calendar icon Sep 19, 2024

Lakefront Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Lakefront Marathon Information & Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.4 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 4.7 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 4.0 
 
 
Number of comments: 172 [displaying comments 101 to 111]
More Comments: [ < 1 .. 9 10 11 12 13 .. 18 > ]

 

D. T. from San Antonio, Texas (10/7/2007)
"Excellent mid-size marathon! Very well organized!" (about: 2007)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Lakefront Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


The race director and the Badgerland Striders put on a superb marathon!
It is one of the best organized marathons we have run. The technical shirts are great.
For the size of the marathon the expo had a lot of vendors - with lots of good sales.
The transportation to-from the hotels were on-time, efficient, and easy to access.
There were plenty of bathrooms and port-a-potties at the start of the race - they must have been new because they were very clean. They even had motivational signs within them related to running.
Starting at a community school was great because we could sit in the cafeteria or gym before the start of the race. The staff was able to use the school PA system to make announcements to keep everyone informed.
The course is great! Relatively flat with occassional rolling hills. The homes were amazing along the lakefront and the breeze off the lake was very beneficial.
The community support was also amazing. Although the race director and staff can not have been dealt worse weather (it was very hot!) - they did many things to make the race safe. Besides extending the time so folks could run/walk a safe race, the local news channels put out a request that those that live along the course put out their sprinklers so runners could cool off throughout the course. I would guess that there were at least 3-4 homes per mile in the residential areas that had their sprinklers out for the runners.
My husband and I truly enjoyed the marathon.
For 50 staters - this is a great marathon because it is so close to the airport and easy to get in-out.

 

J. M. from Chicago (10/7/2007)
"Boy it was hot" (about: 2007)

6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 3


Its amasing what a little heat does to your expected race results. I found the course enjoyable and with cooler weather it could be a good race to qualify for Boston. Great volunteers. Only issue was that some of the volunteers didn't know where the ice was. I found the 3 bags of ice in a garabge still in the bag. On the other hand there were local residents that where kind enough to bring ice for the runners.

 

T. D. from Chicago, IL (6/6/2007)
"Where's the Lakefront?" (about: 2006)

2 previous marathons | 1 Lakefront Marathon
COURSE: 1  ORGANIZATION: 1  FANS: 4


I was very disappointed in this marathon. It was 95% highway and 5% lakefront - at the end. It was very boring and there were many cars. At the end, I found stale bagels and water. I received a nice medal and the people were nice. But it was highway running at its worst. Borrring.

 

S. H. from Chicago, Illinois (1/29/2007)
"Great race. It was nice to warm up inside." (about: 2006)

1 previous marathon | 1 Lakefront Marathon
COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


It was a great race for my first marathon. It was nice to finish up by the lake. The rural start was beautiful.

 

Sandra partridge from Illinois, USA (10/20/2006)
"Great Race" (about: 2006)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Lakefront Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


One of the best marathons I've ever run. I am used to big races like Chicago, with thousands of expectators. This course was absolutely beautiful. A great race indeed. I am planning on running it again next year.

Sandra Partridge
Westchester, IL

 

S. S. from Milwaukee, WI (10/17/2006)
"Great Race!" (about: 2006)

4-5 previous marathons | 1 Lakefront Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This is one of the best races I've run! The course was pretty and flat enough for me to cruise most of the time and not feel too tired out. Having the start at Grafton High School is a great idea.... It was nice to have a real toilet to use before the race, and a warm place to wait. The finish rocks! Great food, great beer, Starbucks coffee. I couldn't ask for more! And the spectators were awesome! There were more spectators cheering us on at this race than at almost any other race I've run, which surprised me since it's a pretty small race. Overall, great spectators, great organization, great course and FANTASTIC RACE!!

 

Jeff Rizner from Libertyville, Illinois (10/13/2006)
"A MUST-DO!!!" (about: 2006)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Lakefront Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


This was one of my favorite marathons (I have run seven now). I like the large marathons for the crowd support, but you can't beat the smaller venues like this! The crowd support was appreciated, especially as you come into Milwaukee. The aid stations, bathrooms, etc. were plentiful. Everything about this race speaks to the race organizers, the Badgerland Striders. Way to go on a great race!

 

T. H. from Cincinnati, OH (10/11/2006)
"Very nice small marathon" (about: 2006)

6-10 previous marathons | 1 Lakefront Marathon
COURSE: 3  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 3


Course was not overly scenic but it was not particularly difficult either. Well organized with water stops roughly every two miles. The crowds were not large but that was expected. They were very supportive. Some fans even popped up a number of times along the route. The downhill and flat ending was appreciated.

 

J. K. from Gladstone, Michigan (10/9/2006)
"Great fall race" (about: 2006)

11-50 previous marathons | 1 Lakefront Marathon
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


Milwaukee offers a finely-tuned event among other, more popular, fall, Midwest marathons. They, however, do everyone a favor by capping the race at a reasonable number. The expo is small and easy to get in and out of, the shirt is tasteful and a technical fabric, and the pre-race accommodations at Grafton High School are really runner-friendly. The course is rural and beautiful and thins out within a mile, so there is no bumping elbows with other runners. It is advertised as "flat" and I agree with an earlier post that it really is not. While the hills are rolling and not difficult, they are consistent throughout the first 23 miles of the race and may eventually take their toll on your legs if you haven't trained for them. The last three miles along the lakeshore are gorgeous. The aid stations are manned with enthusiastic volunteers but in my opinion, there are not enough. They could stand to add at least three more to the course (at one point we went 3 1/2 miles between aid stations). The finish area is great - tons of food, beverage and grass to stretch out on. I would definitely recommend Milwaukee to runners of all abilities. It really caters to its entrants!

 

Bill Pierce from Chicago suburbs (10/9/2006)
"Extremely Well Run and Enjoyable" (about: 2006)

11-50 previous marathons | 4-5 Lakefront Marathons
COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 4


I live in the Chicago area and have chosen the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon over the Chicago Marathon for the past four years. It is very well run, scenic, and an overall pleasant experience. Capping it at 2,500 people allows runners to run at their desired pace after about half a mile. But, at no time during the race did I ever feel completely alone. The volunteers were plentiful and friendly. They bus runners to the start from the finish and it's as organized as Boston or New York. The scenery - the northern suburbs of Milwaukee in early fall - can be spectacular, especially when you get a glimpse of the lake. This year, we were especially blessed to have almost perfect weather. If I had to critique anything, the food at the end of the race was mediocre and I'm not a fan of drinking beer after a marathon, which they promote. I'll still plan on running this again in the fall for years to come.

 

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