This story is part of our Summer Guide from the June Issue of Milwaukee Magazine. To read our full guide to summer fun, order your copy today!
For the Food and Drink Enthusiast:
1. Beer Garden 5K Series
JUNE 9-AUG. 25 | MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Not only do Milwaukeeans love their beer gardens, they have a 5K series to match. This year’s series will make weekday evening stops at parks in Oak Creek, Menomonee Falls and Waukesha. Run hard, then celebrate afterward with a cold brew (or two).
2. Locust Street Festival Beer Run
JUNE 12 | LOCUST STREET
Sometimes it’s not about where you’re going but how you get there. A finish line? Sure, the Locust Street Festival has one has one. But it’s the four beer stops along the 1.8-mile route that draw this race’s “competitors.”
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
3. Cream Puff 5K
JULY 20 | WISCONSIN STATE FAIR PARK
Before the Wisconsin State Fair takes over the fairgrounds in West Allis in August, runners get a sweet preview with this annual favorite. Its course includes the Milwaukee Mile racetrack, and each participant receives an official fair cream puff, along with a fair admission ticket.
For the Serious Competitor:
4. Badgerland Striders’ Superrun
JUNE 8 | LAKE PARK
Some of the fastest runners in the state will toe the starting line at this evening 5K, in its 38th year hosted by the Badgerland Striders Running Club. One reason is that this race also serves as the Wisconsin 5K championship for Road Runners Club of America. Come test your speed with the state’s best.
5. WISCO Mile
JUNE 11 | WISCONSIN LUTHERAN COLLEGE
It’s hard to find mile races anywhere these days, let alone a race with this field of top competitors. The “pursuit of the pineapple” features blazing-fast speeds and significant monetary prizes, and while the high school and college athletes post some of the top times, this evening track meet offers heats for all runners.
6. Race the Lake
AUG. 21 | LAKESIDE PARK, FOND DU LAC
There are plenty of long-distance bike races in Wisconsin. Only one is an 88-mile loop around Lake Winnebago. Race fast to win cash prizes, or take it slower and just enjoy the ride.
For a Bit of Adventure:
7. Tour of America’s Dairyland
JUNE 16-26 | JANESVILLE
The tour’s 11 races take the streets of cities and neighborhoods across southeastern Wisconsin and turn them into cycling speedways, with a festive atmosphere that draws plenty of spectators. Cyclists of all abilities can participate in one or more race, starting in Janesville and concluding in Tosa Village.
8. Six Days in the Dome
JUNE 17-24 | PETIT CENTER
Races on the indoor running track at the Pettit Center aren’t unusual, but this is a race for runners who really want to test their limits. World-class competitors run as many laps as they can in certain time categories: 12 hours, 24 hours, 48 hours and the marquee six-day race.
9. Wisconsin Bike Fed’s Ride Across Wisconsin
AUG. 20-21 | LA CROSSE
If running clockwise around an indoor oval for six days sounds more like torture than adventure, you might be more inclined to spend two days biking across Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Bike Fed organizes the 235-mile ride from La Crosse to Milwaukee, with an overnight stop in Wisconsin Dells. Or go for leg-shattering glory, and try biking it all in one day.
