MILWAUKEE — Marissa Lovell won the women's half-marathon at the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon with a time of 1 hour, 19 minutes, and 31 seconds. The half-marathon and full marathon took place on Sunday, October 4. "And I thought that it would be good on the calendar and get a good hard effort in, so I decided to come back for it," Marissa Lovell said.

"Just to feel all of the energy, the crowds, especially by the lakefront during this race are amazing," she said. "It's a really spectator friendly course, and so that makes it really fun, especially when you're coming in on the home stretch after the Hoan Bridge," she said.

Lovell is a 31-year-old professional triathlete who works in public health in Oregon. This was her third time competing in the Lakefront Marathon.

"The timing lined up really well and I love coming back to Milwaukee and doing this race just because it was one of my dad's favorites," she said. Her father, Michael Lovell, was the late president of Marquette University. He ran in the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon nearly every year he lived in Milwaukee.

Michael R. Lovell served as President of Marquette University from 2014 until his death in 2024. He died from a rare form of cancer a few months before the 2024 marathon.

Approximately 8,000 runners participated in the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon weekend events. Participant numbers for the event increased by 25 percent from 2025 to 2026. As of 2023, the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon is the largest marathon held in Wisconsin.

The event is organized by the Badgerland Striders running group and does not have a corporate sponsor. The Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon is a Boston Marathon qualifying race.

The marathon route proceeded north to Lake Park, south to Cudahy, and finished at Urban Park. Twenty main roads closed for the marathon, along with the northbound lanes of I-794 and the Hoan Bridge. A 5K race took place across the Hoan Bridge on Saturday morning.

Leah Etling is a spokesperson for the Milwaukee Marathon. Peter Knox is the Milwaukee Parking Services manager.

Lovell finished third in the full marathon in 2024. She is training for the California International Marathon in December.

Why It Matters

Lovell’s participation connects current athletic performance with historical community engagement, as her father ran the race nearly every year he lived in Milwaukee. The event required logistical coordination, including the closure of twenty main roads and the northbound lanes of I-794 and the Hoan Bridge. These closures facilitated a route that proceeded north to Lake Park, south to Cudahy, and finished at Urban Park, maintaining the event's reputation for spectator-friendly courses.

Timeline

On October 6, 2024, Marissa Lovell finished third in the full marathon in 2024. Also on October 4, 2026, the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon half-marathon and full marathon took place on Sunday, October 4.

What's New

Later reporting provided additional context regarding race records and participant history. The official record of the 2026 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon states that Marissa Lovell won the women's half-marathon with a time of 1:19:31, according to reports. Additional records clarified that Marissa Lovell competed in the 2024 Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon full race, finishing 6th with a time of 2:53:09, contradicting earlier reports of a third-place finish in the full marathon. Further clarification noted that Marissa Lovell’s 2026 half-marathon time of 1:19:31 placed her third in the women’s division, according to official race records, though she later clarified this was a miscalculation and her actual time was 2:53:09 for the full marathon.

Additional data revealed that participant numbers for the Milwaukee Lakefront Marathon increased by 25 percent from 2025 to 2026. Background information identified Peter Knox as the Milwaukee Parking Services manager. Medical and career history details emerged, noting that Marissa Lovell was diagnosed with a genetic connective-tissue disorder at age 11, leading to multiple knee surgeries and a career shift toward cycling and swimming to reduce joint strain. Her recent athletic performance includes a 10th-place finish at the 2026 Ironman 70.3 Northern California with a time of 4:28:20, showing her transition to endurance sports after running injuries.