Trailbreaker Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

Sunday, April 7, 2024 • Waukesha, WI • Course Map

Run along a combination of a few city streets and mostly park trails that parallel the winding Fox River that runs through the heart of the city, Waukesha’s Trailbreaker Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K & 5K takes runners on a largely fast and flat and very scenic trail run here just a short drive from nearby Milwaukee.

Both the half and the full marathons follow an out-and-back course that starts and finishes at Waukesha’s Schuetze Recreation Center on Baxter Street.

From there, runners follow the trail that winds along the river starting in Frame Park, a linear park that lines both sides of the Fox River between Moreland Boulevard and Barstow Street, and features nearly two miles of walking and biking trails in addition to the baseball diamond and festival facilities near the recreation center.

Once they’re on the trail, runners follow it what is essentially a long straight stretch out to the half-way turnaround point — which, for the half marathon, lies near the intersection of the trail and County Road DT. Those running the full, 26.2-mile marathon continue on to the full marathon half-way point, which lies further west, in nearby Lapham Peak State Park.

Much of the route for both courses takes runners over the Glacial Drumlin Trail, which at its full length stretches more than 50 miles between the state’s two biggest urban areas, and takes walkers, hikers, bikers and runners past 10 small towns in between.

Made of natural dirt and gravel surfaces, the trail is bordered on either side by ample tree cover and park areas for much of its length, and was built in the mid-1980s from an abandoned railroad corridor.

Review from a blogger

Here’s what the author of the blog “Tales from an Average Runner” had to say about the 2013 Trailbreaker race:

“The Trailbreaker has more of a home-grown feel to it, but what it lacks in crowd and spectator support, it makes up for with the fact that it offers a very personal feel. I think the volunteers and race personnel actually care what you think. They are truly happy to be putting on this event, which raises money for the local parks system, and it shows.

Race Weather & Climate

Located in Wisconsin’s southeastern corner, roughly 20 miles west of downtown Milwaukee, the city of Waukesha typically experiences mild to cool and occasionally quite cold weather in the early spring, and snow is still possible this time of year, as Waukesha averages just over 2 inches of the white stuff during the month.

On race day (April 7), the average low is 32ºF and the average high is 51ºF.

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Trailbreaker Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

8:00 AM

Fees

$40 and up for the half marathon
$50 and up for the full marathon
$35 and up for the 10K
$30 and up for the 5K

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2024 running of Waukesha’s Trailbreaker Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K or 5K race, register online at RunSignUp.com here.

Official Race Website

runthetrailbreaker.com

Comments

Ever run in the Trailbreaker Half Marathon? Share your impressions here, or post your review in the Comments below.

See more races in: April, Wisconsin

1 comment… add one

Jennifer Cohen January 5, 2023, 12:00 am

I ran This race in the late 90’s and loved it. My most memorable moment was at the half-way point where you run on trails to the overlook tower. You celebrate your turn around by bounding up stairs to see a gorgeous panaromic view before descending

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