Pine Line Marathon

This was my first Pine Line Trail Marathon, and I definitely hope to run it again! I can't express how much I appreciate the race day registration option as well as packet pickup! And the sport of running can become quite expensive, so I SO much appreciate the affordability of this race. The volunteers and everyone involved in this charming, small town race are second to none! Thank you all so much for this most awesome marathon! God Bless You All!

Pine Line Marathon is a small town marathon, and unfortunately, it was not well known outside the area. I found out about Pine Line only a couple of weeks ahead of time. The reviews I read were not glamorous, and one person I talked to, who previously participated in it even said it was boring. In any case, I was looking for an upper mid-west April marathon to participate in, and Pine Line was it. One of the factors in getting race information was that the website was a Facebook page (which I could not access). But on the Medford Chamber of Commerce calendar, for the date of the race, information was available. I just needed to know where to look for the information. I had to drive 3 1/2 hours through the Wisconsin back-roads to get to Medford, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It seems that the race director, Andrea, also ran the Chamber of Commerce, and I registered with a volunteer over the phone. The other alternative was to mail in a paper copy registration form. Anyway, St. Pauls Church was the focal point for pre- and post-race activity. Check in was Friday evening or early Saturday morning. Pasta dinner was served by the church Friday evening too. It was great food, and lots to eat. There were local motels and camping options too. The campground was not officially open until May 1st, so they let us camp for free! The race started right around the corner from the church in the city park & campground, along the pond, where the river through town was dammed. The race started at 8:00 am, and a volunteer  and runner  named Tim sang the National Anthem for us  and he did an awesome job! The announcer coordinated with the timing organization, and at the sound of the siren, we were off. About a mile along the pond, we turned on to an arterial road, over a bridge, and then on the trail. The trail was really a mixture of several different running surfaces. It started as a mixture of gravel and sand, then part of it was like clay that had tracks and footprints in it that was kind of baked in by the sun (it was the most uneven part of the course, with potential for tripping). Some very short segments actually had raised crushed gravel, usually where repairs had been made by work crews. Then some was like thin mud, which had not dried out completely from snow melt-off. And a lot of it was just two track  with grass in the middle and on both sides too. But there was no standing water, and there was no muck or thick mud to track through. The conditions were probably a bit slower than if running on pavement, but it was a manicured trail, and was probably easier on the runners. There were volunteers stationed at places the trail crossed busier roads, and there were aid stations about every two to three miles, and strategically placed port-a-potties too. The turn-around was a barrel placed on the trail. The aid stations had water & Gatorade; fruit & cookies  but none had gels. And, as with any out-and-back, you do see the same things coming back. But it was a mix: A couple of small towns, farms and farmland, swamp and streams, and woods too. Still, it was a small event. I think there were only 29 marathoners. The shorter races (1/2 marathon and 10K probably drew many more participants). And after reaching the half marathon turn-around point, marathon runners seemed to be pretty spread out, and several runners were then running alone. The staff kept track of the runners in the course and the sweeper spent a few miles following me (yeah, I finished last, but still inside 6 hours). When I got back, the time-keeper was pretty much packed up and ready to go. He gave me my finish time & place, and said good-bye. Post-race was at St. Pauls. I got the last couple of pieces of pizza, a finishers medal, and had some fruit too. I also had a chance to chat with Andrea and her staff. Again, the race was small, but was well staffed. They took care of the runners, they were cordial and friendly, and the weather mostly cooperated (it was in the low 30s overnight and warmed into the 60s). Lots of sun early on, then overcast later in the morning. The wind was variable, but definitely a factor on the way back. Otherwise, it was great weather for running. And instead of the typical T-shirt, this race gave out hooded sweatshirts with a front pocket - with logo on the front and sponsors on the back. They did a great job.

'I ran the half marathon in 2013. I wanted to rate this race higher, but the lack of organization was really a downer. When they were announcing the winners, they got both the male and female winners wrong. It got sorted out, but everyone was wondering how accurate the results really were. the course is fine. It is an out and back on a dirt trail. Basically, a gravel road. Some spots still had snow on them and were pretty slippery. There is basically no crowd support, but the volunteers at the water stations are enthusiastic. No finishers medals. Hooded sweatshirt for the Half/full marathoners. I should have taken my own water on the course because the aid stations were pretty far spaced (6 on the half marathon course). I don't know if I would do this again, but they also offer a marathon relay, which could be a nice options for some of my friends who don't want to tackle a longer distance.'