IM Wisconsin - A Spectators Guide

I realize that not everyone who follows or reads my blog will be in Madison to watch the Ironman this upcoming Sunday.  But I wanted to put some resources out there for those who are planning on being out on the course.  I have watched the IM once and it was quite the experience.  I would highly recommend everyone make the effort to watch at least part of any Ironman race.  It is one of the most motivating and inspirational experiences ever, I can almost guarantee it.

Ironman Wisconsin is infamous for its transition area, The Monona Terrace.  This large conference center is home of Ironman Wisconsin for the entire week.  It was designed by Frank Llyod Wright and is the backdrop for the first leg of the race - the swim.

Getting to the race sight is easy if you follow the instructions from Ironman and take advantage of their parking and shuttle services.  Park your personal vehicle at the Alliant  Energy Center, which is south of the Terrace.  Ironman will provide a free shuttle service to the terrace throughout the day.  Ironman makes it simple to watch the entire race without ever using your own personal vehicle.  Take advantage of the shuttle services and your day of spectating will go smoothly.  The race starts at 7:00am and is a mass swim start directly in front of the Terrace.  The best view for the swim is on top of the Terrace, but if you plan on watching the swim from this location, get there early!  If you want to get a front row seat for the swim you should try to get on top of the terrace by 5:30-6:00.  With the fastest swim time in the ball park of 0:45, you have ample time to catch the start and make it down to see your swimmer exit the water.

After exiting the water the athletes will have to run back to the Terrace for the swim to bike transition.  After getting changed and grabbing their bike its down the infamous helix of the Monona Terrance parking ramp and out to West Madison for the double loop bike course.

The best way to watch the 112 mile bike ride is to take advantage of the free bus shuttle from Madison to Verona.  The city of Verona puts on a festival and has the best vantage to watch the bike leg.  With the bike course being a double loop, the athletes will pass through the city of Verona twice.  Taking advantage of the family festival in the city gives the family and kids something to do while you wait for your athlete to come back into town.  The entire city shuts down and blocks the road and gives the race a Tour de France style feeling.  

After returning back to Madison from the bike course, it's out to the city streets of Madison for the marathon portion of the race.  The course is well designed making it extremely easy to be a spectator without the use of a vehicle.  The course is a double out and back.  So even if you sat in one spot for the entire race, you'll see your athlete 4 times.  The course runs on many popular locations in Madison, including along Camp Randall Stadium (home of the UW Badgers Football Team), State Street, and the Lake Monona Recreational Trail.

If you do just one thing on race day, it would be watching the variety of emotions as the athletes cross the finish line.  The pros will start crossing the finish line between 3 and 4pm and age group athletes will begin crossing the finish line shortly after and will continue to cross until midnight.  It can get pretty crowded at the finish line and I recommend getting to the finish line with plenty of time to ensure that you see your athlete cross the finish line.  

Below is my spectator guide based on my race times for my family and friends.