Cathy M's Staging Area

Fall 50 is an interesting race, it can be a serious 50 mile ultra or a fun 5 person relay. There is a party atmosphere, with the relay teams wearing costumes. For the relay the legs are varying lengths and difficulty. The overall course is (mostly) scenic along the Door County peninsula, a popular vacation destination location for Midwesterners. One leg goes through a state park.

Driving from one relay exchange spot to another is fairly easy, with only one being difficult to get to in time due to traffic and the length of the leg. This was Exchange 6 at the Egg Harbor Boat Dock. A lot of runners were dropped off from cars on the way to that exchange.

Fall in Door County at this time is beautiful, with the fall colors close to peak. The weather this year was on the chilly side and windy with some rain, but still an enjoyable running experience.

Packet pickup is easy, race swag is a very heavy medal on a chain link necklace and there was a quarter zip fleece this year. There is a party tent at the finish line with music, pizza and beverages. This is definitely a fun race and one I would recommend.

I did the Big Sur Marathon as part of the Boston 2 Big Sur challenge. It was quite pricey to do it, but I figured it was a once in a lifetime thing and Big Sur was my bucket list marathon. If I was going to train for a spring marathon in the Wisconsin winter then I might as well run two of them.

Logistics for the race are a big rough, with the super early morning shuttle (3:30 am). I was staying in Pacific Grove and there was a shuttle location at a nearby mall that was more convenient than the downtown shuttle. Pacific Grove is a wonderful place to stay if you don’t want to be downtown, a lot of cute restaurants and there is a beautiful beach and a walking path.

Make sure you get a shuttle ticket at packet pickup, if you don’t have it they will make you wait until the last shuttle and you will only be allowed on if there is room. It sounded like there was an issue with tickets running out for certain shuttle locations but I was not affected by that.

So you’re dumped off at the start of the race, in a park and in the dark well before race start. I had picked up a blanket at a thrift store and I lay down on a garbage bag to wait for the start of the race. About an hour before the race start I lined up to use the porta potties. The lines were crazy and not organized. I almost missed the race start! There were people opting to use the woods, which they had not recommended due to poison ivy.

The first part of the race was in the woods, then you are along the coast for most of the rest of the race. It was crazy windy on the day of the race, up to 30 mph winds at Hurricane point. Aptly named. I had decided to take my time, take photos, and just enjoy the race. My left knee started hurting, which has never happened to me while running. I suspect it may have been due to the camber of the road.

The race has great energy, nice volunteers, a lot of entertainment on the course as well as the spectacular scenery. So hilly! It’s definitely a challenge and I would recommend the race for anyone that wants a tough marathon. 🙂 The Boston 2 Big Sur swag was okay, not great. The jacket was very thin, it’s a Rabbit brand jacket so it’s decent quality. Just seemed a little on the flimsy side for a “celebration” jacket.

Some friends suggested this race to me, one of them lives about a half hour from Stillwater. The Minnesota vs Wisconsin theme is fun, though I don’t see any actual race results related to MN vs WI runners and the winner of the showdown.

Packet pickup was Friday at an inn/restaurant in downtown Stillwater. Parking was a little scarce and I ended up paying $3 to park in a nearby lot. If you have time to spend there it is a nice area by the Saint Croix River with some cute shops and eateries and a paved bike path nearby.

Early August weather in the Midwest can be quite hot and humid. We were lucky to get a cloudy day that started in the mid 60’s with moderate humidity.

The course is a point-to-point, with shuttles from the finish. Since my friend drove me to the start line I avoided using the shuttle. My goal for the race was in the 8:45 min/mile range so I lined up between the 1:50 and 1:55 pacer.

The first mile is relatively flat and when I looked at my watch the pace was 8:13. A bit fast! I slowed down and let the pacers go. The rest of the course is rolling hills and we ran through some nice neighborhoods. The course is not closed but traffic was not too busy. A couple miles were along a long, straight country road, which wasn’t too thrilling.

Course support was very good, with water stops and porta potties about every two miles. The last few stops seemed misplaced, there were a couple within a mile of each other and then the next one was about 3 miles away, with the last stop in the last mile. Perhaps those were placed there for the 5K or 10K.

