The Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon course is flat, fast, and picturesque. The course is certified and is a Boston Qualifier. Many people feel that the trail from Holdingford to St. Joseph is the prettiest portion of the Lake Wobegon Trail. The trail is primarily rural except as it passes through …
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The Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon course is flat, fast, and picturesque. The course is certified and is a Boston Qualifier. Many people feel that the trail from Holdingford to St. Joseph is the prettiest portion of the Lake Wobegon Trail. The trail is primarily rural except as it passes through the four small towns along the route. In a post on the “A Prairie Home Companion” website, Garrison Keillor said this about the Lake Wobegon Trail: “I‘ve biked the bike trail … and love the ordinary beauty of farmland and meadow and the towns along it.”
The Lake Wobegon Trail is a 10 foot wide asphalt bike trail on a former railroad track. The trail is smooth and has no cant. There is very little elevation change at any time along the entire length of the course. You cannot get lost on this course. Runners join the trail after one mile and then simply follow the trail to the finish. There is only one turn on the entire trail where the trail ‘T’s‘ at about 11.2 miles and runners go left at the ‘T’.
The finish line will close after six hours. Water stations will close at intervals of 13:44 minutes per mile from the start. We do not want to leave runners unsupported on the course. Therefore, runners who are not able to maintain at least a 13:44 minute mile average pace will be transported to the finish line by volunteers from the next water station. If you do not know whether you will be able to maintain at least a 13:44 minute mile average pace throughout the race, then unfortunately this is not the race for you.
The trail crosses public roads and private drives at a number of points along the trail. Most of these crossings will not be controlled and state law requires that runners must yield to vehicles. Runners should use caution at all trail crossings. The race is a running race only. For safety reasons, wheelchairs, hand-cycles, strollers, inline skates, bicycles, etc. are not allowed. Running with pets is also not allowed.
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Beautiful small race
Really enjoyed running on this paved trail. It felt very zen as all I had to do was to stay on the path and run forward. The organization and communication … MORE
Really enjoyed running on this paved trail. It felt very zen as all I had to do was to stay on the path and run forward. The organization and communication from the organizers was top notch.
A solid, inexpensive race
Lake Wobegon was a bit of a last minute choice for a spring marathon but I do not regret it at all. Packet pickup was small and located in the … MORE
Lake Wobegon was a bit of a last minute choice for a spring marathon but I do not regret it at all. Packet pickup was small and located in the church at the end of the race; pasta feed for $10! I stayed in the Rodeway Inn down the road and did my warmup to the buses at the church. The bus took a bit to drive up as it is a point-to-point, but the bathrooms at the starting high school were nice. The race went on the trail for 25 of the 26.2 miles so don’t expect to see anything great if you’re a city runner or need scenery while racing. The post-race meal was awesome – pizza, snacks, cookies, Gatorade, and more.
Superb scenery through local towns
This is one of the best small town races that truly embodies a family feel. The locals sure do know how to make every runner feel like an elite. Using … MORE
This is one of the best small town races that truly embodies a family feel. The locals sure do know how to make every runner feel like an elite. Using indoor staging and indoor restrooms before the race at the high school is a plus, then having real meals at the finish line is the cherry on top 🤣. By mile 20 all that I think about is the food at the w. Speaking of motivation 🏃🏾♀️.
A true value and logistically a breeze
I have finished around a dozen marathons, most of them in Minnesota, and the Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon has been by far my favorite (four-time finisher so far on this … MORE
I have finished around a dozen marathons, most of them in Minnesota, and the Lake Wobegon Trail Marathon has been by far my favorite (four-time finisher so far on this one). The race itself is beautiful, and the number of runners is low enough that you will find yourself alone (or at least a slow runner like me will) throughout long stretches later in the course. That is rare, and tremendously appealing, in my experience. The scenery is mostly idyllic rural areas, along with a few small towns along the way. The course is relatively flat. The aid stations are abundant and well-stocked. The volunteers are local and enthusiastic, and many of the neighbors along the trail get in on the fun to come cheer you along. You won’t find a more affordable marathon anywhere; early registration for next year just opened up at $70. Plus, the logistics on race day are so much smoother than any other marathon I’ve ever participated in. Usually my running buddy and I just park one of our cars at the finish and bring the other to the start, because there is ample parking on either end. After the race, wear your medal into Bad Habit Brewery for a beer or to Milk & Honey for a local hard cider and you’ll be greeted like a conquering hero. I could not recommend this race more.
Beautiful Flat Race
This race is awesome from beginning to end. The fact that you can wait inside the high school before the start and use real bathrooms is awesome. The trail is … MORE
This race is awesome from beginning to end. The fact that you can wait inside the high school before the start and use real bathrooms is awesome. The trail is beautiful and flat. The race is also very well run with water and aid stations. I think this is the best course for first timers and to PR.
