Saturday's 26th annual Crazylegs Classic run/walk attracted a record-breaking 14,997 runners and walkers to Madison, including city celebrities Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and UW football head coach Bret Bielema.
The race began at 10 a.m. on the Capitol Square. A motley group of adults, students and children lined the square to begin the 8K— approximately five-mile—run. The race involved much of the campus, as it led runners and walkers along Observatory Drive to Old University Avenue and ended at the 50-yard line of Camp Randall Stadium.
The inaugural race started in 1982 and began as a fundraiser for UW athletics. That year, nearly 1,525 participated in the event.
Cieslewicz, a veteran Crazylegs runner, participated once again this year. He said he did not train for the run but still anticipated an enjoyable race.
""Despite the fact that I am going to die and embarrass myself, yes I'm looking forward to it,"" Cieslewicz said prior to the race.A ""I always look forward to it because it's not often that you get to run with 14,000 people through the campus.""
Cieslewicz said he encouraged others, even those who had not trained, to run in Crazylegs. He said the benefits of the race always outweigh the fatigue that follows it.
""Even if you're only in marginal shape, like I am this time of year, you can pull yourself through it just because you're part of such a huge mass of runners,"" Cieslewicz said.
Cieslewicz's spokesman George Twigg said Crazylegs is a unique event because it combines people of all ages and ability levels. ""Crazylegs isn't about who's the fastest runner in the city,"" Twigg said. ""It's about getting everybody out there and involved and enjoying the downtown and just enjoy being out in the nice weather.""
Bielema had been training for the race for months with athletic department staff members and completed his first Crazylegs with a final time of 53:34.
Bielema also served as the event's grand marshal and greeted participants at Camp Randall following the race at the post-event celebration.
UW-Madison sophomore and runner Katie McGinn said her favorite part of the event was the excitement the race generated on campus and throughout the city.
""People are so pumped to run and then there are people with megaphones cheering you on,"" McGinn said. ""I just like how everyone gets into it.""
Cieslewicz said finishing the race at Camp Randall Stadium was a great way for the whole community to feel part of UW-Madison. ""There's nothing like runningA through the entrance to Camp Randall and hitting the turf at the end of the race,"" Cieslewicz said.
