🏸 Thwack! New pickleball complex coming

🥒 Thwack! Madison Could Get 10 More Pickleball Courts

• The pickleball craze appears to have no signs of abating, as the city’s Plan Commission okayed a 28,000 square-foot indoor pickleball facility near the Beltline and Hwy. 51 intersection.
• The building, a former Amazon distribution facility, would be part of the national Dill Dinkers Pickleball franchise. It will include 10 pickleball courts, making it the largest indoor facility in the county. The courts are expected to open late summer or early fall. [Cap Times, Dill Dinkers]

🪧 UW Students Protest Visa Revocations

• At a campus protest Saturday, students and community members urged UW-Madison officials to do more to protect international students on campus. In the last month, the Trump administration has abruptly revoked at least 26 UW student visas and alumni visa employment extensions.
• Nationwide, nearly 1,000 international students have had their visas revoked, in some high-profile cases students were snatched off the street by masked ICE agents and thrown into detention. On Tuesday, a federal judge barred the administration from deporting a UW-Madison student, Krish Lal Isserdasani, after canceling his visa weeks before he was set to graduate.
• Meanwhile, the student population may be moving leftward politically. While President Donald Trump did better in Madison wards dominated by students in the November election than he ever had before, in the April 1 election, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Susan Crawford received the same support that progressive justices Jill Karofsky and Janet Protasiewicz did in 2020 and 2023. [Daily Cardinal, Newsweek, CBS News, 🔒 WSJ]

🍕 A Favorite Restaurant for Golden Gophers is Coming to UW

• Frank & Andrea, a popular campus restaurant at the University of Minnesota, will open a location catering to UW-Madison students by the fall semester.
• The restaurant specializes in jumbo New York-style pizza slices and Philly cheesesteaks. Construction will begin at 435 N. Frances St. by the end of April. [Frank & Andrea, 🔒 WSJ]

Last weekend’s warm weather inspired a lot of Madisonians to lace up their shoes and go for a run. On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin chatted with Paul Miller, founding member of the Movin’ Shoes Running Club, about the ways beginners and seasoned runners alike can enjoy the sports safely and take care of their bodies.

In addition to tips, Miller also laid out some of his favorite spots in town to run. We put the call out to Madison Minutes readers to share their favorite running routes and got some great responses. Let’s hit the road!

You Can Bring a Runner to Water…

Paul Miller said it’s not surprising that, in a city known for its lakes, his favorite running routes tend to be alongside bodies of water.

“We have Lake Wingra, we have Monona, we have Mendota, right in the middle of town,” Miller said. “Maybe that’s one of the reasons I love running in Madison. Because there’s something calm about having that water right there.”

If you’re looking for a short but inspiring run, Miller recommends starting at the student union on Lake Mendota, and taking the Lakeshore Nature Preserve path along Lake Mendota. And then, if you have the energy, go all the way out to Picnic Point.

Another short but iconic route that he recommends is starting in Olin Park and running north along Lake Monona towards downtown, ending at Monona Terrace.

“It’s just a couple of miles, and it’s one of the most beautiful entries into any city I’ve ever seen, especially if you do it at dusk or at nighttime.” If you’re an experienced and adventurous runner, Miller recommends taking the entire 12- or 13-mile route around Lake Monona entirely.

Another iconic Madison run that doesn’t feature much water is, of course, running through the UW Arboretum. The six-mile loop is perfect for many runners, although there might be one unexpected hazard.

“ You may have to deal with the turkeys when you go into the Arb because they own the place,” Miller said.

⬆️ Last Week’s Photo

This door (deemed by one reader to be “the best door in Madison”) is located at the Weary Traveler Freehouse on Willy Street!

🥳 Congrats to Walt N., Mark M., and Emily S. for being the first three people to guess correctly! Bonus points to Emily, who also sent us her favorite running spots for the above article!

⬇️ This Week’s Photo

Do you know where this is located? A few clues:

• It’s on the east side of Madison
• It’s NOT at a gas station – at least not a working gas station
• It’s at a great place to fill up on breakfast, pie, or their beloved “meatloaf of the gods.”