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Marathon Details - Fox Cities Marathon

North America Marathons > USA > WI > Appleton > Fox Cities Marathon

Fox Cities Marathon

Community First Fox Cities Marathon & Half Marathon, Relay, 10K, 5K

Appleton, WI USA

September 21, 2025

http://www.foxcitiesmarathon.org

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Race Details

The 26.2 mile point-to-point route makes its way through 9 communities along the Fox River starting at UW-Fox Valley and finishing in Riverside Park in the City of Neenah.

Contact Information

Name:	Debbie Jansen
Address:	Community First Fox Cities Marathon, PO Box 1315 Appleton, WI 54912-1315
Phone Number:	920-882-9499, 1-877-230-7223
Fax Number:	920-830-0921
Email:	Email the organizers

Race Organizer

Great Midwest Fall Marathon & Weekend of Events! (5/22/08)

Debbie Jansen

If you're looking for a Marathon or Half Marathon in the Fall, this is the event for you! A scenic course and enthusiastic spectators will make your trip to the Fox Cities very memorable! We also offer a 13.1 mile Walk (competitive & non-competitive divisions), Relay Marathon, 5K Run/Walk and a Kids Fun Run. We have three designated charities plus the American Cancer Society Charity Runner program. Bring your family and friends to the Fox Cities for an unforgettable weekend of fitness & fun!

Runner Reviews (94)

Course 4.2

Organization 4.6

Spectators 4.4

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Number of comments: 94 [displaying comments 1 to 11]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 10 > ]