The last portion of the race took us over a bridge over the Saint Croix River on a sidewalk alongside the interstate, with cars zipping by at about 80 mph. That was loud. There appeared to be photographers at the finish. Finish line food consisted of water, bags of chips, and bananas. There was a nice photo op next to a large timing sign that looked like it would display your finish time when you stood next to it.

The finisher medal was very large and heavy. It pictures a bridge that I am fairly sure that we did not run over. 😉 The only other race swag was a short sleeve tech tee.

Overall, I thought the race was fine, though I would not go out of my way to run it again. The scenery is similar enough to races close to me in Wisconsin that I don’t need to travel to MN to run it. But I can say that I ran from MN to WI. 🙂

The Madison Marathon was formerly held Memorial Day weekend but was moved to November after being cancelled in 2012 due to heat. So now the race is guaranteed to be cold. How cold? Last year it snowed. This year temps were 25 at race start with the wind chill bringing the temp to a “feels like” 17. But, as Wisconsinites say, it could be worse. 😉

I picked the Madison Half Marathon because it was late in the year. I was recovering from plantar fasciitis and I wanted to give myself plenty of recovery time. I have run Madison half marathon races in May and August and I enjoy running in Madison. This half marathon course differs from the other races in that it heads north along Lake Mendota vs south towards the University and the Arboretum. I was excited about the change in scenery.

The race is well planned, with good race communications via email and the Facebook page. Packet pickup is at the Monona Terrace Community Center and there is a small expo. Race swag included a long sleeve tech tee, finisher medal, and free race photos.

I stayed at a hotel within walking distance of the start line, recommended for those that would like to avoid standing in the cold as long as possible. Gear check is quick though and right near the start/finish line and most people took advantage of it by stripping down to race clothing at the last minute. The half marathon starts 10 minutes after the full marathon. The half marathon is fairly sizeable at over 2600 runners. If you are faster then you will want to get into position earlier as the starting corral is narrow and fills up quickly.

The course is mainly on roads that are not completely closed, there is a running lane coned off. It makes passing a little difficult at certain areas of the course. Water stops are plentiful due to sharing the course with the full marathon.

There are a fair number of spectators and the race has some good energy. The course is on the hilly side (for me) with a large double hill during mile 8. There are nice views of the lake, the capital, and some nice Madison homes. Runner tracking is done with an app with splits at 4 positions on the course, the last one being the 10K mark. It seemed to work well for those tracking me.

A full Panera bag lunch is provided for finishers as well as bananas and oranges and a complimentary beer.

Overall, I would recommend this race if you aren’t afraid of cold weather. Or hills. I would say the half course for the Madtown Half and the Madison Mini are a bit more scenic for first timers to Madison or for those that prefer warmer weather.

This is a well-organized race in a beautiful location. Devil’s Lake is one of the crown jewels of the Wisconsin State park system, known for the lake that is between two rocky bluffs. The half marathon takes you up one of the bluffs. A lot of the elevation is within that climb in about mile 5. There is a lot of variation in the trails on the course; from wide, grassy trails to rocky/rooty trails to paved portions through the campground. The course was well marked.

The only thing I should have been aware of is that the first water station is not until about the middle of mile 4. I did not carry water. The weather wasn’t too bad when I ran the race, it could be much more hot and humid in early July.

Race swag included a tech tee, finisher medal, beer, snacks at the finish, and a brat or hamburger meal. There was also another post race party at 2:15 as the longer distances were finishing but I did not return for that. Race photos are available for purchase.

Details of the campsites and further details of the race can be found in my race report. Overall, a fun race that I would do again.

This was the 25th running of the Trailbreaker, a small set of races in Waukesha, WI. There are full marathon, half marathon, 10K and 5K options, something for everyone. 🙂 This is the major fundraiser for the Waukesha Parks Foundation. I ran the half marathon. The course for the half marathon was partly on city streets (about 3 miles), cobblestone paths around a river, and the majority was on a paved bike trail. Those that ran the full marathon also ran on the Ice Age Trail (single track dirt trail) through the Lapham Peak State Park, and up a tower.

