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WhistleStop Marathon

October 10, 2026 · 8:30 AMIron River, WI to Ashland, WI, United States

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Race snapshot

Race Day

45°F

48–70°F · Feels cool

Total elevation gain

322ft

Relatively flat course · Net elevation change −433 ft

Participants

200

Intimate field

Crowd Rating

2/ 10

Quiet course sections

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The Lowdown

The WhistleStop Marathon is a USATF-certified, Boston Marathon-qualifying point-to-point race run every October along Wisconsin's Tri-County Corridor, a converted rail-trail on crushed limestone. The full marathon starts about two miles east of Iron River and finishes in downtown Ashland on the shore of Chequamegon Bay on Lake Superior, with a gradual net downhill through the Chequamegon National Forest, past lakes, wetlands, and historic rail trestles during peak fall color. Founded in 1998 and presented in recent years by title sponsor Tamarack Health, it is one of the fastest and most consistent Boston-qualifying courses in Wisconsin, drawing runners from across the country. Race weekend also includes a half marathon, 10K, and 5K, all starting and finishing along the same corridor.

Course Highlights: 01Start line, two miles east of Iron River, WI
02Chequamegon National Forest trail corridor
03Historic rail trestles along the Tri-County Corridor
04Finish at Bay Area Civic Center, Ashland, WI on Chequamegon Bay
Also on this race weekend: Half marathon · 10K · 5K
Time Limit: 6 hours
Boston Qualifier: This race is a certified Boston Marathon qualifying event. Achieve your qualifying standard here on a verified course.

Minimum Age: 16 years
Entry Methods: Online registration via RaceRoster; mail-in paper form or in-person at the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce office
Eligibility: No confirmed minimum age published on the official site; participants should consult event organizers for youth entries
Required Documents: Photo ID for packet pickup
Cancellation & Refund Policy: Not confirmed on official pages reviewed; verify directly with organizers before assuming refund terms

01: Full official name is 'Tamarack Health WhistleStop Marathon'; the event is commonly known simply as the WhistleStop Marathon (matching its own domain, whistlestopmarathon.com), since title sponsorship has changed over the race's history.
02: Course runs on a crushed-limestone surface along the Tri-County Corridor, a converted rail bed; consistent gradual downhill grade makes it one of the fastest and most Boston-qualifying-friendly courses in Wisconsin.
03: 2025 finisher count of roughly 200 for the full marathon; per third-party marathon databases (findmymarathon.com) it ranked among the largest marathons in Wisconsin and among the fastest-scoring courses in the US.
04: Founded in 1998; the 2026 edition is the 28th annual running.

Prepare for This Race

Pace CalculatorPlan splits for marathon Race PredictorPredict your marathon time BQ CalculatorBQ-eligible course Fuel PlannerPlan nutrition for marathon, cool weather Difficulty Analyzer322ft gain, 45°F avg, marathon Training PacesTraining zones for marathon

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