Entry through the organiser
Entry details on the organiser’s site →
The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.
Running Milwaukee? Do your long runs with the gel you will race on. Get them on Amazon Amazon partner link
Back to your race planner
Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2027 race
- Start
- 07:007:00 AM
- Distance
- 42.2 km26.2 mi
- Marathon · Half marathon · 5K
- Time limit
- 6 h 30 min
The course
The Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon is the only race that crosses the Hoan Bridge, and its permits set checkpoints: on the bridge by 9:15am at about mile 7.5, and at the finish by 1:30pm.
- The Hoan BridgeOnly race over the Hoan Bridge; be on it by 9:15am at mile 7.5.
- Lake Michigan and downtownLake Michigan shore and downtown, from the Baird Center start.
Course notes 2 short reads on the course
km 7.5 to 23.5TacticsThe Hoan BridgeOnly race over the Hoan Bridge; be on it by 9:15am at mile 7.5.
The organiser says the 2026 permits required the streets to reopen in a structured timeframe: marathon runners reach the south end of the bridge, about mile 23.5, by 1:00pm and the finish by 1:30pm, a pace of 14:42 per mile. The Hoan Bridge is not a pedestrian bridge, so runners who fall behind are asked to board the sag wagon. The course is sanctioned by USA Track and Field (course number 165331).
Sourced
km 0 to 42.2LandmarkLake Michigan and downtownLake Michigan shore and downtown, from the Baird Center start.
In 2026 the marathon and half started together at 7:00am, and the marathon was capped at 2,500 runners and the half at 3,500. Gear bags left at the start were taken to Urban Park for pick-up after the race. Water stops stood about every two miles, with gels at about miles 6, 14 and 20.
Sourced
Race weekend
Saturday 2 October The day before
-
10:3010:30 AM
5K run and walk Time limit 90 minutes.
Sunday 3 October Race day
-
07:007:00 AM
Marathon and half marathon start Both distances start together. -
Time not published
Marathon and half marathon time limit Time limit 6.5 hours. 6:30 limit: 9:14/km for 42.195 km6:30 limit: 14:52/mi for 26.2 mi
Times as published by the organiser, in Milwaukee time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Sunday
Race morning, on the record
We hold no start time for this race, so the record is read at 09:009:00 AM, local time.
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Milwaukee time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
5 gels for Milwaukee, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon.
