The Eau Claire Marathon is the Biggest Small Town Race in the U.S. What does that mean? You get the energy, professionalism, organization, and swag of a big city race with the charm, community, local flair and ease of a small-town race. With over 5,000 participants race weekend, we pride …
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The Eau Claire Marathon is the Biggest Small Town Race in the U.S. What does that mean? You get the energy, professionalism, organization, and swag of a big city race with the charm, community, local flair and ease of a small-town race. With over 5,000 participants race weekend, we pride ourselves on having local sponsors, a locally owned race, and hundreds of local volunteers and committee members.
Located just 90 miles from the Twin Cities, Eau Claire Marathon is an accessible destination race for anyone looking to cross Wisconsin off their race list or make a short trip from MSP airport. With nearly every race distance available throughout race weekend (5k, 10k, half marathon, marathon relay, and a very popular Boston qualifying full marathon), there is an event for everyone. We’re a family-friendly event – bring the kids and parents and stay in one of our local hotels after participating in our kids’ obstacle run.
The Eau Claire Marathon course highlights the beauty of Eau Claire’s trails, bike paths, rivers and lakes, and numerous bridges. Year after year, a participant highlight is running through the Blugold Mile – a tunnel of cheer, fun and music on UW-Eau Claire’s campus one mile from the finish. We are a city of music and arts. Enjoy pop up concerts, local musical groups, and other performers throughout the course. With new swag, quality finisher medals, and a different t-shirt color every year, the Eau Claire Marathon is worth the hype. Rated one of the top half marathons in the USA and Best Marathon in Wisconsin, the past participant reviews speak for themselves!
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Big race production with local charm
This race had a big race production feel with lots of local charm including line dancing at the Expo. Need a pre race pick me up? They even had Hydration … MORE
This race had a big race production feel with lots of local charm including line dancing at the Expo. Need a pre race pick me up? They even had Hydration from B12 injections to IV for energy boost available for purchase. The course itself had nice views along the route with only a couple of inclines worth noting! You run through downtown residential communities and even at least one pedestrian suspension bridge across the river which is cool. Plenty of volunteers at aid stations, and finish line. A nice touch was the little bus shuttle to and from the Springhill Suites race morning which was next door to the University of Wisconsin Sonnentag Event Center (Expo). It ran every 30min the morning of the race. BTW, beautiful finisher medal! I was actually tempted to purchase this finisher jacket if I had any luggage space left for the memories sake! I would highly recommend this race and going back to view the beautifully lit pedestrian suspension bridges you ran on afterwards, at night.
I can’t wait for next year!!!!
This course was pretty easy, which is perfect for first time half marathoners!! There weren’t many hills and the hills that were present weren’t awful. All the community members and … MORE
This course was pretty easy, which is perfect for first time half marathoners!! There weren’t many hills and the hills that were present weren’t awful. All the community members and volunteers made this SO MUCH FUN. I cried a little tear of joy and pride at one point, I feel so lucky to be from a city that has so many caring individuals and puts on such an amazing race. I will be back every single year. So thrilled and honored to have been part of this event.
Great small town race!
The local support was awesome! The route takes you through some of the local neighborhoods and the locals were out to cheer everyone on! Pretty flat route with lots of … MORE
The local support was awesome! The route takes you through some of the local neighborhoods and the locals were out to cheer everyone on! Pretty flat route with lots of shaded neighborhoods to run through!
Great small town race
I really enjoyed this race! Eau Claire is very pretty and the crowd support was really great. The logistics were smooth. Great finish line! Only feedback: the metal and tshirt … MORE
I really enjoyed this race! Eau Claire is very pretty and the crowd support was really great. The logistics were smooth. Great finish line! Only feedback: the metal and tshirt were just ok. The expo was just ok.
Great crowds
Great crowds, nice afterparty, not a big fan of the medal for 50 stater………………………………………………………………..:….::.:.::………………………………………………………………………………………….. MORE
Great crowds, nice afterparty, not a big fan of the medal for 50 stater………………………………………………………………..:….::.:.::…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Great Race! We will be back!!
What a fabulous marathon! Fantastic organization from check in, lots of merch! Variety of sizes and styles! Fantastic spectator support! The shuttles are a BRILLIANT idea! We were first time … MORE
What a fabulous marathon! Fantastic organization from check in, lots of merch! Variety of sizes and styles! Fantastic spectator support! The shuttles are a BRILLIANT idea! We were first time participants and I saw my runner 5 times!!! Amazing! Easy to see him at the start, mile 3(by the turn before the brew pub) by the airport, by mile 19, 22.5 and of course the finish! Shuttles are a game changer! The app worked flawlessly, I was able to track throughout the race!! This is not common! The food and drink on the course was plentiful! We’ve participated in 8 1/2 and 5 full marathons and to us this was the best run event! Thank You Thank You Thank You!!!🙏 🎈🥳💨🏃♂️🏅
Marathon Relay
This was my 3rd year running the ECM weekend. I did the G-Eau Big Challenge with the 5K Sat night and the Marathon Relay Sunday. Packet Pick Up: I was … MORE
This was my 3rd year running the ECM weekend. I did the G-Eau Big Challenge with the 5K Sat night and the Marathon Relay Sunday.
