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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: 222 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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L. S. from Milton, WI
(11/23/2014)
"I think they found every hill in Madison" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)s
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I did this race several times when it was held in May and started at the capitol square, finished in Olin Park or the Coliseum. The weather was much better this time of the year, except for the wind, but I prefer the old course - lots fewer hills. Even though I managed to pull out a BQ this time, I would not reccommend this race for a BQ or PR attempt. Spectators were sparse to non-existent, probably due to the cold, windy weather. Organization was good, except for the Tyr (ick) sports drink that all the water station workers were calling 'gatorade'. | |
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R. T. from Iowa
(11/10/2014)
"Beautiful with Hills" (about: 2014)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My husband and I ran Madison one month following Chicago in hopes of improving our times. We were able to despite quite a few hills and some strong winds. The course itself was beautiful, I found it prettier than Milwaukee which was also along the water. The first few miles through the Arboretum were very scenic, despite a lack of foliage. Running back into the city and college in the next 3-4 miles provided a nice view of the campus with an abundance of crowd support. The worst hill of the race was here, at mile 9 along Observatory Drive. It was quite steep (something like a 75 foot gain). Miles 12-15 were by far the most lackluster, as we were running into oncoming traffic along a street through the city. Things became more exciting after that, as we ran through a secluded neighborhood before running back to and along Lake Mendota for the next 5 miles. This was my favorite part of the course, aside from a killer hill at mile 21ish. The ultimate 2 miles were back to downtown and campus, ending at the Capitol (don't forget about the hill in the last 1/2 mile, it's a killer!) Post race food was perfect: water, TYR endurance formula (ick, but it was something), CHOCOLATE MILK!, Milio's sandwiches, Lays potato chips, chocolate chip cookies, oranges, and bananas. Volunteers and water/aid stations were abundant, as were race officials/aids on bicycles in case of problems. Packet pick up was easy, race day parking was a breeze due to a ton of ramps for 5$, simple gear check, and immediate start time with no wait in the corral. It was really nice that the 1/2 started 10 min. later and ran a different route primarily. I was hesitant to run this race based on previous reviews, but I will say that the heat and cancellation issue is moot now that the race is in November. Also, there is no confusion on where to run while running the course. The hills were tough, but not a deal breaker if you knew to put a few into your training runs and ran them carefully. This race had about 2000 marathoners, which was perfect. I was never alone on the course but was far from cramped. Most of the runners seemed to be serious and race etiquette was ideal. I highly recommend this race based on its beautiful course, awesome food, and friendly midwestern city! | |
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J. M. from MPLS
(11/10/2014)
"Beautiful and Challenging Course!" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is where I went to college so of course I had to run this marathon. Such a neat mix of the capital, the university, the arboretum and the lakes. It is hilly so make sure you train for the hills! Perfect weather! Well organized. | |
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M. H. from Iowa
(11/8/2014)
"Underwhelmed." (about: 2013)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I really had high expectations for this race but was pretty disappointed. The race is priced like a major city race but feels like a mid-level for sure. The community doesn't really seem that involved and the course wasn't as 'scenic' as described. (I expected a lot more lake front views) I just did the half because my training had been derailed but don't really intend to go back to do the full. Just not enough value or experience for the high entry price. *Given the wrong shirt because they printed the wrong amount in my size **Post race food was meek as was the beer. For a race with a beer as a major sponsor I expected more than one beer and not a $5 charge for beer flavored water. | |
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J. H. from Chicago, Il
(7/28/2014)
"Hillier than I like" (about: 2013)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my fourth marathon and by far the most hilly. (I have run Disney, Chicago and Bayshore prior to this one). The hills are tough if you don't train for them. It's a beautiful course with great views of the city and surrounding area. The arboretum is pretty to run through as is the downtown area. The only downside for having moved the race to the fall would be the potential for poor weather. The day before the '13 race was incredibly windy, the day after was sleet and snow showers. Thankfully race day was sandwiched in between those two days and was just cold but sunny. I said after the race that I would never run this one again because of the hills. We'll see. Maybe I can conquer my hatred of hills. It's one of my favorite cities and a well run race. | |
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N. C. from Madison, WI
(11/26/2013)
