38th annual Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon scheduled for Oct. 7

MILWAUKEE -- The 38th annual Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon will take place Sunday, Oct. 7, beginning at 7:30 a.m. at Grafton High School. The course finishes along the shores of Lake Michigan just north of the Milwaukee Art Museum at Veterans Park.

New in 2018 will be live music at various points along the course.

In addition to the marathon, there is a 5k race for people of all abilities. The route starts in Veterans Park, goes around Lakefront State Park, and returns to Veterans Park, where participants will take a loop around the lagoon and finish through the same chute as the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon runners.

A Boston Marathon qualifying course, the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon serves as the Road Runners Club of America’s State Championship and the Wisconsin USATF Championship.

According to a press release, overall winners will have their name engraved on a special Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon “Champions Cup” trophy, receiving smaller replicas acknowledging their victories. In addition, awards will be given to the top three finishers in the following divisions:18-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80+.

All marathon finishers within the 6.5-hour time limit will receive a medal at the finish line.

The Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon is offering a $5,000 bonus to the first male and/or first female that completes the course in a time that meets or beats the standards needed to qualify for the U.S. Olympic marathon trials in 2020, adhering to all USATF rules and regulations. The current published standards are 2:19 for males and 2:45 for females.

All racers receive a shirt, refreshments, and finisher medals.

The fee is $25, and registration is available at here.

After the race, there will be live entertainment by local and regional performers, including the Love Monkeys, plus food and beverages.

Registration is available at http://www.milwaukeelakefrontmarathon.org/pre-race/registration, with a cost of $95 to members of the Badgerland Striders and $110 to non-members. For more information on registering for the marathon, e-mail LakefrontRegister@gmail.com.