K. T. from MN (9/20/2021) "Beautiful Community Race" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was marathon 101 for me and 99 for my friend. We made the easy 4 hour drive from the Twin Cities. Packet pick up was a breeze. We stayed at the Doubletree in downtown Neenah - Bus to the Start was right in front of the hotel and just a few blocks walk from the Finish line. They even gave runners a 2pm check out. The race is very well organized! Tons of biffy's at the start and along the course. Volunteers and police at every intersection and turn. The spectators were amazing on this HOT day offering us water, bags of ice, misting us with their hoses and cheering like crazy. Great community support! Nice shirt and medal. Nice race App to download with all the information. Good email communications. Beautiful finish area with lots of snacks and goodies. My only complaint is the amount of concrete - ouch! Highly recommend!
T. P. from Twin Cities, MN (9/25/2017) "Fantastic and very well organized Marathon!" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Fox Cities Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Thanks to the Race Director, the medical staff, the volunteers, and all the spectators for a fantastic marathon in hot running conditions. Loved the amount of aid stations, the extra water on the course, the popsicles, the GU's, and the fruit. Amazing is how many residents had put out sprinklers and had provided extra water along the course. My 10th time completing this year. Fantastic marathon if you need Wisconsin for your 50 state goal, or to marathon and I will be back again next run your first marathon.
S. S. from Kirkwood, MO (9/22/2016) "Awesome people, monotonous course" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Fox Cities Marathon is a nice, smaller marathon that truly showcases the communitys support for the event. The race was very well- organized, packet pickup at the college was easy, and parking downtown for the shuttle busses to the start line was no problem at all. (I also really appreciated that we were able to wait for the race to start indoors.) Unfortunately, I found the course to be pretty boring. The majority of the marathon is run through subdivisions and it got monotonous very quickly. 2016 was also a warm year, and there is very little shade available. Overall, this was not a super- hilly course, but I wouldnt call it flat or fast either. For a small- town marathon, I did feel that there was a good amount of crowd support which was very much appreciated. The aid stations were plentiful and well- manned, and there were lots of organized cheering sections. The highlight of my race was our fantastic 3:35 pace leader, John, and the super- nice people in our pace group. I ended up talking to them for the first 20 miles or so, which really helped keep things interesting. The finish at Riverside Park was great: lots of food and drink and a lovely setting to relax after the run. I really appreciate the work that went into this event, I just didnt enjoy the course as much as other races I have run.
A. B. from Boston area, MA (11/2/2015) "Excellent choice for WI" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I'm pursuing a marathon in all 50 states. This was my 37th marathon and 34th state. It was an excellent choice for Wisconsin! I'm glad I did it. Pros: -Excellent traffic control Plenty of aid stations and EVERY SINGLE station had the same order of fluid (water vs. Gatorade). This a small but important detail. -Supportive of slower participants -Great expo where you were able to record a short video greeting to be shown on their Facebook page app for my smartphone was very handy, and all of the communication was excellent -Great hospitality by UWFox Valley at the start and at the expo -Loved the cheerleaders!! -Beautifully scenic course. Loved the pedestrian bridge! -Excellent finish area; very pretty -Finish chute was closed off to spectators which was great so no one to get in the way as you finish Areas for improvement: -No Arby's sandwiches left for the 4+ hour marathon finishers -Congestion getting to the start area, even for the shuttle buses -First couple of miles are a little congested until the half marathoners break off (and the motorcycles that were supporting us gave off awful fumes) Overall, my complaints are minor. This was an excellent marathon that I highly recommend. I'm really glad I chose it for my Wisconsin marathon. The course was not too challenging and I loved all of the turns. (Side note: I rented a house via Airbnb in Menasha that was close to both the start and the finish.) Thanks to the Fox Cities for their hospitality!
S. M. from Columbus,Ohio (10/6/2015) "A Nice Fall Event" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third marathon in another state. Was there for work so decided that I would go ahead and register for the marathon. My race didn't really go as planned, but that was not the fault of the race management. Very well marked with cones, signs and people. Plenty of support (Gu, water, Gatorade). The medal was nice and there were still people at the finish line despite my slow time. Packet pick-up was easy and the bus shuttle service was easy to navigate!
