Most events are hosted in the Discovery Building at 330 North Orchard Street. Two exceptions: the 8/19 Challenge Showcase is virtual, and the 9/16 workshop is at Morgridge Hall 7560. There is no virtual option for the weekly sessions.
All events running past 6:30PM are catered (10 of the 14 sessions this season). Light refreshments at the team formation mixer.
Every “sprint” event includes at least 45 min. of dedicated team work time.
Attendance expectations: Participants are expected to attend nearly all scheduled events. Occasional absences (e.g., for exams or unavoidable conflicts) are understandable, but please be respectful of your fellow teammates and the commitment they’ve made to fully participating in the Marathon. If you need to show up to the weekly events after 5pm, that is OK so long as your team approves. Presentations and workshops won’t typically start until 5:00pm or later. See the Rules for full details.
Find a Challenge
8/19 (Wed), 4:00-5:30PM; Virtual: Challenge Showcase – Pitches for each challenge + live Q&A; recording posted after. Open to everyone. Register to receive the Zoom link!
8/19 (Wed), 5:30PM: Applications Open – Attend the Challenge Showcase to make an informed decision and ask questions — you must select your top three challenges in the application. Most applicants will receive their first choice assuming challenge prerequisites are met, but we also balance challenge diversity across the event; ensuring each project has at least one team. Apply by 8/24 to be included in the first review round.
8/24 (Mon): Rolling admissions – Admitted applicants receive a payment link (expires after 48 hrs) starting 8/24. Rolling admissions continue as space allows.
Team Formation
8/31 (Mon), 11:59PM: Mixer Conflict Deadline – If you can’t attend the 9/2 mixer, post in your challenge’s private Slack channel by this date to find a team asynchronously, or within 24 hours of receiving your ticket if you’re admitted later. Undeclared no-shows have their seat released to the waitlist following the mixer. Your ticket confirmation includes the name of your challenge’s Slack channel and an invite to the workspace.
9/2 (Wed), 4:30-6:00PM; Discovery Atrium, Discovery Building: Team Formation Mixer – Build your team among admitted participants (3-6 members per team required).
9/3 (Thur), 11:59PM: Refund Deadline – Last day to cancel for a refund, minus a $25 Eventbrite processing fee. Email endemann@wisc.edu to request one. After this date the ticket is non-refundable.
9/7 (Mon), 11:59PM: Final Waitlist Releases – If you haven’t received a seat by then, we couldn’t fit you this year.
Main Event
9/9 (Wed), 4:30-7:30PM; Orchard View 3280, Discovery Building: Kickoff – Tips and resources for getting started, plus time for working.
9/16 (Wed), 5:30-7:30PM; Morgridge Hall 7560: Workshop: Coding Agent Best Practices
12/2 (Wed), 4:30-6:30PM; Orchard View 3280, Discovery Building: Sprint + Shareout – Last working session before the deadline.
12/2 (Wed), 11:59PM: Public Leaderboards Close; Final Writeups Due
12/9 (Wed), 4:30-7:30PM; Orchard View 3280, Discovery Building: Closing Celebration + Winning Team Spotlights – 10 min method spotlight by the winning team from each challenge + reception.