This Half was amazing! The course (point-to-point) was mainly downhill, seriously, D-O-W-N-H-I-L-L! In fact it was so fast, I shaved six minutes off my Half Marathon Personal Record (PR)!

The expo was wonderful with many vendors and other races participating. The swag registration bag was amazingly full of 3M products like post-it notes, glue, magnets, lint roller, etc

There were over 7,000 runners, this year, which I believe I heard the announcer indicate was a record for the event. There were porta potties, but not enough, as the long snaked lines took forever to get through.

The support along the race was certainly positive and present.

After race snacks were sufficient and the atmosphere was inspiring.

In support of 3M’s global initiative to advance female leadership, 3M Austin recently named Girlstart as the beneficiary of the 2018 3M Half Marathon. 3Mgives contributed $50,000 to support Girlstart’s educational programs in conjunction with the race.

Girlstart provides a year-round, intensive suite of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education programs for K-12 girls. Their core programs foster STEM skills development, an understanding of the importance of STEM as a way to address and solve global problems, as well as an interest in STEM electives, majors and careers. Girlstart’s programs naturally aligaligns with 3M’s Women’s Leadership Network (WLN), dedicated to accelerating the appointment of women leaders and providing necessary connections to help women explore, grow and gain visibility throughout their careers at 3M.

This was the first year that I ran this event, so I have no idea how the race was in prior years but I do know that there was a new race director and route for 2017.
This race is now a yearly must do for me.
The race begins downtown Muskegon with access to restrooms (running water) in a local arena and porta potties. The route goes through some neighborhoods and the City of Muskegon, but not for long as you are quickly taken towards the water.
The support was great with friendly encouragement along the route. Where the spectators were lacking, the views of the Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan Shorelines made for a peaceful, breathtakingly beautiful route.
The end of the race was back downtown where there were plenty of snacks and fun kid-friendly things to do to celebrate physical activity.

Registration closes for the 10K, Half and Full Marathons quickly, so set your calendar for 9:00am December 1, 2018 to get in on this race. This is the holiday weekend, so if you want to sleep in an actual bed in Traverse City, book a room immediately after registering.
The race is known to often be a Boston Qualifier as it is fast and flat. The scenic course runs along the shores of beautiful Grand Traverse Bay. The support at this race is excellent with plenty of aid stations (even a few private stations with beer and candy). The after race snacks are plentiful and finished with ice cream!
This race helps raise funds for the Traverse City Track Club, which uses proceeds from Bayshore to sponsor many running and health-related activities in and around Northwest Michigan.

This is a community 5K that also features the Bulldog 1Mile for children (and parents trying to catch up).
Historically, the race is held on a Friday evening in May, which in Michigan, means it could be freezing cold or hot as sin.
The race starts at the historical Ingham County Courthouse, downtown Mason, and goes downhill towards the Mason Middle School, only to turn and bring you through neighborhoods and then start a small incline back towards downtown. Once you reach downtown, the incline turns into a monster hill just before you turn the corner at the church to finish.
This race is well supported with two water stations and snacks at the end. This is an extremely family-friendly atmosphere and often the volunteers are teachers or employees of the school district.
This race helps fund the Mason Promise Scholarship, which is a community organization of volunteers that guarantees funding for two years of Lansing Community College education to selected Mason Public School students.

I ran this beautiful race with a bunch of friends from Grand Haven Running Club. I thought they were crazy going in, they confirmed that belief after this run.
It was ridiculously cold. Like real cold! But the views were gorgeous and the route was safe as most of the slippery spots were towards the finish line, which I was warned about by many onlookers. Aid station support wasn’t great, but that was probably the result of me being one of the last runners to visit for ice spiked water.
The atmosphere was amazing before, during and after the race. The race begins at Muskegon State Park, Winter Sports Complex. Most runners crammed in the lodge to stay warm before the run. There was access to restrooms (with running water) in the lodge. The race started off like any other race, except with extreme cold air. The gradual incline towards Block House Hill is no joke as it seemed to just keep going. The reward was beautiful views including that of Lake Michigan and was well worth the effort. After the race, participants gathered in a large heated tent for awards, soup and snacks.

Heads Up: Parking is limited, the weather and roads may be bad, so get there early. The race goes on, regardless of weather conditions.

Proceeds to this race go to the North Muskegon High School Athletic Booster Club.