The race is well-organized with plenty of water stops. The only hiccup was that a train crossed the path of some of the fastest half marathoners, causing about a 40 second wait. Trains are rare across that part of the bike trail. Otherwise traffic was stopped at all intersections. The half marathon course was an out and back course, with a slightly modified route (shorter than the start) to the finish, it is about 7 miles to the turnaround. While the bike trail is about 3 wide there were no problems with passing. There are no hills on the course.

Race swag for those that signed up ahead of time was a long sleeve tech tee. Those that signed up late received a coffee mug, which actually looked quite nice. It would have been nice to have a choice between the mug and tee for those that signed up in advance. All finishers received a medal for all race distances this year. Top 3 AG winners also received a nice printed certificate. There were also Master’s awards.

Bagels, fruit, and water were provided at the end of the race, as well as beer. Weather at this time can be volatile in WI, but it was a beautiful day for running this year. Overall, this is a very nice race to start off the racing season.

The marathon is the Badgerland Striders running group’s crown jewel race. There are a small army of volunteers and the race organization is top notch. The weather is generally excellent for running. This year it was about 50 and rainy.

Packet pickup is at the Italian Community Center and there is a small expo. Race swag includes a long sleeve tech tee. Parking the day of the race is free at the center. Shuttle buses then take you to the start of the race at Grafton High School (the course is point to point). The buses ran smoothly and I had no issues.

The high school was open for runners before the race, I saw one set of restrooms open. There were also porta potties outside. The lines were really long near the start of the race. There is a UPS truck for depositing gear bags as you walk to the start line.

The start line is a little crowded, the pace groups were fairly close together. The first 2 miles of the race are a net downhill. There is one large hill on the course and it is downhill. The entire course is a net downhill. I would say that there are no significant hills on the course.

First names are on the race bib and the spectators and volunteers cheer for the runners by name. There aren’t a huge number of spectators but they are very enthusiastic.

The course follows the lakefront but you don’t actually see the lake until the end of the race. Most of the course is on partially closed streets. There is not too much difficulty passing for the most part. The first part is through the suburb of Grafton, it winds through some country roads, then past the large homes on Lake Drive. Water stops were plentiful and stocked water and Gatorade, with gels at a couple of stations.

The race ends in Veterans Park. Collecting gear bags was quick and easy. There was hot food from Noodles available as well as a brown bag with snacks. Beer was free for runners and spectators. Other food items were available for purchase. There was a changing tent available, which was nice after the wet race! The race medals were large and hefty, they included a removable key chain.

The finish line is a couple miles from the parking at the Italian Community Center so shuttles were available to go back there.

This was my 3rd marathon and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It has a small, hometown feel to it. Those looking for a Milwaukee urban marathon should check out the Milwaukee Running Festival Marathon in November.

My daughter wanted to run her first 5K race and this race caught her eye due to the Super Hero aspect. It’s always fun to run a relaxed, family friendly race in costume.

Email notifications for packet pickup and the race were good and there was a map to the race location on the website. Packet pickup was at a pub in downtown Milwaukee in the evening, which was different. The pickup went smoothly. Race swag was a “super hero” cape in the color of your choice (first come first serve, but we had no issues picking our colors). There was no timing chip on the bib, and we were just handed a random bib so I figured the race was not timed. Some bags had safety pins for the bib, some didn’t.

It would have been nice to have some signs to direct you at the park. The parking lot filled quickly so we parked on the street, which also happened to be the course for the race. There was a man leading a warm-up routine for the race, which was fun. For some reason, a couple of tow trucks came and parked at the race start right before the race began. The start was a bit rocky due to dodging the tow trucks and congestion at the beginning. But it was a fun run, so not a big deal to me.

We ran out onto the street, which was blocked at one end. That was the first turnaround. We then ran and looked for a cone for the second turnaround. I had my Garmin on and knew we were going long but I didn’t want to cut the course short. Eventually I told my daughter we had to turn around. I saw many people keep going. I stopped my Garmin at the 3.12 mile mark since she did have a time goal.

As we were running back, one of the ladies working the race had driven out to the course and apologized to us. It sounds like the turnaround may have been marked on the ground. There was no one there to point it out. There were no water stops on the course, which I was prepared for by bringing my own water since I knew my daughter likes to sip on water while she runs. I heard a lot of complaints about this though, since it was a warm August summer day and there were a fair number of walkers and families with small kids.

