Nice run along Lake Michigan. Well organized. Swag was great! Got a warm hat, nice jacket and quarter zip all for just signing up! Course was nice except for about … MORE
Nice run along Lake Michigan. Well organized. Swag was great! Got a warm hat, nice jacket and quarter zip all for just signing up! Course was nice except for about 3 miles through a mostly industrial area. Pretty flat but one switch-back sharp hill around mile 10. Overall a very well organized and a pleasant run!
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Well organized. Nice run along the lake!
Nice run along Lake Michigan. Well organized. Swag was great! Got a warm hat, nice jacket and quarter zip all for just signing up! Course was nice except for about … MORE
Nice run along Lake Michigan. Well organized. Swag was great! Got a warm hat, nice jacket and quarter zip all for just signing up! Course was nice except for about 3 miles through a mostly industrial area. Pretty flat but one switch-back sharp hill around mile 10. Overall a very well organized and a pleasant run!
The 4th Time is a Charm!
This race had been canceled the previous three years due to Covid and bad weather . They certainly made up for it this year with spectacular weather and a well … MORE
This race had been canceled the previous three years due to Covid and bad weather . They certainly made up for it this year with spectacular weather and a well supported course. The first half route of the marathon was the most scenic part going past beautiful homes that face Lake Michigan. The road surface was mostly asphalt and this route eventually went to an out and back bicycle trail. The second half went more into neighborhoods and on some concrete streets that had a number of cracks and pot holes. The entire route had a few good hills, even one at mile 25! But most of the course was flat.
There was plenty of support along the route with water stations and 3 Gu shot areas. Plenty of volunteers and police support along the course.
The expo was small, but very efficient in getting your bib and swag. It should be noted this was one of the best swag races, giving participants a zippered jacket, a beanie and a zip long sleeve tech shirt! They also provided free race day pictures.
The race finish area was in a park with the usual runner’s type snack food and beer. The medal was nice and they provided a bus to take you back to the start area.
The biggest downside was a 5 hour time cut off for the marathon, somewhat unusual for a marathon of this size. They also gave awards in 10 year age groups instead of the usual 5 year.
The biggest surprise for me was what a great city Milwaukee is to visit! Very clean, friendly and safe as far as I could tell. Tons of restaurants and of course beer.
I would recommend this race!
Beautiful view of the lake
This race takes you along beautiful views of the lake. There’s a big hill around mile 11 and again at mile 12. The course is well watered. There didn’t seem … MORE
This race takes you along beautiful views of the lake. There’s a big hill around mile 11 and again at mile 12. The course is well watered. There didn’t seem to be a huge amount of support along the way. The race videos show a drum line that I never saw. The food post race consisted of bananas, Rice Krispie treats and pretzels. There were 4 beer tents at the post race gathering.
There’s also a shuttle bus back to the starting point.
Unprofessional event coordinators
I have been waiting to run the Milwaukee Marathon for 2 years now. It was delayed from April 2021 to October 2021, due to COVID. I can live with that, … MORE
I have been waiting to run the Milwaukee Marathon for 2 years now. It was delayed from April 2021 to October 2021, due to COVID.
I can live with that, everyone was scared at the time and every event was cancelled just to be safe. Fine.
In September, 4 weeks before the event, the announce the race is cancelled.
“Despite doing everything we could to work with the city, we were unable to attain the proper permits for the race.”
Meanwhile the lake front marathon happened in October, in the same area, no problem.
They announce the next Milwaukee marathon will be April 2nd 2022.
Since then they have been radio silent, no communication or updates to runners. I have reached out through Facebook, email, I’ve tried everything, with no response.
I can’t help but feel the organizers are in over their heads and don’t know what they are doing.
Overall it’s just an extreme disappointment and I would advise everyone to look at other races and avoid this one entirely.
Ran same course virtual
Milwaukee was a great city to visit, and the course was very nice through the streets and along the lake, flat. Many hotels to choose from that are a short … MORE
Milwaukee was a great city to visit, and the course was very nice through the streets and along the lake, flat. Many hotels to choose from that are a short distance from the start and close to great restaurants. Course was windy as most of it was open to the lake, but the pavement was in good shape.