Rob Klein from Paradise, Michigan (9/25/2015) "Great Course, Great Weather, too" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon was the 25th! It started at the UW Fox Valley campus in Menasha, and ended at Riverside Park in Neenah. There was an expo the day before the race, and they were giving stuff away. Of course, some were selling their wares, trying to make a buck. Coming into the facility at the university, first they give you your number. Then you pick up your bib and safety pins. Then you can go to the expo. There, you can check that your chip, on the back of your bib, works. You get a bag of stuff lots of it advertising of area businesses that out-of-town folks generally find as worthless. The 50 States Marathon Club was having a reunion run here, so they were on-site (and they had a meeting later in the afternoon). Race day morning, you could park at or near the university (and get a shuttle ride back after the race) or park in Neenah, before the start, and then ride a bus to the start-line. At the start line, you were corralled by your expected finish time. For me, it took 2 minutes from the sound of the gun, until I crossed the start-line mat. All of that time, I was walking. There were just that many people. I only heard approximate numbers in the thousands - but there were lots of runners most of them half-marathoners. The whole group was together for about the first two miles. The marathoners stayed on Midway Road for the first 3.5 miles. Out of the city by then, we turned north and meandered through Darboy. Coming under a bridge to join the paved path along College Avenue, there were a group of cheer-leaders just making an incredible amount of noise. I looked around and was alone; they were cheering for me! It was remarkable and encouraging. After a spell on the CW Trail, we headed toward Combined Locks and Kimberly. After running behind the high school ball fields, the course kind of followed roads and trails along the river through Appleton and back to Menasha before crossing an old train bridge to Neenah, now converted for use by bikes and foot traffic. The last three miles or so were in Neenah, ending at Riverside Park. There were several groups of cheer-leaders along the course (might have been a competition between the different groups, but I never heard). When passing them, it definitely lifted my spirit. There were two strategically placed aid stations, and all they did was hand out gel! Both were followed by a water station 100 yards down the path in case you needed water to wash it down. And speaking of water stations, there were lots of them. And they had refreshments and volunteers. It was spectacular to see. The finish-line food was rather ordinary: Cut fruit and quartered bagels. They had a sheet cake too, and someone was handing out ginger snaps. The medal was nice, with a big 25 on it, and the finisher's T-shirt was rather plain - a big circle with the words Finisher, the name, and some sponsor names too. But still a nice T-shirt. They really did a good job on this marathon event.
J. B. from Janesville, WI (9/22/2015) "Excellent Marathon" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I signed up for this marathon because of the weather forecast and previous reviews. Nice option to have a fee of 25 dollars to pick up your packet day of. This was another reason I signed up for this race. Very nice park and bus shuttles. Great informative website. The race event start was spectacular. Waited inside nice clean school with nice facilities. Race course, a little congested at start. Nice that there was an early split of half-full marathoners (mile 2). Pretty flat course but a couple of hills you need to be prepared for. Great course markings, wonderful feature of water and gatorade cups (white for water, green for gatorade). Excellent spectators (bands, cheerleaders, church groups, neighborhoods). Just mentally prepare yourself for half marathoners (walkers) finishing the last couple miles with you. We were never in each other's way. Nice medal, nice finish line, excellent race support, auto text for your loved ones to track you, nice shirt, great park to finish at, YMCA provided nice shower facilities. This Race Director is top notch! Once again, thanks for the packet pick-up option the day of the event!
T. P. from Minneapolis MN (9/21/2015) "Excellent Wisconsin Marathon" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Fox Cities Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This marathon excels at getting everything right for the marathon. There were 22 aid stations on the course with porta-johns at each aid station. There were two GU stations as well as a fruit station. The new course is hiller than in years past with a few more turns, but a little more scenic with at times being closer to the water. The volunteers and spectators were fantastic and overall organization is fantastic. Plus this marathon gives back to the community which is great to see. A great overall Wisconsin marathon that you need to put on your marathon to do list.
D. P. from Urbandale, Iowa (9/22/2014) "Great Smaller Race" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I hadn't run a Wisconsin race before and picked this one largely based on reviews on marathonguide. The Fox Cities Marathon exceeded my expectations on every level. The website was informative and the organizers sent out helpful emails. My wife used the mobile app and athlete tracker. Packet pick-up was easy to find, with plenty of parking, and the expo was larger and nicer than others I've been to for bigger races. Every volunteer I encountered was friendly. Even the law officers out on the course directing traffic were friendly and encouraging to the runners. The race start was well-organized, and they had a ton of water and aid stations out on the course. A surprising number of spectators showed up in the cold and rain to cheer us on. The finish area had lots of food and drinks, plus massages, which was nice. The course is pretty fast, mostly flat, fairly scenic. Comparable to courses like Twin Cities or Des Moines. Finishes in a beautiful park right on Lake Winnebago. This is a great, smaller, convenient race, and the organizers do a fantastic job. My sole complaint has to do with the people walking the half, who walk four across and do not pay attention to the runners. I don't see this as a fault of the organizers, though, just an unfortunate trend in races.
K. C. from Sparta, WI (9/25/2013) "Best Mid Sized Road Marathon in Wisconsin!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Fox Cities Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have done 37 total races marathon or longer. 6 of which have been this race. My title really says it all. Organization is great! Fans are great! Course is a good combination of country and city running. I just love this race! If youre a 50 stater and looking to do one in Wisconsin I recommend this one.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 10 > ]



