More than 500 runners and walkers take to the streets of this small central Wisconsin town every year for the Waushara County Crime Stoppers Jailbreak Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K Run/Walk, to which organizers say they invite runners “of every stripe” to take part in this benefit for the Waushara County Crime Stoppers, a local nonprofit devoted to public safety and combating crime.
Known for its friendly, small-town comforts, Wautoma is home to about 2,000 residents and is a popular regional destination for its crystal clear streams, rivers and forests — which reportedly offer ample fishing and hunting in the warm weather — and its hills and trails, which draw cross-country skiers and snowmobilers in the winter.
Like the full marathon and the 5K, the half marathon starts at the city’s Waushara County Fair Grounds on South Fair Street. From there, runners follow what is roughly a clockwise loop route through areas south of town, with some moderate hills in the 13.1-mile course’s first three miles and a mostly flat course thereafter, with only mild rolling hills during the rest of the race.
