Madison Runs

One of the top running communities in the US, Madison offers many enjoyable, scenic, and challenging runs. The Madison landscape is dominated by its lakes, so fittingly, there are runs around three of them. Other runs take you around campus, by the Capitol, or through the UW Arboretum. If you're new to Madison or on a visit, we hope that our list can help you find a route to suit you. (Route starts and finishes are marked with red X's, while water stops are marked with red "H2O."

• UW Howard Temin Lakeshore Path: Named after one of its most avid users, UW's 1975 Nobel Laureate in medicine, this gravel/pavement path runs along Lake Mendota from the Univeristy of Wisconsin Memorial Union west to Picnic Point (1.6 mi) and Eagle Heights (2.2 mi). The 0.75 mi Picnic Point spur along the route also allows access to several miles of dirt trails through woods along Lake Mendota.

• Lake Monona: The course of the annual Lake Monona 20k, this lake loop is marked with helpful "LMR" arrows. The loop start and finish are in Winnequah Park in Monona, WI, with the start marked with an "S" painted on Nichols Rd. within the park. The route also goes through Olbrich Park in Madison along Atwood Ave., a convenient spot to park.

• Lake Wingra and UW Arboretum: The Wisconsin Track Club has marked a 10k loop around Lake Wingra beginning and ending in Vilas Park on the north shore. The route passes through the UW Arboretum, providing access to miles of trails in this beautiful natural area. Notable trails within the north section of the Arb include the trails around Indian mounds on the south shore of Lake Wingra and the 1200m loop in the southeastern corner. The southern Grady Tract, which is connected to the north by a cool pedestrian underpass, also has great trails, but can get very wet in the spring. Parking is also available at the Arboretum.

• Lake Mendota: If you're looking for a real long run, the approximately 21-mile loop around Mendota is for you. Distance coach Jim Reardon comments, "The run around Lake Mendota isn't that scenic and exposes you to 55 mph speed limits, so it's only for advanced runners and mad dogs." The route takes you through lovely Shorewood Hills and Maple Bluff, as well as downtown Madison. You pass by the Governor's mansion, Governor Nelson State Park, many UW fraternities, the Memorial Union terrace, and the Capitol.

• Southwest Bike Trail: A straight, flat paved trail with posts every 0.05 mi, this is a favorite for the high intensity runs. The trail begins at Randall Ave. in the UW campus and ends 4.5 mi southwest where it intersects the Capitol City Trail. Mostly bordered by backyards and parks, the north two-thirds is somewhat shaded.

• Isthmus Loop: Madison centers on the Isthmus, and this run takes you through the heart of it, from State Street to Tenney Park. The 6.25 mile loop roughly follows the shore of Lake Mendota north to Burrows Park, after which it turns south to meet the Yahara River. The return leg follows a bike trail under Monona Terrace and returns to State St. Alternately, you can run down Williamson (Willy) St., one of Madison's famous thoroughfares. If you are driving to reach the loop, you can park at Burrows Park.

• Capitol Loop: A favorite of the UW Badger distance men, this route is adjustable, because you can pick any of several east-west roads to make the southern limit of the loop. With pretty scenery and good hills, the run has a lot to offer whether you turn at the Capitol City Trail (13.3 mi), Badger Road (8.3 mi), or the Wingra Creek Bike Trail (6.25 mi). If you're driving to get to the loop, Vilas Park may be a convenient spot to park and run down to the intersection of Mills St. and Wingra Dr.

• Capital City Trail [PDF]: The Capital City Trail is a Wisconsin State Trail which will eventually link the Military Ridge State Trail to the west with the Glacial Drumlin State Trail to the east. The approximately 9 miles of paved trail pictured run south of the city through the scenic Capital Springs State Park.

• Hill Circuits: The distance group's classic hill runs are Edgewood Ave. and Topping Hill. Edgewood (0.85 mi course) is a short steep hill with a gentle downhill return for recovery. Topping Hill is longer, and the Blackhawk Rd. segment of the downhill is fairly steep (1.2 mi course). You might also try Bascom Hill on the UW campus for hill strides or Elver Park's monster hill (see below).

• Parks: In addition to the Arboretum, there are several parks with running trails. Owen Conservation Park (6021 Old Sauk Rd.) has 3.4 miles of trails through both woods and grassland with some hills. Elver Park (1250 McKenna Blvd. has 10k of trails used for cross country skiiing in the winter, as well as an enormous hill. Lake Farm Park, a county park on the south side of town, also has some trails and is on the Capital City Trail. Take Southtowne Dr. south to Moorland Rd. Turn left on Moorland and left on Libby Rd. to reach the park.
• WTC's Home Cross Country Course: Newly created in 2008, WTC's home cross country course is located on the rolling hills of Pope Farm Park in Middleton, WI (just west of Madison). The course currently has 8k & 6k Courses used for the NIRCA Midwest Regionals cross country meet in 2009, as well as a 5k Course.