It starts at the Italian Community Center on West Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee and finishes at Henry Maier Festival Park and has a total elevation gain of 626 feet (191 m).
[17] In 2005, the Badgerland Striders had to cap the number of participants for the first time limiting entries to 2,300.
[19] In 2009, pace groups were first a part of Lakefront Marathon to help runners meet their time goals.
[20] The same year, Wisconsin politicians Jim Sullivan, David Cullen, and Pedro Colón competed in the Lakefront Marathon.
This was done as a fundraiser for elite athlete Jenny Crain, who was injured in a traffic accident, and raised at least $108,000.
Slight changes were made to the race course in 2011 to better show off views of Lake Michigan.
[39] In 2024, the driver of a vehicle experienced a medical emergency and struck a marathon participant.