All the love for LWTM!
This is a well put together race with very friendly people, awesome swag, very easy course with pacers & local support! I love that the start is at the high … MORE
This is a well put together race with very friendly people, awesome swag, very easy course with pacers & local support!
I love that the start is at the high school with real bathrooms & indoors!
Great race for spectators to see their favorite runners several times along the course!
Easy parking/easy to get to. Lodging I would say is the only issue. But there is race day packet pick up.
Highly recommend!
Small town marathon with heart!
This is my second time running Lake Wobegon. We had a perfect running day: overcast skies with temps starting in the 40s rising into 60s. I PR'd and BQ'd on … MORE
This is my second time running Lake Wobegon. We had a perfect running day: overcast skies with temps starting in the 40s rising into 60s. I PR’d and BQ’d on this one! This is a small town race with at most 450 runners and executed with a lot of heart. Random thoughts:
– Cost is only $60 if you register by the end of Sept. That’s a steal these days! Cost doubles after that.
– This is a point to point race. Buses take you from the race finish to the race start only before the race (and not after the race).
– The starting location is a high school where you have warm shelter in a large gym. Don’t let a cold MN spring morning scare you away!
– You might consider bringing your own drop bag. I found the one provided this year a little too small to hold my thick sweats so improvised with another bag I brought. Granted we staged in a warm gym so maybe I didn’t need all that.
– If you enjoy bucolic scenery this is the race for you! You are running along farmland, lakes, woods, and small towns. I love it!
– The asphalt trails are in very good condition.
– There aren’t a lot of spectators along the course but those who appear a few times along the course are enthusiastic (as are the cows and sheep).
– There is a timing mat at the start and at the end of the race: I don’t recall any other mats recording splits if that matters to you.
– There are mile markers along the course. My total distance (as well as many I ran with) was around 26.4. There aren’t many turns in this course per se: Mostly it’s running tangents along the trail you need to keep in mind.
– The course has a few gradual uphills and downhills. If you require courses with more variety (e.g., rolling hills, large downhill finish) this is probably not the race for you.
– Water stops are about every 3 miles. Sometimes there aren’t many volunteers at these stops so you need to help yourself to the cups on the table instead of being handed them. And don’t expect the long water stops you see at larger marathons. Here there might be just one table on one side of the trail.
– The volunteers facilitating the race are a joy to work with. Good people!
– The prerace pasta dinner at the local church is done from the heart and meets the need.
– The postrace pizza, drinks, and snacks are a nice way to wind down.
– It is worth noting this race has pacers at BQ standard time AND a few minutes UNDER BQ (this year it was 4 min due to the shifting BQ delta). In the 18 marathons I’ve run I’m hard-pressed to think of any other race that does this. I cannot give enough praise to the awesome pacer I ran with!
Well run marathon on a scenic course
For a smaller marathon, this was one of the better organized ones that I've run. The race swag was fantastic. For their 10th running, they gave out free hooded, lined, … MORE
For a smaller marathon, this was one of the better organized ones that I’ve run. The race swag was fantastic. For their 10th running, they gave out free hooded, lined, and vented jackets to the marathon registrants. We also received a finisher’s shirt, a pair of gloves, a nice medal, and a swag bag. The had a pasta feed the day before that didn’t appear to be very well attended, but it was a good value. The course did have a lot of gradual uphill inclines, but no steep uphills. The downside was that there weren’t very many downhills steep enough to really take advantage of gravity. It was scenic and we went through a covered bridge near the beginning of the course. All in all a great race.
Small Midwestern Race, Large in Charm!
If running amid midwestern landscapes invigorates you, this is the race for you! I ran this yesterday for the first time after running 14 other marathons domestic and international. Registration … MORE
If running amid midwestern landscapes invigorates you, this is the race for you! I ran this yesterday for the first time after running 14 other marathons domestic and international. Registration was capped at 450. It’s a paved trail mostly tree-lined and partially shaded. The course is reasonably flat and passes thru four small towns. I never felt crowded on the trail. Race organizers did a nice job of putting this together. Before the race we were able to stage inside the gym of a local school (vs sitting outside). There were sufficient water stops along the way and other runners were always in view. I was pleasantly surprised at how much crowd support there was along the course given how small this race was. Weather started low 50s and climbed into the 70s towards the end, which became a challenge. (Anecdotally I heard last years race had temps start in the 20s and climb to the low 40s!) A nice race shirt and medal were our rewards. It’s very likely I’ll run this again.