The 2026 Machine Learning Marathon
Planning is underway for the 4th annual Machine Learning Marathon (MLM26)! Running from September to December, this 12-week hackathon offers real-world ML and AI projects (“Challenges“) catering to different skill levels, application areas, and ML/AI methods. Most challenges are inspired or directly sourced from labs at UW–Madison.
We’re currently in the project & advisor recruitment phase — stay tuned for details on this year’s challenges. Subscribe to the ML+X google group to stay informed.
Submit a Challenge (coming soon) Join ML+X Google Group
What to expect
Each fall, teams tackle gamified AI projects hosted on Kaggle — competing on real datasets across a range of methods and application areas. You’ll work with teammates across departments, get paired with a domain expert advisor, attend hands-on cloud workshops (AWS, Google Cloud), and contribute to resources that live on the ML+X Nexus long after the program ends.
“One of the most impactful ML events I’ve ever been a part of — experiencing what it’s like in a real-world environment.” — Academic staff, MLM25
“Just being surrounded by machine learning enthusiasts and professionals was really inspiring and helpful.” — Graduate student, MLM25
“Collaborative work with a clearly defined goal was a nice contrast to PhD research.” — Graduate student, MLM25
“Way more interesting than my classes.” — Undergraduate student, MLM25
Who should participate?
Open to anyone at or affiliated with UW–Madison — undergrads, grad students, postdocs, faculty, staff, and community members. Past participants have ranged from complete beginners to AI experts.
Minimum qualifications: To set participants up for success, we ask that all participants meet the following prerequisites.
- Python basics, machine learning fundamentals, and GitHub (enough to collaborate). If you need to get up to speed, please complete the relevant self-paced workshop(s) prior to kickoff: Intro Python, Collaborating with GitHub Desktop, and/or Intro to Machine Learning.
Find teammates: The most important thing isn’t your experience level — it’s picking a challenge in your zone of capability and finding teammates who share your pace, interests, and learning goals. For the best Marathon experience, try to form a team before registration opens in August. The more cohesive your team, the more you can accomplish during the Marathon.
- The Data Science Hub Slack is a good place to introduce yourself and find teammates over the spring and summer. Once joined, check out the #welcome channel and the #ml-community channels to get plugged into our community virtually.
- Attend ML+X events throughout the semester to meet others in the community. Join the ML+X Google group to stay informed of upcoming events.
Thank You, ML+X Sponsors!
Your support empowers Madison’s ML/AI community to tackle real‑world challenges, share hard‑won knowledge, and help one another succeed. We couldn’t do it without you.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Interested in Sponsoring Us?
Help fuel our growing community and showcase your organization’s commitment to responsible, open ML/AI. Visit the sponsorship page to learn how your organization will be represented as a sponsor of ML+X.