Eau Claire Marathon
Eau Claire, United States · May · Independent
Why people love it
- Blugold Mile through the UW-Eau Claire campus is the crowd peak, around mile 11 (18 km).
- Nine bridges over the Chippewa and Eau Claire rivers.
- Certified Boston qualifier with a net change of about 0.6 m (2 ft).
- 6.5 hour cutoff, and volunteers and aid are well rated.
Watch out for
- Hills near miles 5, 12 and 15 (8, 19 and 24 km); 186 m (611 ft) of gain.
- Muddy dirt out-and-back around miles 9 to 10 (14 to 16 km) in wet years.
- Half marathoners join around mile 20 (32 km) and can clog the road.
- Early May can be near 0 °C (32 °F) with rain or snow flurries.
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 28% of the overall score.
Toughness: Tough
- Racer satisfactionLoved4.4
RaceRaves gives 4.7 from 148 ratings and Find My Marathon 4.9 from 10. Complaints are shuttles, toilet lines and a muddy stretch, not the race. · High confidence
- OrganizationWell run4.3
RaceRaves production 4.7; volunteers, expo and live tracking praised. Marks off for relay shuttle delays, a 45 minute toilet line in 2025, crowded finish. · High confidence
- First timer friendlyFriendly3.9
6.5 h cutoff (about 9:14 min/km), big crowds and first-timer praise. Rolling hills and 186 m (611 ft) of gain keep it from ideal. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.5
Certified Boston qualifier with near-zero net change; BQ rates 6.5% to 13.6%. Hills, a muddy out-and-back and slower half runners from mile 20 cost time. · Medium confidence
Course
Scenery, road surface, closures, and room to run. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Course sceneryBeautiful4.1
RaceRaves scenery 4.5: nine river bridges, parks, campus and downtown. One reviewer found it not especially scenic, and the dirt out-and-back is plain. · Medium confidence
- Room to runSome pinch points3.4
Wide streets and simple turns, but about 2,000 half runners join near mile 20 (32 km) and clog roads. A hairpin and an out-and-back. · Medium confidence
- Road surfaceMixed3.2
Mostly asphalt and bike path, but a rain-soaked service road near miles 9 to 10 (km 14 to 16) was mud in 2022. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed4.0
Police manage roads and the course closes after 6.5 h. Relay runners cut in during 2026 and a parked car forced runners onto a sidewalk. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Course flatnessRolling3.2
About 186 m (611 ft) of gain per the organiser, 180 m (590 ft) per Find My Marathon: rolling, with near-zero net. · Medium confidence
- Net downhillEven3.0
Net change is about 0.6 m (2 ft). The second half runs downhill but it is a loop, so no Boston-style drop. · Medium confidence
Support
Crowds, aid stations, the start, and pacers. Counts for 20% of the overall score.
- Start logisticsSmooth3.7
Bus shuttles and a pavilion start are liked. Marks off for relay shuttle delays, a 45 minute toilet line (2025) and expo parking congestion. · Medium confidence
- Pacers and timingGood3.8
Organiser lists pacers and runs a live tracking app and website (2022 report). Chip timing since 2010. Pace group range not verified. · Low confidence
- Crowd supportElectric4.5
RaceRaves reviewers call it the best community support they have run, led by the Blugold Mile. Bike-path stretches and the dirt out-and-back are lonely. · High confidence
- Aid stationsGood4.0
Plentiful volunteers and aid with toilets. A 2022 runner wanted a third gel station and a 45 minute toilet queue was reported in 2025. · Medium confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 14% of the overall score.
- WindSome wind3.3
A 2023 half had strong wind and river crossings are exposed, but wind is not a common complaint. · Low confidence
- Air temperaturePleasant4.0
Race-day mean 13 °C (56 °F), start about 11 °C (51 °F). Cold wet years happen, including 0 °C (32 °F) and snow in 2023. · Medium confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.0
Early May swings: highs 10 to 18 °C (50 to 65 °F) over 2022 to 2026, from rain in 2022 to a very nice 2024. · Medium confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy4.4
Downtown start and finish, relay exchanges and spectator shuttles ('a game changer', 2026). The race says about 20,000 cheered over the weekend. · Medium confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level4.8
Elevation runs 234 to 272 m (770 to 895 ft) per Find My Marathon, so no altitude effect. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.4
City of mid size hosting more than 5,000 participants; the organiser lists partner hotels and advises booking early. No direct complaints found. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueGood3.5
No pricing found; a small city outside peak tourist demand. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable3.7
Downtown hotels are in walking range of the finish, but parked cars were a 1.5 km (1 mi) walk away in 2023. · Low confidence
- Travel easeOne connection3.0
Minneapolis-St Paul is about 145 km (90 mi) away by road; a small local airport exists. Most visitors need a car. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple3.8
Packet pickup the day before, easy signup and shuttles. Gear check information was hard to find and the finish party was congested. · Medium confidence
- Town and foodGood4.0
Water Street block party, beer tent, campus and Third Ward. Few first-hand food reviews. · Low confidence
Entry
How hard it is to get a place, and what you get for the fee. Counts for 8% of the overall score.
