff away. Of course, some were selling their wares, trying to make a buck. Coming into the facility at the university, first they give you your number. Then you pick up your bib and safety pins. Then you can go to the expo. There, you can check that your chip, on the back of your bib, works. You get a bag of stuff  lots of it advertising of area businesses that out-of-town folks generally find as worthless. The 50 States Marathon Club was having a reunion run here, so they were on-site (and they had a meeting later in the afternoon). Race day morning, you could park at or near the university (and get a shuttle ride back after the race) or park in Neenah, before the start, and then ride a bus to the start-line. At the start line, you were corralled by your expected finish time. For me, it took 2 minutes from the sound of the gun, until I crossed the start-line mat. All of that time, I was walking. There were just that many people. I only heard approximate numbers  in the thousands - but there were lots of runners  most of them half-marathoners. The whole group was together for about the first two miles. The marathoners stayed on Midway Road for the first 3.5 miles. Out of the city by then, we turned north and meandered through Darboy. Coming under a bridge to join the paved path along College Avenue, there were a group of cheer-leaders just making an incredible amount of noise. I looked around and was alone; they were cheering for me! It was remarkable and encouraging. After a spell on the CW Trail, we headed toward Combined Locks and Kimberly. After running behind the high school ball fields, the course kind of followed roads and trails along the river through Appleton and back to Menasha before crossing an old train bridge to Neenah, now converted for use by bikes and foot traffic. The last three miles or so were in Neenah, ending at Riverside Park. There were several groups of cheer-leaders along the course (might have been a competition between the different groups, but I never heard). When passing them, it definitely lifted my spirit. There were two strategically placed aid stations, and all they did was hand out gel! Both were followed by a water station 100 yards down the path  in case you needed water to wash it down. And speaking of water stations, there were lots of them. And they had refreshments and volunteers. It was spectacular to see. The finish-line food was rather ordinary: Cut fruit and quartered bagels. They had a sheet cake too, and someone was handing out ginger snaps. The medal was nice, with a big 25 on it, and the finisher's T-shirt was rather plain - a big circle with the words Finisher, the name, and some sponsor names too. But still a nice T-shirt. They really did a good job on this marathon event.

I signed up for this marathon because of the weather forecast and previous reviews. Nice option to have a fee of 25 dollars to pick up your packet day of. This was another reason I signed up for this race. Very nice park and bus shuttles. Great informative website. The race event start was spectacular. Waited inside nice clean school with nice facilities. Race course, a little congested at start. Nice that there was an early split of half-full marathoners (mile 2). Pretty flat course but a couple of hills you need to be prepared for. Great course markings, wonderful feature of water and gatorade cups (white for water, green for gatorade). Excellent spectators (bands, cheerleaders, church groups, neighborhoods). Just mentally prepare yourself for half marathoners (walkers) finishing the last couple miles with you. We were never in each other's way. Nice medal, nice finish line, excellent race support, auto text for your loved ones to track you, nice shirt, great park to finish at, YMCA provided nice shower facilities. This Race Director is top notch! Once again, thanks for the packet pick-up option the day of the event!

This marathon excels at getting everything right for the marathon. There were 22 aid stations on the course with porta-johns at each aid station. There were two GU stations as well as a fruit station. The new course is hiller than in years past with a few more turns, but a little more scenic with at times being closer to the water. The volunteers and spectators were fantastic and overall organization is fantastic. Plus this marathon gives back to the community which is great to see. A great overall Wisconsin marathon that you need to put on your marathon to do list.

I hadn't run a Wisconsin race before and picked this one largely based on reviews on marathonguide. The Fox Cities Marathon exceeded my expectations on every level. The website was informative and the organizers sent out helpful emails. My wife used the mobile app and athlete tracker. Packet pick-up was easy to find, with plenty of parking, and the expo was larger and nicer than others I've been to for bigger races. Every volunteer I encountered was friendly. Even the law officers out on the course directing traffic were friendly and encouraging to the runners. The race start was well-organized, and they had a ton of water and aid stations out on the course. A surprising number of spectators showed up in the cold and rain to cheer us on. The finish area had lots of food and drinks, plus massages, which was nice. The course is pretty fast, mostly flat, fairly scenic. Comparable to courses like Twin Cities or Des Moines. Finishes in a beautiful park right on Lake Winnebago. This is a great, smaller, convenient race, and the organizers do a fantastic job. My sole complaint has to do with the people walking the half, who walk four across and do not pay attention to the runners. I don't see this as a fault of the organizers, though, just an unfortunate trend in races.