We walked the remaining half mile back to the finish. When we got to the finish line there was no one there, though we saw people with medals. We saw no one there that looked like they worked for the race or any race volunteers. Eventually someone told us that the lady with the medals was the one that went out on the course and she took the medals with her.

There were bottles of water and a pile of granola bars on tables at the finish. We eventually did get medals. There was a nice backdrop and a few props for taking your own photos.

My 8 year old daughter complained about the disorganized race, so I guess it was pretty bad. 🙂 I can’t say that we didn’t have any fun though. Signs to direct people to the start line, more workers/volunteers, a water stop, and mile markers would have been great.

This was a nationwide race, so I am assuming the race organizers were not familiar with the area. Working with an area race organizer might be suggested for a future race. I think this race could have drawn a lot more participants. The two ladies I dealt with at packet pickup and during the race were very friendly though.

I was going to Florida for vacation and wanted to run a half marathon. I found this one and the location and date fit. The half marathon starts at 6 AM in darkness and the first hour of the race is in the dark. It happened to be 73 with 100% humidity at the start of the race, which I think is warmer and more humid than normal. Most of the race is along 4 lane divided highways with 1 lane shut down for the race. Cars drive on either side of you. For the most part I felt safe (though I was glad not to be using headphones), there was a big police presence to direct traffic. Not much scenery, mostly subdivisions that look the same and businesses. There was one street that was through a park like setting, but it was fairly short. The course is flat as a pancake. There are plentiful water stops and friendly volunteers. There is a 5K that starts a couple hours after the half and shares the finishing area. Low res race photos are free, though there were no photographers on the course except at the finish. Finishing photos were available on the photographer’s Facebook page. No pictures of me, which is a bit disappointing. I did get a picture with the Easter bunny after the race. I had no issues with packet pickup or the race planning. There was a band at the finish party. Race swag consists of a tech tee and a medal. I am not sure how this race compares to other Florida races since it was my first one. For me, it is a decent race if you happen to be in the area.

This race is part of Lighthouse Event’s Winter Series and is also their largest and signature event. The race was previously at a larger State Fair Park location and was moved to the Oak Leaf Trail in Franklin. The course is an out-and-back course on a paved bike trail. There is only one minor hill near the beginning (and thus also at the end) of the course. There is also a wooden bridge crossing, it is a suspension type bridge so there is a bit of bounce to it. It also cannot be cleared so it was icy during the race. The rest of the course was very clear of ice and snow.

A few changes were made to compensate for the smaller course. The 5K was split into 2 races, the “Competitive” and the “Be Easy”. If you finished in under 24 minutes in the Be Easy race then you would be disqualified. The Winter Series rewards the top 10 age group finishers with a medal. The top 10 age group finishers in both 5K races received medals, so it was a nice opportunity for people to receive AG medals or lead the race when they normally would not.

I ran the Competitive 5K and there were quite a few people that finished after 24 minutes that ran this race, the average time was 27 minutes while the average time for the Be Easy was 34 minutes. Close to 1500 people ran the 3 races (there was also a 10K race, 2 loops of the 5K course).

For this race there were also Finisher medals (not the case for the other Winter Series runs). The results for both 5K races were considered together for series points.

The 10K race began first. This presented a parking problem for those arriving for the 5K. I arrived about an hour before the 5K and the only parking lot was full. I wasn’t sure if I could park on the side of the street, so I ended up parking down the street in an apartment complex. I saw later that people had parked on the side of the street leading to the Milwaukee County Sports Complex. It was advertised that there was plenty of parking, so I was a little disappointed since it should have been obvious that the lot would fill up quickly with just the 10K racers.

Another change was that there were signs posted for paces (6:00, 7:00, 8:00, etc) to assist in lining up for the race. We were then released in waves. This eliminated the congestion that can occur early in the race. The only issue was that since the course is an out and back, it doesn’t leave much room for people coming the opposite way when runners are 2 or 3 abreast. I was running alone and I did not have an issue. My friend is a faster runner and she complained about this.

