The Crazylegs Classic is an annual eight-kilometer running race and two-mile walk held each spring in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The course starts at the

Wisconsin State Capitol The Wisconsin State Capitol, located in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Office of the Governor. Completed in 1917, the building is the fifth to serve as the Wi ...

and ends at

Camp Randall Stadium Camp Randall Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, located on the campus of the University of Wisconsin. It has been the home of the Wisconsin Badgers football team in rudimentary form since 1895, and as a fully functioning stadiu ...

. The race, first held in 1982, was named in honor of Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch. Proceeds from the race benefit University of Wisconsin–Madison athletics programs. The idea for the race was hatched in late 1981 by Tom Grantham, Ken Sparks, and Rich Backus, who wanted to raise money to support Wisconsin athletics. As admirers of Hirsch, who was then serving as UW–Madison's athletic director, they asked his permission to name it the "Crazylegs Run" in his honor. Grantham continues to serve as general chairman on the Crazylegs Classic Executive Committee. The first race in 1982 attracted 1,525 runners and raised $9,500. The event grew in popularity and the walk was added in 1987 with 676 walkers the first year. The event has grown, reaching a record high of 20,415 registrants in 2010. Since its inaugural race, it has attracted more than 229,000 runners and walkers. ''Runner's World'' magazine has rated the Crazylegs Classic as one of America's Best 100 Events. Readers participating in the ''

Capital Times ''The Capital Times'' (or ''Cap Times'') is a digital-first newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by The Capital Times Company. The company also owns 50 percent of Capital Newspapers, which now does business as Madison Media Partners. The o ...

''/''

Wisconsin State Journal The ''Wisconsin State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin. As of September ...

'' Reader's Choice Award survey have voted the classic the #1 Favorite Local Running Event every year since 1995. In 2002, the

Road Runners Club of America Founded in 1958, the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) is the oldest and largest distance running organization in the United States with over 1,500 running club and event members representing 200,000 individual runners active in their running c ...

chose the Crazylegs Classic one of twenty "Great Races! Great Places!" events.''Footnotes Magazine'', March, 2002. The scenic race course is considered a "runner's delight," starting opposite the State Capitol Building, going down Wisconsin Avenue, moving onto the campus over Observatory Drive to Picnic Point and returning down University Avenue to Camp Randall where it ends at the 50 yard line.

References

External links

Crazylegs Classic website
Long-distance running competitions Sports in Madison, Wisconsin Foot races in Wisconsin {{Wisconsin-sport-stub