Tyranena Beer Run Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Jason E.
Sun Prairie, WI

  (11-09-2009)

"Course: There are a couple of really tough hills between mile markers 4 and 5, the first of which is particularly brutal, but then it levels off. The 2nd half of the race is almost completely flat sans the small hill just before mile 11. There are paths to and from the Glacial Drumlin State Trail (~miles 6-9) that consist of very loose gravel. I personally find loose gravel to be torture on the calves. The Glacial Drumlin itself is much more compacted and pleasant to run on. The course is big enough for the field, with a quick run through town, then around Rock Lake, down the path, then back into town and through the business park toward the brewery.

Crowd: There is not a lot of crowd support, but I suspect it to have something to do with the casual atmosphere and events surrounding the event. I believe a lot of experienced and veteran athletes use this race as a way to wind down from the season, followed by some beer, food, and festivities. It is a brewery after all. Therefore, I don't think as much support in the way of friends and family along the course finds it way to this race like it would more commonly.

Organization: Packet pickup went swimmingly, as did corralling the athletes at the start, but starting 800+ runners (just for the 1/2 route) in a parking lot and taking almost 3 immediate left turns is a recipe for clutter. I suggest moving the start into the street, but the finish line is fine in the driveway since the runners are spaced out by then. There were 4 water/Gatorade stations, but there could have been a 5th. If I'm not mistaken, there was about 5K to go at the last stop, which from what I hear, ran out of cups shortly after I passed through (and I'm not a back-of-the-pack runner). Athletes were picking cups up off the ground and using them, in desperation. There was also some expressed disappointment about there being no on-course nutrition. The post-race spread however was fairly elaborate. A lot of snacks to choose from, and that's not including the 2 beers and lasagna dinner. However, one must wait in line for a very, very long time to get these items. I think the beer and dinner tent was understaffed. I recommend shifting some investment from the snacks to on-course nutrition.

Overall: I would do this race again, if some minor changes were made in organization of the race. Scale back on the finish-line snacks and reallocate some resources to on-course aid, and staffing the beer and dinner tent. The date is convenient, as it conflicts with almost nothing, being so late in the Wisconsin season, and the start time (11:30 AM for the ½ and 12:30 PM for the 1/6) is friendly after an entire summer of 7 AM starts.
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Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Michael C.
Madison, WI

  (08-04-2009)

"This was my second half marathon. The course is good with some stretches of hills but they are mainly early on. Course is mix of roads and trails. Best part of the day is the post race party with two beers per runner and if your lucky you will get extra beer tickets from runners who either dont drink or are leaving early. I think I had at least four beers. The only other thing to keep in mind is that it is in Nov and can be cold. I ran in shorts and after really wished I would have run in tights."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2007

Samantha J.
Pewaukee, WI

  (06-18-2009)

"Things to note for this race... there are a few pretty decent hills and about 1/4 to 1/3 of the race was on a gravel trail. Still hit my pace but it was a bit of an adjustment.
That being said, I loved this race. It was my first 1/2M and I couldn't have had more fun. The weather was iffy, but the scenery, people and 2 free beers made it an awesome experience... especially if you don't like crowded courses (there were only 700 or so participants)."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008