The shirts for the Winter Series tend to be very plain but the shirt for this race was a bit nicer. There is a choice between a short sleeve tech shirt or long sleeve cotton shirt. A bottle of champagne or sparkling grape juice was also part of the swag. I didn’t get the champagne until after the race and they were out of champagne. Not an issue for me, though it may have been for others. There is an earlier packet pickup but the packet pickup the day of the event goes quickly. I did not have any issues with using the restroom before the race.

Overall, I enjoyed the course and the race was fairly well organized, aside from the parking issues and running out of champagne.

This is a well organized event. The race director and volunteers are very friendly. This is a smaller event with a half marathon and marathon relay starting at the same time. The first 5 miles or so is in downtown Grand Rapids, then it heads out onto paved trails in Millennium Park for the majority of the race. You get very scenic views of the park with it’s lakes and the Fall colors are spectacular. The park is well shaded. There is a long out and back section in the park. The course is fairly flat and fast. The aid stations are plentiful and have a variety of food and drinks, including pickle juice. The finish line is the same as the start, ending at the Grand Rapids YMCA. You are allowed into the Y for showers after the race. Unlimited New Holland Brewery Beer at the Beer Garden afterwards, which is a bit crowded.

2015: This was the second time I ran the Run Like a Mother 5K. This was a different venue than the last time that I ran the race. The Veteran’s Park location on the lakefront is scenic but the weather in Milwaukee in May can be questionable. It was drizzly and 43 degrees with a 15 mph wind. Not the best conditions, especially with the wind coming off Lake Michigan, but everyone made the most of it.

If you have run a 5K at Veteran’s Park then you are familiar with the course. The course is fairly flat, the only thing that made it difficult was the wind in the last mile. I think I actually liked the old Hoyt Park race location better because it was a more unique location/course and there is more shelter from the wind.

I enjoy the Run Like a Mother races because it really welcomes and supports runners of all abilities. There were also medals this year and a tech shirt instead of a cotton tee.

There was a one mile Kid’s race before the 5K and this race was also chip timed, which was unusual and appreciated. The kids did not get medals but they did get a ribbon. I thought my daughter would be disappointed but she pinned the ribbon proudly on her school backpack.

Free photos were available for download after the race, which was awesome.

The only bad thing about the race organization was that the packet pickup was very slow. I think it was the slowest packet pickup that I have experienced for a race of any size. The finish line situation was also little unusual, the medals were handed to us still wrapped in the plastic pouches. The other thing handed to me was a keychain with a miniature pair of men’s underwear on it. The race sponsor was Jockey, so I guess it made sense. 🙂

2016: The race was moved back to Hoyt Park in Wauwatosa due to a competing Mother’s Day race at Veterans Park. The weather was perfect for the race. This year there were no awards for the 1 mile kids race but it was still chip timed. Timing was also done by gun time this year, with only one timing strip at the finish. Swag was still the tech tee and a finishing medal which was quite nice. Re-usable bags are given out at packet pickup and the bags are also very nice. I actually use them quite a bit. Packet pickup was quicker this year. Race photos were not free.

This was the second time I ran the Madison Mini. The race is well organized and the finishing party on the UW Terrace can’t be beat. Madison is a fun place to both run and to spend the weekend of the race. The weather tends to be slightly on the humid side and the course does have some hilly sections. The course is varied, you run down State Street towards the capitol, outside the football stadium and the UW campus, down residential streets, and the arboretum.

The 2012 race was my first race ever so this race holds a special place in my heart. The mid-May weather is generally great for running and the zoo provides a fun atmosphere. The only bad part of the course (in terms of scenery) is a section that goes out into the parking lot. The zoo is also a bit hillier than one might expect. They also a stage a kid’s run and one great thing that is offered is free child care during the race! A local college provides volunteers to entertain kids with activities and take them to participate in the kids run. My 2 girls had a lot of fun with them. Afterwards you can hang out at the zoo so it is a good race to run with friends. The only negative is that I believe the race was gun timed and not chip timed at the start. I ended up starting in the back due to a last minute bathroom stop. My Garmin time was 25:46 vs my official time of 26:07. Not a big deal, but it would have been my first sub 26 minute 5K! 🙂