I freaking love the Charlevoix Marathon. It could be the views of Lake Michigan, the small-town charm, the world’s greatest sandwich shop waiting for me at the finish… But the biggest thing to me is the magical redemptive qualities this race seems to possess.
The first time I ran this race back in 2014, I was coming off of a string of marathons that were increasingly slower and slower, followed up by a real disaster of a marathon just a few months before. The word disaster is not an exaggeration. It was not pretty. So I was in a pretty deep hole of self-pity that I like to crawl into from time to time. But this race, this glorious race changed the trajectory of my marathon career. I finally broke the streak of crappy races, and as every runner knows, that is a feeling like no other. In true fashion, I broke down as soon as I found my dad after the race. He panicked. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
I shook my head and tried to explain through hysterical sobs. “I didn’t get worse. I didn’t have a bad race.”
Forever confused by my emotions, my dad desperately tried to calm me down in vain. I had no cool, I had found a reason to believe in myself again.
Fast forward four years and I’m still out there running marathons. History tends to repeat itself and once again I was standing in the corral of the Charlevoix Marathon praying to God I could make up for yet another disaster of a marathon. There was a very specific moment out on the course I will always remember. It was the moment where I was suddenly able to see past the shame and disappointment I had felt the past few months for my running. I felt lighter. I could feel, against my better judgement, myself enjoying the feel of the rain on my face, the pavement beneath my feet, the ache in my legs, the air rushing in and out of my lungs. In a rush, just like that, my soul reconnected to the heart of running. All that extra weight was stripped away – those arbitrary times and places, the shame of under performing, the nutrition, pacing, and training cycles that supposedly make up a marathon. They were all gone. It was just me and the road ahead. I didn’t run the time I wanted, but it honestly didn’t matter. I had started the race broken and finished it strong.
Anyway, that’s why I love the Charlevoix Marathon. Below you can read more in-depth info about the race, not that you could ever get enough of my literary masterpiece retellings of my marathon epiphanies…
What: The Charlevoix Marathon (I ran in 2014 and 2018). They also have a half marathon, 10K, and 5K
When: June 23, 2018 (the race always takes place the second to last weekend in June). The marathon has a pretty early start – 7:00 AM
Who: The races biggest sponsor is the city of Charlevoix itself, which is pretty cool. It helps to redirect the focus away from corporate sponsors and back on the charming Northern Michigan city of Charlevoix.
Where: Charlevoix, Michigan
Price: $95 for the marathon
Expo
The expo is held in the park in downtown Charlevoix right by the drawbridge. They have a few tents set up: one for merchandise and one for packet pickup. The volunteers are friendly and warm so even though it’s not a big expo by any means, it’s right at the heart of the town where you can see where it will all begin (and end hopefully) the next morning. If you can’t make it on Friday, picking up your number and shirt before the race on Saturday shouldn’t be an issue. The packet pickup is on the other side of the drawbridge as the starting line. The drawbridge goes up every half an hour, so make sure you’re not on the wrong side of the bridge near the start of the race!
Course
The course is mostly flat and mostly on the bike trail that runs from Charlevoix to Harbor Springs (The Little Traverse Wheelway). It’s an out-and-back course where the first and last few miles wind through quiet neighborhoods. The rest is on the Little Traverse Wheelway. You’ll have to endure two hills the entire time. That’s it. One hill is around mile 10, the other is around mile 23. Other than that, it’s smooth sailing. The roads in the neighborhoods are closed to traffic. The bike path is wide enough to accompany the runners coming and going, but not much bigger than that (that’s why they’ll always keep the field size relatively small). The poor half marathoners don’t get nearly the views us marathoners are lucky enough to run past. It seems like immediately after you pass the halfway point for the half marathon, the trees part and you can see the lake in all its lakey glory. You’ll witness a few dedicated groups of spectators along the way. A runner’s groupies can see their athlete a bunch of times along the course. They just have to keep driving a little further down the pathway to keep up with the race. One guy I was running with for the first half of the race had his family out cheering for him and we must have seen them at least seven times in the first half of the race. I am not ashamed to admit I adopted them as my family for those 13 miles. So the crowds aren’t big, but those who are out there do what they can to help you feel the love. Also, the finish is great. It’s a smooth downhill and the crowds have finally swelled. Doesn’t get much better than that.
Aid Stations
The aid stations are well-stocked, well-situated, and the volunteers stay on their toes. They have your typical water and Gatorade with a few Gu stops. The website says there are other treats at the aid stations as well like pickle juice, licorice, jolly ranchers, and bacon. I didn’t see any myself, but I wasn’t looking for anything beyond the basics. An aid-station pops up every 1.5 miles or so and you’ll be able to find a porta-potty at each one. When it’s hot out, the local firefighters have a hose around mile three and mile 23, creating a huge misting station (thanks, out-and-back). Mother nature was our misting station in 2018.
Goodies
Other than the treats along the course, the Charlevoix Marathon has a pretty good post-race spread. They have your typical bananas and sports drinks, bagels and granola bars. They also have fresh pizza, which is like a free meal! Well, if you can handle the idea of pizza after what you just went through. They also have a free spaghetti dinner the night before the race at a local church. The t-shirts are a soft cotton blend and usually have pretty cool designs. It’s sometimes nice to have a casual shirt thrown in the mix. There are only so many tech shirts a person needs…
Awards
Age group awards in 2014 were these giant glass mugs that were utterly impractical but completely cool. I actually still have mine and we use it to hold spare change. This year the age group awards were these nifty metal plaques carved into the Charlevoix Marathon logo complete with the Charlevoix lighthouse. Jackson finished second place in the 10K and got a really cool (and really heavy) rock carving of the state of Michigan. Not too shabby awards if you ask me!
Pros
Smooth course, good perks (shirt, snacks, awards, etc), charming town, Lake Michigan (the greatest Great Lake), and wonderful volunteers makes this race one you’ll look back at once the physical pain has faded and smile fondly. If you have a cynical person in your life who doesn’t believe in the joy that radiates from Michigan beach towns, running this race just might help them change their mind.
Cons
This isn’t a “big crowds” marathon. You’ll most likely be on your own for a few solid stretches of this race. You can talk to the lake if you want, though. Also. the timing of this race can be seen as a negative for some. Late June can be toasty and you’ll be stuck training long after most of your buddies have finished their spring races. But let’s be honest, Northern Michigan never get’s THAT hot and a later marathon date means you get to avoid more winter training! So in the depths of winter you can laugh at all your spring-racing friends from the comfort of your cozy house.
Overall Thoughts
If you love small town races that are tiny in size but mighty in quality, this is the perfect race for you. The race is well-organized and the course is quiet but beautiful. It’s a great race to try for a PR or to redeem a not-so-great marathon performance a few months before since it’s so late in the marathon season. I can’t promise you the Charlevoix Marathon will be as magical for you as it was for me, but I can guarantee you’ll have a good experience. If all else fails, there’s always Andy’s, the world’s best sandwich shop, that will make up for all your crushed hopes and dreams.
If you’re not from Northern Michigan I suggest taking the opportunity to extend your marathon trip a few extra days to enjoy the sights a bit. Visits to Traverse City and Petoskey make for excellent getaways, not to mention all the great food options a very hungry post-marathoner would enjoy. There is also a wonderful state park in Charlevoix you can stay at before the marathon (if you’re extraordinarily cheap like me and refuse to pay for a hotel room). It’s called Fisherman Island State Park and it has access to some excellent Lake Michigan shoreline, perfect hunting grounds for Petoskey Stones.
