Course Location

Related Content

Course Tour

Course Maps

Photo Gallery

2010 Big Ten Championship

2010 Wisconsin adidas Invitational

2009 Wisconsin adidas Invitational

Plenty of praise for Zimmer Course

Directions:

The Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course Ridge is located eight miles southwest of Madison, Wis., which is served by several major airlines and two major interstates. The course is adjacent to University Ridge Golf Course on the northwest corner of County Road PD and County Road M.

From Interstate 90/39: take exit 142a onto Hwy 12/18 heading west. After nine miles, take exit 258 (Hwy 18/151, Verona Rd.) and turn left onto Verona Road. After two miles, turn right onto County Road PD. Take the entrance to University Ridge, which is three miles down on the right side of the road. Upon entering the University Ridge complex, the Zimmer Course will be on your left.

From the west side of Madison: take Mineral Point Road west beyond the Beltline, then turn south on M. Go right at the intersection with PD to the University Ridge entrance. Upon entering the University Ridge complex, the Zimmer Course will be on your left.

Thomas Zimmer Championship Course

History

In the fall of 2009, the University of Wisconsin officially cut the ribbon on the brand new Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. This world-class course offers challenging and exciting terrain for runners and elevated viewing for spectators.

Located adjacent to University Ridge Golf Course, UW's cross country course features an exterior loop of approximately 2,500 meters and an interior loop of 1,000 meters. Both loops cover the area's rolling hills and valleys, while the outside loop also runs through a section of dense woods, which are aflame with color in the fall.

The course is built to accommodate race distances of 4k, 5k, 8k and 10k and features a wide starting area designed to host major championship events. The Zimmer Course is scheduled to host the 2010 Big Ten Cross Country Championship.

Spectators enjoy outstanding elevated views of the entire course from a berm situated between the starting area and finishing chute. Numerous pedestrian trails and cutouts make it easy for spectators following the races to move freely throughout the course.

The Zimmer Course hosted three meets in 2009, including the Wisconsin adidas Invitational on Oct. 3 which welcomed several of the nation's top collegiate programs and featured numerous high school races.

Naming

The Zimmer Cross Country Course is named after Thomas Zimmer, a longtime Badgers supporter and former collegiate runner at UW-River Falls. Zimmer's generous leadership gift toward the construction of the course helped make the course possible.

"This is a special day," said Zimmer at the course's dedication. "It was a long time coming and I'm thrilled to have played a role in making this course a reality."

Chuck LaBahn, a former UW swimmer and retired CEO of Orion Corporation in Grafton, Wis., also made a significant gift toward the project.

"We're very grateful for and appreciative of Tom and Chuck's support," associate athletic director for development Marija Pientka said at the course dedication. "This course would not have been possible without their vision and generosity. It will have a huge impact on our cross country programs and, we hope, the entire running community across the state."