Shay Boesl's Staging Area

I signed up mostly because the location was so appealing, and I was really excited to visit Madeline Island! Overall, it was a solid, well-organized event, but it just didn’t fully match what I personally look for in a race, so I wouldn’t run it again (But might be a great race for others). For context, I’ve run many half marathons, this was my third full marathon, and it was my first time running on Madeline Island.

This race is definitely best suited for runners who prefer a very relaxed, small-scale atmosphere rather than big crowds and high energy. I knew going in that spectator support would be limited based on prior participation counts, but I still wanted to give it a try. If you feed off crowd energy, support is pretty minimal, and the only cheering you’ll really get is from 2–3 volunteers at aid stations and a small group at the finish. It’s also not really a course where spectators can easily move around or camp out along the route to cheer.

Because it’s a smaller race, there are stretches where you may be running completely alone, which at times made it feel more like a solo long run than a race for me. That quiet, small-town feel will definitely appeal to some runners, but it made the race more mentally challenging for me.

The terrain is also worth noting. It’s a flatter, “fast” course overall, but the gravel sections took a toll on me. The race website mentions that there is “a section of packed gravel road,” but there are actually two separate gravel sections, and neither felt truly “packed.” They were much looser than expected. If you’re used to true compact trails, this can make it harder to maintain pace and energy (though it likely won’t be an issue if you’re familiar with that type of terrain). Just caused fatigued legs and sore feet super early on for me, which I normally don’t get and it was definitely due to the loose gravel.

The staff and volunteers were super friendly, and I had no complaints about the race crew.

There are some really nice views along the water around miles 14-19, but they’re fairly short-lived, and outside of that portion, the route wasn’t as scenic as I had anticipated.

Overall, it’s a well-run race with a unique, small-scale feel. I can definitely see how this would be a great fit for others, but it just wasn’t for me!

This was my 4th half marathon, but my first trail half and I absolutely loved it.

I ran with the pacing group up until mile 10, and they were awesome! super supportive and great at keeping things light and distracting throughout the course. I usually thrive on crowd energy and spectator support, but since this course is entirely on trails and a smaller race, there wasn’t much of that until the finish line. I was totally okay with it though, and still managed to run a 10-minute PR. (However, I think that was due to the amazing pacing team).

The route itself was beautiful, peaceful, and offered plenty of shade, which I really appreciated since I was a little worried about the heat. The trail is relatively flat and has only a minor incline.

I also really liked the medal and t-shirt provided. The event logistics ran really smoothly. I don’t typically use aid stations since I carry everything I need in a vest, so I can’t speak to that side of things but overall, I truly have no complaints about this race.