Earlier this month, I ran the La Crosse (WI) half marathon, while my husband and brother ran the full marathon. The last half marathon I ran was in 2021 and it personally felt great to get back in distance-running shape (and even shave a few minutes off my finish time).
The La Crosse marathon is a smaller race with 577 finishers in the half, and 192 in the full. It is a point-to-point route, with shuttles that take you to the start. The race is mostly a flat trail and has a scenic feel to it. Despite being a little secluded, there were people out cheering at various points throughout the course.
My brother and I cheering on my husband as he finishes the marathon
On race day it started with beautiful weather that (for me) ended in a thunderstorm downpour from mile 10 on. There were a few large puddles to dodge, but otherwise the route was in good shape. The race ultimately ended in downtown La Crosse, on the Mississippi River. Unfortunately due to the rain, we didn’t hang around too long for the after-party. We all were cold and wet, and just wanted to get some dry clothes on. Overall here is our consensus:
Pros
- A nice scenic course, mostly on flat trail of crushed stone.
- Well organized event with easy packet pick-up, gear check, and pre-race communication.
- Lots of post-run treats including cookies and brats.
- The marathon and half marathon have staggered start times with the marathon starting earlier and the routes meeting up. For me this was a pro as I finished the half close to when my brother and husband finished.
- This is a family event with something for everyone. My sister-in-law also participated in the 5K and before the thunderstorms cancelled it, my 4 year old was going to participate in a free kids race.
Cons
- Because of the smaller race size of the full marathon, there were no official race pacers, as my husband was hoping for.
- The first two aid/water stops had run out of cups by the time I got there. My brother also mentioned that they ran out of the GU energy at some of the later aid stations.
- The shuttles leave EARLY. The marathon shuttles left starting at 4am and half at 5am.
- That’s it! It was overall a fun time!
If you want more information about this race or La Crosse, Wisconsin check out the following links: