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☰
Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon) Runner Comments
Back to Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon) Information & Reviews
Course 4.0 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 3.8
Number of comments: 223 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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N. T. from Bethesda, MD
(6/5/2011)
"wonderful experience!!" (about: 2011)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The race was very well organized and everything went very smoothly. I liked the staggered start for the full/half/quarter marathoners, which allowed the course to be shared without any collisions between the half/quarter runners. The course was very nice - a great tour of Madison for me as an out of towner. We ran through the arboretum (very serene), through campus and by the stadium, through lots of neighborhoods and parks, and along the lake on the bike trail. We did run through a couple of industrial sections which were not so nice. The course was pretty flat but there were a few short/steep hills and one cruel one at mile 25, but overall it seemed fair. We lucked out with the weather - absolutely ideal conditions. It was 60 degrees and cloudy the whole time and then it rained towards the end which helped cool things off. This helped me beat my PR by 9 minutes! I especially liked the fact that the marathon was small, but not too small. It was big enough for a respectable expo and pretty good crowd support (especially when we ran through the downtown, which the course goes through 4 times). But it was also very easy to get a flight, hotel, restaurant table, and the course was not congested. And everything was quite inexpensive in Madison, and everyone was so friendly. I read about the problems from last year and I can say that I experienced none of them this year. I highly recommend this marathon. | |
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A. G. from Edgerton, WI
(6/3/2011)
"Best Yet" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)s
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my 10th consecutive Madison Marathon and 11th overall. I was very pleased with all aspects of the race. Weather in the past has been tough, but this can't be controlled. This year was perfect if you like a lot of clouds and a little rain. Organization was very good from packet pickup to finish line. No complaints. Excellent volunteers throughout the weekend. Course was changed just a bit from last year and was an improvement. Nice job. I never saw a half marathoner on the course until the last few miles (walkers), so the staggered starts and course alterations helped a lot. A few sections of the road were rough, but you can't have perfect pavement the whole way. Please put this on your list for 2012. I think that they have things figured out and this is a beautiful course in a great city. | |
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J. A. from Minnesota
(6/3/2011)
"Great job, Madison" (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was a little hesitant to sign up for the race, given the reviews from last year, but I decided to take a chance. Overall, it very well organized and I could not have asked for a better race-day experience. Great course and fantastic finish at the capitol. The hill at the end was torture but I ran a PR by 6 minutes. | |
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t. p. from akron ohio
(6/3/2011)
"Good mid-sized marathon in the northern mid-west" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The negative comments from last years race nearly kept me away but I came and I'm glad I did. The things I liked best about this race were {a} no relays {b} the marathon started before the half and the races went in different directions.The course was a little hilly but not too bad [my recovery was very quick]. whatever problems they had last year seemed to be fixed. Two Thumbs Up. | |
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M. J. from Platteville, WI
(5/30/2011)
"Best Wisconsin Marathon" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first Madison Marathon, though I ran the half a few years ago. This was the best Wisconsin marathon I've done. With WI being such a hilly state, this is a nice flat course with just enough hills to ward off boredom. It was such a GREAT course and perfect day for the marathon. This year the weather was around 60-70 and cloudy, with rain towards the end. The expo was so great, the course materials and organization were also great. I really enjoyed the route running near both lakes and up by the Maple Bluff area, that was so pretty and the trees made it nice and cool. I couldn't say enough nice things about this race. I ran my PR by about 7 minutes, and felt great. I appreciate all the support from the wonderful spectators. Great job, Madison! Awesome Marathon!!!! | |
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J. S. from Georgia
(5/29/2011)
"Very nice experience." (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Whatever problems they experienced last year were not evident this year. This race was well organized from expo to finish line. The course was not the best I've run but it had a nice balance to it, and the spectators that were out were great. This is a fantastic town, and my experience was extremely positive. | |
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Lucas Heart from Wausau, WI
(3/22/2011)
"What a mess." (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I was totally disappointed with this race. I was expecting a somewhat nicer expo, but that was the least of the problems in Madison. The start was disorganized, the water stops were a disaster and the course communication was almost non-existent. The heat was a huge problem. I've run on hot days before - good races have sponges and ice. I'm pretty sure Madison didn't have either, but then again, there was no energy gel at one of the stops and I seem to recall no water either. On the pro side of the race, the medal wasn't awful and the course weaves through some nicer areas. I do not think I'll run this race again any time soon. There are really a lot of other WI marathons that are better. | |
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J. P. from Wisconsin
(6/25/2010)
"Worst Race Ever" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)s
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Very bad experience. I will not be back ever again. It's too bad because I am in Wisconsin. | |
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B. J. from Sun Prairie, WI
(6/14/2010)
"Half marathon good, but bad med tent experience" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran the half marathon recently. I enjoyed the course, the spectators were out in good numbers and encouraging, and the organization seemed good. My only issue was the medical tent. I finished with a strained IT band, bad enough that I had to swing my leg around like it was wood just to walk. I went in the tent, and they told me to sit and wait. There were a handful of other runners there, but the cots were only 20% full. Five minutes later, I politely asked one of the not-very-busy looking young people if I could just have some ice; he said, "Yeah, I guess." (???) I continued to sit on a cot, icing my painful, pulsing knee, and one of the young women helping people kept walking by me, glowering at me. Why? I don't know. There were people there with more serious issues, for sure (heat issues), but I was waiting patiently and was definitely injured. The last straw was when some woman walked in the tent, and the only official doctor then on-duty went and greeted the woman as her friend; they started gabbing like it was a lunch date. I watched 3 minutes of this, and realized I would not be helped any time soon. I got up and hobbled out the tent best I could, right past the doctor, who didn't notice me, and had never noticed me. That was a bit disgusting, but it was still a good race. I just hope most people have a better time in the med tent than I did. | |
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S. J. from Illinois
(6/6/2010)
"Hot and hilly, but fun in 2010" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)s
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I have run 4 marathons and 13 half marathons, including Madison in 2008. I came back in better shape, hoping to PR. Between the heat and the new course with more hills, this did not happen. Madison is beautiful and the fans are great. The course is tough, especially the new finish, uphill for the last mile. The timing company seemed to have trouble, the weather was unseasonably hot, and even Brightroom still doesn't have race photos posted after over a week! I also thought it was strange that we had to use a plastic band strapped around wrist or ankle for the timing chips. Madison is so great that I would still come back, but I don't think this is a PR course. Admittedly, I live in a really flat area, so any hill training is a challenge. Fans were great - especially with the hoses in the last few miles. |
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