Overall Good Race
Weather was good. Some of the timers on the course did not work. Port a Pots were at strange locations on course making it easy for a not so honest … MORE
Weather was good. Some of the timers on the course did not work. Port a Pots were at strange locations on course making it easy for a not so honest person to stop in and exit onto other side of course.
Flat with a Bump in the Road
I enjoyed this race. It was well organized. The course was not challenging although it had one challenge hill in the middle. It had some inclines and declines but my … MORE
I enjoyed this race. It was well organized. The course was not challenging although it had one challenge hill in the middle. It had some inclines and declines but my legs were grateful for the change in elevation.
There were plenty of water stops and cheer stations who kept me going. Food was only snacks which isn’t much for marathoners.
There was a great DJ for the afterparty. And, of course, beer.
Well organized, nice swag
Packet pick-up was among the quickest I've experienced. The swag was awesome...short-sleeved tech-shirt PLUS a nice fleece quarter-zip! Overall, the marathon was well-organized and very easy to navigate. I stayed … MORE
Packet pick-up was among the quickest I’ve experienced. The swag was awesome…short-sleeved tech-shirt PLUS a nice fleece quarter-zip! Overall, the marathon was well-organized and very easy to navigate. I stayed at an AirBnB less than a mile from the start/finish. It was an easy walk to/from the race, so no transportation needed. Pre-race bag check, restrooms, corrals, were all very nicely organized. The weather was absolutely perfect…40’s and overcast. The course was solid, with a few miles along the lakefront (although with the fog/clouds, there wasn’t much to see). The rest is mostly through residential areas. The uphills after mile 10 are slight, but provide a challenge. However, you get to come back down those hills during the last few miles, which is amazing! The only 2 negatives of the course are the out-and-backs, especially the last one, and nearly a complete lack of spectators. I’m fine without big cheering sections, but the out-and-back takes a real toll mentally after mile 20. Overall…a solid race. Recommended.
Better course than expected!
When I first registered for the race, the course was a large loop through Milwaukee. However, the course was then changed to be essentially two out and backs which concerned … MORE
When I first registered for the race, the course was a large loop through Milwaukee. However, the course was then changed to be essentially two out and backs which concerned me. The out-and-back was not an issue though as there was plenty of scenery and crowd support throughout the race!
Ugh!
Not a very pleasant experience all around. Weather stunk-out of their control. Expo unorganized-within their control. Course was short-within their control. But hey I am still counting it towards my … MORE
Not a very pleasant experience all around. Weather stunk-out of their control. Expo unorganized-within their control. Course was short-within their control. But hey I am still counting it towards my 50 states and DC and Milwaukee is a cool town and our group made great memories.
Poorly Organized Race
Communication pre-race was not the best. Day of race set up was poorly planned. It rained and they set everything up in muddy patches of grass. The organization seemed like … MORE
Communication pre-race was not the best.
Day of race set up was poorly planned. It rained and they set everything up in muddy patches of grass.
The organization seemed like they didn’t care about the participants. I’m glad the race has changed management. Hopefully, things will get better.
Run Milwaukee
Have you ever wanted to visit the Harley Davidson Museum? Here is a great chance to visit the museum and get a run in at the same time. Course provides … MORE
Have you ever wanted to visit the Harley Davidson Museum? Here is a great chance to visit the museum and get a run in at the same time. Course provides a nice route through downtown Milwaukee.
Awesome course. Top five marathon
I really liked this race a lot. The course was amazing. The organization, swag and support was top notch. It was really unfortunate that the course markings were about 3/4 … MORE
I really liked this race a lot. The course was amazing. The organization, swag and support was top notch. It was really unfortunate that the course markings were about 3/4 of a mile short. I have done several races before, so was disappointing for sure. But for the first timers or Boston qualifiers, this was a huge bummer.
Good course, race production subpar
This race has potential. Nice, somewhat challenging course provides a good tour of Milwaukee. The mile markers were all off and the course was actually 0.5 miles long this year … MORE
This race has potential. Nice, somewhat challenging course provides a good tour of Milwaukee. The mile markers were all off and the course was actually 0.5 miles long this year due to human error in setting it up (huge mistake). Improvement over the inaugural year but lots of kinks that still need to be worked out.