This was an incredible race, and I would definitely recommend it. This year, the weather was really mild for August, which made for the perfect racing day. The Madison campus is also such a fun place; beautiful lake front, bike friendly campus, great bars & restaurants. It was a really fun place to get out of Chicago and race.

Expo: The expo was smaller, but easy to navigate, and a quick in and out. The expo was open until 8pm on Friday, which was perfect for people traveling from other states. I didn't submit a seeding time early enough, but everyone at the expo was incredibly helpful, and got me switched last minute. The shirt was not my favorite, but the packet also came with a Madison Mini pint glass, which I LOVED!

Start Line: The start line was in the center of Madison, and incredibly easy to find. Parking was quick too. There are a ton of parking garages in downtown Madison, and it was only $4 to park for the day. There could have been more port-o-potties at the start, but I blame myself for not allowing enough time before the race start. The wheelchair racers went off first, which was an inspiring way to start the race.

Course: The course was tough, really hilly, but beautiful! I loved running through the Madison Arboretum. It was shady and incredibly scenic. The course kicks off running through the Madison campus, and then heads out to the scenic Arboretum, we then come back through the city, which gets tough. There were lots of tiny hills on the last two miles. The water stations were on point. They had flags set up about .2 miles before the water stations, which I loved. It was great to know a station was coming up to grab fuel in time. More races should do this! The finish line was also so awesome. There was a bridge ahead of the finish line, which had a ton of spectators cheering us on. I loved it!

Post-Race - At the end of the race, you're handed a pretty sweet medal, which is also a bottle opener, along with AMAZING Wisconsin chocolate milk, bananas, water, and granola bars. From the finish line, you could move over to the terrace where they had the post race party. This was easily the best part. They had a bar/grill open to grab beers (even by the pitcher!), and a burger or brat. The had a ton of tables out on the terrace and live music. It was incredible to just chill outside on the lake and have some beers afterward. I wished I stayed the night in madison to really enjoy the post-race event.

Overall, this was a really well run event. Volunteers and spectators were amazing. The course was beautiful, and the post race party was the best I've ever seen. I would definitely recommend this race to anyone!