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K. T. from MN (9/20/2021) "Beautiful Community Race" (about: 2021) 50+ previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was marathon 101 for me and 99 for my friend. We made the easy 4 hour drive from the Twin Cities. Packet pick up was a breeze. We stayed at the Doubletree in downtown Neenah - Bus to the Start was right in front of the hotel and just a few blocks walk from the Finish line. They even gave runners a 2pm check out. The race is very well organized! Tons of biffy's at the start and along the course. Volunteers and police at every intersection and turn. The spectators were amazing on this HOT day offering us water, bags of ice, misting us with their hoses and cheering like crazy. Great community support! Nice shirt and medal. Nice race App to download with all the information. Good email communications. Beautiful finish area with lots of snacks and goodies. My only complaint is the amount of concrete - ouch! Highly recommend!
T. P. from Twin Cities, MN (9/25/2017) "Fantastic and very well organized Marathon!" (about: 2017) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Fox Cities Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Thanks to the Race Director, the medical staff, the volunteers, and all the spectators for a fantastic marathon in hot running conditions. Loved the amount of aid stations, the extra water on the course, the popsicles, the GU's, and the fruit. Amazing is how many residents had put out sprinklers and had provided extra water along the course. My 10th time completing this year. Fantastic marathon if you need Wisconsin for your 50 state goal, or to marathon and I will be back again next run your first marathon.
S. S. from Kirkwood, MO (9/22/2016) "Awesome people, monotonous course" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The Fox Cities Marathon is a nice, smaller marathon that truly showcases the communitys support for the event. The race was very well- organized, packet pickup at the college was easy, and parking downtown for the shuttle busses to the start line was no problem at all. (I also really appreciated that we were able to wait for the race to start indoors.) Unfortunately, I found the course to be pretty boring. The majority of the marathon is run through subdivisions and it got monotonous very quickly. 2016 was also a warm year, and there is very little shade available. Overall, this was not a super- hilly course, but I wouldnt call it flat or fast either. For a small- town marathon, I did feel that there was a good amount of crowd support which was very much appreciated. The aid stations were plentiful and well- manned, and there were lots of organized cheering sections. The highlight of my race was our fantastic 3:35 pace leader, John, and the super- nice people in our pace group. I ended up talking to them for the first 20 miles or so, which really helped keep things interesting. The finish at Riverside Park was great: lots of food and drink and a lovely setting to relax after the run. I really appreciate the work that went into this event, I just didnt enjoy the course as much as other races I have run.
A. B. from Boston area, MA (11/2/2015) "Excellent choice for WI" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I'm pursuing a marathon in all 50 states. This was my 37th marathon and 34th state. It was an excellent choice for Wisconsin! I'm glad I did it. Pros: -Excellent traffic control Plenty of aid stations and EVERY SINGLE station had the same order of fluid (water vs. Gatorade). This a small but important detail. -Supportive of slower participants -Great expo where you were able to record a short video greeting to be shown on their Facebook page app for my smartphone was very handy, and all of the communication was excellent -Great hospitality by UWFox Valley at the start and at the expo -Loved the cheerleaders!! -Beautifully scenic course. Loved the pedestrian bridge! -Excellent finish area; very pretty -Finish chute was closed off to spectators which was great so no one to get in the way as you finish Areas for improvement: -No Arby's sandwiches left for the 4+ hour marathon finishers -Congestion getting to the start area, even for the shuttle buses -First couple of miles are a little congested until the half marathoners break off (and the motorcycles that were supporting us gave off awful fumes) Overall, my complaints are minor. This was an excellent marathon that I highly recommend. I'm really glad I chose it for my Wisconsin marathon. The course was not too challenging and I loved all of the turns. (Side note: I rented a house via Airbnb in Menasha that was close to both the start and the finish.) Thanks to the Fox Cities for their hospitality!
S. M. from Columbus,Ohio (10/6/2015) "A Nice Fall Event" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my third marathon in another state. Was there for work so decided that I would go ahead and register for the marathon. My race didn't really go as planned, but that was not the fault of the race management. Very well marked with cones, signs and people. Plenty of support (Gu, water, Gatorade). The medal was nice and there were still people at the finish line despite my slow time. Packet pick-up was easy and the bus shuttle service was easy to navigate!
Rob Klein from Paradise, Michigan (9/25/2015) "Great Course, Great Weather, too" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon was the 25th! It started at the UW Fox Valley campus in Menasha, and ended at Riverside Park in Neenah. There was an expo the day before the race, and they were giving stuff away. Of course, some were selling their wares, trying to make a buck. Coming into the facility at the university, first they give you your number. Then you pick up your bib and safety pins. Then you can go to the expo. There, you can check that your chip, on the back of your bib, works. You get a bag of stuff lots of it advertising of area businesses that out-of-town folks generally find as worthless. The 50 States Marathon Club was having a reunion run here, so they were on-site (and they had a meeting later in the afternoon). Race day morning, you could park at or near the university (and get a shuttle ride back after the race) or park in Neenah, before the start, and then ride a bus to the start-line. At the start line, you were corralled by your expected finish time. For me, it took 2 minutes from the sound of the gun, until I crossed the start-line mat. All of that time, I was walking. There were just that many people. I only heard approximate numbers in the thousands - but there were lots of runners most of them half-marathoners. The whole group was together for about the first two miles. The marathoners stayed on Midway Road for the first 3.5 miles. Out of the city by then, we turned north and meandered through Darboy. Coming under a bridge to join the paved path along College Avenue, there were a group of cheer-leaders just making an incredible amount of noise. I looked around and was alone; they were cheering for me! It was remarkable and encouraging. After a spell on the CW Trail, we headed toward Combined Locks and Kimberly. After running behind the high school ball fields, the course kind of followed roads and trails along the river through Appleton and back to Menasha before crossing an old train bridge to Neenah, now converted for use by bikes and foot traffic. The last three miles or so were in Neenah, ending at Riverside Park. There were several groups of cheer-leaders along the course (might have been a competition between the different groups, but I never heard). When passing them, it definitely lifted my spirit. There were two strategically placed aid stations, and all they did was hand out gel! Both were followed by a water station 100 yards down the path in case you needed water to wash it down. And speaking of water stations, there were lots of them. And they had refreshments and volunteers. It was spectacular to see. The finish-line food was rather ordinary: Cut fruit and quartered bagels. They had a sheet cake too, and someone was handing out ginger snaps. The medal was nice, with a big 25 on it, and the finisher's T-shirt was rather plain - a big circle with the words Finisher, the name, and some sponsor names too. But still a nice T-shirt. They really did a good job on this marathon event.
J. B. from Janesville, WI (9/22/2015) "Excellent Marathon" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I signed up for this marathon because of the weather forecast and previous reviews. Nice option to have a fee of 25 dollars to pick up your packet day of. This was another reason I signed up for this race. Very nice park and bus shuttles. Great informative website. The race event start was spectacular. Waited inside nice clean school with nice facilities. Race course, a little congested at start. Nice that there was an early split of half-full marathoners (mile 2). Pretty flat course but a couple of hills you need to be prepared for. Great course markings, wonderful feature of water and gatorade cups (white for water, green for gatorade). Excellent spectators (bands, cheerleaders, church groups, neighborhoods). Just mentally prepare yourself for half marathoners (walkers) finishing the last couple miles with you. We were never in each other's way. Nice medal, nice finish line, excellent race support, auto text for your loved ones to track you, nice shirt, great park to finish at, YMCA provided nice shower facilities. This Race Director is top notch! Once again, thanks for the packet pick-up option the day of the event!
T. P. from Minneapolis MN (9/21/2015) "Excellent Wisconsin Marathon" (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Fox Cities Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This marathon excels at getting everything right for the marathon. There were 22 aid stations on the course with porta-johns at each aid station. There were two GU stations as well as a fruit station. The new course is hiller than in years past with a few more turns, but a little more scenic with at times being closer to the water. The volunteers and spectators were fantastic and overall organization is fantastic. Plus this marathon gives back to the community which is great to see. A great overall Wisconsin marathon that you need to put on your marathon to do list.
D. P. from Urbandale, Iowa (9/22/2014) "Great Smaller Race" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Fox Cities Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I hadn't run a Wisconsin race before and picked this one largely based on reviews on marathonguide. The Fox Cities Marathon exceeded my expectations on every level. The website was informative and the organizers sent out helpful emails. My wife used the mobile app and athlete tracker. Packet pick-up was easy to find, with plenty of parking, and the expo was larger and nicer than others I've been to for bigger races. Every volunteer I encountered was friendly. Even the law officers out on the course directing traffic were friendly and encouraging to the runners. The race start was well-organized, and they had a ton of water and aid stations out on the course. A surprising number of spectators showed up in the cold and rain to cheer us on. The finish area had lots of food and drinks, plus massages, which was nice. The course is pretty fast, mostly flat, fairly scenic. Comparable to courses like Twin Cities or Des Moines. Finishes in a beautiful park right on Lake Winnebago. This is a great, smaller, convenient race, and the organizers do a fantastic job. My sole complaint has to do with the people walking the half, who walk four across and do not pay attention to the runners. I don't see this as a fault of the organizers, though, just an unfortunate trend in races.
K. C. from Sparta, WI (9/25/2013) "Best Mid Sized Road Marathon in Wisconsin!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Fox Cities Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have done 37 total races marathon or longer. 6 of which have been this race. My title really says it all. Organization is great! Fans are great! Course is a good combination of country and city running. I just love this race! If youre a 50 stater and looking to do one in Wisconsin I recommend this one.

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Marathon Details - Fox Cities Marathon