"Great first marathon" (about: 2013)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I live in Madison, so it made a lot of sense to register for this race as my first full marathon. The course was nicely laid out and well-supported by volunteers. To avoid the potential for excessive heat, Madison has been moved to November; that's a great time to run here. Temps were cool at the start but comfortable as the race went on. The course layout is a challenge but not overly so. Mostly flat, with a few rolling hills that get your attention. Luckily, Observatory hill is early in the race. The hill in Maple Bluff is tough - but once you get through that (mile 18), it's flat flat flat until the climb to the Capital. Water/aid and potty stops were abundant. Spectator support was mostly centered around the start/finish, around Camp Randall stadium, and along John Nolen Drive...elsewhere, it was a more sparse collection of people waiting for their special runner to pass through. The marathon started 10 minutes after the wheelies and before the HM, and that (along with the # of runners) seemed to work well to avoid chaos in the first few miles. The expo was downtown at the Monona Terrace, which is a great location...just a few blocks from the start/finish. Course amenities were as I'd expect...and what I'd seen at several half marathons before running this full. Water/gatorade stations were well prepared and stocked. One bummer, I never saw (or found) the chocolate milk at the finish line...just the standard bagels, chips, bananas/oranges. The medal is pretty cool, and the shirts are terrific. Something that I'd actually consider wearing other than on a run! Overall, I'd do this race again....and I probably will, eventually. I'm not on a 50-state mission, but I would like to experience some other races to compare. | |
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d. m. from NC
(6/5/2012)
"Oh it's too hot - Let's cancel the marathon!" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Due to the predicted high heat the marathon was cancelled for 2012. It is a real disappointment to train, spend the money for a hotel and travel, and not run a marathon. If you are a 50 state runner, I cant advise signing up for a marathon whose director will cancel the race if the temperature is predicted to be high. They did allow the marathoners to run the half marathon so all these comments relate to the half marathon course. Packet pickup was well organized and the expo was pretty good with lots of interesting booths for a mid-size marathon. No real swag like posters or bags or cups but the tech shirt is good but not outstanding and the finisher's medal is nice but not memorable. There are hotels located within 5 blocks of the start and finish which make things convenient. I would recommend the Double Tree, it was very nice although a bit more expensive than I wanted to pay. They did pick me up at the airport and had a shuttle which would take you to packet pickup and local restaurants within a 2 mile radius. All the local hotels seem to raise the rates to unfortunate prices for the marathon. I would like to see the race directors negotiate some hotel discounts. There are numerous restaurants within walking distance from the start / finish / hotel area. The half course is a 13 miles loop and relatively flat. If I remember correctly the high and low points are only separated by 80 feet. The first 4 miles the road is a little bit rough but the biggest problem is the cones. The course follows a 4 lane road but they put cones in 1 lane to try and keep the runners in that lane. With the ex-marathoners and the half marathoners starting at the same time, the problem is that there are so many runners they spread out to cover 2 lanes and now you have the middle of the pack tripping over orange cones for 4 miles. In my opinion the cones were more dangerous to the runners than if they had not put any cones out there to separate cars and runners. The traffic was very light at 7 AM and the drivers were courteous and not a factor in my experience. I have entered more than 45 marathons and have never had one cancelled on me. Back in the old days, a race was held rain or shine. I guess today's marathoners are too delicate to run in the heat. | |
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J. L. from Columbus, OH
(5/28/2012)
"A continual state of inelegance" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 So, my quest for marathon #13 failed when the organizers decided to cancel the race. While profoundly disappointed about weeks of training and a 500 mile drive for a half marathon, I grudgingly have to conclude that this was probably a fair call. It was actually a little cooler than the pre-stated cutoff race temperature at the start but it was very sunny with a high dew point so it felt draining even though the humidity wasn't awful. It did warm up as predicted reaching eighty by the time the average finisher crossed in 2:08 The organizers clearly erred on the side of caution putting the word out a few days ahead that the race was in jeopardy. My hotel offered to let me out of my reservation even though I was past the cutoff when the warning came out. I travelled anyway hoping for the best, realizing I might only see a half. The downtown area was very nice with lots to do. I stayed in a host hotel on the capital square. The expo was small but adequate given the size of the race. Didn't see much of the campus since only the full course went there but the views along the lake were pretty good and traffic control was well done. I was a little afraid when I saw that the half course included seven turns in the first mile but it really wasn't a problem even with the more than normal half field of ~4,400 (including those who had signed up for the full). They offered $20 off for next year and I still dont have Wisconsin so maybe I'll be back. The weather is looking better for South Bend this weekend as a plan B. | |
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M. J. from Platteville, WI
(1/11/2012)
"Go Madison!" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Madison Marathon (Mad City Marathon)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a great race. It was perfect weather and the course was very nice. For Wisconsin, this is my favorite marathon - it is not super hilly, which is tough to find around here. The gels were well placed and the water/aid stations were great. It's a really nice size, after about a 1/2 mile you have more room, and after 1 mile there's a good amount of space between runners. Madison is a great city and I'd highly recommend this race. | |
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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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