Packet Pick Up: I was glad to see more vendors this year but I didn’t get to visit any of them due to time constraints and needing to catch the 5K shuttle. I’m not sure if shuttle bus cut off times were posted but that would probably be helpful. Plus parking at Sonnentag was so full. We had to drive around and around waiting for someone to leave.
Marathon Relay: The ECM course has grown on me over the years. I love how you get to see such a big scope of EC and so many different types of neighborhoods. Lots of variety in scenery and lots of water views and things to take pics of. The crowd support is awesome the entire course with entertainment along the way. I still don’t care for the fact that when you’re going down the one street in downtown you are basically parallel to the finish line but still have several miles left.
The marathon relay had it’s highs and lows. I loved running with my friends and chatting between legs. The volunteers were amazing and so much crowd support. I do think that having the relay stations created built in cheer sections and I enjoyed cheering for the full marathoners while waiting at the exchanges. But in some areas the relay people were cutting into the course and getting in the way of the runners. Plus there were big issues with the shuttle buses. At some points there was a 45 min wait and if you have a fast runner that is cutting it close. Nobody seemed to be monitoring who was riding the shuttles and giving priority to runners over spectators. Airport road was the most congested and that was causing delays for the buses. Plus most of the shuttles were boarding 0.50 mile from the exchange point. Was a lot of walking back and forth. When our last runner left the shuttle took us to the Oxbow but then nobody knew how to get to where we needed to meet our runner. Maybe I missed the directions on this but we walked a long ways to meet our last runner. There was a map of the course on the corner outside the shuttle but maybe simple directions posted there would have been helpful.
All in all was another good year at ECM. Will be back next year.
Good race, not my favorite course
This was my first ever marathon, and overall the experience was amazing. The race expo, event logistics, and crowd energy/spectator support were all incredibly well done, and the aid stations … MORE
This was my first ever marathon, and overall the experience was amazing. The race expo, event logistics, and crowd energy/spectator support were all incredibly well done, and the aid stations along the course were great with a variety of options.
The one aspect that didn’t stand out as much to me was the course itself. While it was well organized, it wasn’t especially scenic and mainly ran through neighborhoods and town areas. For me, that made the route a little less memorable compared to other races (especially now having ran other full marathons since running this one). That said, the crowd support and the excitement of it being my first marathon really made up for it and still made it a great overall experience.
Always a great day with Friends!
If you are new to running or an experienced runner, consider doing the Eau Claire Marathon Relay with your friends! It's always a good time and training is such a … MORE
If you are new to running or an experienced runner, consider doing the Eau Claire Marathon Relay with your friends! It’s always a good time and training is such a good way to get out of a winter funk.
Fun course, atmosphere + people
From the race directors to the aid stations, you can't go wrong with choosing ECM for your next race. Honestly, the half marathon course is SO good and such a … MORE
From the race directors to the aid stations, you can’t go wrong with choosing ECM for your next race. Honestly, the half marathon course is SO good and such a quick course too!
Best Community Support
This race has the best community support of any of the races I have run! There is not a spot on the entire course where you will not have someone … MORE
This race has the best community support of any of the races I have run! There is not a spot on the entire course where you will not have someone cheering for you. The volunteers on course truly care about and support the runners!
On the 5-year plan
This is my 2nd year running EC and I'm committed to the 5-year program. Ran the marathon last year and did the G-EAU Big Challenge this year with 5K & … MORE
This is my 2nd year running EC and I’m committed to the 5-year program. Ran the marathon last year and did the G-EAU Big Challenge this year with 5K & Half Marathon. The online promotion for ECM is awesome! Love all the hype leading up to the race and I’m a sucker for all the swag they sell. Enjoyed the new packet pickup expo location and that it was tied into the 5K race location.
My main issue this year was lack of porta potties. I stood in line for 45 minutes before the race started and barely made it to the start line. On the course there seemed to be only 1 potty in most areas and every one I passed had a long line. I kept holding it praying the next one would have no line but no luck. I finally had to stop and literally waited for almost 5 minutes. I was on track for a PR up to that point so was super disappointed. I’ve never stood in a porta potty line in a race before. For the 5K there were porta potties at the start but not one potty at the end. I was told to go into the building but the security guards said the building was closed. Nobody had any answers.
Only other issue was the coordination of the shuttles with the 10K and 5K as they were not on the same course and started at different times. They held the start of the 5K for 10-15 minutes while they waited for several shuttle buses with 10K ppl who were going to run the 5K. The 5K already starts late at 630pm and if you do the challenge and know you have to get up early the next morning you kinda want to get things going.
