Gopher to Badger Half Marathon 10K & 5K
August 9, 2025
Stillwater
Trail
500-1000
Downhill
Small Town
High: 83°
/ Low: 62°
Overview
This is a race that has a special significance if you’re from one of the two states through which the half marathon route runs, as the “gophers” from Minnesota go to battle each year with the “badgers” of Wisconsin for bragging rights in the Gopher to Badger Half Marathon, 10K & 5K, a scenic running event that takes participants through many areas that will probably look familiar even if you’ve never set foot in Stillwater.
That’s because the town and its surrounding areas have been the filming locations for a number of popular Hollywood movies, including Grumpy Old Men and its sequel Grumpier Old Men, the Coen brothers’ Fargo and 1996’s Beautiful Girls, which starred Matt Dillon and Uma Thurman.
Course Description
The course itself is attraction enough, however, as it takes runners through the beautiful St. Croix River Valley, whose lower 52 miles are a designated National Scenic Waterway and boast more than 50 public as well as private parks and nature preserves.
Runners will experience a number of challenges along the very hilly 13.1 miles of the half marathon course, which starts in Stillwater near Cloverdale and McDonald Lakes and follows a mostly southward and eastward course through the towns’ historic neighborhoods.
After that stretch, runners will cross the Interstate 94 bridge near the end of the race, which takes them over to Hudson, Wisconsin, for the finish in Lakefront Park.
