Brew City Marathon Half Marathon 10k & 5k

A run along long stretches of Milwaukee’s 118-mile-long Oak Leaf Trail is what awaits runners at the Brew City Half Marathon, which makes its 5th running this summer on an out-and-back course that starts and finishes at McKinley Park, which offers lakefront and marina views. From there, runners will head first along the park roads and then jump onto the Oak Leaf Trail, a paved multi-use trail for walkers, runners and cyclists that stretches more than 110 miles around the city, and winds its way into all of its major parks and parkways. Nearly all of the course keeps runners on the trail, which is largely fast and flat, as it heads north toward nearby Riverside Park. The course aligns more closely with the Milwaukee River from there, as runners continue north along the trail, now taking in the views of the Milwaukee River. The middle section of the course stays on the trail but strays from the river briefly as runners head toward the turnaround point in Lincoln Park. After the turnaround, runners retrace some of their steps through Lincoln Park and then south along the Oak Leaf Trail, this time branching off to a section closer to the river near mile 8 for another two miles of river views. After that, they’ll head south to McKinley Park for the race finish next to where they started. Beer and a live band will be waiting for runners at the finish line, organizers note, and runners will have 3 1/2 hours to finish the course.