- Getting inEasy4.0
Open registration and growth from 232 to 866 finishers in five years; no sell-out reports found, though 2027 discount codes suggest early registration pushes. · Low confidence
- Value for moneyGood value4.0
Shirt, medal, food bag, blanket and beer tent; swag 4.2 of 5 on RaceRaves, though some found the medal ok. Fee not found. · Low confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Eau Claire, Western Wisconsin, United States
- Typical month
- May
- Latest or next date
- 2 May 2027
- Organiser
- Independent
- Field size
- About 866 athletes
- First held
- 2009
- Distances
- 42.2 km (26.2 mi)
- Course type
- loop
- Climbing
- 186 m (610 ft)
- Descent
- 184 m (605 ft)
- Start time
- 07:00
- Cutoff
- 6.5 hours
- Boston qualifier
- Yes
- Surface
- Mostly asphalt, some bike path, plus a dirt or grass out-and-back around miles 9 to 10 (14 to 16 km) that reviewers found muddy in wet years
- How to get in
- open
- Air temperature
- 7–19 °C (45–66 °F)
- Humidity
- Moderate. Find My Marathon shows 78% at the start in a typical year; cold and damp in some years
- Altitude
- 250 m (820 ft)
- Nearest airport
- Minneapolis-St Paul (MSP); Chippewa Valley Regional (EAU) is the small local airport, 145 km (90 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Downtown Eau Claire, Water Street, Near Phoenix Park
- Booking
- RaceRaves puts the race about 90 mi (145 km) from the Twin Cities. Race weekend draws more than 5,000 participants; book early. The organiser lists partner hotels.
What racers and reviewers say
- RaceRaves (148 ratings, 4.7)Raced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Runners agree the crowd and community support is the highlight, with plentiful volunteers and well-run logistics. Scores: difficulty 3.1, scenery 4.5, production 4.7, swag 4.2. Complaints: relay shuttle delays, long toilet lines in 2025, parking at the expo and a dull dirt out-and-back.
“the best community support of any of the races I have run!”
- Brian On The Run (Brian Moline)Raced 2022 · blog · Positive
Rated it 4.5 of 5 in a cold rainy year. Liked the variety and simple turns and recommended it for a PR or Boston qualifier. Dislikes: a muddy out-and-back near mile 9 (14 km), a big hill after mile 11 (18 km), only two gel stations, half marathoners blocking him from mile 20 (32 km) and a congested finish area.
“I enjoyed this course a lot.”
- MarathonGuide reviews (1 review)Raced 2021 · aggregator · Positive
A university alumnus scored it 4.0 of 5 and found the finish through campus emotional. Praised organisation and runner support during COVID; cons were lonely abandoned stretches and slower half marathoners clogging roads once the full caught up.
“The finish through campus was emotional.”
- BibRave reviews (26 reviews, 100% recommend)Raced 2022 · aggregator · Positive
Reviewers praise bus shuttles and no crowded corrals, Blugold Mile as a late boost and loud crowds, and call hills moderate with a PR or BQ possible. A 2018 reviewer found quieter stretches tough.
“spectators, music, cheer squads EVERYWHERE”
- Find My MarathonRaced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Shows 4.9 of 5 from 10 reviews (nine 5-star). Course stats: rolling hills, 590 ft (180 m) gain, net about 2 ft (0.6 m), 866 finishers in 2026 and BQ rates of 6.5% to 13.6%.
“Rolling Hills profile, road surface”
Show 1 more
- WEAU 13 (Ellie Ulbricht)Raced 2024 · article · Positive
Race-day coverage: more than 5,000 racers and about 20,000 spectators, called the biggest and nicest-weather edition in years by an organiser. Finishers got a shirt, food, blanket and medal.
“This is our biggest Eau Claire Marathon ever.”
Raced Eau Claire Marathon? Your notes on the course, conditions and logistics help the next athlete decide.
Sources
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