Degree Dash

Get your semester off to a fast start! Join fellow graduate students, faculty and staff for the Graduate School Dash and Bash hosted by the Graduate School at UW–Madison.

Whether you plan to sprint to degree completion, handcycle the route, take a scholarly stroll, or join the “Bash” activities just for the fun of it, all are welcome and encouraged to participate in a variety of ways. You will meet new people, see our beautiful campus, and come away with a free giveaway. And the best part is, however you participate, you’ll get a diploma at the finish line.

All are encouraged to participate in this free event – new and current graduate students, faculty, staff, and family members.

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Set your goal for 5.07 miles for the Doctoral Derby (no, you don’t have to be in a PhD program to participate), or for 1.94 miles for the Master’s Mile (for those who need to “graduate” early). Race distances are based on approximate average time to degree.

Both routes start and end on Library Mall (located just west of Memorial Library), follow portions of the Lakeshore Path and nearby streets, and are wheelchair and stroller accessible.

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Route maps
1.94-mile Master’s Mile route

5.07-mile Doctoral Derby route

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After registering you will need to check in, in person, to receive your t-shirt and race bib. Please wear both on race day! Please bring your campus ID or other photo ID (except children). There are two options for check-in:

Early check-in (highly recommended): Avoid the lines on race day! Early check-in will take place 10am – 3pm, Monday, August 28 – Thursday, August 31, at Bascom Hall, Room 217.
ORRace day check-in: Opens Friday, September 1 at 7:15am under the tent on Library Mall. If you choose this option, you must complete check-in 15 minutes prior to the start of your race.

Please note that you must register at least one day prior to checking in. You cannot register and pick up your bib on the same day.

The deadline to register is 3:00pm on Thursday, August 31.

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Accessibility
Library Mall, the location of the Dash start/finish line and the Bash celebration, is at street level with paved sidewalks and some large grassy surfaces. The nearest accessible bathrooms are located in Memorial Union, which opens at 7:00 a.m., and in Memorial Library, which opens at 9:00 a.m.

Dash routes follow paved sidewalks and Lakeshore Path, which is a crushed rock surface that is bumpy but hard enough for caster wheels to roll over. If there has been a large amount of rain, small parts of the path may wash away, and grooves or holes could make navigating in a wheelchair more difficult. All transitions between surfaces are flat or include a curb-cut, and with the exception of crosswalks, the route is not directly on any city streets. Bathroom access along the route is limited to campus buildings. See the route maps for information about elevation.

The Master’s Mile route has one water station at the halfway point, and the Doctoral Derby has access to three water stations spaced throughout the route.

If you require any accommodations to participate in this event, please let us know by emailing gspd@grad.wisc.edu. Requests for accommodations should be made no less than two weeks before the event. We will attempt to fulfill requests made after this date but cannot guarantee they will be met.