I have done 37 total races marathon or longer. 6 of which have been this race. My title really says it all. Organization is great! Fans are great! Course is a good combination of country and city running. I just love this race! If youre a 50 stater and looking to do one in Wisconsin I recommend this one.

This was my first marathon and I'm so glad I picked one close to home and the Fox cities. Nice course, great fans, lots of water/gatorade stops, well organized. Expo was easy in and out.

I ran Fox Cities yesterday for the first time, here are my thoughts: The course is great. Only a couple big hills I can remember, with a lot of flat (or almost flat) space in between. There were nice neighborhoods, downtown main streets, and cornfields. Last 1 mile is nice by the lake but by then I didn't care anymore. A nice mix of scenery. Organization - couple of big gripes here. First - THE WALKERS MUST GO. Seriously, the people who walk on the course (they walk the 1/2 and walk the last 9 miles on the marathon course) walked 3 and 4 wide. They cut off the corners and make it a pain to navigate in spots. It was very frustrating to have to run around them in so many areas. Second, the 'long sleeve' shirts ALL had the same sleeve length - whether you got a L, XL, or XXL. They have appropriate body sizes but the EXACT same sleeve lengths. I wear Large but requested XL - still - the shirt is unwearable because it looks ridiculous with sleeves halfway up my forearms. Same issue with the other 3 guys in my group. I could live with a crappy medal because that's going in the drawer anyway, but give me a shirt that's good for more than a sweat-rag, please. Beyond all that... I appreciated the above average # of aid stations. There were also many bands and dj's and cheerleaders on the course providing entertainment. One of the best things was the post-race massage area. Not all races have this. I told my masseuse Jill that she was the best thing to happen to me that day :) Band was there... but no beer :( oh well. Spectators... It was a nice day and they were out there in force. Lots of folks in their front yards, which was nice. Overall, I will not come here again to run a fast race unless the race directors ditch the walk - OR - train the walkers to walk 2 wide (max) on the outside.

This was my 7th marathon, and one of my favorites. The course is great and very flat (great for PRs). The organization is fantastic, with most streets closed off and water stops every 1-2 miles. There were a great number of spectators, DJs, and bands. The finish line is in a wonderful park. I highly recommend this race.

This was my 6th marathon and although it wasn't the fastest course I have run, it was the most fun. The spectators and volunteers were awesome!! I would love to run this one again.

While there are some larger races across the Country (Rock and Roll series, etc.), the Fox Cities event was the perfect size and extremely well-done. The information that was sent out ahead of time via Facebook and email was awesome - I always felt informed. The course was flat and had a lot of community support from start to finish. I will be running this event again and again!!

I've ran this marathon the last 3 years and each year it's the same boring course. It's called the fox cities marathon for reason. This course should be done through the city, but instead it is drawn out through the countryside, which is a waste. Not organized and should have more stations. Mabey next year you should take my advice and re route it through the different fox cities.

I have run the Fox Cities half marathon in the past, but this was my first year running the full. I'm dissapointed that it took me so long to do so! It is a great course. Challening enough for experiened runners, yet also a great race for first timers. The volunteers were outstanding, and the crowd support is amazing. I'm so glad this race is in my hometown, as I will be returning for many years to come!

I was overwhelmed by how professional this event was planned and executed. The Fox Cities Marathon is the best race I've seen in a long time. They nailed it, and I will be back next year. I am very impressed!

I ran Fox Cities in 2000, but don´t remember anything about the race, except that I got a windbreaker (that I have never used. This years race was very well organized. I liked the cheering volunteers on the way, there was plenty of energy and food, the medal is beautiful and the shirt too. Thank you for a great race :)

I have done the half at Fox Cities twice and this year made it my first full! Had a great race finishing in 4:09! Plenty of water stations, excellent medic staff everywhere on the route, and community support from mile 1-26! A scenic route with few hills but nothing major! Had a great time! Thank you!

