The Mad City Marathon
'A great race in a capital place'
RUNNING with Tom Kaufman What do you get when you combine 4,500 runners including kids, serious racers, fitness joggers and walkers with a downtown start, a course that goes through
neighborhoods and a beautiful arboretum, and a finish in a scenic park? Why, the 2005 Mad City Marathon, of course.
Runners will take off in this year's Mad City Marathon from Madison's Capitol Square beginning at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, May 29.
While many have run the current race, most people do not know that marathons in Madison date back to 1974. Held the first weekend in June, Madison's original marathons were run over a variety of courses including a year with a rural route,
and several years with a four-lap route around a single lake. By the late '70s, the original Madison Marathon had faded away.
The Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau decided to revitalize the marathon in 1994 only to lose its impetus in '95. The current version of the marathon was first held in 1996. This will mark the 10th anniversary of what has become a key weekend on the running calendar for many.
The course is what seems to attract runners from around the country.
Starting in the shadow of the beautiful state Capitol building, the course winds its way north through downtown Madison before turning south and following the Lake Mendota shoreline through several neighborhoods and back through part of the University of Wisconsin campus.
From the campus, the course makes its way to the wonderful UW Arboretum following one of Madison's main running thoroughfares around Lake Wingra, before finishing at Olin-Turville Park on the shores of Lake Monona.
The exact route has yet to be finalized as of this writing (early March) due to road construction. But race chairmen Ken Woodford and Keith Peterson promise a course that closely matches those run in past years.
"We may need to tweak a few corners," Woodford said, "but the course should be largely the same."
This race has had its share of growing pains. Most prominent among them have been problems with course measurement. While the marathon has been
certified, the half-marathon and the 5K have been either too short or too long in the past. Thankfully these problems have been resolved and runners can expect to compete at accurate distances.
Over the years the half-marathon has proven to be the most popular event of the weekend. This mirrors what is happening on the national scene. While a few of the mega-marathons (Chicago and New York) have continued to pull in huge numbers, more and more runners are turning to the half-marathon
to test their speed and endurance. Recovery is quicker from a half and the training does not mandate those two-plus hour runs that, if not properly prepared for, increase the likelihood of injury.
The half-marathon, 10K and 5K will all start on the Capitol Square. The two shorter races leave the Capitol building and follow out and back routes along Lake Monona before finishing at the Olin-Turville Park finish line. The half-marathon has its own course but runs about nine miles of the
marathon route before it, too, finishes at Olin-Turville. The kids run a 1K lap of the Capitol Square in their own event.
Madison Festivals Inc. plan a full weekend of events. In addition to all of the racing, there will be a health and fitness expo, a pasta feed and a featured nationally known speaker. Last year the expo was held at the beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright Convention Center on Lake Monona. Details for the 2005 expo are being worked out. Watch the Web site,
www.madcitymarathon.com, for further information.
The 2004 edition of the race saw 1,200 marathoners, 1,600 half-marathoners, 800 total runners in the 5K and 10K, and about 400 in the kids 1K. Additionally there were both two-person and four-person relay teams. Organizers are hoping to maintain similar numbers for this year's races.
Woodford said he does not see the Mad City Marathon competing with the "big" races. He hopes to establish Madison as a midmajor player on
the national scene.
Organizers feel that the beauty of the course, the great Madison atmosphere, and the Memorial Day weekend date will all contribute to the long-term success of the event. The South Madison Health and Family Center, the 2004 and 2005 charity recipient, hopes Woodford's vision for the future is 20/20.
In Madison, the Memorial Day weekend weather can be warm. This is the one factor that may make the Mad City Marathon a tough one for a PR. But by providing
opportunities for a half-marathon as well as a 5K and 10K, race organizers offer challenges for everyone.
Race registration is available online. Runners may register for the marathon up until Saturday, May 28. There is race day registration for all other events.
If it's been awhile since you have had the opportunity to visit Madison, treat yourself to a grand weekend. The farmers market will be in full swing Saturday morning, the UW Student Union still sells the best ice cream
in the world, and the new Overture Center is truly something not to be missed.
The Mad City Marathon and its accompanying events offer great running in a beautiful city. I hope to see you there. Good running to you.
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