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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 91 to 101]
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N. G. from Plymouth, WI
(5/27/2008)
"A nice and small marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Course: I enjoyed the different terrain we ran on, but one thing that made the course difficult were the sharp turns throughout. And the spiral ramps at about mile 23 were quite congested when I came through. I didn't mind running into the half marathoners towards the end of the run, but the BIKERS were all over the place, and that made it tougher. On two occasions I had to sidestep a biker trying to get started on the course to bike next to their participant. This wouldn't have been a big deal at mile 4, but at mile 24 it got under my skin a bit. Overall, the course is nice, rolling, and very scenic. Organization: Getting to the expo on Saturday was a little difficult, as the traffic from Brat Fest was big. I thought the planning was great, with neat little add-ons, like the GREAT shirt and the spot to donate old shoes. Well done! Along the course, there were plenty of support and volunteers, and everything seemed to run flawless. Great work! Spectators: The finishing chute was fantastic. There were quiet parts, but again, you should know that going in. To be alone with your breathing in the Arb was neat. Earlier in the race, in the campus area, there was great enthusiasm, and even a beer stop! Great work! Overall, I'm not sure if I'd come back to Madison. As I mentioned, I didn't care all that much for the course. I would suggest others do it, however, as it's a neat way to see the city and the organization was fantastic. | |
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S. R. from Marshall, Illinois
(5/26/2008)
"Very, very accommodating race organizers..." (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is the most well organized marathon I've run. Not only are the organizers efficient, but they are also very considerate. I made a special request to pick up my packet on race day. Jody, the event coordinator, not only honored my request, but she also had my packet, chip, and bib (plus pins) at the start for me. I recommend this marathon to everyone who asks about it. | |
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P. P. from Florida, USA
(5/26/2008)
"great experience, but slow runners take note" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The course, organization, and spectators were all great!! The supporters were visible in many places along the course and they were there to the end for us slower runners. Slow runners take note: the course is only open for 6 hours, a fact not obviously stated on the website. Actually, it wasn't even open for 6 hours because as I was approaching hour 5, the orange cones were being collected from the road in front of me and several mile markers were missing by the time I got to them (glad I was wearing a Garmin). The spectators made me feel welcome, but I think the race organizers prefer that slow runners not attend. If I have the chance though, I'll be back in spite of that and hope to improve my time. Note to Floridians: train for the hills - there are several in the later half. The course is beautiful and Madison is a great, health conscious, friendly town. And since I have friends that live in Madison who supported me in the race, my Garmin and I will be back. Ha! | |
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J. D. from Cottage Grove, WI
(5/26/2008)
"Very beautiful and organized marathon" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)s
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I love this course and thankfully the weather was good on race morning. Overall, the organization was quite good. The only issue was the lack of porta-potties before the race. Also, compared to Lakefront Marathon in Milwaukee, this is a bit pricey (although not bad compared to bigger races). The segments of the course where there were marathoners, 1/2 marathoners, and 1/4 marathoners (yes, this was an event) were kind of chaotic. Too many of the shorter distance people only walk the course and therefore impede traffic for marathoners. Shirts were an improvement and earth-friendly (1/2 bamboo material), but the logo on the front will make it sticky to train in. This is a marathon I will continue to do in the future! | |
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Marina White from Goleta, Ca
(5/25/2008)
"Mad City Marathon made me Happy" (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Race day began with very cooperative weather - perfectly cool and warm. The course was quite lovely, with an array of sights from the parks to lakes, trails to neighborhood streets, all on a pretty flat route! Quite adequate aid stations were available. Dropping off bags was simple, and getting back to the start from finish was super easy. Also the post-race was nice, with a great massage and nice medical attention. Along the course, everyone was really nice, folks came out of their homes (one even set up a beer aid station) and even the cops cheered! One organization suggestion: the marathon should start 10 minutes after the half, not the other way around - since all the half people were standing in line for the bathrooms at the start, while we (who would be on the course for double the distance) had to make our way to the start without being able to use them. | |
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P. R. from Cambridge, Wisconsin
(2/7/2008)
"Great Race" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Madison Marathon ended up being my first and it lived up to expectations. The scenery along the course was great and the spectators helped push me through the last few miles. | |
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A. L. from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(7/19/2007)
"I still keep coming back every year..." (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)s
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have run this race the past 3 years and am from Milwaukee so I know that hot, humid weather can happen... (especially like in 2006). This year, 3rd time was a charm. The weather was Wisconsin perfect and the organizers were smart and changed the course to lessen the hills. The course is very pretty and now there is less of a stretch through the boring, non-spectator filled Madison Arboretum, and I would recommend this to anyone in the area. Very well run, great pace teams, above adequate water/Gatorade/gel stations (where Chicago only had one gel pack dispersal, this one had three - plus bananas and oranges). | |
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J. A. from Lansing MI
(7/4/2007)
"Very worthwhile event" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This course is hard to beat - even though there is potential for hot weather, the arboretum section was really well timed. For scenery and multiple chances to see the same supporters, this race is top-notch. Great Gatorade and gel throughout. I did not notice any shortcomings. A top-notch way to see WI. Even though I ran a personal worst, I still had an awesome time. | |
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M. H. from Rockford, IL
(6/16/2007)
"I will run this race again." (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I was surprised at how well the race was organized. I had read reviews from 2006 that had commented on lack of organization. Madison is gorgeous. Enjoyed running around the lake and the UW campus. Not very many hills. Three other friends and I got PRs on this half. Plenty of food at the end of the race. Loved the yogurt and pasta salad. | |
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K. R. from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(6/11/2007)
"Not a fan of the course change" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 4-5 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)s
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This year was my 4th half - love the timing (Memorial Day Weekend) and the city of the marathon. Disliked the change in the course - missed State Street and the twisty bridge in fact. Waited in line for toilets for 35 minutes and didn't get to use them. Need more in the first mile or so. Shuttle service was more cumbersome than in the past for my family and friends. |
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