Was an amazing first half!
This race has a beautiful course! The whole city really comes to support so you never feel alone. I had 4 separate people along the way cheer me on the … MORE
This race has a beautiful course! The whole city really comes to support so you never feel alone. I had 4 separate people along the way cheer me on the help me cross that finish line?
Amazing experince
This has been the best organized race I have ever done. Route felt safe, start and end was smooth. Beautiful race and spectators were fantastic! MORE
This has been the best organized race I have ever done. Route felt safe, start and end was smooth. Beautiful race and spectators were fantastic!
BEST Race Weekend EVER
I LOVE running Eau Claire. I did the gEAU-Bigger challenge (10K/5K Saturday night, Half Marathon Sunday morning) and it was such a challenge. The energy the city of Eau Claire … MORE
I LOVE running Eau Claire. I did the gEAU-Bigger challenge (10K/5K Saturday night, Half Marathon Sunday morning) and it was such a challenge. The energy the city of Eau Claire creates carried me through the half. Hands down, Eau Claire is my favorite running weekend of the year.
Well organized, great community!
A good course to PR on. Great amenities in Eau Claire. Easy to navigate before race day and on race day! The crowds are awesome, especially as you circle back … MORE
A good course to PR on. Great amenities in Eau Claire. Easy to navigate before race day and on race day! The crowds are awesome, especially as you circle back into downtown.
Eau Claire ROCKS!
Great race overall! Fun and festive atmosphere! Eau Clarie shows up for this! If you thrive off cheers this is a race for you! Some hills but newer to the … MORE
Great race overall! Fun and festive atmosphere! Eau Clarie shows up for this! If you thrive off cheers this is a race for you! Some hills but newer to the distance running world I didn’t find it to challenging.
It was a really fun experience.
I loved the course of the race, such a beautiful scenery. Everyone was so helpful and really hyped the race up. I would definitely run this race again. It was … MORE
I loved the course of the race, such a beautiful scenery. Everyone was so helpful and really hyped the race up. I would definitely run this race again. It was such an amazing experience that I won’t forget.
Great race with 1 major issue.
I've been participating in the Eau Claire marathon for many years and have always appreciated how well it's put on. Very organized, amazing volunteers, clearly marked course, etc. Crowd support … MORE
I’ve been participating in the Eau Claire marathon for many years and have always appreciated how well it’s put on. Very organized, amazing volunteers, clearly marked course, etc. Crowd support is great, especially the downtown area.
That said, the past few years they’ve structured the Sunday races so that the half and full marathons meet up a few miles before the finish. When I reach that point, my pace is about 2 min/mile faster than the half marathoners. Because of this, I’m weaving through groups of runners and running in the grass to get around them. As someone trying to BQ, it is very stressful. I know that sounds petty, but it’s a marathon after all.
If you are a runner with a specific time goal, keep this in mind. If you are running a different distance, or aren’t concerned about potentially running a couple minutes slower than your goal, this is an amazing event.
Awesome run. Would recommend
Course Difficulty- a few hills. But nothing crazy. Or maybe they are and I’m just getting better🤷♀️ Elevation Map uploaded. Scenery- it was very nice. Crossed over like 9 bridges! … MORE
Course Difficulty- a few hills. But nothing crazy. Or maybe they are and I’m just getting better🤷♀️ Elevation Map uploaded.
Scenery- it was very nice. Crossed over like 9 bridges! Some nice neighborhoods. Would have been a little nicer if the trees had fall colors but you can’t have everything!
Race production- zero complaints. Packet pick up was a breeze (or I assume as the person who picked up my packet had no issues!) small expo which I was able to go back and enjoy later. Many local establishments. Lots of bathrooms at the start line. Of course there were a lot of people also so the lines were a bit long. But great news is I run from Chip time not gun time😂. Bag drop and pick up were easy. You had to use the draw string bag you were given at packet pick up.
Cheer support was pretty phenomenal. There were 3 awesome spots… about mile 6,10, and 12- you had full crowds cheering for you lining the street- you couldn’t even hear your own music! Mile 12 had college athletics support . They really gave you energy. Only complaint is that they motivated me to run when I was supposed to be walking😂😂 (kidding of course!) .
Aid stations had mostly Gatorade and water. One with honey stingers. And a spot with oranges and bananas. Other things would have been nice.
Swag- nothing impressive. Shirt was simple, super soft. And you got a nice medal. If you did the 5 and 10 k you got one for each of those as well as well as other swag (we didn’t do those though so I can’t comment on them). We did do the Half and Half challenge though (get in Gear, MN – day prior)! Bonus medal! At the end there were free beer options, soda, milk, snacks, water, and foil blankets.
Over all, would do again, and 100% would recommend. Reasons it’s not a 5/5 is swag was a little skimpy, and although it was great, I try to reserve 5 for runs I would go out of my way to do again, even if it was before getting another state in ! But if you’re looking for WI, it’s a great option.