La Crosse Marathon
La Crosse Marathon race day weather
Cool start, warming finish
Runners will face a cool start at 47°F, with a gradual rise to 56°F by the finish. A headwind throughout the course will challenge pacing, especially in early miles. With humidity at 63% and dew point at 41°F, hydration should be prioritized. Runners should consider adjusting their pace to maintain energy levels as temperatures increase towards the finish.
The finish is 24 miles from the start, so we look at it at 2 points, not just the start line. In a typical year, at 9:00/mi, you start at 47° and finish around 10:55 AM in 56°.
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La Crosse Marathon route and elevation
The La Crosse Marathon course has about 170 ft (52 m) of climbing and 312 ft (95 m) of descent, a net drop of about 142 ft (43 m). It drops more than it climbs, and its terrain is faster than 89% of the marathon courses racecast.io has mapped, measured by what the hills cost in time. It has no steep miles: no mile climbs more than 35 ft (11 m).
What the hills cost
The hills change finish times by less than 0.2% here, under half a minute for a 4:00 runner.
Hills only, priced mile by mile on the course map. The pace calculator above adds the race-day weather.
Even-effort splits for a 3:30, 4:00 or 4:30 finish
| Mile | Climb | Descent | 3:30 | 4:00 | 4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 ft | 12 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:18 |
| 2 | 4 ft | 15 ft | 7:59 | 9:07 | 10:16 |
| 3 | 1 ft | 12 ft | 7:58 | 9:07 | 10:15 |
| 4 | 7 ft | 3 ft | 8:04 | 9:12 | 10:22 |
| 5 | 2 ft | 8 ft | 8:00 | 9:09 | 10:17 |
| 6 | 6 ft | 10 ft | 8:00 | 9:09 | 10:18 |
| 7 | 13 ft | 14 ft | 8:01 | 9:10 | 10:18 |
| 8 | 1 ft | 14 ft | 7:59 | 9:06 | 10:15 |
| 9 | 11 ft | 4 ft | 8:04 | 9:15 | 10:24 |
| 10 | 6 ft | 18 ft | 7:59 | 9:06 | 10:15 |
| 11 | 27 ft | 1 ft | 8:15 | 9:26 | 10:36 |
| 12 | 5 ft | 7 ft | 8:00 | 9:09 | 10:18 |
| 13 | 6 ft | 18 ft | 7:59 | 9:07 | 10:15 |
| 14 | 2 ft | 11 ft | 7:59 | 9:08 | 10:17 |
| 15 | 0 ft | 27 ft | 7:56 | 9:03 | 10:11 |
| 16 | 0 ft | 35 ft | 7:53 | 9:01 | 10:08 |
| 17 | 0 ft | 13 ft | 7:58 | 9:07 | 10:15 |
| 18 | 1 ft | 4 ft | 8:01 | 9:09 | 10:18 |
| 19 | 0 ft | 6 ft | 8:00 | 9:08 | 10:17 |
| 20 | 3 ft | 3 ft | 8:01 | 9:11 | 10:19 |
| 21 | 9 ft | 6 ft | 8:03 | 9:11 | 10:21 |
| 22 | 20 ft | 39 ft | 7:57 | 9:05 | 10:13 |
| 23 | 35 ft | 32 ft | 8:03 | 9:12 | 10:21 |
| 24 | 32 ft | 36 ft | 8:00 | 9:09 | 10:18 |
| 25 | 11 ft | 9 ft | 8:02 | 9:12 | 10:20 |
| 26 | 17 ft | 21 ft | 8:01 | 9:09 | 10:17 |
| Last 0.2 | 0 ft | 2 ft | 1:47 | 2:02 | 2:18 |
Explore the La Crosse Marathon course with the weather and your pace along the route, or compare it with other races.
About the La Crosse Marathon
The La Crosse Marathon is held in early May and runs from Sparta, Wisconsin, to Riverside Park in downtown La Crosse. The point-to-point course follows river bike trails through the Driftless Region and small Wisconsin towns, with about 20 miles of crushed gravel and 6 miles of paved trail. The marathon is USATF certified and a Boston qualifier. A half marathon from West Salem and a 5K run/walk finish in the same area. Source
