T-Shirts/SWAG: The shirts are very cool. The design is a vintage vibe on a supremely soft cotton tee that is fun to wear. You get a free beer at the finish. This year's beer was a raspberry lemonade beer that was not my favorite, but still fun to try. The medals were very sparkly and they had a fun insert that twirled. You also get free race photos at this race, which I always think is a nice perk.

Course: The course is not flat. It winds through some great areas of Madison including the UW campus, along Lake Mendota, and the Arboretum. We had to run up the hill on Observatory at the end of the course this year which was super challenging.

Race Management: The race is well managed. This was the first year that I had access to the VIP area and I really liked it for the separate gear check and bathrooms pre-race. There was a full set up of food for breakfast and lunch as well as post-race massages that I did not take advantage of because I had my kids with me.

Aid Stations: The Aid stations in this race are the best! Local groups volunteer and there is a contest for best aid station and it shows. They are loud and cheer and decorate! Every aid station made me smile.

I also enjoy that the Madison Mini has a kids' race, which my children ran in for the second year in a row and also that the charity helps moms and babies. I still think they need more porta potties at the starting area.

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