I live in Wisconsin, heard this was a great race. I live only 2-ish hours away. My fifth marathon, and by FAR the best organized. Plentiful gatorade, water, gu, fruit, and portapotties very frequently. Spectators, volunteers and race organizers super-friendly! Showers offered post-race. Some beautiful houses to see, views along the lake too. Bands & DJs along the way. Will put this on my calendar for next year!

Lots of local people pan this race (the course layout is generally cited as the reason), but I can wholeheartedly recommend the Fox Cities Marathon. Expo: check. Nice t-shirt: check. Goody bag: by far the best bag I've ever received - there was a CD Toy Story read-along book, coupons, Kimberly Clark products, a nice bag and a stainless steel canteen water bottle. Course: winds through many residential areas, so not the best, but it wasn't a difficult course. The finish was a bear for me, but I PR'd by over 20 minutes, so who knows.... This was my 7th marathon. Post-race massage: great. Post race food: lots of it. I loved this run. I don't know how you fix the course, but frankly, everything else was super.

I ran the half here in 2009 and came back for my first marathon in 2010. What an awesome race! Perfectly chilly weather at the start two years in a row (a better track record than the Chicago Marathon!), awesome support along the course, and VERY enthusiastic and supportive fans (though not as many as I would've liked). I planned to finish in over 6 hours, so I took advantage of the early start option for the marathon. There were some lonely spots near miles 16-19 that required mental toughness, but otherwise, I would highly recommend this race to anyone looking for something small and well-supported.

I fell in love with this marathon in 2005 when I walked it (5:28). I became a runner the next year and knew that I had to return to Fox Cities. For a smaller race, it is well organized and the crowd support is amazing. I have returned every year for either the full or half. The time passes quickly as you run through 7 cities. I think I was actually smiling the entire way. Weather was perfect this year. Only problem was that the expo/packet pick up was a bit disjointed compared to past years. I will continue to return.

This was my first marathon so I wasn't sure what to expect. I loved the course and crowd support and appreciated that the race was so well organized. What a great idea to have our names on the bibs. Hearing my name from the crowd helped motivate me to keep on moving. I hope to do another Fox Cities Marathon in the future.

This was my first marathon, so I don't have anything to compare it to. And I'm just an average runner, so I don't have any expert review of the course. But what I can say is the experience was great, especially for a first-time marathon runner. It's a small race, so if you're not running competitively (like me), you still feel comfortable. It was a well marked course. Plenty of water and food along the way. But the one thing I will always remember are the volunteers. Cheering you along every step of the way and encouraging you when you just want to quit! The only reason I gave it a four-star rating is I don't have anything to compare it or expectations (because like I said, this was my first). But I would highly recommend and run this course again.

I ran the half-marathon here in preparation for my sixth marathon elsewhere. I must say that the event organizers for this Run Fest in the Fox Cities have done an awesome job! Whether it is your first time in a marathon or in any running event, you can't go wrong with this one! The elite level marathoners will also find this one challenging enough to make it all worthwhile! Its high ratings in running event surveys from across the country is well deserved. I am just so thrilled that the marathon event in my hometown is so well organized.

I don't think I could have picked a better place to run my first marathon. Everywhere you went people offered you encouragement and did whatever they could to assist you. Many of the towns had themes as you ran through them, which helped to keep a smile on your face. There were plenty of water stations, and medical staff was always close by. A great experience.

This race had the highest number of aid stations of any marathon or half that I have completed, including four stops in the last couple of miles. Fans are awesome. Lots of shade. GREAT race for spectators since there is so much spectator access to the course. Late hotel checkout is great, and access to start and finish is smooth. No lines at porta-potties pre-race; where else can you find that??

It was a pretty good race. Course: It was pretty flat and fast, but as pretty as the area is, there are some pretty boring parts of this race. Being in several small towns you ran through some completely asleep downtown areas, some nice riverside areas and a few neighborhoods but at other times there were stretches of boring roads and occasional strip malls. As far as the running surface goes, I remember much too much concrete. The roads, however, were wide. I started near the back and was able to easily pass from the beginning because of wide roads. It finishes in a park where I was able to jump into the river for a cold bath (something I consider a huge plus). Transportation from the start line to the finish line easy. Organization: They know what they are doing, can be contacted before the event, and have ample water on the course. On the downside, there is little parking at the start and I don't like being told to show up at 6:45 for an 8 a.m. start (sure for a big race but not for a marathon with 1,200 runners). There is a half that starts at 7 and closes down the roads. But they do open up the community college for a warm place to hang out. At the finish line there is no beer. No specially brewed micro-brew like at GB, no two free samples of Mich Ultra, no brat fest and beer tents like in Madison. To have a marathon in Wisconsin without beer just feels wrong. Spectators: There are some. Getting the various cheerleading squads out is fun. Having the marathon relay helps get the crowd there, but it is a small race, so don't expect big crowds. The water stops and relay stations were well maned, which translates to a group of people at least every mile. While this was a good race, I don't see it as a great race and am a little confused by its very high ratings. I find it utterly runnable and might do it again, but I wouldn't fly halfway across the country to run it. For Wisconsin runners (not living in greater Appleton), they don't tell you about morning packet pick-up, but it might still be available; they just don't encourage it. Had I known, I think I would have just driven up there that morning instead of booking a hotel room like I did.

I enjoyed this race overall. The size was great (although I am not a fan of the ultra-crowded marathons, so I may be biased). All of the details that matter were taken care of - the expo, course, volunteers, shuttles, and the finish line area were easy to navigate. The start area was nice, and it is in a college building where you can spread out and find a quiet place to get ready, stretch and stay warm. Food at finish line and water on course was plentiful and in ample supply. I loved the themed aid stations as well - Ghostbusters, Caddyshack, etc. The only thing that marked this marathon down for me was that the course was pretty rural/residential, but that being said, with it being residential meant a TON of wonderful fan support. So I'll take the fan support over a prettier course. I'll close with another huge plus which was that the hotels had late checkout (4 p.m. - unheard of!) and a very helpful shuttle service to and from the race. You can tell that the organizers put a lot of thought into this race, and the community supports the marathon.

I've run the half marathon two times, and it's a wonderful race; from the organization to the workers to the spectators, Fox Cities has worked hard to make this a great race! The course is flat, fast and scenic.

I have run 5 so far, including Disney and Philly, and this one takes the cake. Crowd support was awesome. Great shuttle bus system. If not for the 50 states, I would return every year. Course had a nice mix of everything.

This is a nice "small"-city race. It is nothing like the big-city races so don't compare it to one. I thought for a small event that there was a lot of spectators and that it was run well. The one real big complaint I have is that, at the end, they mixed in walkers and half marathoners. My biggest complaint was the walkers! As far as elevation, it's not like Chicago. There are many elevation changes. With that said, they were not a big deal.

I really liked the organization of this race. The race organizers had 23 water stops, with port-a-johns at every one and many medical volunteers on bicycles. They could drop the motorcycles; they were stinky and seemed to be just in the way. As other people had said, the cement roads can be a problem for runners who train on asphalt and dirt. I had to walk most of this race because of an I.T.B. problem, which might have been caused by the cement. Who knows? There was nothing special at the end of the race - just the usual bagels and bananas - but with all of the other good points, of the 40 other states I have done, this race would rank about 25th.

If you're looking for a beautiful course, super volunteers and a well organized race at a great time of year, this is the race for you. It seemed like there were as many volunteers as racers. A flat course running through beautiful, small towns. The expo was small but nice, and beware of the concrete roads (something my feet were unprepared for). But I'll definitely be back for this one.

This is possibly the best "small" marathon in which I have ever had the opportunity to participate. There is not enough allowable space in this forum to do it justice. The marathon expo was small, but efficiently and effectively run. The pace group held a meeting the day before the marathon for runners to meet their pace leaders and ask questions. The leaders provided plans to their respective groups advising them on the pace they would be running for each part of the course and just gave us an overall feel that they cared about our goals. The race-day weather was almost perfect, starting out at around 54 degrees and finishing in the mid-60's, with cloud cover for most of the race. The course itself was a tour of the Fox Cities area that had a few rolling hills, but nothing too intense. The community support was exceptional. Throughout the entire course there were people cheering - sometimes quite a few and sometimes just a single family, but their enthusiasm was boundless. It made the runners feel special. This is a "small" marathon, but the energy level rivals that of the larger marathons that I have run. I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys running.