If you can get past the fact that race day weather might be as cold as 20 degrees (as it was today), this is a great event!

The Expo runs the Friday and Saturday before the race. It was small, but the vendors had some great deals on clothing and fuel, and it was easy to get in and out.

Parking on race morning is a little tough--the race start/finish line is on the capital square, and there is plenty of parking around, but you'll have to give yourself time because of the road closures for the race route. Pretty much all park is going to be ramp parking, but the costs aren't too bad.

The only complaint I really have is the starting area-- they handed out maps ahead of time, but when I went to where I thought the line of portapotties would be, there were only 2, and a line about 30 people deep waiting. Someone came up at some point and told us that there were more about a block away, but at that point there was only 10 minutes until the half started and I didn't feel like I had time to be running around looking for a shorter bathroom line. I wish there'd been better signage--the layout of the capital square makes it difficult to see everything around you, and signs that indicated where the bathrooms were would have been helpful.

As a Madison native, I appreciated the opportunity to see my hometown from a different perspective. The course wrapped around the northeast part of Madison, and was hilly but scenic. There's a particularly deadly hill right at the very end (about miles 12.5 of the half) but the change of elevation throughout the course kept it interesting.

The post-race party was small, but nice. Given how freezing it was, I didn't really have any interest in hanging around for too long, but I did enjoy my complimentary beer before racing to the car to warm up!

All in all, I think this is a really fun fall race. Madison weather can be a little ruthless, but the crowds were great, the course was dynamic and kept things interest, and, for what it's worth, the medal is super cool! I would absolutely run this race again.

I ran the 2018 Madison mini-marathon this year with my fiance. Because I was helping her get through her first 13.1, I went without headphones so I could cheer her on.

Thank goodness for the aid stations.

Without headphones, I might have otherwise gotten very bored and overwhelmed, but at the Madison mini, there's a cheering competition between every aid station. Different community orgs sign up to sponsor aid stations, and each one has its own theme. I found myself excited to get to each upcoming aid station, not for the water, but to see how goofy the next group of local high schoolers would be dressed.

The course itself was good--it wasn't my favorite tour of Madison, but given that the course is designed to start at end near the UW Campus's student union, I'll give it a pass. You do get to go past the farmers market and around the Madison zoo, which is cute. The consistent change of scenery helped keep my mind occupied. There are a few smaller hills, but nothing major. They removed the biggest hill from the course, so heads up that they could always decide to add it back in in future years.

The post-race party was a lot of fun, and the free beer was exactly what I needed after a hard race. Oh, and the medal this year was fun--and doubles as a bottle opener.

Parking is a little tricky, but not too bad. There's definitely no street parking, so don't bother trying to avoid the ramps. The fees are pretty cheap compared to bigger cities.

The expo was fairly small, but it had everything I needed. I managed to pick up a tech tanktop at a good discount that I was able to then wear on race day.

I think this is a worthwhile race and a great reason to visit Madison, WI. Madison is a good time in the summer, and this race is a fantastic excuse to make a weekend trip and enjoy the city!